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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Every one of 993 lines we hold for Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 15 of 20.
“I have not answered, but I think the House has answered on my behalf. Sir, Opposition wards have got Citizens' Consultative Committees. It is not true that Opposition wards like Potong Pasir have not received CIPC funding. As recent as 2004, CIPC funds have been allocated to Potong Pasir to the amount of $71,000 to build children's playgrounds as well as related facilities around it as proposed by the CCC. Let me reiterate again that the CIPC funds are for Singaporeans. Mr Chiam mentioned earlier that Singaporeans in Opposition wards like Potong Pasir are deprived of the funds. They are not deprived of the funds. The CCC can put up the proposal, which they have, and it has been approved before. So it is not right to say that Singaporeans who do National Service, pay taxes, living in Opposition ward, do not get what Singaporeans who live elsewhere can get.”
“Finally, Mr Chiam asked again and pleaded that the Government not be discriminatory against Opposition MPs with regard to CIPC funds. Let me just reiterate again that the objective of CIPC funding is to improve the infrastructure, recreational facilities and general amenities of the whole constituency. The budget is limited and is allocated to the Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs) based on the merits of the projects that they proposed. This is because the CCCs interact closely with residents and are, therefore, in a good position to assess the needs of their residents. In response to Mr Chiam's point that we are being unfair to the Opposition MPs because we give PAP MPs CIPC funds, we do not give PAP MPs CIPC funds. CIPC funds are give to the CCCs to operate the proposed projects for improvements in the constituencies. These projects are then presented to the CIPC Committee which will then evaluate the proposals. Town Councils are responsible for the management and maintenance of the common areas in HDB estates. So if Town Councils wish to put up their improvement projects in their estates they can do so using their Town Council fund.”
“The Residents' Committee are members in the community. They live amongst the so-called disputing parties. Sometimes, they are neighbours. They are in a better position to understand the situation because if, for example, you have an issue of common space, the RC members actually live within the same structure and they are in a better position to advise perhaps the disputing parties on how best they can negotiate the sharing of those spaces. Sir, the parties concerned can also approach the Community Mediation Centres for assistance. These Community Mediation Centres are available within the community. Let me move on to Mr Othman Haron Eusofe's question on why there is a big increase in MND's Other Operating Expenditure (OOE) in FY2006 compared to FY2005. In FY2005, the Government reviewed the classification of public expenditures for all Ministries to better reflect Ministries' expenditures. Sir, as a result, the capital grants to HDB have been reclassified from Development Expenditure to Operating Expenditure with effect from FY2006. The capital grant to HDB is to finance the provision of public housing subsidies on sale of flats, CPF housing grants and the normal operating expenditure of HDB. It amounted to, as Mr Othman rightly pointed out, $323 million in FY2006. Sir, it is not that the operating expenditure of HDB has increased. It is just as a result of reclassification of an item to better reflect the usage or purpose of that item. So other than the reclassification of this expenditure, there is no change in the classification of other expenditures incurred by HDB. Expenditures on upgrading programmes, SERS, and major infrastructure projects, remain as development expenditure.”
“Sir, common areas in HDB estates are provided for the use and enjoyment of all residents. So I urge residents to be considerate when using these common areas. The notion of it being "common areas" means it is to be shared and when it is to be shared there must be some elements of give-and-take or compromise, as otherwise there would always be disputes in that regard. So, certainly residents who use such common areas should not litter or place bulky items along the passage ways or leave objects in the manner which can endanger the safety of other residents or passers-by. HDB, Town Council and Government agencies have periodically launched publicity efforts to educate residents on the need to keep their living environment clean and safe, for example, in the dengue prevention effort and the Anti-Killer Litter Campaign last year. They will continue to do so. Disputes between neighbours usually arise when two parties are unwilling to compromise or give-and-take. Basically, where no laws are broken, HDB and other Government agencies cannot intervene. Sir, in fact, as far as possible, we should try to encourage these disputing parties to negotiate among themselves because they have got to live with each other. They decided to live together, and that is the nature of our housing estates. That is the nature of our high-rise living condition, you share and, like Dr Tan Boon Wan said, the only thing that separates them is the wall. When they go out to the common spaces they see each other. The sooner they deal with issues the better. So we want to try to make sure that they try to settle the disputes themselves. It is more effective but, I think, if they cannot do so, it is for such disputes to be handled at the local level, for example, by the Residents' Committee.”
“Sir, I would like to thank the Members, Mr Wee, Dr Tan and Mr Othman for raising the issues concerned and, especially Mr Chiam, for his impassioned plea for more funds to be given. I will respond to that later. Mr Wee Siew Kim had asked for more security measures to be implemented in HDB basement car parks. I think this is not the first time that Mr Wee has raised this issue in this House. HDB has incorporated various security features into its design of its basement car parks. These include facing void openings in the car parks to minimise blind corners and to facilitate surveillance from the public areas and having vision panels in the car park lifts to provide greater visibility at lift lobbies and car park areas. HDB will ensure that the car park decks and staircases are well lit by providing additional lightings and extending the lighting hours, if necessary. HDB works closely with the Police, the local neighbourhood watch groups to educate the public on crime prevention and to keep a close watch on the car parks that are more prone to crime and vandalism. Sir, we must take the approach that security in such common spaces or places is a shared responsibility of the residents, the grassroots organisations, as much as it is the responsibility of the Police. HDB will continue to work with these stakeholders to enhance safety in HDB car parks. However, HDB has no plans to install surveillance cameras in its car parks as it is not cost-effective to do so. Dr Tan Boon Wan, as he has mentioned, has highlighted again the issue about difficult neighbours in the use of common spaces. He felt that there is a need for us to better manage the use of common areas in HDB estates to cope with issues like killer litter, mitigate disputes between neighbours and so forth.”
“Because sometimes they come to see us, after they married a foreigner, to say it is so difficult to have the foreigner stay here, and some of them do have children. The foreign spouses do bear children for them and for whatever reasons that are unknown to them, their spouses are asked to go back. Sometimes they go back with their children, and sometimes the children are left behind, and it creates a lot of uncertainty for these families. If we want to encourage Singaporeans to have an open mind to consider foreigners as potential brides or bridegrooms, we have to give them some education with regard to what is expected and is required, and explain to them what is the policy with regard to foreigners marrying in Singapore, and give them a clearer idea of what they need to do in order to facilitate the process of settling down. I understand that there are a lot of issues. We want to make sure that these marriages are genuine marriages, that they are not bogus marriages and, therefore, we do not want to grant permanent residence almost immediately. But I think it would be good if we can help Singaporeans understand and, therefore, they can plan. If they find a potential partner, looking at what are some of the criteria, they may be in a better position to decide when they should marry, and how to go about trying to settle down. That, I think, will make it a lot easier for these individuals and, hopefully, our marriage rate can go up and our procreation rate will go up too.”
“Currently, also with regard to treatment, subutex abusers are treated at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), but I think the capacity at the IMH is quite limited. I do not have the number of cases of subutex abuse. I would like the Minister to share with us if there are figures on the number of subutex abusers. And if the number escalates, has CNB any plans to treat subutex abusers as they did for heroin abusers? Immigration I would like to now take the cut on the topic of immigration. Sir, we are an open society. We welcome foreigners, whether they are working here or they want to continue to live here. With this open society, I think, anecdotally, we see an increase in the number of Singaporeans marrying foreigners. But, time and again, we see cases coming to our MPS appealing for foreign spouses to be allowed to stay here for longer periods, be it appeal for long term visit passes or for permanent resident status. I would like to ask the Minister if ICA is seeing an increasing trend in the number of Singaporeans marrying foreign spouses and whether there is also an increasing trend of requests for foreign spouses to be given long term visit passes to enable them to settle down or perhaps to secure employment. At the same time, is there an increasing trend of requests for permanent residency amongst foreign spouses? In relation to that also, Sir, I think many Singaporeans who are keen under the option of marrying foreigners - because sometimes they do find it difficult to marry Singaporeans and we want to encourage them to marry and have children subsequently - would like to have a better idea as to what the implications are.”
“Mr Chairman, the decline in the number of drug addicts, specifically heroin addicts, over the last few years has been very encouraging. After many years of the two-pronged approach of supply reduction and demand reduction, we can see the results. However, recently, press news of the emergence of subutex as an alternative to heroin is rather worrying. There have been reports of negative effects of subutex like gangrene, leading to limb amputation, which is far more serious physically than the effects of heroin. Sir, one of the issues raised is the perception that subutex is what is called a legal drug, ie, it is classified as a drug listed under the Poisons Act rather than as a controlled drug listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act. What was also reported was the emergence of a black market for subutex. If this is so, it seems that the heroin abusers are not using subutex as a treatment that it is supposed to be but, rather, it is used as an option and alternative drug to be abused. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister what is the current state with respect to subutex abuse. Is MHA or MOH tracking the number of subutex abusers? Does CNB see the abuse of subutex as a worrying phenomenon? What is CNB's position and strategy with regard to handling the subutex abusers? Is it going to use similar strategy as it did with heroin abusers over the last couple of years? How does CNB intend to address this problem of the black market, if it is true that it exists? Finally, Sir, as subutex is becoming a drug of abuse and has negative effects, I wonder if MHA is considering classifying subutex as a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act.”
“Sir, the crime rate last year, as mentioned by many Members, rose by 19% compared to 2004. The index crimes like house-breaking, robbery, snatch theft all registered significant increases. I would like to ask the Minister if MHA tracks the crime rates by location, ie, the extent to which crimes are committed within HDB housing estates, especially the index crimes that have increased. I ask this to ascertain if NPCs' presence or lack thereof has an effect on crimes committed in housing estates. Sir, a related question raised by the public is that Police patrolling has been reduced since the NPCs took over and that the Police has less manpower. They have fed back that the NPCs have taken a longer time to investigate cases and to address their concerns. Here, I would like to ask the following questions: what is the difference in terms of the number of personnel assigned to the housing estates now as compared to when the NPPs were more prominently located in the housing estates? What is the ratio or population norm of the number of Police personnel to the residents in the estates that the NPCs are responsible for, ie, how many policemen to how many people in a particular geographical location? Does the Minister feel that the number of personnel in the NPCs is adequate or are there plans to increase the manpower in the NPCs? Sir, the NPCs have been around for 10 years now since its inception in 1996. I would like to ask the Minister what are the key performance indicators of these NPCs apart from the crime rates, for example, the Police's relationship with the public, community involvement in crime prevention, time taken to investigate cases, etc. How have these NPCs performed vis-a-vis these indicators? How have they performed compared to the NPPs? Police Force”
“Mr Chairman, one of the prominent structures within our housing estates in the 1980s was the Neighbourhood Police Posts (NPPs). Feedback from residents then was that they saw and felt the presence of Police within the community. Directional signs showing where NPPs were gave a sense of comfort and confidence that the Police was just a shout away. Residents were familiar with the men in blue patrolling the estates on bicycles. However, since 1996, many of these NPPs have given way to larger and more consolidated Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs). Sir, the Minister for Home Affairs had, in 2004, informed the House that the NPCs are more cost-effective as they enable more Police officers to be deployed on neighbourhood patrols. It was argued then that a more mobile Police would more effectively project Police presence on the ground. Feedback that I have received in the last couple of years, however, seems to indicate that the public is feeling less of Police presence now than the days when the NPPs were operational. We may argue that the actual effectiveness of the Police, for example, more patrols and all, is more important than people's perception of Police presence. We can also argue, however, that people's perception of Police presence may also have a deterrent effect on potential criminal behaviour. In this regard, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister if MHA has studied the public's perception of Police presence in the community and how this perception can be improved to give them a better sense of safety and security. We have introduced the CSSP to encourage greater community involvement but I think we still need to address this sense of security with or without the presence of the Police in the neighbourhood.”
“Sir, the pricing approach for SAs is the same. As it is now, HDB will price them according to their attributes, the terms and conditions of sale and the HDB development costs. Just to give a range, the prices of 35 square metre units range from $59,000 to $61,000, and those of 45 square metre units range from $75,000 to $77,000. On the third question on the concept of independent living and facilitating better interaction and better opportunities for the participation of the elderly to live in, the Government's approach is to encourage ageing in place. We recognise that it is an important concept. That is why the options of either a standalone SA or an integrated SA is being mooted right now. The whole idea is to allow the elderly to live as closely to their children as possible so that they will be able to continue living their life for as long as they can. Secondly, they are located near community facilities. In standalone SAs, for example, we have neighbourhood links that are run by VWOs that will provide the necessary social services that are required by the elderly citizens. 3.00 pm”
“I give Mr Sin the assurance that we will get back to the SNOC, and SNOC will then subsequently let us know that it has gone through the due process and evaluated each and every recommendation from the NSAs appropriately. PETROL TAX (Reduction) 15. Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, in view of the escalating cost of petrol, (a) is the Government collecting more revenue from the flat tax on the higher selling price of petrol; and (b) will the Government consider a small reduction in the petrol tax, so as to alleviate the rising cost of transport due to rising fuel prices.”
“Sir, as I have mentioned earlier, I believe the SNOC is satisfied that every athlete has followed through the different criteria that it has set forth. Every NSA has broad criteria that require each athlete to go through before a recommendation is made, basically, from participation in international competition to attendance at national training sessions. So, I think SNOC looks into each NSA's recommendation and leaves it to the NSA. On Mr Sin's query whether SNOC goes into each and every NSA's procedure and to be convinced that each NSA has gone through the due process, at this point in time, I believe they have, but I have to go back to SNOC again to request them to give us an indication whether they are satisfied that every NSA has gone through specific processes that they have put in place.”
“Sir, I believe, at this point in time, SNOC is satisfied that the processes have been given due consideration. I think every NSA, as I have mentioned, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) provides a code of governance with regard to issues including the selection and recommendation of sports persons. In this particular case, I was informed that the NSA has offered the particular athlete to appeal for reconsideration and the athlete has decided not to appeal to the respective NSA.”
“Sir, in the ideal state, a lot of academics especially would love to do longitudinal studies. Any studies on impact of any forms of care arrangements are best done longitudinally, ie, that you actually track the person from the day the child goes into a certain care arrangement to a later stage. Such studies are, by nature, laborious as well as resource-intensive. At this point in time, I take the Member's point that such studies are important. We are doing what we call cross-sectional studies to look at the current situation and factors that could possibly account for certain types of outcomes. But I will not discount the possibility of doing longitudinal studies. But the nature of longitudinal studies is that it takes a longer time for results to appear and it does take a longer time for us to appreciate and in understanding those factors. But I take the point that these are important things to consider also. RIOTING YOUTHS (Cause for increase) 14. Mr Ang Mong Seng asked the Minister for Home Affairs what is (i) the main cause for the increasing number of rioting youths, from 250 in 2001, 446 in 2002, 493 in 2003 to 512 in 2004; and (ii) the profile of these youths in terms of per capita family income, family size, educational level and ethnic group.”
“Sir, the issues of latch-key children were addressed several years back, and with the problem of latch-key children came the services which were initially known as the Before-and-After-School Care. Subsequently, we called it the Student Care Services. It has been provided by various voluntary welfare organisations in the community. So, these services effectively provide care for children whose parents are working. These kids are primary school-going children, so that care is given to monitor both their academic as well as social development when their parents are at work. They go to these centres before or after school hours.”
“Sir, the strategies of MCYS with regard to sports have been mentioned in the House several times. There are three broad strategies. One is Sports for All; second; Sports Excellence and Team Singapore; and, third, the sports industry. I think there have been good movements in all directions but, significantly, arising out of the IOC event, it is really the development of the sports industry further. I think thereare lots of excellent new marquee events that have come up here and have generated interest in many other sponsors to actually develop marquee events.The Standard Chartered Marathon, for example,started in 2002 with about 6,000 participants but in two years, in 2004, it attractedover 14,000 participants. And it has also generated greater interest in other marquee events like the J C Morgan Corporate Challenge which saw, for the first time,over6,000 participants in its inaugural race. There has been significant movement in both the other thrusts but, specifically, arising out of this, we are seeing interest in developingour sports industry further. RETIREMENT FUNDING (Situation) 2. Miss Penny Low asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the retirement funding situation in Singapore; (b) what are the main sources of retirement income an average Singaporean can expect and how much will it be; and (c) will it be sufficient to outlast his or her life expectancy.”
“Sir, I do not have the information on the cost, but I do not think it costs that much to produce that 2-minute video. In terms of the time which was reduced from 3 minutes to 2 minutes, I think it was really an issue of logistics. Because of the time that was available for the screening of the video as well as the announcementthey would probably have taken into consideration what was possibly viable at that point. It was really more of an administrative and logistical issue in terms of broadcasting than anything else.”
“Sir,the organising committee will be doing its own post-mortem. I have not had information on the outcome of their post-mortem. But, certainly, from media reports, we have seen significant positive feedback, not just from participants of the conference itself but also from the public as well as others who were here. Certainly, there will be lessons that we can learn in terms of how to improve in the staging of such an event. But this being the first time, I think there were a lot of accolades that had gone to the organising committee in terms of the way Singapore had actually been able to organise such a massive event.”
“There are a lot of international federations who are looking at Singapore to be their Asian base to spin off their operations in Asia.”
“Sir, let me take the second question first. I wish to congratulate Mr Ng Ser Miang on his election to the IOC Board, because it reflected significantly his contributions to the international sporting fraternity, and all of Singapore should be proud of his achievements. As regards implications on what that means, I think it will continue to position Singapore as aviable international sporting hub because he will represent himself no doubt but he will definitely carry the Singapore flag wherever he goes in the international sporting fraternity. With regard to what else will happen, I think the IOC session also provided a unique platform to position Singapore as a very compelling hub for international federations and sports related companies to locate here. For example, at a meeting held with some sporting officials from IOC, SSC, EDB, SNOC, the Association of Summer Sports International Federation and the NFAs, members discussed the possibility of staging sports events including International Federation Asian offices, training academy, coaching centres and organising annual meetings in Singapore. For example, the 2005 International Sailing Federation (ISAF) annual conference will be held here in Singapore later this year, between 3rd and 13th November. The ISAF has also agreed, in principle, that their Asian headquarters will be based in Singapore. Having the ISAF Asian headquarters, it will certainly help us to bring more top events to Singapore. The Asian Athletics Association (AAA) is also considering basing its operationsin Singapore, while the International Badminton Federation is also looking at housing their global training centre here in Singapore. So the spin-offs are quite significant.”
“Sir, Dr Tan has highlighted the key issue. I think it is not so much specifically the gay teens issue because it is very hard to identify them and target interventions at them. But the issue is about the sexual behaviour of young people, whether they understand the issues involved in sexual promiscuity, whether they are actually aware of the effects of some of their behaviour, as Dr Tan mentioned, unprotected sex and having multiple partners. The strategy is to target at young people, understand and assess the extent of their sexual behaviour at this point in time and educate them accordingly in terms of the effects of those behaviours. They must understand all this information and it is important for them to take personal responsibility about their sexual behaviour. The issue is not so much targeting at gay teens per se but targeting at our youngsters and to see whether they understand the implications of their sexual behaviour and the need for them to be more aware of those implications. Column No : 1014 DEFAULT OF SCHOLARSHIP BONDS 10. Dr Tan Sze Wee asked the Minister for Health, in view of the Auditor-General's report for FY2004/2005, (a) if he will provide a breakdown of the type of scholars who absconded and did not pay their scholarship bonds totalling $1.5 million; and (b) what guidelines will his Ministry develop to handle the default of scholarship bonds and liquidated damages payable, including the write-off of non-recoverable debts.”
“I do not think we have local data to suggest that at this point in time. But data on addictions overseas have suggested that there are possibilities of issues of what they call "gateway" drugs, not so much smoking per se but possibly relations between drinking and other forms of substance abuse. In terms of relationship between smoking and other substances, the literature is rather inconclusive at this point in time. On local data, we do not have any specific conclusions with regard to the relationship between smoking and other substance abuse either. Column No : 1011 HOSTING OF INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE SESSION (Economic costs and benefits generated) The following Question stood in the Order Paper - 8. Miss Penny Low: To ask the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) what are the economic costs and benefits generated by the recent hosting of the International Olympic Committee session in Singapore; and (b) how can we reap further benefits from the event.”
“Sir, there are current programmes in schools on anti-smoking and smoking cessation programmes. Yes, so far, the programmes tended to focus on the young boys. But I think with current trends that we are seeing, we will specifically focus also on the young girls, not so much about smoking cessation but smoking prevention.”
“It is something that we are also quite curious when we look at the numbers. They are the ones who actually have shown the greatest increase over the last five years. In 1998, their percentage was only 10% and today it is 17%. Anecdotal experience shows that it is more peer pressure. It is an issue of the groups that they hang out with. Anecdotal experience also suggests that they are the ones who hang out with the hip-hop groups. We are still looking at the specifics in terms of reasons why they get into smoking habits and the programmes are really targeted at them. One of the issues about dealing with the young smokers is the issue of modelling. Many of them model after someone in terms of that smoking behaviour. Our strategy is to find good role models of former smokers who have made good and somebody they can identify with so that they can see that there is possibility of success in quitting smoking.”
“Sir, indeed, we have found successes in working with the men. The smoking rates for men have reduced significantly. For example, for the Malay men, which was one of the problems we had, it had dropped from 42% in 1998 to 30% in 2004. For Indian males, it was 31% in 1998 to 22% in 2004. There has been success in working with the men. And Mdm Cynthia Phua is right. We should learn from the experiences in working with men. We do have specific programmes for women. We have what we call the "fresh air for women" which targets specifically at the younger women in terms of their smoking habits. I think we will take that point to revisit our advertising as well as our promotional materials for these anti-smoking campaigns to make sure that it is more targeted and specific to the younger women population.”
“Sir, within such a system, obviously there will be a sizable number of children who will end up not being selected as the school will only take in the numbers that are necessary to focus their resources that will bring glory to the school. The end result is that you have students, eager initially, to be part of the sports fraternity, being rejected from one sporting group to another. Rejection is an understatement. I know it personally because I have seen it in my daughter and several of her friends. I know I am not the only parent who is saying that. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to ensure that the Ministry has a consistent policy with regard to CCA for sports in school so that we do not have a situation where sports is seen only in the competitive sense but rather that one can actually enjoy the sport. This is very much in line with our approach of encouraging sports for all.”
“Mr Chairman, every year, we hear repeated calls to make the system less stressful, less competitive, allowing our children to enjoy school, etc. I used to hear them but was not able to fully appreciate the extent of these calls until my children started going to school. Stress level is high, not only in classrooms but also outside the classrooms, not to mention in our own homes, especially outside the classrooms during CCAs. Sir, my concern is how these CCAs are conducted, the spirit behind it and the implications on the children. Specifically, I would like to focus on CCAs for sports. When I was in school, I remember that the policy then was to have every student to be members of one uniformed group, one sports and another from another category. This ensured that students had a well-rounded exposure to the different categories of CCAs, or ECAs then, which offered diverse and unique experiences. Sir, this does not seem to be the case today. In fact, in the spirit of decentralisation of MOE, my fear now is that every school has its own way of managing their CCAs. Sir, while I appreciate the value of providing school autonomy, I urge the Ministry to keep a close tab on what is happening on the ground and its impact on the children. I understand that in some schools the focus on sports CCA is primarily competitive sports. Thus, in the old times, we joined a particular sport as a CCA because we enjoyed the game. Today, at least in some schools, students can only join the CCA for a particular sport, only if they are competitively good at. They have to undergo a trial or an audition, and only those who are good at, and who will be able to represent their school competitively, will be selected.”
“The Government has put in preventive programmes including screening, and is investing in more public health education programmes which promote a healthy lifestyle. Singaporeans must take ownership for their well-being and go for regular screening and any necessary follow-ups. Health.connect is an innovative experiment towards achieving seamless health care for our community - the issue that Dr Lily Neo raised. Health screening is an important step under Health.connect, but it is just a first step. Those patients who need acute treatment will enjoy seamless access to an appropriate treatment centre or hospital, accessed within the community as far as possible. Once discharged, Health.connect will facilitate the return and reintegration of these patients into the community through step-down facilities, including home medical and nursing care. The small steps we take with Jurong today will one day lead us to a new model of healthcare delivery for Singapore. It will not be an easy journey. If successful, we may eventually have one nation-wide Health.connect which integrates and delivers healthcare to all Singaporeans who require it. Certainly, for this to materialise, every stakeholder must play his part.”
“So what we try to do now is actually to ensure that the medical and the nursing needs of the elderly who are home-bound are met first, bring them to a level that they may be able to travel with aid to the community rehabilitation facilities and then subsequently ensuring that they get the rehabilitation services that are already available in the community. I think the rehabilitation services in the community are sufficient because, as I mentioned earlier, the utilisation rate is now at 63%. We want to make effective use of those resources that have already been put in place. The principle behind it is to ensure that services are available close to the community such that more can access those services. If access is an issue, then we have to look at access issues. The Ministry is aware of Dr Chong's point that there are some elderly patients in need of rehabilitation who have problems travelling to day rehabilitation centres. Today, there are a small number of private and non-Government organisations, with some private foundation support, which offer home therapy. Some home nurses and therapists help develop home exercise programmes and train family members and caregivers to give simple physiotherapy for these elderly disabled until they can be brought to day rehabilitation centres for therapy. We will monitor the current situation. Sir, the healthcare system is indeed a complex issue with many dimensions - quality of service, efficiency, cost, to name just a few. The solution is not simply to build more hospitals and clinics or to keep on expanding our existing services. We believe that making the system work requires the co-operation of all the stakeholders - the Government, healthcare providers, and the people.”
“This ensures that the primary responsibility of the family is not compromised. Today, MOH is already subsidising a range of home care and day rehabilitation services for the elderly who live in their own homes. The subsidies cover: (a) home medical and home nursing services by 14 VWOs; and (b) 27 day rehabilitation centres and therapy services, many located in HDB void decks. In addition, the current capacity of existing services for the elderly can be stretched. For example, the day rehabilitation centres can be further utilised, as the current utilisation rate is only 63%. Our low-income elderly patients today already have access to subsidised rehabilitation, therapy and home care services in the community. We are assessing the availability and cost effectiveness of alternative services in the community, as well as the level of need in the community. Dr Lily Neo asked whether the current services are adequate and whether we have any projections in terms of the need. At this point in time, the home care nursing services are very well subscribed. We have over 6,000 users of home nursing services and over 800 users of home medical services. We do not have an existing waiting list. I think we will continue to monitor the extent of need of the elderly population for both home medical and home nursing. And we certainly will look into how best we can further develop the services to ensure the needs are continually met. Sir, a service like home therapy, as suggested by Dr Chong, requires one-to-one despatch of a therapist to a patient's home to provide rehabilitation services and comes at significant cost. And because of high subsidies required, it is not sustainable if the numbers are not big.”
“MOH is working with its partners, including agencies like MCYS, People's Association, the Singapore Sports Council, VWOs, CDCs and other grassroots organisations, to look after the health of elderly Singaporeans. We will continue to monitor the adequacy and effectiveness of these elderly care facilities. The above and other inter-agency ageing issues are discussed through the key platform of the Committee on Aging Issues, co-chaired by SMS Balaji and myself. Recognising the multi-faceted nature of aging issues, this committee comprises relevant agencies such as MCYS, MOH, MND, MOT and MOF, as well as the people sector. We recognise and we realise that elderly issues are not the responsibility of only one particular Ministry, but it is a combination of the responsibilities of various different Ministries. So this platform of the Committee on Aging Issues will address those concerns that are relevant and related to the elderly population. Sir, to date, a sizable number of ideas are being discussed for testing. The committee is also currently deliberating on the Eldercare Master Plan for the next five years. Dr Neo asked for the next 20-30 years. I think it is reasonable to work towards a five-year plan with a long-term understanding of what the implications are of the elderly population several years down the road. Healthcare is one main issue affecting the elderly which the committee will monitor closely and provide further recommendations to ensure the healthcare concerns of the elderly population are addressed. Sir, Dr Chong Weng Chiew raised the issue of home rehabilitation services for home-bound patients, just like Dr Lily Neo also. Indeed, we are keen to ensure that the elderly are placed with their family and within the community as far as possible.”
“For those elderly who have acute medical conditions, our polyclinics and hospitals are able to provide them with affordable care. We have set up the Integrated Care Services (ICS) in 2001, to ensure the proper discharge and post-hospitalisation handling of elderly patients, and that they are able to access long-term care if required. To date, there have been 7,000 referrals through the ICS, 70% of which have been referred to nursing homes. The remaining cases either had families which found alternative arrangements or were not suitable for nursing homes, and some subsequently would have passed away. 1.30 pm The elderly who require step-down care can access a comprehensive range of institutional and community step-down facilities - community hospitals, nursing homes, day rehabilitation services and home medical/nursing services - which are subsidised by the Ministry. The ICS has been effective in reducing the waiting time for nursing homes, from three months to two weeks . This is with regard specifically to the concerns that Dr Lily Neo raised to ensure that there is seamless process of ensuring the patients who need step-down care when they are discharged from hospitals are taken care of. The MOH is also working to improve referrals to day rehabilitation centres and other community facilities through further publicity with public hospitals as well as community referral mechanisms like the Jurong Health.connect. We will continuously review our processes to ensure that the movement of patients from acute hospitals to step-down facilities is quick and smooth for patients and their families. The provision of health care services in an ageing population will continue to be a challenge for us.”
“Preliminary results from our latest National Health Survey in 2004 show that Singaporeans are exercising more and smoking less. 24% of adult Singaporeans now exercise regularly, up from 17% during the previous survey. The proportion of smokers has fallen from 15% in 1998 to 13%, although there is a worrying prevalence of young female smokers. Singaporeans with diabetes declined from 9% to 8%, with high blood pressure also falling from 22% to 20%, and with high blood cholesterol falling also from 25% to 19%. This is between 1998 and 2004. The survey is conducted every six years. These figures are indeed very encouraging. But, whether this improvement is sustainable remains to be seen. We will, however, continue our efforts to encourage Singaporeans to remain healthy. Sir, Dr Lily Neo raised some pertinent concerns with regard to the elderly population. I thank her for being a constant voice for our senior citizens, and constantly reminding us of the plight of this group of Singaporeans. We acknowledge that as our society ages, more effort will have to be put in place to meet the health care needs of the population. We have put in place an active programme of primary prevention and early detection and management of chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes for Singaporeans at large as well as specifically for the elderly population. I mentioned earlier the HPB's “Check Your Health�? programme and other community health screening programmes, which are being enhanced to encourage more participation by the elderly. The cost is kept very affordable and the screenings are conducted on Sundays in HDB town centres to increase accessibility to the elderly. Where possible, the elderly are personally invited to undergo the screening.”
“The situation has now improved for ad-hoc screening programmes with larger numbers turning up, but not for regular periodic screenings. The feedback from our healthcare providers and partners is that people do not realise the importance of regular check-ups, or of follow-ups, after an initial diagnosed medical condition. Singaporeans must do their part in preventive healthcare. We have provided the infrastructure, created the opportunities, but they must come forward for the screenings as well as follow-ups. Sir, on a broader level, preventive healthcare is about healthy living. MOH and the Health Promotion Board actively encourage Singaporeans to lead healthy lifestyles, so that they remain healthy and disease-free for as long as possible. Promoting healthy lifestyle requires a multi-pronged approach to reach out to different segments of our population, such as school children, working adults and the elderly. With a significant proportion of our population being working adults, employers have an important role to play. In 2003, the National Workplace Health Promotion Survey showed that 86% of the Singapore workforce has access to a comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) programme. We hope they capitalise on the opportunities that are presented. Sir, international studies show that adopting a healthy lifestyle could significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases. It would also significantly reduce the individual's healthcare spending. Research in the US, for example, has found that healthcare spending for obese Americans accounted for 27% of the growth of overall healthcare spending, and healthcare cost incurred by the obese individuals was 37% higher than that of normal weight individuals. Sir, there is some good news at home.”
“Unfortunately, there is no consistent health screening standard that these providers adopt, resulting in disparate datasets that are not effectively managed for useful analysis. Follow-up for those who require further attention is not systematically monitored. Jurong Health.connect is moving forward in this regard, with various providers agreeing on a standard screening approach. There is a call centre. The call centre under the Health.connect framework will reach out to those identified as needing further attention, allowing early intervention to manage the disease. This is part of the seamless process that we want to try to facilitate. Since the launch of the call centre hotline and website in mid-October 2004, the last four months or so, it has fielded more than 100 calls, with 36 referrals generated, within the community. Cases helped by JHC include, for example, a woman who obtained a referral for a home nursing service for her 100-year-old mother who was recently discharged from hospital. Another example is a woman who obtained information on services for her mentally-disadvantaged uncle. These cases were given information and access, referrals to facilities that are within the community. JHC is gradually building up a network, one step at a time, to link up healthcare providers in that area. Sir, while we applaud the move towards better coordination of early screening, it remains a great challenge. Although the Government keeps the cost of screening affordable, we need more Singaporeans to be forthcoming. For example, a few years ago when a Community Health Screening Programme was launched to detect diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, at minimal charge, only a quarter of the target group turned up.”
“To have better disease management and proper care for the chronically-ill, it is crucial that we continue to transform our healthcare delivery system innovatively and on various fronts. More of the same certainly is not sustainable. With the advice and wisdom from our MPs who understand the issues on the ground, we are confident that these problems could be overcome. To facilitate this journey of change, the Health.connect concept that was mentioned in this House last year has now been fleshed out in more detail and piloted in the Jurong area since July 2004. Jurong Health.connect is an initiative that MPs like Mdm Halimah, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Dr Lily Neo and Mr Ahmad Khalis are actively involved in, with the strong backing by Mr Lim Boon Heng. This is not an easy pioneering effort. Jurong Health.connect requires active support to integrate healthcare services across both public and private healthcare sectors, across hospital and step-down care, across carers and patients. When completed, it will deliver holistic care from all providers working as a team, with the Electronic Medical Records as the backbone. Let me start with the first transformation needed in preventive healthcare. One key to a successful healthcare system is the early detection of diseases. Thus a primary component of Health.connect is health screening. Today, we have many players who reach out to different subsets of the community for health screening, under the Check Your Health programme, NKF screenings and ad-hoc outreach projects conducted by NGOs and religious groups. The GPs and polyclinics also conduct opportunistic screenings for their patients.”
“Sir, I thank Dr Lily Neo and Dr Cheong Weng Chiew for sharing their views and concerns, especially with regard to the elderly population. I agree that there are immense challenges in transforming our healthcare sector, and in ensuring more efficient use of resources, as well as more effective delivery of services. The MPs have highlighted the importance of a multi-pronged and seamless approach for public health policies and programmes, from preventive healthcare to ensuring that the services are delivered to the elderly population. Today, the healthcare service delivery in both the private and public sectors remains fragmented. Both of them are healthcare practitioners, and they are in a better position to understand and to know that. This lack of integration gives rise to disconnects in service delivery and optimal healthcare outcomes. Except within small groupings of providers, there is very little sharing of critical information, when a patient moves from one provider to another. To compound the issue, we continue to be concerned with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, each of which can cause significant health and financial burden. Tremendous effort lies ahead of us, and to date the progress has been slow. The technology needed to link up different health care providers has existed for many years, yet very few, if any, providers have taken the initiative to come together. Why is this so? Many chronic diseases can be detected early and actions taken to prevent their deterioration. Prevention or delayed onset of such diseases will help individuals achieve a higher quality of life, as well as lower their healthcare costs. We need to address this more systematically.”
“I just want to make a point with regard to the seat belts again. The Minister mentioned that right now we have a good record and we do not have accidents involving school buses. But I just want an assurance that we do not want to wait until accidents happen before we act on it.”
“If the Traffic Police tagline is that seat belts save lives, then how can we promote this to our children when the requirement is not put in place? Sir, I would like to ask whether indeed the Ministry does not have a policy of requiring school buses to be fitted with seat belts and, more importantly, to require the children to buckle up when they travel in school buses. If so, I urge the Ministry to study this matter seriously and act on it urgently. Taxi Operation”
“Sir, the safety of school children travelling to and from school is very important to parents like myself. There have been cases of road accidents involving children, causing some deaths. 4.15 pm Sir, there is another issue that needs to be addressed, ie, the use of seat belts in our school buses. It was drawn to my attention recently that, unlike passenger cars, there is no legal requirement for school buses to be fitted with seat belts. Also, even if there are seat belts, drivers are not required to ensure that the children actually put on these seat belts while travelling in those buses. I asked the bus operators why. Their answer is rather alarming. They said that there are many children in the buses. Often-times, they have to put three children per seat, when the seats are actually made for two. As such, even if there are seat belts, the children will not be able to use them. Sir, I do not think this reason is acceptable. The operators do this because they want to reduce the fees to charge parents. I do not think Singaporeans are willing to compromise the safety of their children because of cost. More fundamentally, if it is true that there are no such regulation, it may seem that the Government is also willing to compromise the safety of our children when they travel on school buses. Sir, I find it hard to explain to my children that whenever they are in my car, I will insist that they buckle up for their safety and also that it is required by the law. But the same message cannot be transmitted when they go on board the school buses. It is as though we are sending conflicting messages that seat belts are only important in daddy's car. Sir, I do not think this is right. We must be consistent in our message to our children.”
“Sir, I might have missed the specific response to my cut. This is to confirm that the Ministry has made a decision to consider criminal records spent or expunged, and that in a couple of months, the Criminal Registration Act will be amended to put that into effect. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Yes, after a long review, we have decided that we will introduce a scheme where criminal records will be considered spent. Of course, as we are making a start, we should be slightly more cautious. Therefore, to qualify for this, basically, they should be offenders of minor offences, for example, simple theft. So if they have been in prison for not more than three months, or a fine not more than $2,000, they will be eligible for consideration after remaining crime-free for about five years. Our estimation is that, with this first exercise, about 90,000 records will be rendered spent. Over the next two or three months, we will be looking at amending the Criminal Registration Act.”
“Employment opportunities shrink significantly when potential employers are informed of your criminal records as many employers ask the job applicant to declare if he has a criminal record. Some even ask the applicant if he has ever been charged in a court of law, never mind the outcome of the case. Sir, the Minister has, on previous occasions, assured the House that the Ministry is reviewing its policy on criminal records, possibly considering expunging their records of minor offences or considering the records as spent if the ex-criminals show sincere desire to turn over a new leaf by being crime-free for a certain period of time. Sir, I have been waiting for that day to come. I know many lives will be changed forever if our Government takes this bold step forward. I hope to hear that a decision has been made and not that it is still under review. Indeed, we must continue to be innovative as we continue to create opportunities for Singaporeans, in this case, those who may have made a mistake in their lives and are sincerely trying to make amends. Sir, the Yellow Ribbon movement encourages us to unlock the second prison for these Singaporeans. Perhaps, the Government can lead the way by instituting the policy of expunging the records of those who are genuine and sincere, albeit the necessary criteria being met. Ex-drug Abusers”
“Sir, this is probably the third or fourth time that I am filing this amendment on MHA. Just like Mr Charles Chong, I am very noted for this. Sir, since PM Lee took office, his constant message of making Singapore a land of opportunity has been very much welcomed by Singaporeans. Indeed, the current Budget policy of the Government for this financial year is premised on the theme - opportunity and community. Sir, I believe that we must create opportunities for Singaporeans to contribute to Singapore and enhance their sense of belonging and ownership to the country. Sir, as a professionally-trained social worker, I believe that everyone has the potential for change. Ex-criminals too have the potential for change. Yes, they must pay for their crimes and have their freedom taken away from them by incarcerating them. Yes, there will be those who are recalcitrant and they return to their bad habits. Yes, society must be protected and thus, we need to detain or keep these criminals in prison. But, Sir, after having been incarcerated, after having taken their freedom away from them, many do, in all honesty, leave the gates of the prison with the hope of rebuilding their lives. Unfortunately, they enter their second prison - the societal negative perceptions especially with regard to employment. The Yellow Ribbon movement is an excellent beginning to help ease the return of ex-criminals into mainstream society. We can do more. Sir, many Members of the House have repeatedly asked the Ministry to consider innovative ways of helping these ex-criminals. As it stands now, once you have a criminal record against you, your record stays for life.”
“It will go a long way in reducing the incidences of petty crimes in the community, if more people are involved in CSSP. I would like to ask the Minister what are the other plans that he has in expanding the role of CSSP to ensure that more Singaporeans take ownership of the safety and security in their immediate neighbourhood. Are there specific plans or specific target groups that the Ministry has to encourage more participation? Bird Flu”
“Sir, the Community Safety and Security Programme, or CSSP, has been in place for several years now. Many CSS teams exist at the grassroots level and we see them in action sometimes when they go patrolling on their bicycles around the neighbourhood. Much has been said about how we cannot take our safety and security for granted, especially in the light of potential threats of terrorism. I sense that, since the episode of the arrest of JI operatives a couple of years ago, Singaporeans seem to begin to take the issue of safety and security rather lightly. There is a sense that the Government, specifically the Home Team, is very much in control and that we should not be too unduly concerned. Sir, while credit goes to the Home Team for their efficiency and effectiveness that led to Singaporeans feeling safe and secure, we must drive the point that safety and security is the responsibility of every Singaporean. In this regard, I would like to ask the Minister to what extent are Singaporeans involved in the CSSP in their respective communities. I believe strongly that we must make Singaporeans take ownership of the environment which includes their safety and security issues. I have come across residents who often give feedback on security issues in the neighbourhood and, when invited to join the CSSP, they give the reason of lack of time for not participating. They still expect the Police to make their rounds and some expect these rounds to be made very regularly. Sir, we know that this is not possible as the Home Team has its own limitations. I think the CSSP is an excellent platform for greater partnership between the Home Team and the grassroots and community.”
“Sir, as I mentioned earlier, we ratified the Convention on Rights of the Child in 1995. The spirit and broad principles of the Stockholm Declaration which came in 1996 are in line with those contained in the UN Convention on Rights of the Child. Sir, the issues being deliberated by the relevant agencies are generally similar to those under the CRC, such asthe implementation and monitoring mechanisms, preventive strategies as well as protection of child victims. But we do realise also that the Stockholm Declaration focuses primarily on the exploitation of children. The commitments under the Stockholm Declaration are more specific. So, recognisingthe specificity of these issues presented under the Stockholm Declaration, we are currently looking into these specifics through consultation with relevant agencies. We are studying the commitments carefully and will make a decision in due course. CRIMES IN MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS (Measures to counter) 12. Miss Penny Low asked the Minister for Home Affairs what (i) are the common crimes committed at multi-storey car parks; (ii) is the trend of such crimes; (iii) measures are in place to counter car park crimes like theft, vandalism and mischief; and (iv) more can be done.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is clear that the new structure will focus on protecting Singapore from terrorist attacks. But in view of the ways that terrorist groups are using hostage-taking of civilians as their weapon in terrorising nations in Iraq today and potentially beyond, will the new security structure consider the potential threat of such methods to Singaporeans overseas? How can Singaporeans be further prepared and protected from such threats when they are overseas?”
“Sir, I am actually referring to cases of those who have gone home, stopped being work permit holders, Singaporeans meet them and marry them. I am quite concerned about the ban because we are separating family members - husbands, wives and and children. I wonder how long is the ban going to last, if they have been banned. And have there been any cases of such bans being lifted, and under what circumstances are such bans being lifted?”
“Sir, the Minister has not answered the first question, that is, the number of work permit holders who have currently been banned. Dr Ng Eng Hen: Sir, I would rather answer what is the stated intention of the policy. The policy is not that they try to apply and see whether they can get married because if they understand the context of this policy, it is stated explictly that they come here and work. And because of the large numbers, we take a very stringent view in terms of approval. Yet, at the same time, we are not completely heartless and, on a case-by-case basis, that we will not approve. On the other hand, I would not like to publish numbers and encourage those who come here, explicitly knowing that they are not to settle down, to now try and meet partners, cultivate relationships or let relationships form, and then apply, knowing that we are very stringent on approval. The point of the policy is that this is an explicit condition. There are large numbers of work permit holders here and we tell them that they should not think of settling here before deciding to work.”