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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“HDB told Mr Singh that most of the HDB surface car parks in Kaki Bukit, Eunos and Bedok Reservoir wards have already been upgraded, and the remaining car parks have also been scheduled to be upgraded progressively from 2017 to 2021. HDB needs a bit more time to confirm the exact schedule of the works over the next six years, so that it can minimise subsequent adjustment and disruption to the Town Council's plan. On behalf of HDB, I ask Mr Singh for some understanding. HDB has been working on his request since he asked at the end of January 2015. It will be finishing its study and should be able to reply to him soon. Mr Png Eng Huat expressed concern about the fruits from some trees in car parks in Hougang causing dents to vehicles and discomfort to pedestrians. I would like to assure Mr Png that HDB and the National Parks Board (NParks) recognise the importance of selecting Page: 15 the right species of trees in residential estates, including car parks. The particular species of trees that Mr Png referred to is commonly known as the "Sea Apple" and has also been planted by NParks in other parts of Singapore. It is a common species found in many car parks across Singapore. The trees in the Hougang car parks have, in fact, been there for the past 15 to 20 years. If these mature trees remain healthy, they should be retained. HDB will continue to ensure that the trees are regularly pruned. From time to time, there may be some imbalance between parking demand and available supply, as was the case in the car park at Blk 538 along Bedok North Street 3, cited by Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap.”
“Based on my experience with P4650, I believe that collective responsibility, built on personal motivation and self-reliance, will have to underpin the more inclusive and compassionate home ownership policy we seek to develop. If families, particularly those in rental flats, take up the opportunity to work towards home ownership, they will not have to go at it alone. We know it is not easy for them. We empathise with their plight. That is why, together with our community partners, we stand ready to help them get back on their feet again so that they can then build a better life for themselves and their family. We will target assistance where it is needed and create the right enabling conditions for as many Singaporeans as possible, including those in the lower-income group living in rental flats, to be home owners, with a stake in this country and its future. Let me now touch on municipal parking issues. Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap suggested standardising the season parking rates for Class 3 passenger vans. Today, HDB charges different rates, depending on the size of the unladen weight of the vehicle. This is to preserve the character and ambience of the HDB residential estates. HDB upgrades its car parks from time to time. Mr Pritam Singh suggested that there is scope to better coordinate the Repair and Re-decoration (R&R) works under HDB with the routine maintenance under Town Councils. We agree. Today, HDB already alerts Town Councils on its schedule for multi-storey car park (MSCP) R&R works in advance. Mr Pritam Singh said that HDB has yet to reply to his request for more information on the schedule for car park upgrading.”
“With that income and two young children, she struggled with rental and utilities payments. She was overwhelmed with the challenges she was facing. P4650 helped Mdm S stabilise her situation with rental vouchers and School Pocket Money Fund for her children. MENDAKI and Homework Cafe, run by volunteers at the Siglap Community Centre, helped her son with free tuition and homework supervision. This helped improve his school results. And Mdm S herself never gave up, wanting to build a better life for her young ones. On her social worker's advice and support from Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and South East Community Development Council (CDC), she took up a basic Early Childhood Education course. After she completed the course, she was promoted and her wages rose. I am happy for Mdm S. She is now a proud owner of her own flat. More importantly, she has rebuilt her life and the life of her two young children after her divorce, and there is hope of a better future for the family. On this note, Mr Zainudin Nordin asked if there are Singaporeans still living in interim rental housing. Today, there are 1,140 households in interim rental housing. The majority, about 70%, are waiting to be allocated a public rental flat or have booked for a new flat and will move out when their flats are ready. For the remaining 30% who are still working out their long-term housing option, HDB works closely with the social agencies to help them stabilise their family circumstances and find employment or get better-paying jobs, so that Page: 14 they can secure a longer-term housing option. Since interim rental housing started, 4,250 of the 5,390 households who took it up successfully have moved out to rental or purchased flats or found alternative accommodation.”
“Page: 13 In 2012, I started a small pilot to work out a way to help low-income families living in two interim rental housing blocks to rebuild their lives and own their homes. The project is called P4650. P4650 is not a housing initiative, but a community project. Through P4650, we bring together social intervention and community support as we realise housing problems are only the tip of the iceberg for many low-income families. They face challenging and complex social issues. The hand-holding of each and every household is highly resource-intensive, and the support customised, whether it is budgeting, job matching, skills upgrading or supporting children in school or after-school care and even mental health- related support. We have had some good results with this pilot, not just in terms of helping many of these families be home owners again, but, more importantly, in terms of changed behaviour and transformed lives that are essential to making home ownership sustainable. Even so, we are far from 100% success. Why? Government assistance and community support are extended to all. But what we find differentiates success and failure is personal motivation. Those who succeed are those who, from the bottom of their hearts, want to carve out a better life for themselves and their children. It is this personal drive, coupled with Government help and community support, that makes the difference. Let me cite an example. Mdm S is a divorcee with two young children, who used to stay in an interim rental housing block in my constituency in Siglap division. She was placed in our P4650 programme. She was waiting for her 2-room BTO flat to be completed. She was working as a relief infant care teacher and earning a monthly income of just $1,000.”
“With better outreach and community engagement, we hope home owners will make informed choices and not be easily taken in by the promise of short-term gains without realising the serious longer-term implications. Mr Zainudin Nordin asked what more can MND do to help low-income families get decent housing at affordable prices. Mr Pritam Singh suggested loosening restrictions on the Tenants Priority Scheme. Mr Zainal Sapari offered various suggestions, including providing them a third bite of the cherry, but impose safeguards and conditions. Like them, we instinctively want to help these public rental tenants achieve home ownership again. Our hearts go out, especially to their children, because if we can, we would like the children to be able to grow up in a more stable and conducive home ownership environment. But as Minister Khaw earlier said, this is something we need to think through very carefully. There are at least two issues that we need to take time to ponder. 11.45 am The first question is one of equity. Will our society support giving them more housing grants than what other families, including lower-income families, receive, if the reason why they need more help is because they have used the proceeds from the sale of their previous HDB flats unwisely or even irresponsibly? The second question is one of sustainability. Would such a well-intended policy change result in moral hazard? What are the right enabling conditions needed for these families to become home owners and remain as such? As Members are well aware, money can help buy another flat, but more than that is needed to create a stable home. As a society, we have to find a way forward.”
“At the same time, her husband developed a serious medical condition and part of the proceeds was used to pay his substantial medical bills. They also sold the car. In less than two years after selling their 4-room flat, the money ran out. Mdm A earned just $800 and her husband was unemployed because of his medical condition. They could not afford to buy another flat or rent on the open market. Their relatives were also unable to accommodate their large family of six. Mdm A's three youngest children lived separately Page: 12 with different relatives while she, her husband and their elder son spent their nights at the void deck or beach. When they appealed for a public rental flat, HDB accepted their application on compassionate grounds even though they had enjoyed substantial sales proceeds and were not eligible to rent. They moved into a 2-room rental flat in 2013 and have been there ever since. Mdm A aspires to own a home again to provide a better living environment for her children. We will try to help her as far as we can. Mdm A's case is not an isolated one. Many Members in the House would have met families with such a background. Indeed, we must recognise that the HDB flat is a home for loved ones, as well as a valuable nest egg for retirement, especially for the lower- income. In a rising property market, or when one is financially strapped, the temptation to sell is a very real one. But my advice is: resist the temptation and do not cash out too early. Keep your home; protect your nest egg; life may be harder in the short -run; but it will work out. We have seen many cases like Mdm A.”
“Even when we exercise flexibility, we will continue to work with our partners in the social service sector to help these families improve their socio-economic circumstances that would enable them to own their own homes subsequently. However, as we improve access to public rental flats, we observe a worrisome trend: more families coming into public rental today used to be home owners but had sold their flats for various reasons. Just five years ago, they comprised only 52% of public rental applicants. Today, the proportion is 59%. Some of them have benefited from one housing subsidy before and, while they still qualify for another subsidised BTO flat, they have to pay a resale levy and are no longer eligible for generous first-timer housing grants. Some have enjoyed two housing subsidies and cashed out, quite substantially, and more than once. They no longer qualify for subsidised flats and face an even steeper climb. As they are likely to be older, they also have problems getting sufficient housing loan. Also, many of them have children who are financially dependent on them. Mdm A's family is one such example. Mdm A and her husband upgraded from a 3-room resale flat and bought their first subsidised 4-room flat in 2003 at $190,000. Despite HDB's assistance, they were unable to keep up with the mortgage payments and decided to sell the flat in 2010. They received a CPF refund of $32,600 and cash proceeds of $198,000, more than what they paid for the flat. But with this, Mdm A bought a weekend car and rented a private apartment. She set up a food stall but business was poor and closed shop soon after. She then invested a large sum in a business venture which turned out to be a scam.”
“The average waiting time has come down from 21 months in 2008 to 5.5 months now. With more flats coming on stream, we will be able to help low-income families in a more timely fashion. Mr Zainudin Nordin asked that we relook our rental housing policy to ensure that we continue to help low-income families have a roof over their heads. The public rental scheme was launched in 1960, the same year that HDB itself was formed. But it has not remained static. We review the eligibility criteria from time to time to ensure that they meet today's needs. We are ramping up supply. Today's public rental blocks provide a totally different living environment from those of yesteryears. I know for a fact as I used to live in one of these rental flats and I am sure many Members of this House did, too. Page: 11 We have and will continue to transform our public rental landscape to keep up with the times. In fact, the only feature that has remained unchanged through the years is the public rental rates; the lowest rental rate of $26 a month was set in 1979 and it is still $26 a month today, after 35 years. That is why, even as we ramp up supply, we must continue to be judicious in allocating these highly subsidised rental flats, so that we target help where it is most needed, and stretch each dollar to help as many as possible. Hence, as a policy, singles, including elderly and divorced singles, are required to co-rent a flat and are not allowed to rent alone, as Mr Lim Biow Chuan has suggested. However, if co-sharing is not feasible, due to medical conditions, for example, HDB makes exceptions. We are driven by need, not by rules.”
“In 2013, we further introduced the Step-Up Central Provident Fund (CPF) Housing Grant to help families upgrade from a 2-room to a 3-room flat when their circumstances improved. We empathise with the challenges faced by vulnerable families, including divorcees with children, and continue to extend help to them. Housing stability is paramount as they go through this transition. This is why, in 2013, we introduced priority for such families applying for a 2- or 3-room Build-To-Order (BTO) flat in a non-mature estate and provided them subsidised temporary housing under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) while they wait for their new flat. We also shortened the debarment period from five to three years, enabling 290 divorcees to buy a subsidised flat earlier. Over the last three years, 8,800 divorcees with children applied to buy HDB flats and 3,800 successfully booked one – 130 did so with the help of the priority. Ninety-five rented a PPHS flat. Despite generous Government assistance, some families are unable to own a home immediately. For these families, we provide highly subsidised public rental flats to meet their housing needs. In the last three years, HDB helped more than 1,800 divorced parents with public rental flats. Mr Pritam Singh asked that HDB also allow single unwed mothers to apply for public rental flats. In fact, HDB already allows them to do so, on a case by case basis, if they do not have family support or other housing options. We increased HDB's stock of rental flats from 42,000 in 2007 to 51,000 today and are further ramping up to 60,000 by 2017. Mr Pritam Singh asked what had been the impact on allocation and waiting time. In 2014, we successfully placed 2,300 households in public rental flats.”
“Madam, our home ownership policy is a key pillar of Singapore's social system and the reason why most Singaporeans today own their homes. A home is more than just a physical space, more than a roof over the head. It provides a feeling of security and a sense of place which one owns, roots oneself and where one belongs. For that reason, a 90% home ownership rate, by any standard, is most unusual. This did not happen by chance but is the result of a conscious political choice and deliberate Government intervention. For the past 50 years, we have enabled two generations of Singaporeans to own their own homes. For those who cannot own a home immediately and have no family support, we provide heavily subsidised quality public rental flats. This is not an alternative or substitute to home ownership, but a resting stop, a stepping stone and a safety net for those who have tripped and need help to bounce back. Going forward, we will better bridge this path from public rental to home ownership and help more public rental tenants become home owners. We will work out a more inclusive and compassionate approach, with greater incentive for self-reliance and stronger community support. Let me elaborate. Page: 10 In recent years, we have stepped up efforts to help lower-income and vulnerable families own their homes. In 2006, Housing and Development Board (HDB) re-introduced 2-room flats and has launched 11,500 units since. Many families have benefited, including 1,900 earning $1,000 or below. We help them buy their first home through generous housing grants of up to $60,000. Thus far, 1,700 families earning $1,000 or less have benefited from this.”
“In collaboration with MOE under the SAF-Schools Partnership Programme, 33 post-secondary education institutions have paired with 47 SAF units to co-organise activities, such as unit visits, for their students. We need to keep up such efforts to engage our public, because Singapore's defence can only be as strong as our people's will to defend Singapore. This is why we launched the Commitment to Defence Ambassadors programme this year during the SAF50@Vivo on 13 February, through which, some of our Pioneers and ex-Servicemen will engage our younger Singaporeans and share with them our early struggles, experiences, and accomplishments in the face of adversity. I hope that these stories will inspire younger Singaporeans and give them the spirit and strength to do their part for Singapore. Indeed, Madam, as we celebrate SG50 and SAF50 this year, we must remember the spirit and strength exemplified by our Pioneers. We must harness it and work towards building a more secure and prosperous future for Singapore.”
“SAF Pioneers like Colonel (Ret) Goh Lye Choon, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Syed Ibrahim and Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Daljeet Singh were involved in Konfrontasi operations. They fought for their comrades, families and for the security of our country at a difficult period of Singapore's history. We have Navy Pioneers like Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Jaswant Singh Gill and Senior Warrant Officer (Ret) Wee Cheng Leong who saw the development of the navy from its formative years to become what it is today. Major (Ret) Agnes Fong from RSAF was amongst the first batch of female officers. She later blazed the trail to become the first female commanding officer in SAF. They will continue to inspire us and the next generation. Mr Alex Yam also asked how MINDEF engaged Singaporeans to strengthen the public's commitment to defence. Our starting point is a simple one. We believe that everyone has a part to play in defence. All stakeholders can and should take a personal responsibility in defence, whether you are a mother, employer, teacher or student. This is why we work through ACCORD where different stakeholders from businesses, schools and the community have come forward to contribute and demonstrate their support for National Service. Besides ACCORD, we have also been actively engaging grassroots leaders, employers, trade union leaders, overseas Singaporeans, Permanent Residents, new citizens, women's organisations and others through visits to SAF units and other activities to keep them informed and updated on National Service and defence-related issues. We aim to be as Page: 132 inclusive as possible.”
“I am happy that many Pioneers came to the SAF50@Vivo exhibition and many others will be at other key events such as the SAF50 Parade, SAF50 Commemoration Dinner and SAF50 at Istana Presidential Garden reception. SAF Pioneers invited to these events include officers and warrant officers from the first batch of National Servicemen, first batch of officer cadets, Pioneers who served before 1965, and Servicemen who contributed to significant local and overseas SAF missions and operations. Page: 131 Some of these personalities will include our longest serving Chief of Defence Force Brigadier-General (Ret) Winston Choo, legendary Regimental Sergeant Majors, such as Captain (Ret) Hong Seng Mak – also known as "Tiger Hong" – and Captain (Ret) Shamsudin bin Shadan, and many more. [Mdm Speaker in the Chair] SAF formations and units will also engage their own Pioneers as part of their celebrations. Here, I also note Mr Seah Kian Peng's suggestion for MINDEF to support Unit Alumni Reunions. Indeed, we want to bring our Pioneers and previous batches of ex-Servicemen closer to our younger generation. They inspire us with their experiences, memories and motivations. Mdm Chairman, with your permission, I would like to show a few more pictures of our Pioneers.”
“30pm Mdm Hani, in her 40s who visited the SAF50@Vivo said that the exhibition helped her to relate personally to our Servicemen whom she spoke to at the SAF50 booth. She said, "Through them, I know what my son does and goes through during National Service". Another visitor is Ms Theresa Chua, 24 years old, who said that the event reminded her that "it takes the whole community to come together to defend and protect the welfare and sovereignty of our nation". I am gratified by these comments. They remind me that because of the SAF, we have common space for Singaporeans of all backgrounds to interact, train together and forge enduring friendships. As a result, we have built a deep pool of social capital that gives strength to our nation. Through efforts, such as SAF50@Vivo and the outreach efforts of the ACCORD Councils, we will continue to engage the community and groups such as women and schools, so that we deepen the social capital and goodwill that the SAF has built over the years. We will continue to commemorate SAF50 over the course of the year. To expand our outreach, the SAF50 exhibition will travel to various public venues, including regional libraries across Singapore, till October 2015. Stories on the exhibition will be put up on the SAF50 website and in a commemorative book, as well as adapted into short videos. The commemorative book, which will be launched in July this year, will be a collection of more than 70 stories that will allow us to see the SAF through the range of lenses – from diplomacy, defence technology, operations, to family and community support, media and entertainment. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and Mr Alex Yam also asked if our SAF Pioneers will be involved in the SAF50 events.”
“These Pioneers range from the soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Singapore Infantry Regiment; volunteers from the Singapore Volunteer Corps, Singapore Naval Volunteer Force and Singapore Women's Auxiliary Naval Service, and other volunteer forces, many of whom became members of the SAF when it was formed in 1965. These Pioneers were the early batches of officers, as well as National Servicemen who responded to the call after National Service was instituted in 1967. Last month, we organised the first SAF50 public event – SAF50@Vivo. Held from 12 to 15 February, the four-day event attracted more than 87,000 visitors. While it had the usual displays of military hardware and fun activities, SAF50@Vivo was anchored on an exhibition that featured SAF stories. These were stories of our Pioneers, and their convictions and sacrifices. Stories of men and women who supported the SAF, whether from within the SAF or from the larger Singapore community. One Pioneer featured in our stories was LTC (Ret) Timothy De Souza. He was part of the RSAF's first aerobatic team in 1973. Another Pioneer was LTC (Ret) Syed Ibrahim. He was involved in Konfrontasi operations and later became an instructor who trained the first batch of our Officer Cadets. Page: 130 Another of these stories featured Eliza Heng, a volunteer counsellor and a mother of two sons. She spoke of how, through National Service, her sons "gained maturity in their outlook on life, and had become less self-centered and are more accepting of the little inconveniences in life". I am very heartened that many Singaporeans connected with and learnt a lot from the stories shared at the exhibition. 6.”
“The members are actively leading in various initiatives and such ground-up efforts will have a significant impact on our outreach and engagement with various stakeholders to increase commitment to defence and support for National Service. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and Mr Alex Yam asked how we are intending to mark SAF50. I am pleased to report that the SAF has planned a series of SAF50 events this year under the theme "Our SAF: Giving Strength to our Nation". These events recognise and honour the contributions of all the men and women who have served in the defence of our country. Indeed, SAF50 is our way of saying "thank you" to all who dedicated themselves to preserving our sovereignty and defending our way of life, especially our Pioneers. What SAF lacked in resources in the early years, our Pioneers made up for with their fortitude and determination. Mr Chairman, with your permission, I would like to show some pictures of these Pioneers.”
“Last year, a total of 151 retailers, in sectors ranging from fashion to food and beverages to electronics, came on board to show their appreciation to the SAF by offering discounts and deals. This was a strong show of support from our community. We want to encourage more visible and sustained ground-up support for our Servicemen and Servicewomen. In this regard, we will collaborate with the People's Association (PA) and SAFRA to garner community and local businesses' support. PA is looking at how they can offer privileges for use of facilities at community centres to Servicemen and Servicewomen, including NSmen and NSFs. SAFRA is also looking at enhancing their membership privileges. We hope that, through their partnerships and networks with various merchants, they can offer more benefits and discounts to Servicemen in recognition of their service. The F&C Council also felt that it was important to reach out to women and help them better understand national defence, given the important support they provide to their sons, husbands or brothers serving their National Service. The Council, therefore, recommended that we partner the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations and PA's Women Page: 129 Integration Network to conduct sessions for mothers to share their experiences in supporting their children through National Service. We are also looking into conducting engagement sessions with wives of NSmen and young women. Mr Chairman, the restructured ACCORD and its three Councils have taken a more proactive approach, compared to its predecessor.”
“Mr Chairman, ACCORD is an important platform that encourages ground-up initiatives to strengthen support for National Service. Minister Chan spoke about ACCORD and its renewed direction and structure to help deepen appreciation for our Servicemen. I co-chair the Family and Community (F&C) Council with the Senior Vice President of Banyan Tree, Ms Claire Chiang, and the Educational Institutions (EI) Council with Senior Minister of State for Education Ms Indranee Rajah. Through these two Councils, we hope to reach out to schools and institutions of higher learning (IHLs) as well as strengthen family and community support for National Services. We have invited members of the community to serve on the Councils. Since being appointed, the members have worked very hard and have proposed many fruitful initiatives. Let me share a few of them. The EI Council, for example, brings together members from educational institutions and other stakeholders to look at ways to strengthen support for National Service. For example, currently, NSmen can enrol for special enrichment and refresher modules before the start of their university studies. These programmes help ease NSmen's transition back to university, especially if they are embarking on a new course of study, and may also contribute to their university credits. The Council will explore how these existing modules can be enhanced to better meet the learning needs of the students and explore other efforts which could support our NSmen. The members of the F&C Council have also engaged our communities to develop good ideas to strengthen support for NS and defence. Every year, during SAF Day, we receive strong support from merchants and businesses who provide discounts to our Servicemen and Servicewomen.”
“I thank the Member for the question. The total void deck space available in Potong Pasir is about 39,100 sqm. This includes 434 sqm of commercial space, which is just about 1.1% of the total void deck space. About 4,066 sqm are for social and communal facilities. That is about 10.4%. In total, about only 11.5% of void deck space is used up. About 88% of space is still available for residents to use for their own activities.”
“There is no delay. As I have mentioned in my reply, all new lifts have already been installed and are operational. Right now, the works that need to be done are to upgrade the existing lifts and to close down those that are not required. We Page: 19 will complete all the works of upgrading the existing lifts by this year.”
“Madam, as I have said in my reply, we do not select the projects at the constituency level. We select them based on those nominated by the Town Councils. As of now, 22 constituencies have benefited from the NRP projects. All TCs have nominated since 2011. At least one project by each TC has been selected since 2011.”
“Secondly, it really depends on the level of consultation and the extent to which the residents can find consensus in terms of the kind of works that they would like to have. This would engender greater ownership for the works done. It is very difficult to say what is the average timeframe. It usually takes four to five years in total, from nomination to completion. But some may complete earlier, depending on the consensus built by the residents on the kind of works that they want to have. The other objective of the NRP is to encourage greater community spirit in the community, so that neighbours come together and come to the realisation of the kinds of things they can and want to have and, at the same time, meet the various needs of the demographic profiles of that particular neighbourhood.”
“Madam, perhaps I can clarify. The Neighbourhood Renewal Programme or NRP was announced in 2007. The NRP focuses on blocks and neighbourhood improvements, and is implemented on the neighbourhood basis, if it is more than two or more constituency precincts. It is meant for blocks that are built up to December 1989 but have not undergone any Main Upgrading Programme or MUP, or Interim Upgrading Programme or IUP, or IUP Plus. So, we do not do NRP for precincts that have already undergone some of these upgrading programmes. The question was what were the first few constituencies. I do not have the details of the breakdown by constituency from when we started out 2007. But just to say that, as I had mentioned earlier, we give it by Town Council. We ask the Town Councils to nominate. When we started out, we were trying to see how to implement the projects. So, at that point in Page: 17 time, not all Town Councils may have received or selected their nominated precincts. Since 2011, we have started ramping up. At that point, LUP was coming to the tail end of the programme. By 2011, we were able to select at least one nominated precinct by each of the Town Council. On the timeframe, the challenges in NRP are that it works differently from the LUP and the other upgrading programmes. Because residents are not required to pay and the works are done externally, NRP requires a lot more consultations because of the space that is being upgraded. There is a two-stage consultation process: one is the public consultation; and the other is the consensus-gathering stage. The engagement process is very critical. First, it really depends on the size of the precinct that has been nominated and selected.”
“Madam, as mentioned earlier, the current practice to offer BTO flats twice a year is to make sure we can consolidate a larger pool of flats to be made available. If we do this quarterly, then the number of flats will be lesser and the choices or options for applicants would be lower. Nonetheless, as mentioned, we will continue to Page: 42 review and fine-tune this process to make sure that it continues to support this stable housing market that we have. 3.00 pm”
“Madam, I share the Member's concern to ensure that HDB flats are not used for purposes other than subletting according to regulations set out by HDB. Every lessee of the flats knows the regulations and, if they are subletting the rooms, they are supposed to register the number of tenants that they have in their rooms. HDB monitors that quite closely. We also require the help of local grassroots to let us know, should the tenancy breaches the agreement set out by HDB. It is a two-pronged approach: HDB will continue to do their spot checks from time to time to ensure that these flats are not sublet, not according to prescription. At the same time, we require local ground-up feedback so that we can continue to enforce, where necessary.”
“Madam, I think we have to be fair to all applicants. But as we treat the cases of families or first-time applicants, sometimes we also take a look at those who have applied many, many times and have had difficulties and we try to look at Page: 17 them on a case-by-case basis to try to assist them accordingly. We can also assist singles in that manner; looking at the circumstances of their situation and the number of times they have not been successful in applying for a flat. By and large, as mentioned earlier, the proportion has come down and the number of singles who have been able to secure their 2-room flats is much better. As we go on in the future, we suspect that as we meet the pent-up demand, things will stabilise and they will be able to get their flats in due course.”
“We are monitoring the situation but, as mentioned earlier, our data show that for 2013 and 2014, although the quota for singles is 30%, the gross figure shows that about 77% of the 2-room flats were allocated to singles. Even if the quota today stays at 30%, the actual numbers that were taken up or allocated to singles are much higher. We will continue to monitor the situation. As Er Dr Lee Bee Wah said, if the demand from first-timers, as well as families, is coming down, we will consider the possibility of increasing the quota for singles. But we will continue to monitor the situation.”
“Madam, we have announced that we will launch about 16,500 BTO flats, of which about 5,000 would be 2-room flats. Not all of these 2-room flats are for singles. As the Member mentioned earlier, the quota is such that we reserve about 30% of the 2-room flats for singles, because we also need to meet the needs and demands of our first-time families, as well as second-timers who require smaller flats. But our experience is such that where there are leftovers from the families and second-timers, these leftover 2-room flats will then be allocated to singles. If we talk about 5,000 out of 16,500 launches for this year, one-third will be 2-room flats that will be launched by HDB. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, with the demand from newly-weds easing now – because I do not see so many of them coming to my Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) now – can the Ministry consider allocating a higher quota for singles?”
“Mdm Speaker, certainly, for rental flats, MSF assesses the need for SACs based on the parameters and the number of elderly in the rental blocks. MSF works very closely with the appointed operator or appointed VWO to encourage them to do the outreach to the residents. We appreciate the issue of confidentiality. We can work with MSF on Mr Baey's suggestion on whether HDB can protect the confidentiality and write to the residents to facilitate their understanding of such services that are available. These are some things that MSF and HDB can work together, to ensure that residents are well aware and, certainly, take advantage of services made available to them.”
“Madam, we agree with Mr Ong that we should not compromise the safety of our senior residents in the SACs. As mentioned earlier, of the 11 that were developed last year, three of the operators requested for a slightly delayed takeover period. Otherwise, HDB and MSF work very closely together. The operations are Page: 15 such that HDB builds the SACs, hands over to MSF, MSF works with the operators for a prompt delivery of the SACs following internal renovations and installing of all the other equipment. For these three, they had some challenges with regard to their manpower. But I think they will engage the Advisors on the ground to try and expeditiously provide their services and facilities and to make sure that the SACs are functional. MSF will continue to work very closely with all the operators. From HDB's point of view, we will work with MSF to ensure that the timeline of the availability of the facilities to be handed over matches the ability for the operators to be ready and to provide the necessary services.”
“With all the upgraded rental flats today, with an existing stock of 109 blocks, we do have about 74% of them that are already provided with Page: 36 window grilles, meaning that three-quarters of our rental flat tenants are already living in rental flats with window grilles. Mr Baey asked about the proportion of our tenants who are living with children below the age of 12. Today, about 15% of our rental flat tenants are made up of families or households with children below the age of 12. So, the number is quite small. We had another review recently, in April 2014. HDB decided to install window grilles for deserving households on a case-by-case basis if the tenant meets one of the two following guidelines: one, is that the family with young children aged below 12. For those who meet this criterion, HDB will assist them in installing the window grilles. At the same time, households where family members with medical conditions, for example, hyper activity, those with intellectual disability, or hallucinations, and there are safety concerns for these families. To date, we have received about 60 requests for such cases. In the last two years, HDB has assisted about 27 cases and installed the grilles for them. The others who do not meet the criteria, we asked them to seek help from FSOs, VWOs, because they are not seen as families with young children at risk or maybe having safety concerns. Henceforth, from April this year, families with children below the age of 12 will be assisted. But as I have mentioned earlier, we do have a stock of rental flats that are already installed with grilles, and if those flats are available for tenancy, we will actually offer those to meet the needs and match the profile of families or households with children below the age of 12.”
“Madam, let me contextualise the availability of grilles in rental flats. Although I have mentioned that we do not put it as a standard feature today, historically, rental flats which were mainly built in the 1960s and 1970s were originally designed without window grilles. Tenants who wished to install it at that time can do so at their own cost. But over the years, as part of the Government's efforts to improve the living conditions of our rental flat tenants, window grilles were included as one of the improvement items and installed during the various upgrading programmes. For example – rental flats – the Main Upgrading Programme, the Project LIFE rental flats upgrading project. Households with young children generally welcome the provision of these window grilles for safety reasons. However, some tenants also provide feedback that the window grilles caused a "caged in" kind of feeling in the smaller flats and hindered or obstructed some of their activities, for example, especially for the elderly ones, who have difficulties when they want to hang out their clothes. Therefore, HDB, after having upgraded some of these rental flats with window grilles, in 2007, we had a review and we decided to exclude window grilles as essential items for fitting in rental flats for the following reasons: one, is as mentioned, not all rental tenants need window grilles and it is consistent with the non-provision of grilles in purchase and rental flats and, at the same time, based on the feedback that we have received. The new rental flats which were built after 2007, when we resumed our rental building programme, were not installed with grilles.”
“Madam, HDB does not provide window grilles as a standard feature in its flats, whether sold or rental, as they are not considered essential by all households. However, rental tenants may install their own window grilles. If they are unable to afford to do so and have safety concerns, HDB will help to install the grilles on a case-by-case basis. Page: 35 Rental tenants who have installed their own grilles do not need to remove them when they move out of the rental flat if the grilles are still in good condition.”
“Madam, I think the Member is referring to the report on 22 July 2014 where large numbers of dead fish were found in the waters of Sungei Buloh. AVA carried out its investigations and found that there were no abnormal mortalities in the coastal fish farms nearby. The dead fish were wild fish present in the waters of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserves. The NParks contractors cleared away the dead fish on the very same day, on 22 July itself. AVA is currently investigating further with NParks and NEA on the possible sources of that contamination. On the example in the US, I will get my AVA officers to study the conditions in that area to see what learning points we can capture from that experience and ensure that we take precautionary measures to apply in the local context. Page: 32”
“Madam, I do not want to belabour the point. But I think what is important is for the Member to understand the context of this Chamber. It is very important for us to continue to uphold the integrity of this Chamber as well as that of our Civil Service. The Member highlighted a case and made a very serious allegation that HDB officers actually asked the couple to divorce. Nobody would do that. The cornerstone of the HDB housing policy is the family nucleus. We want the families to stay together. For such allegations to be made in this Chamber, it is very serious. And I do not think we should allow each Member to make such comments or allow such cases to be highlighted even if the cases were cases handled several years ago. We handle many cases over the years and we would make sure that we have some integrity in terms of articulation of the background of the cases, verify the facts before we make such statements in this Chamber.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker. That essentially is the point. I do not think Members of the House should highlight cases that we are not able to clarify, because these are very serious statements that are being made against our civil servants. Our civil servants serve the community, serve the residents, serve Singaporeans with dignity. And I think if such allegations are made, we must be given the chance to clarify. If the Member is not able to do so, I do not think the Member should be allowed to continue highlighting such cases in this Chamber.”
“Madam, it is very important for Members of the House to understand if you highlight cases in this House, you have to be prepared to disclose all information because this House is an important Chamber. We cannot hypothetically or even highlight cases that do not want to be identified. I think we have to be clear about that because I do not think allegations of such a nature can be allowed to go past without verification. I hope Mr Faisal would be able to then get back to the resident and ask the resident for permission for us to clarify this situation. If not, I hope the case that was highlighted here should not be considered seriously in this Chamber because I do not think it is fair for us to allow this Chamber to hear of such a case without us clarifying the facts of the case.”
“Thank you very much, Madam. As Mr Faisal Manap is a counsellor, I am, too, a social worker. In our handling of cases, we do ensure that statements are made correctly and we do clarify that. I think it would be incumbent upon us as social workers also to ascertain and as we advocate for our clients, that the facts are correctly stated. It would be useful if Faisal had asked the client at that point in time, even if he was a counsellor. Nonetheless, I think what is important is for us to clarify and I wish to seek Mr Faisal's cooperation to give us the details of that case for us to ensure that we seek direction from HDB that no such incident had taken place. If the incident did take place, we will take relevant action against the officer in charge or the officer concerned.”
“Yes, Madam, thank you very much. Madam, I would like to seek clarification from the Member, Mr Faisal Manap. In his speech earlier, if I heard him correctly, he highlighted a case of a resident. And he made the statement that HDB officers had actually advised his resident to seek or file for a divorce in order for her – I think, the lady – to take advantage of housing subsidy or in applying for a flat. This is quite a serious allegation against an HDB officer. I would like to seek the Member's clarification if that was what he had said; and at the same time, whether he thought that that was something not quite right because I do not think any HDB officer would do such a thing. We will not allow any HDB officer to do such a thing. If he had thought it was not right for the officer to have said that, whether he had sought any clarification from HDB to ascertain whether such a statement was made by the officer? Can I seek clarification, please?”
“We need to mobilise our own resources, reinforce our strengths and progress together. (In English): Mdm Speaker, to conclude, as we enter the second half of this term of Parliament, there is much to look forward to. The Government has set its agenda – inclusive growth for all Singaporeans. The Government has the best interest of Singaporeans in our hearts. We want Singaporeans to succeed, lead happy lives. We want our children to inherit a Singapore that they can be proud of and build on the strong foundations for them to build their own future and for the future of their children. We want our seniors to spend the remaining years of their lives with lesser worries and more joy, feeling supported and valued. However, we need to do it together with Singaporeans not just for Singaporeans. The social compact calls for us to trust one another, each with our own responsibilities but, together, we strengthen our resolve to succeed. I believe that Singapore can continue to be an endearing home for all and a home for life with the right balance of Government policies and provision of infrastructure, strong families, community support and individual initiative. We each have a role to play in strengthening our social compact and, together, we can make Singapore a home we can all be proud of. With this, I support the Motion.”
“They can stand tall without feeling small because they got their rank due to their ability, not because of tokenism. I always encourage them to step into the limelight because our community yearns for success stories of our community members in areas where it is thought to be hard to get into. But then, the response that I get from them generally shows that they are modest and they feel rather awkward doing so because, to them, this is just nothing special. Their principle of success is to work hard and success will come. Simply put, the key to success is to raise the status and passion of our people so that we can compete, no matter how strong the competition is. We have done this before and we will continue to do so. Many members Page: 36 of our community have succeeded and I believe many more will excel and shine. We can do this by continuing to develop a strong core of volunteers, especially our successful professionals. As we achieve success, there will be more members of our community who will climb the ladder of success in their careers. They will be the role models and inspiration for our community. We should create more opportunities for them to progress and thus making this a part of the process to develop our community. We also need to equip our community with the skillsets to navigate our increasingly complex environment – ensuring that they understand the changing and dynamic economic landscape, stay employed, have sufficient savings and are prepared for retirement. The future and the prospects of the community are bright. There is an abundance of opportunities and it is our responsibility to ensure that our community continues to progress. The Government has provided the infrastructure and resources that we need.”
“We do not merely listen to feedback but we try to do something about that feedback because we believe firmly in one principle – the principle of upholding the integrity of our system, justice and the principle of fairness. Hence, each time we hear complaints about discrimination, we do not merely bring it up to the relevant agencies, but we take the effort try to find out the cause, if any. We have a system and agencies like TAFEP (Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices), which investigates every complaint about discrimination at work. All these tasks that we do are done quietly, away from the public eye. We did it this way because we believe in the system of meritocracy and want to ensure that it will continue. We do not shy away from stating this and we do not believe in affirmative action, where the minority or vulnerable groups are given special privileges based on race. Our community has dignity. We want to uphold this dignity. We do not want our community to be in a position of success just because of race or ethnicity. That is just tokenism. Definitely not. We want our people to be proud that when they managed to occupy an important position, it is out of their own hard work which have been recognised after competing fairly with other Singaporeans. Only then, will the success be more meaningful. In my time as the Minister of State for Defence, I have often met many senior commanders in the SAF, including Malay senior officers. Each time I have met them and seen their ability in carrying out their tasks and responsibilities, I feel extremely proud and have overwhelming respect for their ability to hold such a senior rank despite coming from a minority group.”
“For example, young professionals like Mr Lim Yuan Qing, a 26-year-old researcher. He comes forward to lend a hand, every night. He comes and helps the children with their homework. He says that each day when he comes to the homework Café, he literally is destressing from work, because he finds pleasure helping the lower-income children. We have and will continue to do more to help these vulnerable families. Mdm Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, this House also voiced its concern about issues faced by our Malay community. Members of this House from all parties have agreed that our Malay community has achieved progress and we need to continue to move at this pace. I have heard the arguments for various committees to be formed to address certain issues faced by the community but I feel it is better for us to take a more pragmatic approach. Let us go to the ground and do the job that needs to be done. Let us go to the houses of our low-income families and read to their children and support them in their education. Let us Page: 35 encourage the adults to upgrade themselves and gain new skills. Let us stir the passion of our young people with role models who will give them direction and clear objectives. Let us prepare our seniors so that they remain active and age gracefully. We should not just keep bringing up issues and comments that have been raised in the past. This House is not just a repository for feedback. Its role is more important and meaningful. It is a place where action is initiated with substantial suggestions on how we can improve the lives of those in our community. This is constructive politics and this is the way we, the Malay Members of Parliament from PAP, carry out our tasks.”
“Sympathetic to her plight, HDB officers offered her and her two teenage children a room in Page: 34 Interim Rental Housing (IRH) at Bedok South. She found a job as a childcare assistant and, through sheer hard work and determination, upgraded herself and, after one year, obtained a qualification as a qualified infant care teacher. With HDB's assistance, she booked a BTO flat and has since moved into her new flat. Indeed, if they are able to buy, we will support them because the home will one day be a store of value for them in the future. Over the last three years, we have improved divorced parents' access to their next home and provided for their interim housing needs: those with care and control of all children below the age of 18 can apply for a subsidised flat immediately if their ex-spouse does not own one; second-timers with children below the age of 16 enjoy priority for 2- and 3-room BTO flats in non-mature estates under the programme ASSIST; and while waiting for their new flat to be completed, they can rent a Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme flat. Beyond meeting immediate housing needs, it is also important for these families to build up protective factors to strengthen their independence and resilience over time, and sustain a roof over their heads. These may involve reconciliation with their family, childcare arrangements to facilitate employment, training and upgrading to improve employability, or budgeting skills to help them set aside savings for a rainy day. The community can play a role in supporting families. I have spoken about Project 4650 in this House. It is how the community supports them – volunteers, neighbours, young people come forward to help the children with education.”
“Nevertheless, they are important ones and we will look into this as we meet the aspirations of the younger generation. Madam, we know that owning a home requires a long-term commitment and individual responsibility, where work-capable adults are gainfully employed and sustain consistent payments towards their homes. Beyond facilitating home ownership through grants and subsidies, we help them secure employment if they face challenges doing so. Once employed, we encourage them to upgrade their skills through Government-funded programmes, for them to progress to better jobs, improve their incomes and grow their savings. Home ownership is, thus, a critical enabler to build resilient families who have the security of a home and an asset to provide for a better future for their children. However, housing pathways may not be smooth-sailing for all. I know this as, for the past eight years at MND, I have been looking at appeals for housing from various groups of Singaporeans. One group, in particular, is divorcees, who may face a pressing need to secure their next home for their children, if they cannot retain their matrimonial home and have to sell it post-divorce. Divorce is a painful process. What more when there are children involved. Women with their children are most affected as they struggle to seek employment, to rebuild their lives. Some may be able to return to their families of origin while others rely on the goodwill of friends which often do not last. To those without immediate housing options, we help them with interim housing and build an effective social support infrastructure aimed at building up their capacity to work, save and own a home again. This is how we have helped single mothers like Mdm Siti Mariama Binti Sannosi.”
“Mdm Speaker, we want our young to grow up with the right values – that, as a society, we care for one another, support one another, with the Government taking the lead. The best care is to ensure our young grow up in stable homes and supportive communities. From the very beginning, the PAP Government made the commitment to give every Singaporean family a home they own, one that roots them to Singapore. Our public housing programme has been touted as a world wonder, attracting many government representatives from all Page: 33 over to come here and to study it. My parents bought their 3-room flat in Toa Payoh in 1978 for $7,600 and it is worth easily $300,000 today. Apart from my late father's CPF savings, this property is, indeed, a store of value for my mother now. My parents are not unique. Because the PAP Government cared for Singaporeans, we worked hard to develop the economy, improve living conditions, increased the value of the public housing property owned by its citizens. I am not sure of any other governments in the world which can do this for its citizens. As our earlier generation of home owners reap the benefits of the growth in the values of their assets, I acknowledge that many younger Singaporeans today who had looked to follow the same path as their parents are facing a different reality. I share and appreciate their concerns and some of these concerns are also expressed by their parents. With worries of longer home loan tenure and increasing home prices, they wonder if they will see huge growth in asset values and prices. Yet, we know that if it continues to grow unbounded, what will happen to housing prices in 20 years' time? These are valid concerns, even though there are no easy answers.”
“Madam, I think it is a good opportunity to engage many of these well-meaning voices. Before we hasten to judge them, can we invite them to come forward, talk to us, meet with us, follow us, see what we do, work with us to strengthen the system? We talk a lot about mutual trust between the Government and the people. We want the people to trust the Government. The Government must also trust the people. We can do so by giving people the benefit of the doubt and engage them before we judge them. Let me give an example of a resident who had initially seemed to be a huge critic. He started out expressing his displeasure with the Government, high property prices, lack of willingness to listen, even to local issues in his estate. I shared with him my challenges, too, as his local Member of Parliament. I invited him to a tea session with residents that I have regularly, shared the various social challenges facing us and the programmes we run in the community. I invited him to be part of a local committee to engage other residents to address the issues he highlighted. I gave him the space to solutions to these issues as we engage Government agencies. The close and sincere engagement allowed us to build greater trust with each other. He is now an active volunteer in my community, encouraging more of his neighbours to join him. Madam, I share this example, not to show how we have succeeded in changing this resident's view. In the course of engagement, even as we seek to explain and convince, we, too, must be prepared to have our own views scrutinised, challenged and, where appropriate, we are prepared to change them. This is the spirit of two-way engagement. It is how we close differences, rather than entrench them.”
“Even though we suspect there is often more than what they see, we look into each case seriously. I would like to note though that each time something like that happens, many people work hard to check the case. It is not just the civil servants and Members of Parliament, but also the community partners, the staff from VWOs and volunteers. A lot of man-hours go into it. We do so not only to find out what happened but, equally importantly, we do so because if it happens to be one of the cases that falls through the cracks, we can quickly address it. Madam, I had a dialogue with a group of students recently about the kind of future they want for themselves and Singapore. One student stood up and shared with me her fears of what is happening in the social media and the impact on youths. She sees all this unhappiness and criticism. She is concerned that, if unchecked, it will be detrimental to our society. Madam, two thoughts go through my mind. On one hand, I share the views and concerns of the student. The social media may be "virtual", but it is a public space where real Page: 32 people connect. We must find ways where values of personal responsibility, integrity, sincerity get transferred from the real world into the cyber world. And we hope that more people, including young people, will step up to contribute to a cyber world that is safe and secure for our young to be in. On the other hand, I think there is more we need to learn about the online space, how people interact on it, and why. I would like to believe that behind many of the grouses and criticisms, lie concerned people. Many of them – and I would like to think the majority of them – are well-intentioned. Perhaps, they want to do something, they want to advocate, but they do not know how best to do so.”
“When you have many partners working together, sometimes it takes more than the first attempt to get it right. Sometimes, we need more than a few Page: 31 tries. But everyone keeps working at it. Let me give Members an example of a multi-partner approach. I have a resident, Mdm Wong, 79 years old. She lives alone now as her 83-year-old husband is in a nursing home. Mdm Wong has mobility issues, she moves around with a trolley, pushes it around wherever she goes. Mdm Wong receives Public Assistance from MSF to pay for her daily expenses and utility bills. Her husband's fees at the nursing home are covered, too. The medical social worker helped to find an availability at a nursing home despite the shortage of beds, as she cannot look after him anymore. Although she lives alone, Mdm Wong is not alone. She receives meals from her neighbours. There are befrienders visiting her regularly to ensure she takes her medication and does not feel lonely. So, Mdm Wong has substantial social support provided for her. At the same time, Mdm Wong wants to be independent and earn her keep. She fills her trolley with tissue papers, mops and other small little items to the nearby coffee shop to sell. It does not bring in much, but Mdm Wong finds it meaningful and she wants to do it. And mind you, she is 79 years old with mobility issues. We respect her desire to maintain her dignity. If we do not know all that has been done to help Mdm Wong, the sight of her selling things at the coffee shop cuts a lonely pitiful figure. Sometimes, what we see is not all there is. I believe Singaporeans are generally a caring lot. When they see and hear about such situations, they empathise, they feel angry and they want to do something. Sometimes, they post online.”
“Mdm Speaker, much has been said in the House in this past week as we articulate this House's appreciation to the President for his Address at the Opening of the second half of this Twelfth Parliament. Amid the range of views and differences in political affiliations, we all agree that we must have Singapore's and Singaporeans' interest in our hearts. We are in this Chamber because we care for the future of Singapore and Singaporeans. We work hard to walk the ground, listen to our constituents, understand their needs and concerns and try our best to make sure that the policies and programmes we design meet their needs. It is not easy. But it is the genuine passion that drives us every day to do what is right, with the most sincere of hearts and the best of intentions. Madam, not a single day goes by that I do not think of my elderly residents who are living alone, my children from disadvantaged backgrounds struggling with their school work, my young parents not really having the skills to raise their young children for they themselves are adolescents, my teenagers who are at risk of dropping out of school. I am sure I am not alone. We are committed to make a difference in their lives, to give them a bright future, to live in a place where they feel connected, supported and valued. The work is not easy. Some issues are multifaceted and complex. Addressing them requires coordination and trade-offs across different agencies. I am not just talking about Government agencies, but also community partners – people like social workers, nurses and doctors, medical social workers, schools, Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs), grassroots leaders and other volunteers. It is through this multi-partner effort that we have managed to help many people.”