Ng Eng Hen
Singapore
“I think we try to keep this virtuous state of affairs as long as we can to make sure that we can invest steadily. Year-to-year fluctuations would occur, whether it is economic, not so much in COVID-19, but remember the Global Financial Crisis? Everybody needs to take a haircut. If you have to take a haircut, you have to take a haircut.”
“Mr Chairman, as the World around us becomes more unpredictable and changes, the more we need to keep the strongest commitment to strengthen our own defences and, if needed, we must be willing to do more. Singapore celebrates 60 years of Independence this year.”
“MINDEF will continue to work with partners to encourage Singaporeans to raise their digital literacy, develop and maintain good cybersecurity habits, protect sensitive data and guard against scams, fake news and disinformation so as to make the digital domain a safer and more secure space.”
“The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) conducts regular mobilisation exercises (MOBEX) of our National Service (NS) forces. In a silent mobilisation, NSmen are notified through their personal contact numbers. Open mobilisations include the broadcast of unit code-words through mass media.”
“In 2020, the Ministry of Defence replied to a Parliamentary Question on this matter that the relocation of Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) would likely occur around 2030 or beyond, after Changi Air Base and Tengah Air Base have been expanded to house the existing assets at PLAB.”
“When incidents or near-misses happen, as it did where one Hunter armoured fighting vehicle rear-ended another during Exercise Wallaby in Australia, thorough investigations are conducted and lessons learnt shared across the units.”
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“Under the Employment Act, it is already an offence to dismiss or terminate the employment of an employee during her maternity leave. Dismissal on the grounds of pregnancy is also considered unfair dismissal under the Employment Act. Pregnant employees are aware of these rights under the Employment Act as evidenced by the complaints received by MOM. Of the 71 claims in 2006 from pregnant employees relating to the termination of employment, 36 have been concluded, 20 were withdrawn by the employee, and the rest are pending investigation. Out of the 36 concluded cases, 33 of them were successfully settled with payment received from the employers. These included six cases involving pregnant employees who were retrenched. For another three cases, MOM was satisfied that the cause of dismissal was not on account of the employee's pregnancy, but on grounds of poor performance or misconduct. In other words, for 90% of the cases where the employee has pursued her claim, MOM investigations have substantiated the complaint and the employee has obtained redress. Column No : 1319 WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS Column No : 1319 MAINTENANCE OF RELIGIOUS HARMONY ACT (Number of restraining orders issued) 1. Prof. Thio Li-ann asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs how many Restraining Orders have been made against religious leaders or other persons under the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act since its enactment.”
“The legislation of the minimum retirement age at 60 in 1993 and the extension in 1999 to 62 have contributed to an increase in the employment rate of older workers in Singapore. The employment rate of older workers 55-59 years rose from 46.2% in 1993 to 51.8% in 1999, and further to 60.6% in 2006, while that for the group 60-64 years improved from 33.2% in 1999 to 41.9% in 2006. MOM has set up a Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers to forge a tripartite consensus on ways to enhance the employability of older workers. The Committee has released its interim report with a range of recommendations to raise the effective retirement age of older workers, and will issue its final report later this year. Compliance with the Retirement Age Act has been good. Since its implementation, there have been only 36 cases reported to MOM, and they have been isolated occurrences. In all these cases, the employers have rectified their employment practices upon intervention by MOM. Effective tripartite promotion and cooperation have ensured that MOM has not found it necessary to charge any employer for violation of the Retirement Age Act. Column No : 1315 HOUSING AND RECREATIONAL NEEDS OF FOREIGN WORKERS 61. Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng asked the Minister for National Development in light of the expanding local economy and a need for more foreign workers, how does his Ministry intend to meet the housing and recreational needs of foreign workers in Singapore.”
“* The default rate refers to the percentage of active employers who default on CPF payments for two consecutive months. Column No : 1307 HDB RESALE FLATS (Waiver of Government levy) 44. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for National Development whether the Government levy for resale HDB flats will be waived if the flat is sold below the price purchased from HDB.”
“Under the CPF Act, all employers must contribute towards the employee’s CPF if the latter is paid more than $50 a month, and this includes contract workers or those who are hired on an adhoc basis. For formal employees the default rate* by employers is very low - it has fallen from 0.72% in 2004 to 0.56% in 2006. For contract workers, monitoring of CPF payments is more difficult, especially if the contract workers themselves collude with the employers to avoid paying their employee CPF. CPF Board regularly audits employers’ CPF payments and wage records, especially if they belong to high-default industries such as cleaning contractors and security agencies. Defaulting employers have to pay a penalty interest on late contributions. Employers convicted of non-payment of arrears will have to pay a court fine in addition to the arrears and interest. These measures have been effective in helping CPF members recover contributions owed to them. In 2006, 97% of the dollar amounts owing were paid up within 3 months of recovery actions being initiated, and 99% within 12 months of recovery actions. The remaining 1% was filed with liquidators or the Official Assignee where the Board would press on with its claims. MOM also regularly engages employers through briefings and dialogue sessions and through its publications educates employers about their obligation to pay CPF promptly, and workers on their rights regarding CPF contributions. Finally, CPF Board encourages employees to check their CPF contributions regularly by making available tools such as SMS, the CPF Board website, as well as on AXS machines. If the CPF contributions have not been paid correctly, they should inform the Board.”
“Under the Work Permit (WP) conditions, foreign domestic workers (FDWs) are only allowed to work for their employers at the address stated in their WP cards. This restriction is necessary as some FDWs had complained that they were being exploited and over-worked by errant employers who required them to take care of two or more households. However, the Ministry is aware that some employers prefer their FDWs to take care of their children under the supervision of family members, such as parents or parents-in-law, while the employers are at work. For these cases, MOM is prepared to exercise flexibility to allow such an arrangement. However, this must be done with the FDW’s agreement and employers must ensure that their FDWs do not end up having to perform the full load of household chores of both households. Between January and October 2006, 28 complaints of this nature were made to the Ministry of Manpower. In 16 of the cases, the employer was warned. Three of them were fined and four of them were prosecuted. The remaining five cases are still under investigation. APPENDICES”
“Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how many people were in arrears with their income tax in the last financial year; and (b) whether his Ministry will consider deducting the income tax upfront from the salary instead of waiting till the end of the financial year.”
“Sir, the Member is not correct. Nonetheless, there are some stipulations in terms of what the institutions are and whether they do part-time or full-time. The issue is this. It is a limited pot. Yesterday, in this House, Members asked whether there was enough, how many members and their Minimum Sum, can they use it for Medisave, but it is still a limited pot. So we need to go back to the origin and the purpose for the CPF, ie, really for their retirement savings first, for their medical and housing. If we extend the use to other issues, I think we will deplete the pot. From the point of view of Singaporeans wanting to upgrade and access to funding, there are a number of avenues that they can go to without having to touch their own CPF. I would be loath to open it up more to liberalise it and, in the process, deplete their funding. I take the point that it is an investment on the part of members and, even though it may be worthwhile, I would prefer for funding to be opened up in other avenues. And indeed we have. For example, under the WDA programme, we give funding for mid-career professionals who want to change their careers, eg, to become nurses or teaching assistants or in IT and finance. We want to expand these courses. Obviously, these courses are not cheap. For example, a particular conversion course to be nurses costs about $20,000 a year, but it is money well spent. If it enables someone to change his/her career and extend his/her employability, it is worth it. Sir, I think this is the route that is preferred, rather than liberalising the CPF scheme, which should be primarily targeted at retirement, medical and housing expenses. INCOME TAX (Arrears and deductions) 6.”
“Sir, I have already replied that the current scheme allows them to do that.”
“The CPF Education Scheme, introduced in 1989, already allows members to withdraw money from their CPF Ordinary Account to upgrade themselves or support their children through full-time local tertiary education. The Member asked how much monies have been withdrawn. Under the scheme, the money withdrawn has to be repaid with interest, upon the conclusion of the course. Over the last five years, 69,000 applications amounting to $490 million has been withdrawn - 95% for their children, and the remaining 5% for themselves or other family members.”
“The actual jobs secured since 2004 is 6,472. This excludes those who found jobs through the on-line job portal and the latest Yellow Ribbon Job Fair in November 2006. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD FLATS (Review of age criterion for purchase by singles) 27. Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for National Development in view of the increasing average age of Singaporeans getting married, (a) will the HDB review its policy of allowing singles below 35 to purchase public housing; and (b) whether the HDB has surveyed the demand of HDB flats among young singles who wish to stay on their own.”
“Employment of older workers The latest figures from the June 2006 Labour Force Survey show that more older workers are employed. The resident employment rate for the 55-59 age group increased from 55.9% in 2004 to 60.6% in 2006. Similarly the resident employment rate for the 60-64 age group rose by more than 8 percentage-points from 33.6% in 2004 to 41.9% in 2006. In absolute terms, these represent an increase of 41,200 workers in the 55-64 age group. These improvements are encouraging but we must persist in our efforts to help more older workers stay employed. Between 2004 and 2006, the Civil Service recruited about 1,500 mature workers who are above age 40*, about 700 of whom are above age 50. In addition, 11% of about 3,800 retired civil servants were re-employed over the same period^. * This includes retired civil servants who are re-employed. ^ This excludes those re-employed on a temporary basis and those providing services on a contract-for-service basis. The Workforce Development Agency’s career centres, which are run together with the Community Development Councils (CDCs) and self-help groups, have since 2004 placed over 28,000 mature workers in jobs across a variety of sectors. Employment of ex-offenders The Civil Service does not track the number of ex-offenders employed as it does not differentiate these employees. For the private sector, since 2004, the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) has assisted about 8,500 offenders and ex-offenders in their job search through its database of potential employees#. Another 500 ex-offenders found jobs through the WDA’s career centres. # The 8,500 figure reflects the number of offenders/ex-offenders whom SCORE has helped in the job search process.”
“The Ministry of Manpower already has a department to receive and look into complaints of discrimination faced by job-seekers or workers. If MOM finds that discriminatory practices are being employed, it will take appropriate action against the employer. This includes issuing a warning, counselling or other administrative measures. The number of complaints related to employment discrimination each year is relatively small, and has remained stable over the past few years. MOM received 68 such cases in 2006. None of the cases concern an employer or manager who is a foreigner. If Mr Chiam is aware of any such case, I would encourage him to advise the job-seeker concerned to make a complaint to MOM, so that the case can be looked into. To promote greater awareness of fair employment practices, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP), comprising key representatives from employers, unions and the Government, was formed in May 2006. It is co-chaired by Mr Bob Tan, Vice President SNEF/Council Member SBF, and Mdm Halimah Yacob, Assistant Secretary General NTUC. About 300 companies representing a broad spectrum of employers have responded to the recent TAFEP initiative to endorse an employer’s Pledge of Fair Employment Practices. I would like to encourage more employers to do so. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD FLATS (Monthly loan repayments) 24. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the percentage of HDB flat dwellers over the age of 60 years old who have had difficulties with their monthly loan repayments between the years 2003 and September 2006; and (b) if his Ministry will consider extending the loan repayment period for those who have difficulty paying their monthly loan repayments.”
“Sir, that is a very good question best answered by the Minister for Finance. INTEGRATED RESORTS (Mechanisms to monitor work-in-progress) 9. Ms Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the large investments involved in, and the high profile of, the two Integrated Resorts (a) if mechanisms have been put in place to monitor the work-in-progress to ensure compliance with the contract awarded; (b) if he will provide an update on the work-in-progress with regard to these two projects; and (c) what recourse is there if the companies fail to meet their contractual obligations, such as completion deadlines.”
“Sir, as I mentioned, these are active suggestions that we are looking into. But we cannot run away from one cardinal principle on investing, ie, higher returns come with greater risks. So, if a member wants to put in his funds which may have a projected higher return, he has to live with the fact that he may also lose money in the short term. That is why the current framework, which pays 4% for the SA and the MA accounts, is risk-free, the Government bears the risks. Members, if they want to, for example, could invest in the CPFIS. Unfortunately, as our results show, about three-quarters of them do not make good investment decisions and fail to outperform CPF's interest rates. Mdm Lily Neo asked whether we should invest on behalf of members. That is a good suggestion. It allows us to aggregate the sums and reduce the expense ratio. But the problem we are still grappling with is one of investment risk. Even though I may do it cheaper for you, ie, at a lower amount, if the stocks go down and there is a loss of money, there is a risk that we will have to factor in. So, we are looking at all these issues. Currently, at the 4% interest risk-free rate on SA and MA, I think it is quite reasonable, given the current conditions of the market.”
“This is a significant asset that we can help them monetise and have an income stream. It is an added revenue for their retirement. I think the Minister for National Development is actively studying these options in terms of how we can provide options that allow our elderly to monetise.”
“Sir, I thank Mdm Halimah for bringing up those salient questions, which give us the opportunity to touch on them. The Minimum Sum, as it is called, is the minimum sum, ie, minimum enough for substantial living and let me translate it into monetary terms. If we assume a 20-year lifespan from age 62, the average life expectancy now at age 62 for males is 81 and that for females is 84. For females, 84 minus 62 is 22 years. If we translate so many in dollar terms, ie, about $90,000 over 20 years, we get the amount. That is the amount that we think is adequate for subsistence living. That is why it is called the Minimum Sum. The second point which Mdm Halimah asked is whether we are considering a variety of plans to enhance the retirement savings for members and when the study would be completed. Sir, the study is on-going. But even as we are looking at various aspects, we have moved. Some of the changes the CPF Board has made in terms of tightening entry of funds and dictating maximum expense ratios were as a result of this study. There was a proposal put that the CPF Board should consider itself as an aggregating body to put out funds. That is a little bit more complex and it has taken us a while. We are still consulting various stakeholders. The issues are risk-tolerance and educating members, which the industry tells us is not that easy. No matter how much we educate members, some do make wrong decisions in investments. In any framework where we liberalise the investment framework, members must be willing to live with that risk. There was a third point, on the monetisation of assets. As the Prime Minister mentioned, the majority of Singaporeans have assets. Even the lowest 20% of households have a positive equity of $138,000.”
“We are working with market players to provide members with better information about their investments, educating members so that they can make informed investment decisions, providing online financial tools and reaching out to Singaporeans through seminars and road shows on the need for retirement funding. The most recent road show at the HDB Hub in September 2006 attracted 92,000 visitors. So Singaporeans are actively engaged, and I take it that they want to learn also how to plan their retirement. We will also work with the Housing and Development Board to encourage the prudent use by members of CPF for housing. Mdm Halimah Yacob: Sir, I would like, firstly, to ask the Minister whether, in the Minister's view, the Minimum Sum that members can withdraw after 62 is sufficient to take care of their retirement needs. Secondly, the Minister alluded to the fact that there is a study that is going on to look into how to enhance the returns to members' CPF contributions. When will that study be completed and its recommendations made and put in place? Thirdly, are there any proposals to look into how to help Singaporeans make use of their flats or assets to convert them into cash to make use of them for their retirement income?”
“Sir, about four in ten active CPF members who turned 55 in 2005 met the Minimum Sum of $90,000. One reason for this is that members were and are able to withdraw 50% of their CPF balances when they turn 55, before they set aside the Minimum Sum. In other words, previously we said, "Even if you did not, you could withdraw an amount of your CPF." If we had not allowed that, 60% of active members would have met this Minimum Sum. This is the reason why the Government had announced in 2003 that the Minimum Sum should be gradually increased, and the 50% withdrawal rule will be progressively phased out starting from 2009. These changes will help Singaporeans to set aside more funds for their retirement. Besides changing the withdrawal rules, the Government will help Singaporeans to enhance their retirement security in a number of other ways. Firstly, the Government will help older Singaporeans keep their jobs and stay longer in their jobs so that they can earn more and put more into their CPF. Secondly, we will find ways to help CPF members enhance the returns on their CPF savings. In February this year, the CPF Board has tightened the criteria for admitting funds into the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) in order to improve the quality of funds in CPFIS. In other words, we set out a number of criteria, both on expense ratios and fund loading charges as well as how they perform. So, we are using two levers. One is information, ie, to put out the information on how the funds perform. We rank them in terms of their expense ratios, as well as set benchmarks for how much they can charge. Finally, the CPF Board will continue to educate CPF members on ways to improve their retirement adequacy.”
“Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Manpower, considering that only four in ten Singaporeans had the mandatory Minimum Sum savings in their CPF accounts in 2005 and a survey result released in February 2006 showed that only one in ten actively saved for retirement, what more can be done to help enhance Singaporeans’ retirement security.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank Mdm Ho for her question. She is asking for two sets of situations. One set is for workers. In fact, she is quite right. The low-wage workers, if we increase the CPF for them, they would be more costly to employ and they might find problems in employability. If we increase, for example, the employees' CPF, obviously they will have less in take-home pay. I think that is why there is merit in NTUC's suggestion that, for this group of workers, we actually reduce both, and that is something we are seriously considering, ie, reduce the employees' CPF so that their take-home pay is increased, and reduce the employer's CPF so that they cost less to hire. Of course, then something has to be done if we did do that to match the reduction in CPF, and this is where Workfare comes in and this is an active area that we are consulting various agencies. For various companies, Mdm Ho is saying, "Yes, some companies are doing well and there is a global demand for my goods, but certain companies that are looking at domestic demand may not be doing very well." And we agree that the CPF is a blunt tool. Even when we reduced it, there were companies that were doing well post-SARS. We recognise and, therefore, it is important to consider two general points. One, that we should do it only when the economic forecast is sustained and projections are good. Two, the actual increase, if any, should be able to allow a majority of companies to respond to it, as well as to look at other budget measures which may be helpful to these companies which are usually the SMEs. RETIREMENT SECURITY OF SINGAPOREANS 8.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the NTUC proposed the CPF increase. The Government is still consulting various stakeholders, including unionists, employers, workers and other relevant agencies on the proposed CPF increase. It would be premature to speculate on the actual increase, if any, but we agree with Mdm Ho that the impact on our overall business competitiveness should also be a factor for consideration. Mdm Ho also asked if we should increase workers’ variable wage component instead of the employer's CPF contribution. CPF increases and rewarding workers through a higher variable wage component are not mutually exclusive options. It does not need to be "either or". You can do both. Our view is that, if the economy continues to do well, an increase in employer CPF rates may be appropriate, as a structural change to benefit all workers.”
“Under the work permit conditions, it is the responsibility of employers, not the employment agencies, to repatriate their foreign domestic workers (FDWs) to their home country at the end of their employment in Singapore and to bear the cost of repatriation. Those who fail to do so will have committed an offence under the Employment of Foreign Workers Act and may be fined up to $5,000 or sentenced to a jail term of up to six months or both. Their security bond of $5,000 will also be forfeited. FDWs are encouraged to seek assistance from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) if employers seek to repatriate them to any destination other then their hometown against their wish. MOM will step in to mediate in such employment disputes. It is difficult to track the final destination of repatriated FDWs and, as such, the figures requested for are not available. APPENDICES”
“Currently, there are about 670,000 foreign workers in Singapore, of which 160,000 are foreign domestic workers (FDWs). In 2004, there were a total of 23 suicides involving foreign workers, of which 15 were FDWs. In 2005, the figures fell slightly to 18 and 13 respectively. As a comparison, the suicide rate amongst FDWs in 2005 was 8.6 per 100,000, which is close to Singapore’s overall suicide rate of 8 per 100,000 in the same year. FDWs from the two largest source countries, ie, Indonesia and Philippines, are also not over-represented. INDONESIAN MAIDS IN SINGAPORE (Repatriation) 7. Dr Geh Min asked the Minister for Manpower (a) if the Ministry can give figures or information on how many Indonesian maids who have worked in Singapore are sent to Bintan or Batam instead of their hometowns when they have completed their contracts; and (b) whether agents are required to send maids back to their place of origin or a destination chosen by the maid themselves when they are repatriated.”
“If the incident had been brought to the attention of the Ministry, we would have investigated into the matter. However, we note from the press report that the worker has already returned to his home country. BURSARY FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (Raising of qualifying income ceiling) 23. Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for Education since the Ministry has raised the qualifying family's monthly household income from $900 to $1,500 for families with 1 or 2 children and from $1,050 to $1,800 for families with three or more children for financial assistance and bursary for primary and secondary education, will the Ministry also consider raising the qualifying income to $1,500 for the newly introduced MOE bursary of $800 for university students.”
“The Employment Act stipulates the minimum conditions of employment in Singapore and employers are required to comply with these conditions. My Ministry takes a serious view on employers who flout the provisions of the Employment Act. We investigate complaints of violations which are brought to the Ministry’s attention and where an offence has been committed, appropriate action, including prosecution, is taken against the employer. With regard to the media report that a Bangladeshi worker was asked to work more than 12 hours a day, I would like to inform the House that under the Employment Act, the maximum working hours a day, including overtime work, is 12 hours. Further, the maximum hours of overtime work is limited to 72 hours a month unless an exemption is granted by the Commissioner for Labour. To ensure that the safety of workers is not compromised, employers are also required to provide the necessary safety equipment to protect them from accidents. It is therefore an offence for an employer to ask his workers to work more than 12 hours a day, and the employer concerned is liable for prosecution if he has committed such an offence. On conviction, the employer can be fined up to $1,000 for each offence and, for the second or subsequent convictions, he is liable to pay a fine not exceeding $2,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year. Between 2005 to February this year, the Ministry has successfully prosecuted five employers for various offences committed under the Employment Act. One employer was fined $24,000 for deploying four workers to work more than 12 hours a day. The Ministry has not received any complaint by the Bangladeshi worker who was reported to have been asked by his employer to work in excess of the legal limit of 12 hours.”
“These are set out in the Schedule. At the time A*STAR and SPRING were conceived, there was no national body like the RIEC to make high level decisions on research, innovation and enterprise for the whole of Government. Their respective Acts had given A*STAR and SPRING coordinating functions over scientific research and innovation at a national level. The consequential amendments in the Bill will ensure that both A*STAR and SPRING must now have regard to the policies and directions of the RIEC when carrying out their respective statutory functions. Sir, the establishment of the National Research Fund, the National Research Foundation Board and the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council will set the stage for accelerating the build up of an excellent R&D community and a vibrant and prolific innovation culture in Singapore. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 5.18 pm”
“The Fund's objects comprise four main thrusts: First, encouraging the development in Singapore of innovative products, processes and services; Second, increasing investment by the public and private sectors in Singapore in research and development activities that will make Singapore more internationally competitive; Third, promoting the technological advancement of the public and private sectors in Singapore through a focus on research, development and innovation; and Fourth, creating an environment that is conducive to increased commercialisation of new processes and product technologies. This Bill also sets out the sources and permitted uses of the moneys in the Fund. Funding can come from private and public donations, as well as contributions from the Consolidated Fund. It also envisages income from the sale of any property produced, or from dealing with patents or other intellectual property rights in respect of inventions made, in the course of any research and development activity paid for with money from the Fund. Part III sets out how the Fund is to be administered. It entrusts responsibility for the administration of the Fund on the National Research Foundation Board. It also provides for the establishment of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC), whose main function is to oversee the promotion of all aspects of research and development activities and innovation in Singapore. Part IV of the Bill contains several general provisions ranging from regulation-making to the proper conduct of officers exercising functions under the Bill. The Bill also provides for consequential amendments to the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Act, and the Singapore Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING) Act.”
“Another way of validating our research efforts is through indicators. Today, we use input indicators which are shown to be closely related to the level of innovation. Looking at the experience of other countries, it will be a challenge to select good outcome indicators. But the National Research Foundation will actively study this and come up with good indicators for adoption. I shall now touch on the specifics of the National Research Fund. Setting up the Fund as a dedicated statutory fund facilitates the funding of R&D projects on a sustained basis, without subjecting it to the vagaries of year-to-year budgetary pressures and any possible breaks of funding in a year where there is a change of Government. Many R&D projects will require multi-year commitments, so that the assurance of continuous funding is critical. Main provisions in the Bill Sir, I shall now highlight the main features of the Bill. Part I of the Bill defines the scope of research and development, and its related activities. These definitions are consistent with widely accepted international norms as to what R&D means, and are in line with the OECD definition. Part II of the Bill establishes the National Research Fund as a Government fund, and sets out the purposes for which moneys in the Fund may be used.”
“The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. NATIONAL RESEARCH FUND BILL Order for Second Reading read. 5.12 pm The Second Minister for Finance (Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Background During the National Day Rally last year, the Prime Minister announced that the Government would be stepping up investments in R&D to strengthen our intellectual and knowledge base. More than $13 billion has been earmarked for R&D support through various agencies over the next five years. The Prime Minister also announced in his Budget Statement for FY2006 the establishment of the National Research Fund under the Prime Minister’s Office. The Government expects to inject $5 billion into the Fund over the next five years, starting with $500 million in this financial year. This Bill provides for the establishment of the Fund, the National Research Foundation Board to manage and administer the Fund, and the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council to guide and advise the Government on all aspects of R&D activities and innovation in Singapore. The focus of the National Research Foundation would be on "R&D that matters" and the ultimate success would be seeding new and innovative enterprises and industries for Singapore’s economic benefits. Encouraging R&D collaborations between private and public sectors is one way to tap on the knowledge created in the universities by the commercial sector. We can also rely on companies to decide where the most commercial potential lie, and by investing in the relevant technologies validate that the research money is well spent.”
“Clause 10 increases the penalty for conducting a private lottery without a valid permit, to be on par with penalties for similar offences under the Common Gaming Houses Act. To specifically address the illegal operation of fruit machines at "bogus" clubs, the penalty will increase with the number of fruit machines found. Clause 10 also creates a presumption that any person found in possession of fruit machines without a valid permit will be presumed to be conducting a private lottery and thus be guilty of an offence. Clause 11 repeals and re-enacts section 11 to empower the Permit Officer to authorise a police officer to enter premises and search, seize and retain machines and documents. Clause 12 repeals and re-enacts section 13 to extend the power of the court to order forfeiture of machines and documents and to allow interested persons to show cause to the court why forfeiture should not be ordered. Clause 12 introduces a new section 13A to empower the Commissioner of Betting Duties and the Permit Officer to compound offences. This is in line with the Ministry of Law’s decriminalisation drive. Related amendments Sir, the Bill also makes two related amendments to the Betting and Sweepstake Duties Act and the IRAS Act. Clause 15 amends the Betting and Sweepstake Duties Act to allow the Commissioner of Betting Duties to collect betting and sweepstake duties, instead of the Commissioner of Stamp Duties. Clause 16 amends the Fourth Schedule of the IRAS Act to provide for the appointment of the Commissioner of Inland Revenue as the Commissioner of Betting Duties to collect private lottery duties and other betting and sweepstake duties. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.”
“Second, the Bill formalises the transfer of the regulation of private lotteries, including fruit machines, from the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). This transfer took place administratively in April 2004, to harmonise the regulation of all gambling activities under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Third, the Bill enhances the powers of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) and MHA, to better facilitate the collection of private lottery duties and the regulation of private lotteries. Sir, I will now go through the key provisions of the Bill. Key provisions Clauses 3 to 6 formalise the transfer of regulatory functions from MOF to MHA. In particular, clause 3 inserts a new section 2A to allow the Minister for Home Affairs to appoint a Permit Officer to regulate private lotteries, including issuing a permit to operate private lotteries, in place of the Commissioner of Estate Duties. Clause 5 also amends section 4 to allow the Permit Officer the discretion to suspend a permit, in addition to revoking a permit. Sir, I now move on to the tax regime for fruit machines. Clause 8 amends section 7 to change the tax from 30% of deemed turnover to 12% of actual turnover. Clause 3 inserts a new section 2B to allow the Minister for Finance to appoint a Commissioner of Betting Duties to collect private lottery duties, instead of the Commissioner of Estate Duties. Sir, the next few clauses facilitate the collection of slot machine taxes and the regulation of private lotteries through a penalty system. Clause 9 introduces penalties for failure to keep and submit proper accounts to the Commissioner of Betting Duties.”
“Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Ng Eng Hen]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. PRIVATE LOTTERIES (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. The Second Minister for Finance (Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Overview of the Bill The Bill seeks to achieve three key objectives. First, to change the tax regime for fruit machines in private clubs, as announced by the Prime Minister in his recent Budget Statement. [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr S Iswaran) in the Chair] 5.08 pm The basis of taxation will be changed from deemed turnover computed by formula from the amount of coins remaining in the cash box of the fruit machine, to actual turnover. The current tax regime was introduced in the 1950s when meters in fruit machines could not accurately capture the turnover of the machines. Fruit machine technology has moved on since then, and so should the tax regime. The rate of taxation will be set initially at 12% of actual turnover, which is the revenue-neutral rate based on survey data. MOF, however, will monitor the actual revenue impact of the new tax regime and is prepared to consider adjusting the rate of taxation accordingly, as the basic purpose of the change in the tax regime is to update the basis of taxation rather than to gain extra revenue. The new tax regime will take effect in a few months, after the clubs have made the necessary adjustments to their systems.”
“Sir, we will take into account the Member's suggestion to review the nomination process. But from what I understand, it is not the nomination process but who gets nominated. If it is my own view, obviously, I would believe, like many of the Members of the House, that you should nominate your dependants, ie, your family. But do you want to, in some ways, enforce it so that members who do not, get called up, and those who are not nominated, get informed? So, it is not a simple question to answer. In terms of the Home Protection Scheme and the Dependants' Protection Scheme, as Mdm Halimah knows, the Dependants' Protection Scheme has been privatised. She has asked a more important question - a practical one - how then do these members who are terminally ill or have severely shorterned lifespan be catered to? Let us accept a trade-off. The answer is that as it is insurance-based, they can always buy riders for that. For the Home Protection Scheme, it is not so much a problem for the terminally-ill ones because there is a shortened lifespan. I agree with her that for those who have shortened lifespan but still have many more years to live and cannot work, it can be a problem. For the Dependants' Protection Scheme, I think that the insurance companies, who will respond flexibly now that it is privatised, will allow people to pay more premiums to be able to take from the Dependants' Protection Scheme, and if you buy with a higher premium with loosening criteria, if you like, to benefit from the DPS. For the Home Protection Scheme, the premiums are still low, and I would say that members do buy concurrent insurance. So, the answer to that is for those who feel that they want to be provided for, to buy other insurance products that will cover this risk.”
“Sir, the current situation is that if someone goes to a hospital and he has not authorised his family members to use his own Medisave and then he passes away, the family cannot use his Medisave to pay for his last hospitalisation bill. And it is made worse if that person has chosen someone else to give his CPF monies to. So, the remaining family members have no access to the deceased member's CPF accounts to pay for his last hospitalisation bill as they do not have the authority to take the CPF monies because they are not the nominees. So the amendments allow the family members to use his CPF funds to pay for his last hospitalisation bill.”
“It is about 700 a year. She has asked who in the family members can withdraw for the member's last hospitalisation. I tried to look for details. Specifically, the spirit of it is that we want the member's last hospitalisation bill to be paid from his Medisave account. So, sensibly, since he is already deceased, his immediate family will be able to authorise. Can someone, in lieu of the family, decide? I think the spirit of it is that we want the deceased member's last hospitalisation bill to be paid with his money. Let me go through and see what we have actually crafted in law, but that is the spirit. Sir, on a general note, I agree with her that CPF rules need to be changed from time to time, because of our changing demography and needs. But I think these measures that we have done, although small, are significant to alleviate the use of CPF monies when appropriate.”
“There is no pooled risk. For the Dependants Protection Insurance Scheme and the Home Protection Scheme, you are actually pooling the risks. So if I allow a larger pool of members who are at greater risk - in other words, I say now I include not only those who are permanently incapacitated from ever continuing to work and include the terminally ill and the severely impaired life expectancy, then, obviously, more people within the Dependants Protection Insurance Scheme and the Home Protection Scheme will be able to claim. And when there are more claims and more pay out, the obvious happens - premiums have to go up. So it is really a trade off between how expensive the premiums of that particular scheme, and this includes those above 65, which I have dealt with in this House. Do we have a scheme that keeps the premiums very low, as a basic scheme, to cover dependants and home protection? Or do we add terminal illness and the severely impaired illness above 65 years? There is a trade-off. And our figures show us that, contrary to what she has said in terms of affordability, there is a sharp fall off when the premiums go up, especially for those who are ageing. So I think we want to be careful and be mindful that it serves a scheme as a basic protection. By all means, members can buy riders on it but with their own money. Also, remember that there is a trade off to what we take in premiums from Medisave, DPIS, HPS and retirement adequacy. So I think it is a necessary trade-off and we think that this is the right balance. But the reason why there have been no consequential amendments is not one of discrimination. It is just an economic factor. She has asked for numbers in terms of those who are physically incapacitated, terminally ill and of unsound mind.”
“Because I really do not see anything wrong if indeed in a household, theoretically, the breadwinner is either male or female, and having enough to support the whole family. So it should not be a gender issue. But Mdm Halimah is right to say that the labour force participation rate of women is lower and contributions are lower, and this is something that we need to help move up. I think we can do that through a number of ways. She also touched on the nomination procedure for CPF members. Should we also inform the family if they have not been nominated? That is quite a loaded question and an explosive one. I will be responsible for telling on a lot of CPF members, and I am not sure I want to be that popular or unpopular. We have to think seriously on it, because it also touches on issues of disclosure. Do I maintain the balance between privacy of that person's account who he can nominate, as in a will? For example, in a will, if you are not willed into it, you are not informed. We have said that the nomination procedure should be made simple. But if I trade off that balance in terms of privacy and tell the immediate family that they have not been nominated, then everyone will know. So I think this is something that we have to consider. She has asked for clarifications on sections 28 and 40, which is on the Home Protection Scheme (HPS) and the Dependants Protection Insurance Scheme (DPIS). Let me just quickly state that there is no discrimination and there is no discrepancy. The reason why there has been no consequential amendment is because HPS and DPIS are pooled risks. For individual accounts, if you are severely ill with a terminal disease, we now say that you have to set aside a certain sum for your remaining lifespan, but you can take out the rest of your money.”
“Sir, let me, first, thank Mdm Halimah for supporting the Bill, as well as her studious study of the many intricacies of the Bill, which shows that she does her homework and she reads the Bill quite closely. She asked a number of questions which I would like to address, in terms of adequacy of women's CPF balances. She is quite right that women, on the whole and in general, have lower CPF balances than men. This is really a function of how long they work and their participation in the labour force. She rightly points out that the labour force participation rate for women is lower. How do we increase their balances? We do not need a committee to study this. They just have to work longer and contribute more. If they do not contribute, they do not build up their CPF balances. How do we get them to work longer? I think there are issues that we can consider. We have considered this issue in a number of committees. We do note that the increase in labour force participation rate of women has actually increased faster than men, because they started from a lower base. So that is good news in terms of what she has asked for. Can it go up higher? Yes. Do we want to? I think so, because I would view CPF adequacy not just for men and women. While she is quite correct to say that CPF balances for women are lower than men, I think we miss something if we treat it as a gender issue, and I do not want to quite completely approach it as a gender issue. Our CPF system is predicated on families - both men and women and children, supporting one another within that family. So if we can get family members of a household to have adequate CPF monies and we have allowed flows and use of CPF funds in other aspects - that will be our first approach.”
“In principle, it is also inconsistent with the purpose of Medisave, which is to first provide for a member’s medical expenses, and not for bequest. Clause 9 inserts a new section 16(A) to allow a family member or committee of the person to authorise the use of the deceased member’s Medisave for the member’s last hospitalisation expenses. Clause 6(c) specifies that the nominees of the deceased member will only be entitled to the balance of the CPF monies after deducting the final hospitalisation expenses. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 4.42 pm”
“The amendments proposed will also allow withdrawals by members who are terminally ill before the age of 55, or with chronic and serious illnesses that lead to severely impaired life expectancy, what we call SILE, in short. The CPF Board will allow withdrawals by such members who have been medically certified to have only a few more months to live, on a case-by-case basis, and where applicable, subject such withdrawals to sufficient funds being set aside in their CPF for their medical and other needs for their remaining life span as the Minister may specify. The main purpose of clause 6 of the Bill is to amend section 15 of the CPF Act to allow the Minister to impose the terms and conditions governing withdrawals of CPF savings by members who are permanently physically or mentally incapacitated, of unsound mind, or terminally ill or have severely impaired life expectancy. Clause 6(e) of the Bill will allow couples under the Combined Minimum Sum Scheme to revoke their combined Minimum Sums so that the member with the medical condition can withdraw his or her savings under the new provisions while the healthy spouse will set aside the individual Minimum Sum applicable to him or her. The rest of clause 6 together with clauses 2, 7, 8 and 10 provide for consequential amendments for this policy change. Sir, currently, a deceased member’s Medisave cannot be used to pay his last hospitalisation bill if authorisation was not given by the member or committee of the person before his death. This may create hardship for the family of the deceased member who has to pay the medical bill, especially if the family members are not nominated to receive the deceased member’s CPF monies.”
“Clause 12 amends section 25 of the CPF Act to clarify that the Intestate Succession Act and Administration of Muslim Law Act will apply for non-Muslims and Muslims, respectively, if no CPF nominations have been made. Sir, currently, Medisave Account contributions in excess of the Medisave Contribution Ceiling, or "MA overflows", are automatically transferred to the Ordinary Account of the members. As announced in July last year, the MA overflows will instead be channelled to the members' Special Account or Retirement Account with effect from 1st July this year. As interest rates for the Special/Retirement Accounts are higher than Ordinary accounts, members will enjoy better returns on these savings. Clauses 5(d), (e), (f) and 14(a) provide for this. At the same time, the changes allow the Minister to reverse such MA overflows back into the Medisave accounts under exceptional circumstances when members are in need due to large medical expenses. Sir, the majority of Singaporeans rely on their CPF savings to fund their retirement and medical needs for their old age. As average life expectancy has increased, we have also appropriately adjusted upwards the Minimum Sum and reduce the amounts that can be withdrawn at age 55 years, to cater to the fact that on average, the median life expectancy for those at the age of 62 will be 81 years for men, and 84 years for women. However, the current CPF Act does allow withdrawals by a member, or a committee of his person or of his estate, who is physically or mentally incapacitated from ever continuing in any form of employment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." This Bill seeks to amend the CPF Act to allow more members on the CPF Board and to clarify certain existing policies. This Bill also allows excess amounts from the Medisave Account to overflow into the Special/Retirement Account. Further amendments will enable a small group of members who are terminally ill or have serious medical conditions which result in severely impaired life expectancy, on a case-by-case basis, to withdraw some of their CPF savings. Finally, amendments are sought to allow families of CPF members who have passed away to settle their final hospitalisation bills using the deceased member’s CPF account. Clause 3 expands the maximum number of CPF Board members from 12 to 15, and appoints the CEO of CPF Board as an ex-officio member. This amendment will allow CPF Board to tap on a greater range of expertise from its Board members, for example, in areas such as investment and fund management. Clause 4 delegates the approving authority of CPF inspectors from the Minister for Manpower to the CPF Board of members. Clause 11(a) amends section 24 of the CPF Act to clarify the existing position where the statutory trust is not created when members use their CPF monies to purchase insurance or for investments. It also clarifies that all CPF monies, including monies invested under CPFIS, whether being transferred to and from, or being held with agent banks or any other parties, are protected from any set-off of any nature. It also clarifies that notwithstanding the provisions of the Bankruptcy Act, CPF monies withdrawn by bankrupt members for existing housing loans after bankruptcy are also protected from creditors’ claims.”
“For the parents in this House who have been through passing-out parades, I think you understand what I mean. To see your sons in the parade square with great pride and cheering with gusto, the camaraderie, for them to be transformed from boys to men, stirs our hearts and our feelings. And with time, this will be a national trait where we find that NS is no longer a sacrifice but a privilege. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Ng Eng Hen]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 4.36 pm”
“Sir, let me thank Dr Ong Chit Chung for his full support of the Bill. He has supported the spirit of our amendments, endorsed the increase in fines, backed the signals that we are sending to Singaporeans in terms of emphasising our NS liability. Sir, I agree with him fully that this is part of the picture. Penalties are adequate, but each time we have to impose a penalty that is allowed by this Act on someone, in a sense it is a failure on our part to convince everyone of the need for NS. And he is absolutely right because we are a small nation, we depend on a conscript NS army. He has made the point that if we can move further and convince every Singaporean, every male liable Singaporean, liable to do NS, that not to fulfil those liabilities, one should feel ashamed and therefore, everyone will do it. That will be the ideal state. I agree with him. How do we do this? For MINDEF and SAF, let me assure him and the House that we do not depend on the law to increase the buy-in for National Service. That will be the wrong approach. We have to make those two years that we put our sons through worthwhile. That is why in the debate in this House, we said that NS can only be for critical needs - critical for security and the nation's survival. Yes, there are nation-building elements in NS but we should only have the right to call up our sons to fulfil a critical security need. Second, we must make sure that their time is adequately spent, that training is realistic, that our young men can understand why they are doing it and how they can be effective. It must be not a tokenistic exercise where you just spend your time in NS. We strive to reach the point where every family says, "I understand why NS is needed and I am proud to do it", I think we are getting there.”
“The Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) has been running a 24-hour crisis hotline since 1969. The hotline 1800-2214444 operates to counsel anyone in distress, including those with suicidal tendencies or who just need someone to talk to. Based on past cases, many youths who have contemplated suicide would have sought help or called the SOS hotline several times before actually attempting suicide. The key is therefore to have a hotline which a troubled youth can readily access, in this case, the 24-hour SOS hotline. On the other hand, a 3-digit number would be most useful for an emergency situation where the person is in acute distress. Members of the public who witness a youth attempting suicide should continue to call 999 or 995 for immediate help. Having said that, Sir, hotlines should not be deemed as the only channel for suicidal people to seek help. Parents, teachers, peers and caring adults in constant contact with the youth can help in a more timely manner if the warning signs for those contemplating suicide are detected early and the young person is then referred to the support services available.”
“The Government’s multi-pronged strategy involves, firstly, working with parents, schools and the community on preventive measures to reduce suicidal tendencies. Secondly, working with professionals on intervention programmes to treat suicidal cases and, thirdly, raising public awareness about mental health and well-being. Parents are the first source of support and care for the young. MCYS strives to build strong and stable families through our various schemes, programmes and initiatives, such as our series of family life education programmes. Schools engage the young in learning and developmental activities while teachers and school counsellors help to identify and support students in distress. Health workers and social service professionals are trained to identify early and treat high-risk groups, such as youth in crisis. Treatment programmes available in our healthcare institutions include the Child Guidance Clinic under the Institute of Mental Health. To increase public awareness of mental health issues and promotion of mental well-being, the "Mind Your Mind" programme was launched by the Health Promotion Board in the year 2001. The annual Suicide Prevention Week by the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) helps to increase understanding of suicidal thoughts and the avenues for help. The Government does not perform projections of economic loss from suicide. Nonetheless, each suicide is a tragic loss. The loss is not just to the economy or society, but also from the perspective of what the youth could have done with his or her life. We would do what we can to prevent it. The Member suggested that the Government should introduce an easier '444' national hotline number for suicidal people to get help.”
“Sir, we have followed international convention. That was the first metric on which we collected data. In that sense, we never needed that finer granularity or sensitivity when we produced data. But I take the hon. Member's point. It may be instructive for us to see, in terms of the number of jobs created for locals, how many went to citizens and PRs. Our look at preliminary data when we started trying to get them from a number of sources - this is not the precise way to do it and, therefore, I am reluctant to give the exact figure until we have clear data - was that neither group was over-represented. In other words, the proportions of Singaporeans and PRs were equally represented in terms of jobs created. YOUTH SUICIDES (National suicide prevention strategy) 13. Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) what kind of national suicide prevention strategy is the Government adopting to tackle the rising trend of youth suicides; (b) how effective will such a strategy be to prevent suicides; (c) what is the total projected economic loss to the nation for each successful youth suicide; and (d) will the Government introduce an easier '444' national hotline number for suicidal people to get help. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman) (for the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports): Sir, there is no conclusive evidence from past statistics that there is a rising trend in youth suicides. However, each youth suicide is one too many. Suicide is caused by a complex set of factors, including many socio-cultural factors. Tackling youth suicides requires a multi-agency and many-helping-hands approach.”
“Sir, we do not have a breakdown of local employment data by Singapore citizens and permanent residents. We collect them as locals. We have started collecting data, but it is too premature to release to the public. It is not precise enough and we need to double check the figures. We have the breakdown of foreign employment gain by sectors, but not by salary, education requirements and skills sets. But of the 49,800 jobs created last year that went to foreigners, 46% were in the services sector, about 40% were in the manufacturing sector and 13% were in the construction sector. More jobs were created for both locals and foreigners last year, in tandem with the strong economic growth. While the job gains for foreigners were high, ie, 49,800 or 44% of all jobs created, they were less than for locals. For locals, it was about 56%. In recent years, more jobs have gone to locals, ie, Singaporeans and PRs, every year, in both good and difficult times.”
“Sir, I do not presume to speak on behalf of HDB because that is not under my Ministry, but let me just say that they are equally concerned. From policies that have already applied, in terms of advising members and assessing credit withdrawal, we have put in a number of structural aspects. This is an evaluation on how much members can withdraw from their CPF, for example. That is one hard figure. The second aspect is to counsel or educate members before they buy the property. We have a number of avenues. One is HDB staff. The other is CPF independently having a website or a counter for members to calculate how much they can afford to buy in terms of their housing. LABOUR MARKET 2005 REPORT 12. Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for Manpower in light of the most recent Labour Market 2005 report (a) what is the percentage of the 63,500 jobs that were added in 2005 for local people, that went to Singapore citizens and permanent residents respectively; (b) what is the percentage distribution of the 49,800 jobs that were added in 2005 for foreign workers, with respect to sectors, salary range, education requirements and skill sets; and (c) what are the factors leading to high foreign employment gain in 2005.”
“Sir, that was why I was careful to insert a number of caveats. But I accept that there are sometimes too many figures. I said 40%, after withdrawing the 50% that they are allowed to. Hon. Members would remember, we are slowly phasing out that 50% withdrawal rule, and that would raise the proportion of members who reach the Minimum Sum. Indeed, I gave the figure that, of all those before they applied for 50% withdrawal, ie, before they took out their 50%, the median balance was actually $66,000, which is quite healthy. How can we help older members save enough for their CPF? As I said, there are many reasons. Of the many ways, one way is to allow them to work longer and contribute regularly. This is a simple enough assertion but, as Members will remember, from the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee for the Employability of Older Workers, there are a number of measures that we want to institute to help older workers work longer. We are at the same time raising the level of the Minimum Sum so that older members can put aside more to cater for their increasing life expectancy. There are no easy answers in terms of how do we help members enhance their retirement adequacy. But, as we have said, for those who are prudent in their property purchase and have less medical expenses, our data suggest that they are best able to meet their Minimum Sum. So there are a number of measures concurrently applied, eg, education on how much they should use for their housing, how they can stretch their Medisave dollar, how they can work longer, and in terms of being prudent in their investment choices, I think all these collectively will help to enhance their retirement adequacy.”