Ong Ah Heng
Singapore
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Chairman, in 2010, there were 54 deaths due to workplace accidents, down from 70 deaths in 2009. This is despite a 14% surge in construction projects worth close to $26 billion. Death at the worksite is a painful incident. Even one death is one death too many.”
“I urge the Ministry of Manpower to come up with a system to systematically monitor work hours – both formal as well as informal hours. We must have reliable data on overtime work – especially unpaid overtime. With available data, we can then investigate why Singaporeans overwork.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Chairman, Singaporeans are living longer, with many living beyond 80 years old. If we retire at the current retirement age of 62 and live to 72, there is still a good 10 years of our life. We must make good use of the time after our retirement at age 62.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to *Cols. 3833-3834. Appendix A*.] Madam, the working adults spend more than half their waking hours at the workplace. The workplace is also where most people identify as the source of their stress. A healthy staff is an asset to any organisation. This is a fact well-recognised by all companies.”
“Workplace directly influences physical, psychological, economic and social well-being of workers which, in turn, affects the health of their families, community and eventually society. A health promoting workplace can now become a pre-requisite for sustainable social and economic development.”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Speaker, it is not because I am a PAP MP that I support the Budget of the Government. Just now, I gave my views on anti-terrorism, for example. I think we are too complacent and not thinking enough of potential dangers.”
The complete record
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“What I worry is that when the fees are increased, the swimming pools will be idle and they will become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. To balance cost and revenue, I have a novel idea. There are two swimming pools in each complex. We can rent out one pool to Qianhu Fish Farm, a tropical fish company, to breed their fish. Therefore, with this rental income, there is no need to raise the admission fees. Is this not good for the people? While swimming, we can also watch the tropical fish! Is this not wonderful? Mr Speaker, Sir, while the people are supporting the Government's reform programme, what has the SSC been doing? Reforming the CPF is a painful decision. It is also painful to the people. However, what is most important is that we should change our mindset to face reality, to be pragmatic and to face life honestly. Let me quote from my bus captain. The bus captain told me that we were lucky that we had the CPF to be cut. If we do not have any CPF to cut, then it would be pretty bad for us, because it would mean that we do not have a job. Therefore, we should face the CPF cut calmly. Though poor, we should be contented and happy. When one is wealthy, one should be compassionate towards others who are less fortunate. If the Government is compassionate, and we are united, our future is bright, and Singapore will be a place where people would like to live and work in. When winter comes to an end, spring will be around. Mr Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair again at 4.05 pm. Sitting accordingly suspended at 3.42 pm until 4.05 pm. Sitting resumed at 4.05 pm [Mr Speaker in the Chair] RETUNING THE CPF Debate resumed. The Acting Minister for Manpower (Dr Ng Eng Hen): First of all, let me thank Members for supporting these changes.”
“As a trade union leader, I am proud to have a Government that is so concerned about the welfare of the workers. DPM Lee also stressed the need to cut waste in the Government. The Acting Minister for Health has also said that hospital charges will not be raised. However, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) has decided to raise admission charges to public swimming pools. With effect from October 2003, charges for those under 18 years of age will be raised from $0.50 to $0.80 and by July next year, they will be further raised to $1.10. As for adults, the present fee of $1.00 would be raised to $1.50 with effect from October 2003, and then to $2.00 from July 2004. For senior citizens, the admission fees will be raised from $0.50 to $1.00. During weekends, the $0.70 for under-18 will be raised to $1.10 and by July 2004, to $1.50. Adult fees will be raised from $1.30 to $2.00, and then to $2.70. As for the senior citizens, the fees will rise from $0.60 to $1.10, and then to $1.50. Mr Speaker, Sir, those who live in condominiums are already having swimming pools at their door-steps. Those who are well-off can go to their clubs to swim. The Singapore Sports Council has more than 20 swimming complexes, spread over the various housing estates. These are for the middle and lower income groups to use. At present, if a grandfather takes his two grandchildren to the swimming pool on a week-day, he pays $1.50. By October, he has to pay $2.40, an increase of $0.90. During the weekends, he will have to pay $1.30 more. Those who live in the vicinity of the swimming pools told me that the swimming pools are idle during weekdays. According to SSC, the increase in fees is aimed at balancing the cost and revenue.”
“Clerical staff who work in the office complain that the air-conditioner is blowing hot air and not cool air. It is not easy to be the Government. No matter what the Government has done, the people will find some fault with it. I asked them what they thought of the assistance package. They said, "Very good, what more can we ask for? Unless someone can bless me with a winning number so that I can strike the 4-digit lottery." Mr Speaker, Sir, an old friend, a transport union official in Taiwan, told me over the phone: "Mr Ong, your workers are wonderful. They are very adaptable, whether in good fortune or adversity. They are even prepared to suffer wage cuts and CPF cuts. Your Government is remarkable - so much subsidies (assistance measures)!" I asked him how was the situation over in Taiwan. He said, "Over here, who cares? The government is busy with the presidential elections next year." Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not easy to be a good government, because the better the government, the higher would be the expectations of the people, and more people will complain. A bad government finds it easy to run a country because the people would have got used to it. What can you ask for? Consider yourself lucky if you do not starve to death. If you ask him why he does not look for a job and earn a living for himself, he would reply, "Do you think it is so easy to find a job? You must have money to get a job." In contrast, Singaporeans are very fortunate. If they work, they can get money. There is no need for them to use money to buy jobs. The Government has worked out a Work Assistance Programme to help the retrenched workers and to help them find new jobs. Older people do not have to worry, because the Government has set up a "job matching and training scheme" for them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, ever since the Prime Minister's announcement of an impending CPF cut in his National Day Rally speech, the NTUC has spared no time in meeting with its affiliated unions to discuss this problem. The union leaders are very rational and they are bold enough to face the facts. They have agreed to the cut in the employer's CPF contribution rate to lower business cost, so that workers' jobs could be safeguarded. It is hoped that the savings as a result of the CPF cuts could be used to augment production facilities to expand their business and to safeguard the jobs of the workers, and even to create new jobs. They also appeal to the employers to have a conscience, and not to put all the savings in their pockets and have a fling in life. They should share these savings with the workers. Trade union leaders are worried about members not being able to cope with mortgage payments, healthcare, transport, utilities and conservancy charges, and they hope that the Government can empathise with their plight and lend them a helping hand. The $1 billion assistance package has brought a sigh of relief to the workers although these measures cannot satisfy everybody. This is understandable. Why do I say this? In my chit-chat with the constituents in the coffee shops, they would invariably tell me, "Heh, do not be too depressed. In this age, it is difficult to be a God. It is even more difficult to be the Government." They also said that, if it rains every day, housewives will grumble that their clothes will not get dried. If it does not rain, workers who are working under the hot sun, find that the wages they earn are not enough to buy the drinks needed to quench their thirst.”
“Sir, the Ministry of Community Development and Sports has delegated the task of developing a blueprint for Excellence in Sports in Singapore to the Committee on Sporting Singapore. This has provided a clear direction for the sporting fraternity. But as far as I can see, the allocation of $5 million, stretched over a period of five years, and the blueprint on 'Excellence in Sports' do not reflect the true situation. Neither has the committee made a fair allocation of funds to the sporting fraternity, particularly those sports associations not regarded as having merit status. Sir, before the CoSS took over the centralised management of funds, other sports associations could approach the Singapore Sports Council and the Singapore Pools for funds to finance their sporting activities. Now, with centralised coordination of all funds by the SSC, those National Sports Associations without merit status have no recourse to financial assistance. They are expected to get help from the corporate sector. With the current economic slowdown, some sports associations are no longer able to get help from the private sector and thus are not able to implement their annual plans. I understand that sponsorship for sports should be prioritised but no sport can achieve a level of excellence overnight. Ideally, each sports association should have a home of its own where its national team can train. 1.45 pm In land-scarce Singapore, I understand this constraint, but the Ministry should try to help them on a case-by-case basis. There are sports that can share facilities. There are others which cannot. One example is basketball. Since the Gay World Stadium was demolished in 2001, the national team has no proper training ground where they can train adequately.”
“Yes. Amendments, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $398,463,900 for Head T ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $6,291,271,400 for Head T ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head O -”
“Sir, I would like to withdraw my cut as the Minister of State has already addressed my area of interest.”
“Next time, if his work is relocated to Woodlands, he can give up the tenancy in Jurong and rent a flat in Woodlands. He does not need to sell one flat to buy another one, and then sell the second flat to buy a third one, just to be near his place of work. I am sure many of my colleagues would agree with me that we should raise the income ceiling for the rental flats. I think the current ceiling of $800 is not realistic. Imagine a worker earning $1,000 gets only $800 take-home pay which is hardly enough to support his family, yet he is not qualified to rent a flat from HDB. I suggest that the Government should review this. We have already been successful in our home ownership scheme. It is time for us to build more rental flats so that the young couples would benefit.”
“Madam, the Singapore Government has been very successful in implementing its "Home for Everyone" policy. There are now about 85% Singaporeans who own their own flats. However, I observe that there are still many flats in the western part of Singapore which are unoccupied. They have been completed but for more than two years, they are still not being occupied. I think the HDB should make some good use of these flats by renting them out to those who need these apartments, particularly those who have to move from other parts of Singapore to the west in order to be near to their work place. This would make it more convenient for them. Many fresh university graduates and young couples have just joined the labour market. They cannot afford to buy their own flats because they have not enough CPF to meet the downpayment. Why should we force them to buy the flats? Why can we not have more rental flats available to them near their places of work? They can rent the flats from HDB and it would be convenient for them to go to work. If they were to buy a flat in one part of Singapore and later on find a job in another part of the island, they would have to either sell their flat and buy another one nearby, or to pay through their nose to rent an apartment from a private landlord. In my view, HDB has succeeded in providing some 85% of our citizens with their own flats, a record which is not achieved by any other country in the world. In other countries, the majority of their citizens are renting their accommodation. Having already achieved such a remarkable record, we should not insist that our people buy their own flats. If a worker lives in Tampines and works in Jurong, why can we not allow him to rent a flat in Jurong?”
“Sixthly, the agency will have to look into the motivators and demotivators for continuing education to thrive amongst our people. One method would be the promotion of a pro-learning environment and culture at workplaces. The agency must also work on how to influence the mindset of not only the workers but the employers as well. Today, there are so many continuing education courses, ranging from short courses to certficates, diplomas and degrees. But the quality of these programmes varies - some are good and some are obviously a waste of time and money. At the same time, the diplomas obtained by the students upon completion of their course may not be recognised by the market. So, with this proposed CET agency, we would be able to provide some guidance to the would-be learners so that they can make enlightened decisions when they take up degree or diploma courses offered by the non-Government institutions. They can decide whether this degree or diploma would be of use to them or not. Otherwise, they will be wasting a few tens of thousands of dollars and, in the end, the diploma or degree is not recognised by anybody and they could not find a job with it. I feel that the new agency should also provide courses which can serve as alternatives to the correspondence courses and distance-learning courses which many of our students are pursuing. If this proposed CET agency can be forward-looking and act according to the needs of the market, I am sure it will go a long way in helping to enhance the standard of training of our learners and to lead our workers to achieving a better standard of living.”
“Sir, I would like to applaud the Government for deciding to establish a Continuing Education and Training agency. This agency will help to further focus and intensify efforts to ensure that our workers are well-skilled and remain employable. I like to share some thoughts on this agency. I think the agency can play a very important role in identifying industries and companies with ready vacancies for those who go for training. It must have a network with the employers to identify which are the job openings in the future so that when they go for training, they will come out and become employable. Secondly, we should put in enough resources into training teachers of adult learners and develop appropriate teaching methodologies. So the CET trainers should also be well-trained in psychological and pedagogical principles for the teaching of adults. They should be equipped with such skills to enthuse workers to learn. Thirdly, the CET agency should also encourage training providers to draw up curriculum that is appropriate for adult learners, rather than use the same curriculum for fresh school leavers. Otherwise, the training would not be meaningful. I think this programme should be more flexible. Fourthly, we should also encourage those existing training providers to provide a greater choice and flexibility for adult learners. For example, we could have e-learning and a similar kind of training to suit the convenience of the would-be learners. Fifthly, I think the CET agency can also play a role in modifying the attitude and behaviour of the workers. Workers must be trained to have a "can do" mindset. They must be determined, innovative and enterprising.”
“I agree with the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry that it is not the policy that drives Singapore ahead. It is everybody, every company and every individual that drives the country forward. We are all assets of Singapore. We can make contribution. Everyone of us must work hard. We must learn how to be self-reliant. Singapore is small in land, with a small population. We must look after one another, stay united so that together we will be able to help Singapore maintain its competitive edge. As the Finance Minister has said, we will then become a leading metropolis in the world.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, since 1965, the Malaysia media have been regarding Singapore as an "abnormal baby" abandoned by Tunku Abdul Rahman. We can read this in their newspapers all the time. They believed that Singapore could not survive after its separation from Malaysia, and they never expected Singapore to grow and prosper. Apart from being a politician, Senior Minister Lee is also a first-class doctor. Under his careful nurturing, this "abnormal baby" grew up strong and healthy, it did not die an early death. We all know that Prime Minister Mahathir is an astute statesman. As a doctor, he knows that one can survive without food for three days but no one can live for three days without water. As such, he has been using the water issue as a lever against Singapore. But he forgets that our Prime Minister Goh is also a very brilliant person. He adopted the NEWater as a substitution for natural water, to ensure that we do not die young. We are still surviving and we will continue to do so. Singaporeans should be proud that our leaders are all very skilful kung fu experts. They can deal with all the blows that have been rained on them. However, we should not be complacent, neither shall we be self-abased just because we are a "little red dot". We want to live with dignity and self-respect, but not forgetting to be prepared for danger in times of peace, and be vigilant even in peace time. A Taiwanese friend of mine commented to me that the Singapore Government was like a "twenty-four filial father" (a Taiwanese dialect expression to the effect that the father takes extreme care and looks after every detail of his children's well-being). Perhaps this is why our people are so heavily dependent on the Government. I think this is food for thought! We should all ponder over this.”
“According to a survey conducted by the National University of Singapore, our graduates no longer expect high starting salaries upon graduation. Some 85% of NUS graduates are prepared to participate in training programmes to upgrade their skills so as to improve their chances of being employed. This is a very encouraging sign! I hope that the mature workers would also seize the opportunity to upgrade their skills in whatever line they are in so as to enhance their employability. They should persevere and be courageous in taking up training programmes and learn new skills so that they can be self-reliant. To make a good living they must depend on themselves rather than on others. Some people have asked me why the NTUC has not opposed the Government's delay in the restoration of CPF and the gradual reduction in the CPF salary ceiling. They asked why the NTUC dare not hold a demonstration in the streets. I told them that even if a demonstration succeeds in getting the Government to restore the CPF contribution to 40%, and no lowering of the CPF salary ceiling, it would only succeed in making the headlines of the foreign newspapers and our Secretary-General, Minister Lim Boon Heng would be hoisted as a hero. This would be very thrilling and awe-inspring, but what will be the end result? The end result would be that the companies, owing to higher business cost and a heavier burden to carry, will retrench more workers, and there will be more unemployment. Since we do not want to have more workers retrenched, we support the Government's action because that will ensure that our workers get to keep their jobs, and the employers would be able to survive, to continue looking for openings to expand their business, and hence create more jobs for Singaporeans.”
“The middle-aged people worry about their job security, and whether they can continue to draw a regular income to maintain their families. The older people worry about their ability to afford the healthcare services provided by the Government, and try not to burden their children with their medical cost. Today, the people's concern is not on the salaries of the Ministers and the senior civil servants, but whether the Ministers and senior civil servants can help them to solve their unemployment and healthcare problems. As a labour MP, I am glad that the Government has set aside $500 million to establish a Lifelong Learning Fund to assist the workers in their upgrading and training programmes. I am also encouraged about the initiation of $3.7 million for a MOM training scheme to provide assistance to the unemployed and retrenched Singaporeans, so as to equip them with the necessary skills for re-employment. I would also like to commend the Government for the setting up of a Continuing Education and Training Centre for adults. However, I hope that the Ministry would scout around for the right people with the necessary know-how and experience to manage the centre so that relevant training programmes would be rolled out to suit the needs of individuals, and to equip them with the relevant skills for better employability. Any irrelevant training programme would only result in more disappointment and frustration of the workers. If possible, the Government should consider my fellow labour MP, Mr Seng Han Thong's suggestion of getting the workers employed before undergoing training. This would boost their confidence and they would be better prepared to participate in the training programmes to improve themselves.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the motion in the name of the Minister for Finance. This is an apt and timely Budget. For the 1-room to 5-room flat owners, they will continue to enjoy the utilities and S&C rebates. At the same time, everyone will benefit from the additional $100 million paid into the Medifund account by the Government. To the business community, the Government is granting some tax rebates and extending the rental rebates to help companies reduce their business cost and enhance their competitiveness. The Government is also accepting the Economic Review Committee's recommendations of the five strong strategies to enable Singapore to remain competitive and establish itself as a leading global city. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, although the Government has done so much, there are still some people who feel that the Budget is not generous enough. I can understand their feelings. It is never easy for any Government to please everybody. If there is no complaint, it means that the Government has done perfectly well, and there will be no improvement and progress. That is not necessarily a good thing! When reading the Lianhe Zaobao on 1st March 2003, I paid particular attention to the remarks given by the NCMP and the Opposition MPs. I feel that in this difficult time, whether you are a Government MP or an Opposition MP, we should all try not to please the people with claptraps, but rather contribute feasible and constructive suggestions on the real issues. Do not harp on the same old tune and adopt a sentimental pose. Do not be carried away just because someone sings some praises to you. In Singapore today, the young people are pressurised in their studies. They also face the gloomy prospect of securing a rewarding job after graduation.”
“Like many older generation of Singaporeans have said: "Although life is difficult every day, we nevertheless manage to get by." The basic problem is that increase in bus fares, for that matter, any price increase, is always painful and unbearable. More importantly, we must have enough water supply to stay alive. We want our Government to pool its resources to make sure we have the water supply we need. This is much more important and crucial than the debate on the 3-cent fare hike. I support this amended motion.”
“Now, if all our people do not want to drive buses, if we have 80% bus drivers who are foreigners and if they do not maintain the bus properly, if the tyres are not properly secured, the lives of 50-odd passengers on the bus would be in jeopardy. If they are not Singaporeans, why should they work so hard to maintain the buses for you? Why should they be concerned with the lives and safety of the Singaporean commuters? By then, you would have to start worrying. Who would not want to feel secure and safe while travelling on public transportation? Our accident rate is the lowest in the whole of Asia. During the seventh month, the month of the hungry ghosts, our bus drivers would pray very hard at every bus depot hoping that there would not be any accident. They work very hard. If we want them to have a decent living, we have to give them decent wages. I think that is only fair. If this small increase in bus fares can contribute to better standard of living for our bus drivers, I think it is worth it because we want to have a world-class transport system in Singapore. So, I hope that every Singaporean could clearly understand the situation. No government would like to go against the wishes of the people. Every government would wish to help its people, if not at least the people of the next generation. Of course, the bus drivers nowadays do not want their children to become bus drivers. Our Government has been forward-looking. We have to make sure that Singaporeans have a good future ahead. We cannot be so calculative and feel unhappy because of a slight fare increase. At the media, we can see and read about the discontent of our people. Some people have written very sincerely and earnestly in the newspapers on the issue of fare increase.”
“" However, today, we are spending a long time talking about the three-cent to ten-cent fare hike. Just now, Mr Ng Ser Miang, our NMP, explained the problems faced by the bus operators. Mr Ng is an honourable man. I respect him, although sometimes, I had heated arguments with him because I represent the union and he was on the management side. Under the law, so long as we have enough votes, we can stage a strike. So, I used to tell him that if the management persists in treating us badly, and our workers cannot live a comfortable life, we would go on a strike. But do we want to see such a situation in Singapore? My counterparts in Taiwan told me that even the taxi drivers can go on strike. Every time they go on strike, they want us to give them some moral support for their industrial action. If our workers cannot earn a decent living, then nobody would want to be bus drivers. Currently, approximately 30% of our bus drivers are not Singaporeans. In total, the two bus companies have vacancies for at least 200 drivers. Despite the grave unemployment situation in Singapore, there are some 200 vacancies for bus drivers that remain unfilled. I have been telling people, "If you are unemployed and want to become a bus driver, just come to me. I will get you the job. No need to write letters. No need to get referrals." It is a big difference from the situation 10-20 years ago. Nowadays, nobody wants to become a bus driver because the pay is not attractive. We have about 30% non-Singaporeans driving our buses. Let us look into this matter squarely.”
“Why can we not offer better shelter from the weather at the bus interchange?" As for the issue on the airconditioned buses or non-airconditioned buses, it is a matter of choice and opinion. Today, there are many people who would prefer and do not mind paying a bit more to travel in the comfort of an airconditioned bus. They absolutely detest travelling in a non-airconditioned bus. We have to exercise our political wisdom when dealing with the issue on fare increase. This time round, the issue on fare increase has been brought up and debated vigorously in Parliament. If Parliament has to convene for every proposed price increase, then our MPs will have to become full-time MPs and come to Parliament every day to discuss these matters, just like those in Taiwan. I know that all our Members are either professionals or successful business people. It is not easy to get 84 people to become part-time parliamentarians. If we are going to get 84 professionals and successful entrepreneurs to give up their career and business to serve as full-time MPs, it will be almost impossible. Then, are we prepared to accept lesser people to come in here? I do not think so. I hope that everyone of us would look at this matter in a calm manner. Much as we want to please the people, we cannot please all the people all the time. There are bound to be some policies which are unpopular with the people Last night, when I was talking to my residents at the coffee shop, I told them that we should be more concerned with Malaysia's intention to increase the price of water they supply to us rather than the fare increase. They all agreed. They said, "Yes, this is more important. Parliament should use their time to discuss how we are going to fight the Malaysians.”
“Sometimes, while I was standing at the bus stop waiting for the bus to arrive, it suddenly rained. I had to run back home to change my drenched school uniform and come out again with a rain-coat or an umbrella. The buses were usually packed. If you board the bus just a couple of stops from the depot, you would be lucky to be able to board the bus, let alone getting a seat. If Singaporeans are prepared to go back to the standards and conditions of public buses in the 1960s and 70s, then I think it is possible for us to wait for another 3-4 years before it would be necessary to raise the bus fares again. We know what Singaporeans want. Any fare or price increase is surely not welcomed. But we have to be realistic. One constituent of mine thought he struck a bargain when he bought three pairs of socks for only $1 at the pasar malam organised by the Residents' Committee. But these socks shrank and tore when they were washed two days later. He came to me and complained, "Why you people sell this type of lousy things at your pasar malam?" Yes, they were cheap and affordable. But are they the sort of things you want? If the Government says the bus can be used for 20 years and that people are prepared to wait for 10-20 minutes, as the Executive Secretary of the Transport Workers' Union, I can assure you that in the next three or four years, there would not be any need for fare increase. However, there will be complaints from the commuters. My constituency is near to the Yishun Interchange. One night, at the meet-the-people session, one constituent told me there was a thunderstorm a few days ago. His son was drenched by the heavy downpour. He remarked, "How could you say that our transport system is world-class when our bus interchange is so badly designed?”
“They have to learn new skills, especially those drivers who are 50 and 60, they have to continue to upgrade their skills as public transport system goes IT. How to avoid fare increases? Yes, we can do that. Today, the average waiting period for a bus is three minutes during peak hours. In order to meet this target, we have to operate 20 buses on one route during the peak period. If the commuters are willing to wait six minutes instead of three, we can reduce the number of buses operating on the route from 20 to 10. This will translate into savings in capital investment and the subsequent depreciation charges on 10 buses. With two drivers taking turns to operate each bus, this will also mean that we will reduce the cost of employing 20 drivers. The question is, "Are the commuters prepared to wait for 6 minutes for a bus during the peak periods?" It is already the case that sometimes when the buses are caught in traffic jam and arrive one or two minutes late, the commuters would complain and even abuse the driver by asking, "Why so late!" And you want them to wait for six minutes instead of three? Furthermore, the statutory life-span of a bus is 15 years. Why do we not extend it to 20 years? If we allow a bus to operate for 20 years, then bus companies will save on depreciation, and asset replacement cost. If Singaporeans feel that we want to enjoy a world-class transport system, they must be prepared to pay. In the 60s and 70s, it was not uncommon to wait for half an hour for a bus. I had to get up before dawn to make sure I catch a bus before 6.30 am in order to reach school on time. The bus stop was just a post with a plate attached displaying the bus number. There is no shelter or seats.”
“Will our public transport system be as good as it is today? The Member of Parliament for Hougang advocated for a state-owned bus company. When I was young, I had to take the Singapore Traction Company (STC) buses to school. This was a bus company operated by the Government. In the end, the company went bust and had to close down. Why should the Government run a losing business and waste our surpluses and reserves? We should leave it to the experts and professionals to run it at a profit and benefit the people - and the Government. As such, I feel that we should adopt a calm and balanced attitude on this issue of public transport fare increase. Mr Speaker, Sir, our population is small, and the market for public transport is very limited. Two transport operators are facing the possibility of losses. If we allow five or six companies to compete, can we make sure that they will reduce fares? Our commuter base is small. We have to maintain our buses. If we allow more companies to operate, can the companies have the economy of scale to operate at a profit and remain viable? I have read in the papers that in Ang Mo Kio, Mr Wee Siew Kim provided buses for his constituents to go to the market. Every week, he incurs a cost of $500. I applaud his effort and hope that he can sustain till the next election in 2007. Bus workers are like you and me. They would also want to enjoy pay increases. They are lowly educated and elderly. They have to support their families. Should they not also enjoy bonuses and pay increases so as to cover their family expenses? Every day, they work for more than 12 hours and every now and then they have to face complaints from the commuters.”
“We must look at the Singapore political situation in a calm and objective manner. We must apply our political EQ or emotional quotient. Our PAP leadership is not stupid. They are aware of the feelings of the people. Many of our grassroots leaders are well educated. In the wards of the Ministers, many grassroots leaders are professionals. They understand what is going on at grassroots level. But, we know that in many Latin-American countries, during the election campaign, the politicians would make a lot of promises to their people to win votes. Then, after the election, if they are fortunate enough to be returned to power, in order to keep faith with the people and to fulfil their promises, they would hand out all sorts of goodies. In the process, they clear out the nation's coffers. When their term expires, the country is bankrupt and heavily in debt. Is this the kind of country we want? We know that every five years, the PAP must face the people in a General Election and seek a fresh mandate from them. "Who would do things so that the people would not elect them in the next five years' time?" I talked to the people in the coffee shops. A lot of them are not happy with the Government's decision to allow the fare hike. I asked them if we were to hold a General Election now would the PAP win. They replied, "Oh, the PAP will still win the elections." Why? This is because they know that the PAP Government is the only one that ticks in Singapore. Yet, people are not happy. These price increases had led to emotional upsets. It is a question of timing. We have to exercise our political wisdom to decide whether what we are doing will be good for our nation. If we promise people that there will be no price and fee increases, what will happen?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to take part in this debate. I must declare that I am the Executive Secretary of the Singapore Transport Workers' Union. We have some 12,000 workers working in the transport sector. Yesterday, we have heard from the PAP and Opposition MPs the sentiments and feelings of the middle and lower income group people in Singapore. If we go to the market-place and coffee shops, we will find that what these MPs said in this House is true and correct. What amazes me is that our PAP Members seem to be more energetic and incisive than the Opposition members when they made these points. If we send people like Mr Tan Soo Khoon and Dr Tan Cheng Bock to contest in the opposition wards in the next General Election, I am afraid the incumbents will not find their way back to this Chamber at the next Parliament. Our PAP Members are more mature. They will be able to contest and win all the single-member wards in future elections. We know that price increases are never welcomed by the people. As I live in a HDB flat, I have a deep understanding of how the people there are feeling about the daily matters. As I am living among them, I meet them when I go to work and come back from work. These lower income people are unhappy, and their dissatisfaction is not just confined to this round of bus fare increase. In the coffee shops, many people commented, "The Government allows the officials to set fire, but ordinary citizens are not even allowed to light a lantern." Increase in refuse collection fees, increase in car park charges, increase in GST, and what else do we have? Yet, when the hawkers were to increase their prices, the Government sends the Chan Soo Sen Committee to go after their blood.”
“Sir, in my constituency, there are a lot of 3-room flat residents. When they upgrade to 4-room flats, they find it very difficult to sell their 3-room flats. At the end of the day, HDB buys them back and rents them to Jurong Town Corporation (JTC), and JTC, in turn, rents them to foreign workers. My residents have complained that sometimes there were so many foreign workers staying in their block. All these were unsold 3-room flats. Could certain regulations be imposed on 3-room flats rented to JTC? We should not rent all these flats to foreign workers. Maybe we could rent these flats to those who really need 3-room flats at a further discount.”
“I want him to reply whether the Ministry has a close supervision on that.”
“According to the Parliamentary Secretary, the single tenderer has to get permission from the principal in order to sublet. The principal has no choice but to approve, because if I were a Chinese, and I want to sell Muslim food, the principal cannot say, "I do not allow you to sublet." He has to allow him to sublet because, even if he knows how to cook Muslim food, MUIS would not agree. So the question here is when a single tenderer sublets to an individual tenderer, what is the price? How many percent do they add on to the sub-rental? So, in order to pay the sub-rental, he has to sell the food at a higher price.”
“I do not quite agree with what the Parliamentary Secretary said. I will give him the name of the school that has increased the cost of a plate of chicken rice from 50 cents to $1 tomorrow. What the Parliamentary Secretary said about the increase being in terms of cents, I do not think is concrete proof. I am not convinced. Sometimes maybe the feedback ---”
“I am the Adviser to the National Transport Workers' Union. We have some food kiosks at the bus terminals to serve our bus drivers. There, they charge 25 cents for a cup of coffee, and nothing more. A plate of fried noodle is $1, and that is it. Of course, the food kiosk operators are charged very nominal rents to operate at the bus terminus. We should look after the interest of the lower income people. We must review this open tender system for school canteens.”
“Mdm Chairman, I am raising the same issue. Many a time when I met my residents, I received complaints that when the schools are upgraded, the prices of food at the canteen are also upgraded. A plate of chicken rice which used to be sold for 50 cents is now being sold at $1, a 100% increase! Last night, I met a resident who is a hawker at the Ahmad Ibrahim School. He told me that the school would be upgraded next month, and an open tender will be called for the operation of the school canteen. With these canteens being operated on an open tender system, soon we will have "Million Dollar Canteens" just like the "Million Dollar Coffeeshop" that we are having now. That being the case, how are the students going to afford the food at the "Million Dollar Canteen"? If you are outside, you can say, "Well, the food here is too expensive, I do not want to buy from here as I can get my food elsewhere." But, if you are in a school, you cannot go outside to buy your food. If you do not buy from the school canteen, you will just starve to death. So, if a plate of chicken rice is now being sold at $1 or $2 and even a glass of soft-drink will cost 60 cents, I believe children from the lower income group will not be able to afford it. If the poor family has three children studying in school, then the burden will be very heavy for the parents. I hope that the Minister for Education would reconsider this matter. We should have control over the prices. The canteen should be let out to the operators at a nominal price. We should look after the children so that they have healthy food to eat. As such, the school canteen should be charged just a nominal rent, and not an open tender price. There must also be stipulations on how much they can charge for each food item.”
“(In Mandarin) Because of this concern, I hope that the Ministry of Education and the schools will think of some ways to save these wayward students. No doubt, it is the responsibility of parents to see to it that their children are well-behaved. But, more often than not, the parents are too busy working to earn their livelihood. The schools can help by paying more attention to the conduct of their students. Give them more healthy and wholesome extra-curricular activities, and teach them how to behave, so that they can become good citizens. We know that the birth rate is low in Singapore. Even the Prime Minister is worried about this trend. With the families having just a couple of children each, the parents should be more focused in bringing up their children. If the children are not properly brought up, they may turn wayward, and their future will be very bleak indeed!”
“When asked by their friends where their children were studying, they would reply shamefully, "Oh, some neighbourhood school. I do not know its name." Why is it that we make these parents harbour such inferiority complex? Why can we not do something about it? Raise the status of ITE, tell the parents that the moon in Singapore is just as round as in the other countries, that our ITE in Singapore is just as good as the technical colleges overseas. I know the Minister for Education is very modest, but I think sometimes he can afford to be more arrogant.”
“We have read newspaper reports of some ITE graduates who have gained admission to the polytechnic, and from there to the university where they obtained their bachelor or even masters degrees. Some went on to become successful entreprenuers. It shows that our ITEs are also capable of producing successful and useful citizens for Singapore. 4.15 pm I feel that the problem lies with the fact that many parents do not understand what prospects their children have when they go to ITE. So I feel that the Ministry of Education should give ITE a make-over. Like the Remaking of Singapore, we should also have a Remaking of ITE. We should establish its brand. Sir, I observe that students of ITE are still required to wear uniforms, like the school children from the junior schools, while the polytechnic and university undergraduates are not required to wear any uniform. This makes the ITE students feel inferior. Why can we not allow the ITE students to do away with their uniforms like the university undergraduates? Secondly, if we want to instill more confidence in their parents, we should enhance the status of ITE. Our universities have linked up with other renowned foreign universities to become sister universities. Why can we not encourage ITE to tie up with some of the well-known colleges overseas to enhance its reputation? Here I am not saying that the moon overseas is brighter than the one in Singapore. But I am saying that the Singapore moon is just as round as the moon in the other countries. In this respect, I hope, Sir, that the Ministry of Education would make efforts to "remake ITE" while remaking Singapore, so that the students of ITE will be proud of themselves. As a matter of fact, many parents felt ashamed when their children were sent to ITE.”
“Sir, as we embark on the new high-tech knowledge-based economy in Singapore, we require not only many graduates from tertiary institutions, we also need highly-skilled technical officers so that all these technologies could be applied smoothly in Singapore. ITE had, during our early days of nation building, played a major role in producing our skilled workforce. A great number of technicians were cultivated for our industries, particularly the building industry. Now, with our economy restructuring, we need a different type of skills for our workers and it is quite different from those that we trained in the old days. Very often, during my meet-the-people sessions, I would meet residents who complained to me that their children were sent to ITE and they were not comfortable about it. They wanted their children to go to the mainstream schools. To them, those who were sent to ITE were those who could not make the grade to the mainstream schools. Given a choice, they would want their children to go to the mainstream schools, so that they could do their "O" level, "A" level and then go to the university. Because in the minds of the parents, going to the university is a sign and a promise of a good future. Sometimes, when parents have overly high expectations for their children, it could result in the students being pressurised, and when they are sent to ITE, they will be very demoralised, and lose their self-respect. Many of them believe that graduating from ITE may not land them a job. I am very glad to hear from the Minister, just now, that the prospects of ITE graduates were not too bad after all.”
“We should give the people the impression that in Singapore, even when you are sick, you will not die.”
“Sir, I am raising this issue because our healthcare delivery system is based on individual's responsibility plus Government subsidy to make the basic healthcare service affordable. The medical expenses keep going up, very soon the lower-income group and the elderly in our population will not be able to afford them. One resident in my Constituency, who is a hypertension patient, told me that when he was taking the medication from the polyclinics in Singapore, it would cost him $1-2 per day. But when he bought the same medicine from Johor Baru, he paid only 60 cents for it. He told me that he had been taking the cheaper medicine he bought from Johor for the last two years. He is happy and he is still alive and kicking. I would like to ask the Minister whether there is some form of control on the prices of medicine sold in Singapore. Since we are controlling the type of medicines that can be sold in Singapore, can we not also check on the prices at which they are being sold to the end consumers? If these medicines can be sold at Johor Baru at much lower prices, why cannot something be done to ensure that our retailers sell these medicines at comparable prices? The rich people, of course, can go to expensive, air-conditioned hospitals and enjoy the comfort there. For the poorer patients, they can only go to a third-class hospital. The rich people take expensive ginseng and bird's nest, but a poor man can settle for an inexpensive glass of soybean drink. Can we not allow some form of generic medicines with the same therapeutic effect to be sold in Singapore, so that the people in the lower income group could find them more affordable? Dr Ong Seh Ong has just mentioned that Singaporeans like to say, "you can die, but you cannot afford to be sick here".”
“Sir, the points I wish to raise on this amendment are somewhat similar to what my parliamentary colleagues before me have just mentioned. Singapore has been said to come a long way in improving the standard of health and providing good medical and healthcare services to its people. Today, the state of health of the people in Singapore has attained international standard. In 1993, a White Paper entitled "Affordable Healthcare" was published, spelling out the Government's commitment to provide good affordable basic healthcare to Singaporeans. This is done through the provision of heavily subsidised medical services in Government hospitals and polyclinics. In the early 1990s, the Government hospitals were restructured with the objective of providing quality medical services comparable to the private hospitals. In 1999, the public healthcare delivery system was reorganised into two vertical groups - National Healthcare Group and the Singapore Health Services. One of the suggestions of the Remaking Committee is to develop Singapore into a medical hub. This kind of foresight and spontaneity is a driving force in sustaining our long-term survival. As our colleagues have said, we have been constantly introducing more advanced medical technologies to Singapore to further enhance our healthcare standards. However, my concern is whether this will cause our medical cost to go up even further. Of course, rising expectations of our people for better medical and healthcare services may also be a contributing factor to our escalating medical cost. But a lot of people are saying that the Government is trying to recover its cost, even the cost of building hospitals, and that is the main reason for raising the medical fees!”
“This will act as a deterrent against errant agencies. The NTUC is morally bound to look after the interests of all foreign workers. Foreign workers who work in some shipyards and in the construction industry have opted to join trade unions to safeguard their interest. They are also entitled to join various training courses and welfare benefits provided by the NTUC. I would urge the relevant departments, especially MOM, to continue exercising stringent control over employers and foreign worker agencies to make sure that they maintain basic ethical standards.”
“15 pm Our press should make it a point to highlight such good behaviour on the part of the employers and not lay out a few unscrupulous and unprincipled employers in their news reports. We have in our midst bad employers just as we have bad foreign workers here. As I mentioned earlier, many foreign workers had to incur huge debts to pay for their passage to come here to work. Many of them are unable to earn enough to pay back their loans. Hence, they have to moonlight or resort to some illegal activities to make more money. When they are found out, they would just disappear. This results in many law-abiding employers having their deposits forfeited. This is very unfair to most of the employers. So I hope when such cases are being dealt with by MOM, there should be some kind of flexibility and human touch. While I fully support Government's firmness in going after employers who ill-treat and exploit their foreign workers, we should also take equally stern measures against those foreign workers who bunk off without any reason. We are morally bound to look after the interest of these foreign workers and we would not like to see them march and protest in the street, because this will cause very serious damage to our country. Therefore, I would urge the Ministry to formulate some measures to make sure that foreign worker agencies follow certain rules and regulations. They should have enough financial resources to pay for their workers' salaries for at least 2-3 years. Currently, there are more than 1,000 foreign worker agencies. We see a lot of newspaper advertisements on foreign worker agencies. We ought to have a very strict evaluation system to verify whether these agencies operate under basic ethical standards. Otherwise, their licences should be revoked.”
“For the last three years, foreign workers have made a great contribution to our economy in sectors such as manufacturing, shipbuilding, the health service and the construction industry, thus playing a significant role in our economic development and in enhancing our productivity. When these workers go overseas to earn a living, they invariably have to cough up huge sums of money to pay for their passage. Some of them told me that a skilled worker has to pay more than $10,000, while an unskilled worker has to fork out at least $2,000, depending on which country they come from. Besides, when they leave their native villages to go to a strange land to make a living, they have to endure much emotional trauma. For them, this is an enormous challenge. Hence, whenever I come across stories about their being swindled and cheated of their hard-earned savings by unscrupulous persons here, I feel sorry for them. In recent months, there have been a spate of newspaper reports about some unfortunate incidents which have happened to these foreign workers. Such reports are quite sensitive and will, in the long run, impair the image of our country, as they would create the impression that it is not safe for foreigners to come here to work and they would be unfairly treated. Currently, more than 600,000 foreign workers are being employed in Singapore, and only less than 1% of them are alleged to have been ill-treated by their employers. Going by press reports, one would be misled to think that employers in Singapore are a bunch of immoral crooks. This is far from the truth. As a matter of fact, there are many good employers who provide suitable accommodation, amenities and welfare for their workers. However, these go unreported in the media. 2.”
“This scheme has not been given much publicity and most employers are not aware of the existence of such a scheme. Our Government Ministries and statutory boards are the largest employer in Singapore. I wish the statutory boards and the Ministries would take the lead and set an example in recruiting our older workers so that other companies could follow suit. We often read in the newspapers that some Singapore employers were giving ang pows on certain festive occasions to senior citizens as a form of charity. I hope these employers can also employ the older workers. This is also some kind of charity.”
“Many of our colleagues have talked about the problem of older workers. As a labour MP, I would like to raise my concern for the older workers. Our main concern is the worsening unemployment situation of our older workers, many of whom are lowly-educated. Although we have been urging them, from time to time, to upgrade their skills, we still read in the newspapers that many of these older workers are turned away at job interviews, despite having taken up our advice to upgrade their skills. In many cases, it is not that they do not possess the right skills or mindset, but more often than not, it is their age that prevented them from getting the job they want. Even in many Government departments and statutory boards, we find that many mundane jobs, such as sweepers, car park attendants, cleaners, etc, are farmed out to contractors. As we all know, many of these contractors operate on the basis of maximising profit. So they would like to employ the cheaper foreign workers rather than local workers. Although our local workers are not as nimble or young as the younger foreign workers, they have more than made up for this with their experience and maturity in handling difficult situations. So if given the opportunity, they will be able to put their talents to good use. In certain industries, for example, in day-care centres and hospitals, we can find ways to make use of our local workers and put their talents to good use. Our Ministry for Manpower has said that the Government would give the companies that employ local workers some form of relief for six months. However, in the event that the period of six months is insufficient in testing out the local workers, can the relief be extended? Under this scheme, older workers can continue to work in these companies.”
“Sir, the Minister of State said the sample tests on those vegetables imported from Malaysia show that there is still a good chance for Singaporeans to consume vegetables from Malaysia as their pesticide level complies with international standards. Could the Minister of State consider importing more vegetables from other sources, instead of Malaysia?”
“Sir, could the DPM consider imposing a cap on the quantity to be brought in, say, similar to the three-quarter tank rule for petrol?”
“His leadership charisma lies in his commitment to Singapore and his resoluteness to overcome challenges ahead. The world is changing fast but the basics stay the same. We must have the confidence in the new steersman and his many young and capable sailors to bring Singapore to greater heights. Mr Speaker, Sir, no matter how rough the sea is or how strong the undercurrents, even if we have to sail in the dark, we will see the dawn. Sir, I support the motion.”
“Why do we have to contribute to the well-being of the Johor Baru economy as Malaysia continues with its Singapore bashing? I, therefore, urge Singaporeans to shop in Singapore with immediate effect. If we do not support our own neighbourhood shops, it would not help them much even if HDB provides free rental to these shops. It is time for Singaporeans to make a stand to support Singapore. It is our nation we are talking about and if we are not vigilant, we may not be able to afford to shop in JB anymore. Our first-generation leaders have fulfilled the dream of our forefathers. They have built a stable and prosperous environment with a proper shelter over the head, abundant food and good education for the children. In 1990, when Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong took over the torch from the first-generation leaders, he said, "Singapore can only do well if her good sons and daughters are prepared to dedicate themselves to help others. I shall rally them to serve the country. For if they do not come forward, what future will we have? I therefore call on my fellow citizens to join me to run the next lap together." I am proud to say that Prime Minister Goh has not disappointed Singaporeans and neither have the people of Singapore disappointed him. The result of the last general election is a show of recognition and trust that our people have given to our Prime Minister. The President, in his Address to Parliament, has said, "During the term of this Parliament, we expect to make another political transition. The nucleus of the next generation of political leadership is already in place." Mr Speaker, Sir, to sail in the open sea depends very much on the steersman. Our new steersman has demonstrated his astute political judgement and foresight with tested capabilities.”
“These are the real help that many of our Singapore workers need. Mr Speaker, Sir, to remake Singapore, I think we must also focus on how we can develop new industries and create jobs for all levels of the workforce. It is not practical to expect to uplift our whole workforce to become highly skilled. This is crucial to the heartlanders because they need to make a living in Singapore. The Singapore Dream cannot be a global dream where the talented citizens seek their fortune in other countries. We will pay a heavy social, economic and political price for that. In fact, we need as many talented people as possible, be it foreign or local, to seek their Singapore Dream in Singapore and to compete in Singapore against the best in the world. Mr Speaker, Sir, many people have expressed their concern over the well-being of the small and medium enterprise, especially those in the retail sector. Many have also requested the Government to further reduce rentals, taxes and levies to alleviate their situation. On the other hand, we notice that many Singaporeans still do their shopping at the mega shopping malls and petrol stations in Johor Baru. This is fine during good times. Besides the fact that goods in JB appear to be cheaper due to the lower exchange rate for the Malaysian ringgit, it also helps to strengthen close bilateral ties. However, Malaysia has intensified its effort to compete in all ways and means commercially with Singapore recently. We have also noticed the media and the politicians there have threatened our water supply. I feel that, as Singaporeans, it is time that we should ask ourselves, if they continue to criticise us unreasonably and threaten us, is it time that we should refrain from shopping in Johor Baru.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, many people have said that there are 500,000 to 600,000 foreign workers in Singapore and there are about 100,000 workers who are unemployed because our workers are choosy about their jobs and are unwilling to take up those jobs done by the foreign workers. Therefore, many workers have urged our workers to lower their expectations. Theoretically, this may be correct and there is some truth in this observation. But according to what I know, a typical foreign worker from Thailand, India or China earns about $600 to $800 a month. If the worker is from China and he remits $500 back to his hometown, this would convert to about RMB2,500. In many parts of China, such a sum of money can really make a difference to the living standards of its people. This is the same for workers from India or Thailand. But such a salary, Mr Speaker, Sir, is far from enough for a Singapore family who lives in a 3-room HDB flat with two children. Some people have said that the minimum is $1,200 to cover the HDB loans, conservancy charges, utility bills, school fees and food. How low can the expectations of our workers go? It is easier said than done when we ask other people to lower their expectations. If you were in the shoes of these workers, can you maintain your family with $600? I think the crux of the issue is that our workers need to get a job that will pay them reasonably to support their family. There is an urgent need for MOM, NTUC and employers to work closely to redesign certain low-end jobs through automation and skills training. This in turn will help the less educated workers to increase their productivity. A good example would be the use of high-tech cleaning machine and the relevant skills training provided in the cleaning industry.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as a labour MP, I thought I would just touch on issues that are close to the hearts of our workers and heartlanders. Our workers at the shop floor know very well that more retrenchment will be coming despite signs of economic recovery. They also understand the reasons, such as merger and acquisition, company relocation or restructuring, cost cuttings or poor business. There are many reasons why a person can or cannot get a job in the market. Obviously there is no one solution that will solve all the problems through getting jobs for the workers. It is encouraging to note that we have tried to help to alleviate the unemployment problem by setting up a Job Task Force and a Career Centre providing job placement and job counselling service under MOM. NTUC also spearheaded the Skills Redevelopment Programme and set up a JobLink centre to help fellow workers to find jobs and to provide the relevant training. We must encourage our workers to continue to learn and upgrade their skills. However, we must also realise that, besides skills, there are other factors that determine the employability of our workers. We may not be able to find a job even though you are highly skilled during the recession. It is true that there are workers who have managed to get a job after they have gone through some skills training. But, Mr Speaker, Sir, there are also many of them who still cannot find jobs even though they have obtained their new skills certificate. We need to find a better and more efficient way to match skills training that would bring more workers to the new jobs. The most common question that the workers ask is "What are the skills training courses that will most likely land me with a job?" That is not an easy question to answer.”