Ong Kian Min
Singapore
“Sir, on the first case, as I said, my resident approached me at the MPS. I wrote to the Traffic Police to appeal for him. I am sure the Traffic Police would look into that appeal and reply to that resident accordingly. The two other cases were not based on hearsay upon hearsay because those were personal encounters by these two friends.”
“My point in raising this is: among the motoring community there is this fear, whether it is real or perceived, that they should not seek medical treatment immediately in case the Police were to issue them with a summons for careless driving.”
“Unless the motorcyclist is so seriously injured that he has no alternative but to be taken to the hospital by ambulance, he would steer clear of the hospital so as to avoid the fate of being reported against and penalised.”
“They are counted as having taken two HDB loans. They are deemed to have had their two bites of the cherry, but is the quantitative number of bites or loans a fair measure of the amount of subsidy enjoyed?”
“Still on the matter of languages, I am of the view that schools should promote more actively the learning of Malay or Bahasa Indonesia by non-Malays, the reason being that Indonesia and Malaysia are our immediate neighbours.”
“And are there more efficient ways of apprehending errant litterbugs? NEA raised the composition fine for first-time minor littering offenders from $200 to $300 last year. I would like to ask: can and do the foreign workers that have been caught littering pay up this fine?”
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“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to join in the debate. The economic numbers paint a bleak picture of Singapore being in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. However, there seemed to be few signs of recession out there in the streets. Recently, our newspapers have also carried commentaries that it does not feel like a severe slump and that the crisis will soon be just a memory. I believe these mild symptoms are, in the large part, due to the strategies that we have adopted to tackle this downturn. As our President mentioned in his Address, our best strategy to see ourselves through the present crisis is to ensure that businesses remain viable and jobs are maintained. A recent survey revealed that Singapore companies were more willing than their Asia Pacific counterparts to opt for salary freezes than axing jobs. CapitaLand, Chartered Semiconductor and Temasek Holdings are among those that have implemented pay cuts, while Singapore Airlines and MediaCorp have instituted no pay leave options. There are also companies that now operate on a four-day week, with commensurate reductions in salaries. The revised Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower, given earlier this month, will give more flexibility to employers to cut costs and save jobs, so that they do not have to resort to retrenchment. The sensible lifesaving "no-to-retrenchment and yes-to-pay cut" approach has enabled Singaporeans to pretty much sustain almost the same lifestyle as before. But are our people making the necessary adjustments to ride out this crisis? In the US, the epicenter of this financial storm, retail sales, excluding auto-sales, dropped in both March and April.”
“Sir, we have been hearing news indicating that the seas are rough and the going is tough in the maritime sector. Ever so often we hear news of shipbuilding classifications and deferments. Perhaps as a sign of things to come, our total cargo volume in December 2008 dived by more than 20% compared to the same period last year. So, like Mr Foo, I would like to ask the Minister to enlighten us on what measures would be taken so that the marine industry may survive this global economic downturn and how we may further strengthen our position as the preferred transhipment hub? Competition among Seaports”
“Sir, with a modest increase of 1.6% in international passenger traffic in 2008 compared to 2007, as reported by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Changi Airport did well in handling 2.7% more passengers during the year. However, the increase came in the first nine months of last year. The bad news is that passenger volume decline in the last three months of 2008 against the same period in 2007, giving an indicator of the decline in passenger volume that we can expect this year. Cargo traffic handled by Changi Airport has also tumbled. For the rest of this year, the picture is set to become bleaker. The IATA forecast a 3% decline in international passenger volume and a steep 5% drop in international cargo traffic. The extension of our Air Hub Development Fund by $130 million to support the airlines at Changi Airport and the aviation industry players in Singapore will help the airlines and airport partners ride out the downturn. I would like to ask the Minister to elaborate on the measures being taken to cope with the decline in air passenger and cargo traffic at Changi Airport. What efforts are being made to strengthen our position as a major regional air hub?”
“Within the areas, there should be convenient and seamless links for the masses so that people can move around effortlessly. Sir, to accommodate large numbers of pedestrians without feeling overcrowded, footpaths should be widened, buildings should be connected with pedestrian walkways at three levels – underground, street level and above ground. As Singapore is prone to heat, humidity and sudden downpours, it will be a boon to pedestrians to be able to enjoy weatherproof access between buildings. I am certain that if we take care of the walking experience, we will also take care of the road experience. Since the introduction of tougher penalties for fare evaders in July 2008, it has been reported that there has been a large drop in the number of fare evaders caught between July and October 2008. An average of 15 people a day was caught, down from 400 a day. However, during the economic downturn, I fear that more people may be tempted to evade fares. Honest commuters who pay their fares are effectively subsidising the fare-evaders' rides. This is not right. The more enforcement action is taken, the higher the number of fare evaders will be caught. I would like to ask: how many man hours does TransitLink devote to catching fare evaders? Are the enforcement officers effectively deployed? What additional steps may operators take to ensure that all commuters duly pay their fares so that the burden of operations is fairly shared? Progress in the Road Sector”
“But here in Singapore, many people would think nothing of driving to a shopping mall like Takashimaya in the heart of Orchard Road and parking their cars there. The LTA is doing an excellent job to ensure that we have a delightful driving experience in every area of the city. Most times of the day, it is a breeze to travel along our roads. Driving a car is still the fastest, most convenient and pleasant mode of transport to reach our destination. It is little wonder that almost everyone aspires to own and drive a car. However, there are certain times when it just so happens that it seems almost everyone takes their cars out onto the road at the same time, thus creating unexpected, unbearable and excruciating traffic congestion. I would say that Friday evenings, especially when it rains, are the worst as office workers are returning home while others are driving out from their homes or workplaces to dinner and entertainment. Since only certain areas of Singapore are congested at only certain times of the day and week, we cannot and should not restrict the use of vehicles everywhere, in the whole of Singapore at all times of the day. However, I would suggest that we start with a couple of specific areas such as the Orchard Road tourist belt, the Raffles Place/Marina Bay business district and our rejuvenated HDB regional centres. In these areas, we should target to systematically enhance the commuter and pedestrian experience by making it conducive for drivers to park their cars further away and enter the areas by public transport or even by way of comfortable air-conditioned walkways. The transition from car parking to taking public transport or walking to these areas should be made easy and time-efficient.”
“Sir, although many companies are faced with difficulties in this recession, I believe that our public transport operators are actually better off as ridership creeps up and oil prices slide. As more people switch to taking public transport to save cost, ridership will increase further leading to additional takings which would bolster the bottomlines of the operators. For example, if a bus carries an additional 10 passengers, the operator will earn 10 more fares with essentially no increase in operating cost. Further, with a drastic drop in oil prices, the transport operators' fuel costs are now lower. However, for the man in the street, as wages and income decrease due to the downturn, lower earnings mean that transport costs would form a higher percentage of household income. He would be more appreciative if his transport expenses can be lowered. Although fares are reviewed and based on a stipulated formula, under the current extraordinary circumstances, I would like to urge the Public Transport Council (PTC) and the operators to find more avenues to lower transport costs in addition to passing on the savings from Budget 2009. 2.45 pm If there is a good time to encourage car-owners to make the switch to public transport as the only or main mode of transport, it must be now. Certainly, giving up your car for public transport will trim off a sizeable chunk in your monthly expenses. I would like to ask the Minister whether his Ministry will be taking other measures to persuade even more car-owners to make the switch to public transport. Sir, in many cities, residents are very clear about where and when they do not drive their cars because of severe congestion, the lack of parking facilities or exorbitant parking charges. They would rather take public transport or a taxi.”
“I recall that on one evening, standing in the lobby of one of the modern skyscrapers in Shiodome and looking through the ten-storey high glass facade at the elevated monorail station in front of the building, I saw a train gliding smoothly into the station. The monorail track was in the dark, the train carriages were brightly-lit and appeared to be floating on air, moving silently through the air. Scenes from the futuristic Star Wars movies flashed through my mind. Land Transport Masterplan and Review of Car Growth Rate Policy”
“Imagine a monorail not unlike the Sentosa Express which departs from and arrives within Vivo City complex or imagine stepping from the cool comfort of the second floor of your office building directly into a sky train, just like the sky trains which seamlessly link Changi Airport terminals one, two and three. I believe that once zipping in and from any of these centres becomes a breeze, it will greatly increase the synergy of the entire Marina Bay area. The future of our land transport system should not be just about wider roads, more buses, higher ERP charges and even the MRT. These will not be sufficient to cope with our transport needs in the long term. While the transport system in older business hubs like Orchard Road are already entrenched in concrete and asphalt, the new Marina Bay presents a unique and exciting opportunity to create a first-class modern and integrated people-mover system capable of serving this premier business district well for many decades to come. The Government has invested close to $5.7 billion in the infrastructure in Marina Bay and will continue to pump in another $1 billion over the next 10 to 15 years. I hope we have not missed the opportunity to develop this new downtown as a truly extraordinary iconic business district. In this regard, I would like to invite our Government officials to take a look at Shiodome in Tokyo. Shiodome is located adjacent to Shimbashi and Ginza in the centre of Tokyo City. Formerly a disused railway terminal, Shiodome has recently been transformed into one of Tokyo's most modern areas.”
“These different levels are all relative. We can have roads at ground level with people above or underground or, alternatively, have people at ground level with roads at a level below. Presently, at the site of the future Gardens by the Bay, I see huge excavation activities going on to build a massive network of underground shops and corridors. When this underground complex is completed, the Gardens will be built on top of it. But at the ground level, this future idyllic Gardens will be ringed by roads such as Marina Boulevard which are four, five lanes wide. I wonder, for the same amount of digging, why the roads cannot be underground instead and the space above ground be made more pleasant for walking, dining and other leisure activities. I would like to ask the various agencies to pay particular attention to the public transport connectivity linking Marina Bay, Raffles Place and Suntec City. Currently, there is no convenient public transport link. If a person who works at Raffles Place wishes to meet another for lunch at Marina Centre, there is no alternative, in the light of time constraint, but to drive or take a taxi there and back. Travel within these three business hubs, which are situated close together, should be made seamlessly convenient to the masses. These three business hubs should not be found to be so near and yet so far. Sir, why not a monorail system linking the various developments in the Marina Bay area? Some may object saying that it will be unsightly. But I think it can add a futuristic appeal to our cityscape.”
“Sir, in this year's Budget, our Finance Minister announced the move to expand and accelerate infrastructure spending to make Singapore, and I quote, "an extremely livable global city and the best home for Singaporeans". Back in 2005, our Prime Minister in his National Day Rally Speech envisaged a new downtown at Marina Bay as, our Prime Minister put it, I quote, "the centerpiece of our redevelopment of our city". This latest jewel to adorn our city, Marina Bay, will indeed require much infrastructure spending to make it an exciting place for people to explore, exchange and entertain. I would like to ask the Minister for Transport: what can we expect of the transport infrastructure for that area? Will we see any new innovative or different ways for people to travel from place to place? Presently, it will seem that the solution to manage congestion is road widening. Just take a look at Shenton Way, South Bridge Road, Robinson Road and the new Marina Boulevard next to the NTUC Centre, which are all four-five lanes wide. While increasing the number of lanes eases vehicular traffic, we must also explore other means to make crowded areas so pedestrian-friendly that people would want to leave home without their cars. Our city would be much more livable if in heavy human traffic areas, vehicles can be segregated from the pedestrians, so that these areas become more pedestrian-friendly. If both vehicles and pedestrians have to be at ground level, segregation can be achieved by constructing ring roads at-grade, going around the area. If they can be at different levels, either the roads can be underground and people on the surface, or vehicles at ground level and people below ground or above ground with elevated sky terraces, hanging gardens and walkways.”
“Littering and Public Cleanliness Er Edwin Khew Teck Fook: Sir, the standard of public cleanliness in Singapore is generally good. But I think the task of sustaining public cleanliness will become increasingly challenging as Singapore's population grows over the last eight years. For example, from 2000 to 2008, we saw an increase in total population from 4 million to 4.8 million and this will continue to grow to 6.5 million in the next 10 to 20 years, as projected by the MND. With more people living on our small island and an increase in foreign residents and new Singaporeans, who were not aware of our Anti-Litter Campaign some years ago, how is the Ministry addressing this challenge? Next, littering still seems to be an issue in Singapore today. Results of the NEA's littering behaviour study showed that 13.6% of the respondents thought littering was a socially acceptable behaviour, while 8.6% said littering would not lead to hygiene problems. In addition, it was reported that since 2006, the number of litterbugs caught had gone up significantly, ie, in the first 11 months of 2008 alone, about 30,000 litterbugs have been caught. How does the Ministry ensure that the current enforcement regime and penalties are effective? Finally, apart from having a good cleaning regime, sufficient infrastructure, such as bins as well as effective enforcement and penalties, keeping Singapore clean and sustainable requires all Singaporeans to adopt the right mindset and behaviour – how does the Ministry intend to strengthen public education and outreach efforts to instil a sense of pride and ownership for shared environment? Mountains of Trash in Jurong”
“As we have a large number of foreigners and visitors at any given time from different cultures and different strata of society who bring with them different standards and practices of cleanliness and environmental awareness, it is not always possible for everyone to appreciate the message of our Anti-Litter Campaigns, nor is it possible for law enforcement alone to fully eradicate the problem of littering. Sir, I think, like it or not, to keep our city clean, we need to get out the tongs and brooms and clean up the litter left inconsiderately behind. I would suggest that operators of outdoor and open air eating establishments be tasked with the responsibility of clearing up any mass or litter that their patrons leave behind within a certain perimeter of their premises. They should be made to comply with the stipulated cleanliness standards by certain times of the day, for example, 2.30 pm, 11.00 pm and 7.00 am. This way, NEA would be able to substantially cut down on the number of enforcement efforts and officers who make the daily tedious time-consuming patrols. From what I hear, NEA's enforcement officers have also been diligently catching smokers for littering their cigarette butts. It is quite easy to nab such an offender. You see a smoker in a public place and if there is no ash tray nearby, chances are that if he finishes his cigarette, he will simply throw his cigarette butt onto the floor and most probably even stub it out with the sole of his shoe. This is quite a common sight. However, it takes some time for an enforcement officer to observe the would-be offender and wait for him to finish his smoke. I question if all these hundreds of hours are well-spent. Is there some way that NEA can deploy its limited resources more efficiently?”
“Sir, in spite of best efforts by NEA to keep Singapore free of litter, indiscriminate littering remains a day-to-day problem. Littering is a threat to public health and we cannot take lightly. Especially in our warm and humid climate, litter attracts rodents, flies and cockroaches. It can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes and bacteria, spreading harmful diseases. Taxpayers have to bear the cost of enforcement as well as that of clearing carelessly discarded litter. The number of offenders caught littering has ballooned over the years from 3,819 in 2005 to more than 30,000 people caught for littering in 2008. The increase has been attributed mainly to the step up in enforcement efforts by NEA. Sir, in December, a newsletter reported that since 2006, NEA has had dedicated 322 man hours per day to catching litterbugs with 500 officers empowered to take action against them, while another 50 officers to catch litterbugs as well as those who caught smoking in banned places. There is no doubt that the extra manpower has indeed proven effective in catching litterbugs, judging from the number of offenders caught littering and proactive work orders issued. Nevertheless, the sheer number of offenders show up clearly the fact that there are still many people out there who think nothing of littering. Sir, it is impractical if we were to rely on public education and campaigns alone to tackle the problem of littering.”
“How we look at the future has an impact on the people around us? We must instil confidence both at work and home. We must keep the family intact. Then we can maintain the stability in this country and brave the storm together. History has proven the resilience of Singaporeans, and I believe Singapore will be able to survive this crisis. 6.49 pm”
“In fact, their jobs are more at stake because they form the larger cost of the company and you will have saved a lot more cost if you terminate their jobs. A working executive earning $3,000 to $4,000, having to support his young children and elderly parents, can ill afford a retrenchment. They are squeezed in that sense. We should look at measures to help retain these jobs as well. The economic outlook is not optimistic. Key European economies are not looking good. The British banks are nationalised, the Pound has depreciated greatly. The US economy is not looking good either. US companies are looking for bailouts. This economic crisis goes beyond the board rooms into our homes. We hear of family disasters. We hear of fathers losing jobs and mothers finding it hard to cope in providing for their children. During these difficult times, it is even more critical for families and their extended families to stay together, give one another support and be ready to extend a helping hand. I have sob stories to tell, I am not going to tell them now because it gets very depressing. But the community must help one another. We must keep together because we cannot let anyone fall behind. The economic landscape remains bleak, but our confidence for the future must not. It does not help when all we hear and read is bad news. We know it is there and we need not be reminded daily. It is just like one of my friends who told me that, "If I am fat, don't keep telling me I'm fat. One day, I will jump." The economy may go into a recession or depression, but we should not go into depression. This is not the time to be a pessimist. It is a time when we must see opportunities in every challenge and not see challenges in every opportunity.”
“And others felt that this scheme is straightforward and very direct and the best of all, there is no need to fill in any application forms. But the question is whether the credit of 12% on the first $2,500, pegged at the median wage of Singapore workers, is sufficient. I remember that when I was in the private sector, it was the bottomline numbers that counted. You do not have to depend on any schemes. It was the results and you still have to terminate the staff. Because in this case, cutting a job would save the company $2,500 while saving the job would actually save only $300. We know, for example, that Chartered Semiconductor is now retrenching some 500 workers in Singapore despite the scheme. How would we then, in the current situation, incentivise companies to make full use of the scheme and preserve jobs? Should the payment be made more regularly to improve cashflow for the companies? So we need the companies to be aligned with the objective and proactively look for ways to reduce cost and also keep the workers. When the economy picks up, they would not have to go through the trouble to find the workers because that would incur additional cost. Some companies actually transfer the staff, redesign the jobs, re-engineer the process, make themselves more lean and efficient. And I do not agree with the Member, Mr Low Thia Khiang, that the Jobs Credit Scheme is totally not effective. Because it is a matter of doing what we can to save even one job. It can also make companies more competitive. So it is better to do something than to wait for something to happen. Besides helping to retain the jobs of lower-income workers, we should not forget the plight of the other slightly higher paid executives as well – the PMETs. Their jobs are equally at stake.”
“In times like this when we want to limit further risks and uncertainties to the economic system, the Government must also exercise due care. Secondly, besides increasing liquidity to help companies, the Government has also decided to reduce the corporate income tax rate from 18% to 17%, and that cost the Government some $400 million to $500 million a year over the medium term. Even reducing the income tax rate, we are not the lowest because Hong Kong still remains at 16.5%. However, together with the Partial Tax Exemption scheme, our effective corporate tax rates are now lower than that in any other countries for SMEs. This increases Singapore's competitiveness, but where do we find a replacement source for the income loss? And would we know how much more incremental investment commitment and jobs would be created as a result of this 1% corporate income tax cut? Would these investment commitments and jobs created only realise a few years later when the economy turns around? I trust that all would agree that protecting jobs is key in this package and is important in this economic situation. Thirteen thousand workers were retrenched in 2008, compared to 7,700 in 2007. What is more worrying is that more than half of the total number of workers retrenched in 2008 occurs in the last quarter of 2008 and this situation is going to turn worse quickly. I hope this rate of retrenchment does not sustain in the medium to long term. To this end, the Jobs Credit Scheme is a welcomed one for companies and workers. I received many positive feedback. Some business owners described it as money dropped from the sky, and because it is from the sky so they know how to be grateful.”
“But being the first country to enter into a recession and being a free economy, we may also become the first to recover. Because of this, how strongly Singapore survives this recession is largely dependent on how strongly other economies survive. In this regard, we need to anticipate and react quickly as the world economic situation changes. But the question is whether we can anticipate and react fast. We do not know which company or bank is going to fall tomorrow, next week or next month. How do our systems and processes cope with these uncertainties? Whether this Resilience Package is flexible enough to respond to further changes in the economy? The question is, how do we shorten the lag time between the economic changes and the Government's response? How long can this Package and other packages for next year sustain us? Allow me now to contribute to the discussion on three of the components of the Resilience Package. First, the $5.8 billion Special Risk-Sharing Initiative (SRI). It is a bold move and it is calculated risk by the Government - sharing this risk to enable and encourage the banks to release credit. It is unlike other countries. I do not believe this is a bailout initiative. But the question is, will the bank focus on those larger and safer bets and businesses to help and release the credit? We have a fine balance to strike in the risk management. There is also a need to guard against a perverse incentive structure whereby the banks lend money without due checks and leave the Government carrying the burden of bad loans. Are there any checks and balances to ensure that the public funds are well spent, especially on those unsecured loans where the loans are not backed by any company assets?”
“The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports and Minister for Transport (Mr Teo Ser Luck): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are in unprecedented times, we are in unchartered waters. I read in a press release by MTI in August 2008, stating 4% to 5% growth. Within one quarter, the year closed off much lower, at 1.2% growth. So much has changed in so little time. What started out as a financial crisis has now become an economic crisis. Businesses are failing and economies are struggling. The International Monetary Fund has projected that world economic growth rate will fall to 0.5% in 2009, and this is the lowest rate since World War II. No economic crises have reached this level in my lifetime, and I believe in the lifetimes of my fellow Members in this House. The $20.5 billion Resilience Package is a bold budget. But it is not a miracle pill. It is not going to lead us out of the recession, it is only going to cushion the impact. As the name of the package suggests, it builds resilience in a time when it is most needed. But what is more important, it provides hope and assurance – hope and assurance that Singapore will pull through this recession and emerge stronger. But we have to recognise that Singapore is an open economy that is highly dependent on external economies. Because if you look at our exports, because of the recession in the key US and European markets, Singapore's non-oil domestic exports declined by 21% in December 2008, that is the sharpest decline in seven years. As an indicator of how exposed Singapore is to the world economy, Singapore was the first Asian country to enter into a recession last year.”
“SMEs will need customised and targeted help to reorganise their operations, seek additional financing, generate alternative cashflow and re-negotiate their borrowings with their bankers. Sir, in this period of trimming down, we have to create new economic players to absorb the excesses from job losses. Therefore, I applaud our continued emphasis on innovation and R&D, through good times and bad. During the economic malaise of the 1970s in the US, a young man with an SAT score of 1590 and a burning ambition could not find any existing job that could possibly satisfy him. The big corporations were not hiring and Wall Street was lethargic. That young man was Bill Gates who went on to start Microsoft. Some of his peers in that economic rubble of the 1970's created Apple Computer, Oracle Systems, FedEx, Southwest Airlines and Genentech. From that period emerged the Internet, graphical user interface, PostScript language for printers, and ways to link computers into local area networks. These inventions appeared in the market later in the 1980s and went on to vent their full disruptive force on traditional businesses and changed the way business was done. Those bright young people could not find meaningful employment and had to resort to unconventional careers. Entrepreneurship thrived. This is also going to happen now. We need to seed these new ideas and nurture them. Sir, in conclusion, I support the initiatives of Budget 2009 and the Government's swift and decisive response to this unprecedented economic crisis and, at the same time, I would like to urge everyone not to assume that this will be a "two-quarter downturn" but to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
“SMEs form one of the key pillars of our economy, employing more than half of our workforce. For the majority of our SMEs, outlasting the present economic crisis is proving to be a rough swim. I would urge that long-term structural solutions to save our SMEs be created and put into motion as this may become a long-drawn down cycle which our SMEs would find the hardest to weather. Most of our SMEs are not prepared for a downturn of this magnitude. For a start, many of them are not financially well-managed, having been lured by the excesses and easy credit of the recent boom years. Over-stretched and highly leveraged, many of them are in poor shape to cope in this crisis. The Special Risk-Sharing Initiative proposed in the Budget is meant to give them a greater chance of securing the funding they require. However, since it is the banks that ultimately make the decision whether to extend the credit, the same principles of credit assessment must be applied. It is unclear whether these businesses can be considered a good credit risk if they have no orders and no sales, and if the additional borrowings are required to pay operating expenses. Even in the best of times, many SMEs are hard-pressed to spend their limited resources on professional help. In these difficult times, SMEs will have even less, if any, resources to devote on such spending. On the other hand, presently there are a good number of well-qualified investment bankers and finance professionals who are unemployed or under-employed due to the downturn. They have much expertise and experience to offer. I strongly urge SPRING or other Government agencies to engage some of these professionals and pool them together to form a task force to help our SMEs rebuild their finances.”
“We can go on to pump in resources to keep the old structures alive, trying to save the existing business structures, but how long can they be sustained? Big global companies have grown too big, saddled with too much leverage and burdened with too much excesses which need to be trimmed down. Consequently, some of the incumbents are unlikely to be able to regrow or rebuild their businesses. Unless they receive external help to ensure an orderly trimming down, chaos, massive job losses and social unrest are likely to follow. Government must be prepared to step into the arena of commercial entities, forcing consolidation, mergers and managing an orderly trimming down. In such transitional times, our Government must step in to play a bigger role in the economy. I agree with Mr Liang Eng Hwa. We have to reconsider the trend over the past many years of privatising Government agencies and downsizing the Government. In the light of the numerous corporate failures and debacles, we can no longer trust corporate leadership to chart the way out of this abyss alone. In this uncertain environment, corporate leaders face new challenges in formulating strategic plans simply because there is no visibility of orders, sales and what the global financial situation will be like in one, three or six months. Many companies are barely able to react to the last piece of bad news; they are barely managing to survive from day to day. In our efforts to emerge from this crisis, the Government can no longer simply set policies, regulate and let free market forces operate. Thus, I agree with the Finance Minister. The Government has to take more risk and be more involved in steering the economy out of this mess. I would now like to make an appeal for our SMEs.”
“Not just so that companies can continue to provide jobs for Singaporeans but to retain key capabilities that once let go, cannot easily be replaced. These short-term measures are indeed necessary and will alleviate cost burdens on businesses over the immediate term. Nevertheless, these short-term measures while buying time and tiding us over some of the present difficulties may, all said and done, not be effective in sustaining our survival in the longer run. It is imperative that we retain our perspective of the crisis and we survey the forest apart from the trees. Our Government must be prepared for all eventualities, especially the worst case scenario of a deep, dark and long recession lasting several years. We must be prepared that this present economic downturn might not turn out to be a "two-quarter crisis". We must be prepared, mentally and strategically, to tackle this downturn as a five-year exercise. Longer term structural solutions to save our SMEs must be considered and put in place because this crisis may become a very long-drawn down cycle. The worst would be to leave our people with the assurance that this downturn will only last two quarters and the economy will rebound and things will be back to normal by year end. As no two recessions are the same, each recession requires a different response. This time, the markets have changed in a fundamental and structural way that merits a fresh and innovative response from our Government. The post-crisis world will be different. Examining the effects of the credit crunch, we see that there has been demand destruction; the traditional credit chain, money chain, trade chain, supply chain and the market have all been affected. The old framework has changed; the market has broken down.”
“The US dollar and the Japanese yen have appreciated sharply as money flowed back seeking safe havens. At the other end, the Sterling pound, the Australian dollar and the Korean won have all fallen sharply against our Singapore dollar. Sir, this credit crisis has badly shaken, if not toppled, major financial institutions and businesses across the globe. The upheaval has led to massive restructuring, relocations, downsizing and thousands of job losses everywhere, including Singapore. In considering where to cut costs, will their Singapore operations be one of the first to go because we have become too expensive? In the aftermath, when the dust settles, I wonder whether when the time comes for these businesses and financial institutions to consider which locations in the world to ramp up their global operations, will Singapore be passed over as being too expensive? Sir, this Budget's emphasis on preserving jobs and keeping businesses in business will boost our chances of weathering the recession. I fully endorse the Government's commitment to respond swiftly, vigorously and decisively to this unprecedented economic crisis. In some of the companies of which I serve as a Board member, we have to retain workers and even pay good bonuses and give normal increments to retain capabilities so that when the situation turns around and business recovers, we will have the capabilities to deliver. We do not know when the situation will turn around; we can only keep going for as long as we can. It is most welcoming that the Government has created the Jobs Credit Scheme to sustain businesses as a going concern and help employers with their wage costs through this uncertain period.”
“When we faced the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998, many at that time asked whether our reserves were meant to help us to pull us out of that crisis. The answer then was a rightful "no", the reason being that that storm was not severe enough to warrant dipping into our hard-earned reserves. Having weathered the Asian Financial Crisis independent of any reliance on our reserves, our economy and our people have emerged stronger with added confidence in our nation's ability to overcome adversity. Somehow, we must etch deeply and permanently in our collective memory the enormous severity of this current crisis so that in future we know that the reserves are only intended to see us through perfect storms of a magnitude no less than the one we are facing now. Although this crisis is not about our cost competitiveness, but about dwindling global demand, I am still concerned about how it will affect our attraction as a city for global investments. A friend from England who has been living and working in Singapore for the last seven years went back to London last Christmas to visit his family. He told me that when he converted prices in London based on the then prevailing exchange rate of 2.1 Singapore dollars to one British pound – this is compared to 3.1 Singapore Dollars to one pound a year ago – London was cheap. I never thought I would hear someone say London is cheap. Here, I have a friend who has gotten used to Singapore prices and saying London is cheap, albeit at the current exchange rate. So, I wonder whether the converse is true – that foreigners will find Singapore expensive. We do not want to miss out when things rebound. Our Singapore dollar is pegged to a basket of currencies of our major trading partners.”
“But there is no doubt that this recession is unlike any other that the world has experienced in the last 60 years, and I fear that the reality of the downturn will hit us hard regardless of whether we talk the market up or down. Over the past years, our Government has continually and successfully diversified the economy. However, under the current global economic crisis, most, if not all, of our engines of growth have slowed down or are threatening to stall. It is a hard fact that our exports have fallen sharply. Some pessimists say that we will be the last to recover from the downturn because we can only recover when our major customers pick up. Sir, we can approach this problem two ways. One, we can either do nothing and sit idly waiting for the major economies to pull us out of this chasm or, two, we can take positive, proactive steps to seize opportunities even in times like these and surface from our trials faster and stronger like a forged sword. What actions should be taken to prove the naysayers wrong so that instead of being one of the last, we become one of the first to recover from the impact of this financial calamity? With all means available at our disposal, we must prepare for the worst and hope for the best. In this regard, I give my unequivocal support to tapping into our reserves, not to fund the entire budget deficit, but for the two one-off measures which comprise the cleverly-crafted Jobs Credit Scheme and the much-lauded Special Risk-Sharing Initiative for bank lending. Drawing into our reserves to fund recurring expenditure would be a bad signal, the wrong signal, that in future we can always turn to our reserves whenever we need more money. We should not dip into our reserves save in a critical situation such as the present crisis.”
“Sir, last year, Mother Earth was ravaged by a series of devastating natural disasters, such as Cyclone Nargis and the Sichuan earthquake. As if these catastrophes were not enough, a financial tsunami swept across global economies leaving a wake of devastation, panic, shock and disbelief. No market has escaped unscathed. All major markets are reeling from the shock while grappling with new revelations of losses. On 28th January 2009, it was reported in the Straits Times that more than 90,000 jobs will be slashed from the payrolls of companies mostly in the US and Europe. 26th January 2009 will go down in history as "bloody Monday", for the largest job cull in a single day ever. Notwithstanding the doom and gloom elsewhere in the world, in the last few months, right up to about mid-January, Singaporeans were still out shopping and dining. Visitors remarked that they did not see any visible signs of recession here; and unless I brought up the issue in my community dialogues, no one mentioned the looming economic difficulties either. It seemed to be business or rather spending as usual in Singapore. Perhaps that was due to the year-end school holidays and the various recent festive holidays where people were determined to enjoy themselves no matter what. Perhaps Parliament was not in session and before this House sat on 19th January 2009, there was not much public attention or awareness of the local economic situation. But I think it is most probably because having weathered numerous crises over the past 10 years – Asian Financial Crisis, September 11th, dot.com tech bubble burst and SARS – our people have confidence in our Government's able leadership and that we will manage to pull through somehow.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister – before deciding to build this MCE underground and underwater, whether his Ministry has considered any lower-cost options.”
“It will give commuters a choice of taking the service one way or the other way, to either one of the hubs. Such a service linking two hubs can collect and feed people living along the route to either hub. Sir, with that, I support the Amendment Bill. 4.23 pm”
“Sir, in theory, the hub-and-spoke system is an ideal model on which to base transport planning. It is cost-efficient, energy-efficient and has the capability to match and maybe surpass the journey-time offered by direct services, the only drawback being that commuters have to make more transfers. However, I am not convinced of the effectiveness of the hub-and-spoke system in our HDB estates where there is a heavy dependence on feeder services. In my constituency, Tampines, residents have complained to me that their children have been posted by MOE to schools in the neighbouring housing estate of Bedok. As the crow flies, Bedok may be the nearest town from Tampines. However, to get from their home in Tampines to their school in Bedok, the students have to take a feeder bus to the hub in Tampines, transfer to a trunk service or the MRT to Bedok hub before hopping on another feeder to go to school. On the other hand, if their home and their school are served by a couple of trunk services each, their choice of services and connections is multiplied as these services criss-cross each other along their routes. The Minister for Transport has indicated that when LTA takes on the role of central bus planner, it will seek to make feeder services more direct and frequent. I hope LTA will conduct a fundamental review of the feeder bus system to improve the connectivity in our HDB estates. I am still not convinced why feeder bus services should ply in a loop around the hub. We speak of the hub-and-spoke system. The spokes of a wheel radiate from the hub. Therefore, is a two-directional bus service linking two hubs not better than a feeder service going one full circle in a loop?”
“The distance-based fare structure will allow commuters to choose the preferred route to take to reach their destination. The revelation that the distance-based system will help cut transport costs for four in 10 commuters was welcomed. But the news that this loss of revenue will be passed on to direct fares thus would result in higher fares for the remaining six commuters who make direct trips has provoked public outcry. I was perturbed that the public transport operators are allowed to recoup the loss of transfer penalty by raising fares on direct trips. I think we should first observe and monitor the impact on the collections of the PTOs following the introduction of the distance-based through fares and allow some time for the system to settle down before considering making any fare adjustments for direct trips. This will be more favourably received by commuters than imposing an immediate increase in fares for direct trips. With respect, the premise that the fares for direct trips be immediately increased to meet the costs of restructuring is untenable. This is because the exercise to integrate fares by introducing distance-based through fares is not a simple one. We are not talking about a straightforward equation of compensating for the loss of revenue in one area by increasing revenue by charging more money somewhere else. As the PTC is well aware, pricing of fares involves many factors and variables and it is not clear whether at the end of the day, the PTOs will lose any revenue or what the quantum of any loss of revenue would be. It may be well that the overall revenue may increase due to a rise in ridership as more travel options open for commuters with the introduction of distance-based through fares.”
“Such unlimited travel passes will revolutionalise the travel patterns of our population. Perhaps, in addition to the basic transport needs of getting to and from work, people will be able to go out more, to socialise more, to shop more and to dine more. In line with our pro-family initiatives, I would also like to suggest to the PTC that family fares be introduced, allowing a family travelling together to pay less than the sum total of the individual standard fares. Families can enjoy more outings together, especially during off-peak weekends, knowing that their transport expenditure is capped. Sir, having said the above, I do not think we can start celebrating that the PTC will now favour commuters without regard to the interests of the operators, because the PTC still has the challenging mission of balancing commuters' interest with the long-term viability of the transport operators. I would like to ask the Minister to clarify how this will work in practice. For example, if the PTC thinks that a certain type of season pass should be introduced, will the PTC then have to consult with the transport operators to take into consideration how much revenue operators will lose when commuters use this new season pass and try to compensate the operators with extra fare revenue by allowing an increase in fares from somewhere else? One recent change which illustrates PTC's challenge is distance-based fare structure and the removal of transfer penalty. As transfers lubricate the wheel that comprises the hub-and-spoke transport system, it makes sense that for the hub-and-spoke model to function optimally, transfers should be the order of the day and not to be penalised.”
“Ultimately, it is critical for the Government to have the political will to carry out measures which may not enjoy popular support in the short term but will result in the long-term benefit for commuters as a whole. In other words, short-term pain for some, long-term gain for the majority. Currently, the public transport operators, SBS Transit and SMRT, operate within a fare structure that has been agreed and approved by the PTC. Any application for increase or change has to be submitted to the PTC for approval. But the PTC has no authority to proactively force an operator to change the fare that he charges and could only react when an application is submitted by the operator. Hence, it is only recently, after many years of persuasion and petitioning by the MPs and the public, that SBS Transit introduced the season pass that allows unlimited rides within a given period of time. I sense that the operators were reluctant to offer season tickets as this was seen as less revenue compared to standard tickets for one-time travel. I, therefore, welcome the amendments to the PTC Act which give the PTC powers to initiate and change the fares, including the fare structure. I look forward to PTC introducing more types of travel passes and season tickets for unlimited travel on bus and rail. For example, in London, although the cash single-fare is prohibitively high, very few people actually pay that fare because there is an array of "oyster" fare, one and three-day passes, off-peak travel cards and season tickets to choose from. Not only does this give the commuter a capped-cost to better manage his budget for transport expenses, it will encourage him to take public transport more, because he has already paid for the season ticket.”
“As can be seen from the recent fury of protests in the forum pages of newspapers and in the various blogs and podcasts such as the mrbrown show podcast which puts forward a humorous but biting take on transfers, and I quote, "fare game", those who end up inconvenienced will naturally be dis gruntled but those who end up better served will not thank anyone for it. Sir, there is a need to redress this imbalance in the feedback that we receive. I understand it can be very difficult to speak out. When we attend a dinner, for example, and everyone around the table is complaining about how adversely affected they are, I am sure you will feel quite shy to say out loud that you are happy because you are benefiting. Somehow, it is popular to criticise and complain. Somehow, we do not want to be seen to take pleasure in the unhappiness of others or we simply do not want to attract undue sarcastic comments from those who are unhappy around us. Some inconveniences and unhappiness would inevitably arise in some quarters when a change is implemented. Nevertheless, I would strongly encourage those who support or benefit from fare integration to come out and be more vocal about their views for the change. More importantly, I urge all commuters to look at the bigger and longer term picture. The vision of the Land Transport Ministry is to ensure a quality urban living environment as the economy and population grow and to achieve this goal, the commuter is put squarely in the centre. The interest of the commuter is right at the heart of the Land Transport Masterplan. In other words, the intention of the present fare integration exercise is to give a better commuter experience as a whole.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with firm conviction that the integration of bus and rail fares will mark an important milestone in the continuing improvement of our public transport system. I rise in support of the proposed amendments. Economic and population growth are two compelling reasons to raise the bar on our public transport system. As we plan for a global city that 6.5 million people can proudly call home, we also have to plan for a transportation system that will take them anywhere within the city as easily as possible. More immediately, rising fuel costs, coupled with plans to lower the vehicle population growth rate to 1.5% per annum as room for road expansion becomes more limited, mean that the cost of private car ownership and usage will increase over time and become less practical for many. Public transport must be improved so that people are able to move and travel conveniently and comfortably on buses and trains without overstraining their budget. It is timely that we embark on a major revamp of our public transport system to bring about a people-centred system as set out in the Land Transport Masterplan. To succeed, this major revamp requires fares to be integrated and bus services to be realigned and coordinated. With these amendments to the Public Transport Council Act, the PTC will have the powers to initiate and change the fares, including the fare structures, to be charged by the public transport operators. From 2009, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will take over centralised planning of the bus network and services with the PTC retaining oversight. On both fronts, the PTC plays a very crucial role in the implementation of these changes as both of them are extremely sensitive and emotive exercises.”
“I believe the Government should step in and give them a helping hand. Sir, in conclusion, I would like to say that our Budget this year has made a few regional countries sit up and take notice of its progressive nature. They wish they could achieve similar results, offer similar benefits to their people. At home, it has affirmed the people's confidence that we have a capable Government with a heart. May Budget 2008 be implemented as skilfully as it is balanced so as to achieve its goals to the fullest. I support the Budget Statement. 1.00 pm”
“HDB has served notice to compulsorily acquire her flat. Why? Because at the time of service of notice, she was in arrears of $10,353.19 (that is equal to 5.9 months of mortgage loan payment) and lift upgrading cost arrears of $18 (that is unpaid for two months). I have appealed for her a number of times, but HDB has rejected granting her temporary relief. She has to settle her arrears and pay the stipulated monthly mortgage loan payments or HDB will compulsorily acquire her flat. But let us pause and consider her situation. Mdm Judy is trying her utmost. She is of good health and gainfully employed by an Australian company in Singapore with high chances of job continuity and salary increments. Her only daughter, who has started working as an air stewardess, is living with her. Together, she and her daughter are supporting her elderly mother who is close to 80 years old. HDB advised her to sell her flat but this option is not practical because the proceeds from the sale of her current flat will not be sufficient for her to purchase a smaller flat and, most probably, she will not be able to get a loan from HDB or a commercial bank due to her age. Where can her family live? She will only be eligible to rent an HDB flat 18 months after the sale and then there is a waiting time for rental flats. Sir, I cannot imagine in Singapore, where we pride ourselves in our home ownership policy, that a family of two working adults supporting one elderly family member would have their HDB flat repossessed and be left homeless. Sir, what is our social compact? There are those among us, like Mdm Judy Mitchell, who are trying their best, working hard, wanting to be self-reliant. They might have made a mistake in the past in buying a flat they could no longer afford.”
“" While I agree with the general application of the housing type criteria, I would like to ask the Minister for Finance to allow the merits of each deserving case to be considered, to make sure that people in need do not fall through the gaps in our safety nets. Sir, another issue of application is about our public housing policy and how we can help those who are middle-aged and from the lower-income group own or continue to own the roof over their heads and have a stake in our country's economic prosperity. Recently, HDB has taken a very tough stand on mortgage arrears. Just last night, at my Meet-the-People session, nine families approached me with letters from the HDB, threatening compulsory acquisition of their flats if they fail to settle their mortgage arrears. All of them are at a loss and desperate. They do not know what to do, where to live if their flat is repossessed. It is true that they can no longer afford the present flat they live in and they have financial difficulties in servicing their loans, but is compulsory acquisition of their home a solution to their woes? Sir, unlike other larger countries where poorer residents can choose to move to the slums, to the shanty towns or the kampungs, in Singapore, subsidised public housing is already the lowest cost option, and for a family that cannot afford public housing, what option do they have? Can HDB do more than just threaten, and I quote, "HDB will not hesitate to compulsorily acquire the flat if you are unable to work out a plan to resolve the mortgage arrears problem"? Sir, with her permission, I would like to bring up the case of Mdm Judy Mitchell, living at Block 440, Tampines Street 43. Unless something is done, she and her family would not be living in that HDB flat for long.”
“In 2003, after receiving proposals from various parties, including two entrepreneurs, Mr David Tan and Mr Felix Teo, who had lobbied hard for the idea, URA decided to run a trial scheme to allow mobile food vans to serve breakfast in certain car parks within the city area. But in the spirit of fairness and transparency, permits were allocated by way of ballot. No priority or recognition was given to those who had pushed passionately for the scheme. Neither was there any assessment of the applicants to select those who have the interest and who have the necessary experience. Most unfortunately, Mr Tan and Mr Teo did not succeed in the ballot and never got to take part in the idea that they had lobbied for. The project eventually dwindled off as the vendors gave up the business for various reasons. Sir, I often ask myself whether Mr Tan and Mr Teo would have made a decent success of the mobile breakfast business had they been given the first-mover advantage. Sir, this year's Budget is a good one but we have to be mindful how our policies are applied to achieve their well-intended purpose and to benefit those in need. In trying to help those in need with schemes such as Workfare Bonus scheme and GST Offset, I would like to ask the Minister to reconsider the application of the criteria on housing type. I would like to cite the case of Mr Tan Choo Peng, a former resident in my area, who has fallen on hard times, facing financial difficulties, lost his home and is now bunking in with his brother who lives in a private property. Repeated appeals to CPF Board and MOF have produced the same rigid reply, and I quote, "we are unable to allot you a higher amount of GST Credits as we have to apply the rules consistently for all Singaporeans.”
“" Sir, talents are attracted and move to places where opportunities abound. In this respect, I support the direction set out by the Minister for Finance, to devote more resources to create a top quality economy by strengthening our role as a financial and business hub through tax refinements and generating new growth via incentives for innovation. While the emphasis and assistance for innovation is laudable, my concern is about our mindset towards innovation. Minister Tharman is determined to make innovation pervasive in our economy. I am concerned how far this can be achieved in practice, unless we can change our risk-adverse mindset. Even in tenders for simple jobs like cleaning and landscaping in my town council, there is still a tendency for decision-makers to prefer the safer candidate and not face the risk of blame, nor have the hassle of damage control if the contractor does not perform. We need to groom and support innovative companies. But can we change our mindset and give start-ups a try, especially for non-mission critical jobs? We should strive towards a culture of innovation that permeates all levels of society across all ages. If we are keen on businesses to be innovative, we must start from the ground. For example, within organisations, will managers get rewarded if they take the risk to use a new technology or try a new method? Or will they be blamed if the new technology does not work out? We have to encourage big organisations to give untested newbies a chance. We need a change of thinking, to be open and fair to those who are innovative, who dare venture where others have not tread, or have not even thought of treading.”
“Sir, in a February interview, MM Lee acknowledged that we have a serious brain-drain problem, losing at the top end, 1,000 Singaporeans a year to countries like America, Australia and Canada. He also said that many of the Chinese who come here, use us as a stepping stone to America. Sir, how can we minimise the brain drain or even turn it around into a brain gain? We must find ways to retain our talents and attract new ones by making Singapore a country that people all over the world will clamour to live in - a city that is exciting and vibrant, socially and economically. This seems like a tall order to achieve but we are making headway in the direction of the arts, education, sports and finance. Many expatriates tell me how much they love the efficiency of our services and, yes, even our public transport system and how grateful they are for their personal safety. When my American friend from Houston, Texas told his friends back home that his 14-year-old daughter could go to the shopping mall in Singapore and take a bus or taxi back on her own, they were absolutely astonished. To them, that is so unreal. But to truly qualify as a city that draws and keeps top quality talent, we need to have a top quality economy. Then, we will have more Singaporeans who will not want to leave Singapore, but more people who will return and more people will leave wherever they are and choose to come here because of Singapore being a greener pasture. The former Chinese Premier, Zhu Rongji, when asked in a forum whether he was concerned about the large number of Chinese students studying overseas and the risk of them not returning to China, confidently responded, "As long as there is business to be done in China, as long as there is money to be made in China, they will return.”
“Thirdly, we have a visionary leadership - our Government's far-sighted approach in stimulating our economic future through education and incentives for innovation and business competitiveness will stand us in good stead for the future. I, therefore, applaud the first key thrust of the Budget - to provide a full range of education and training facilities and opportunities for students and working adults. Finance Minister has highlighted the role of education in the economic successes of cities with knowledge-based industries like Austin, Hyderabad and Kyoto. Similarly, a recent Straits Times article, entitled "Seattle sizzles", attributed the city's innovation culture to two factors - its dedication to the arts and education. As many are aware, Seattle is the home or origin of Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Boeing and UPS. It is not surprising that Seattle tops the list of America's most educated cities, with more than half its population, 25 years and above, holding a Bachelor's Degree. Education at all levels will boost the strength and capability of our workforce. It is indeed a worthwhile investment. However, if we just focus on education, and do not devote enough effort and resources into developing a first-class economy, Singapore will end up being no more than the training centre of the world where bright people come to Singapore to be educated and to get skilled, only to move on to benefit other economies which they perceive as greener pastures. If we have a first-class education system and do not have a first-class economy, our education institutions will become merely a temporary training centre for the world.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, when the Minister for Finance announced the Budget for 2008, with its slew of goodies, I almost thought this was an election year! The pro-people Budget is particularly crucial at this time for Singaporeans who are hard squeezed by costs that have risen on the back of three years of strong economic growth and for various external reasons beyond our control, as we enter a period of grave uncertainty in our external environment. By sharing the nation's surplus through measures which include Growth Dividends for every adult Singaporean, the Government has tailored a bespoke package of goodies or benefits that will help the lower and middle income groups, the elderly and the needy. Even higher income taxpayers have not been left out, although they are somewhat disappointed that the top tier personal income tax rate was not reduced. One interesting consequence of the difference between the one-tier corporate tax rate of 18% and the personal income tax top bracket of 20% is that corporate dividends are no longer welcomed, and companies that declared good dividends recently were surprised to find their higher income shareholders selling their shares, as they did not want to pay the extra 2% personal tax on the dividends received. Sir, this year's Budget demonstrates three salient qualities of our Government. The first is that our Government is responsive to the various issues affecting our people. Secondly, the Government believes in sharing. By being able to enjoy the surpluses distributed by the Government, we are assured of the Government's conviction in sharing the nation's prosperity with the citizens during good times, whether election year or not.”
“Since those under 16 are most vulnerable, they require protection for falling into the clutches of online predators from the moment they are hooked onto the Internet so that an undesirable situation may be nipped in the bud before there is any chance for the subject of a meeting to be broached. Sir, lastly, on a less serious note, I refer to clause 62 of the Bill which seeks to amend section 350 of the Penal Code by deleting illustrations (b) and (c) and the reference to "chariot" and "horse carriage", and substituting the following illustrations: I quote, "(b) Z is riding a horse. A lashes Z's horse, and thereby causes it to quicken its pace. [And it goes on.] (c) Z is riding a horse. A, intending to cause hurt to Z, seizes the horse and stops it. [And the illustration goes on to more detail.]" Although these illustrations may have limited application at our Turf Club and Polo Club, I wonder how many of us present-day residents of Singapore ride a horse or even know how to ride. Surely, the draftsmen could have used more current and relevant illustrations that more Singaporeans would find useful and could identify with, maybe something to do with golf buggies or motor cars, or why not just simply dispense with these outdated illustrations? Sir, I support the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill. 3.37 pm”
“The problem with prosecuting a traffic accident under section 336 is that it becomes criminal in nature, the police may ordinarily arrest without warrant and the offence is not compoundable, and the maximum punishment may be imprisonment for up to three or six months, or fine, or both. I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State whether, for such civilian accidents caused by negligent acts without any criminal intent, another section of the law can be employed instead of section 336. Sir, my next point relates to section 376E on sexual grooming. With due respect, although the proposed section 376E is related to sexual grooming, it in fact does not create an offence of sexual grooming itself. Sexual grooming has been defined as a process whereby an adult with a sexual interest in children seeks to prepare or "groom" a child for sexual abuse. In Wikipedia, it is referred to as "child grooming" and it refers to "actions deliberately undertaken with the aim of befriending and establishing emotional control over a child in order to lower the child's inhibitions in preparation to sexually abuse or rape the child". The proposed section 376E does not make provision for the process of grooming. As far as section 376E is concerned, any act committed before the meeting or travelling with the intention of meeting is irrelevant until the meeting or the commencement of travelling with the intention of meeting takes place. To be precise, section 376E seems to really only provide for the end result of sexual grooming - when the offender meets or is on the way to meet his victim. Sir, between 2001 and 2006, 124 cases of females becoming victims of sex crimes as a result of knowing the offenders through the Internet were reported.”
“So we did not hear the usual "Merry Christmas" from sales girls and cashiers, and our holiday was not as happy as it could have been. I compare that to our local heartlands where we organise multi-racial harmony events and hold joint celebrations like "Gong Xi Raya". On one occasion, I even wished my residents "Selamat Hari Raya Adilfitri", "Happy Deepavali" and "Merry Christmas" all in the same function as these festivities happened to be all around that period. Sir, my next point relates to section 336 on rash or negligent act. I would like to comment on clause 59 of the Bill which seeks to make a distinction in the maximum punishment for a rash act and for a negligent act, as set out in section 336 of the Penal Code. First, let me explain that if one drives a vehicle negligently, without due care and knocks down someone on a public road, the Road Traffic Act will apply and, if found to be at fault, he will be investigated by the Traffic Police and charged under the Road Traffic Act, which is not criminal in nature. However, if he drives a vehicle negligently in such a way that he endangers the personal safety of another or knocks down that person in a private property, for example, within a condominium or the carpark of a shopping complex, or within the compounds of Changi Airport, the Road Traffic Act will not apply because the accident occurred within a private area. And, if the victim makes a police report and the police have to investigate the case and prosecute the offender, they would have to rely on this section 336 for an offence of rash or negligent act.”
“I am therefore all in favour of further strengthening our legislation to safeguard racial and religious order in Singapore, but I wonder if the proposed amendment to section 298 and the proposed introduction of section 298A will go far enough. Even with the proposed amendment, section 298 will require the offender to possess the "deliberate intention of wounding the religious or racial feelings of any person". And the new section 298A requires that the offender "knowingly promotes or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion or race, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious or racial groups, or commits any act which he knows is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious or racial groups and which disturbs or is likely to disturb the public tranquility". But learning from the recent Danish cartoon controversy, I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State whether these sections go far enough to address cases where the author draws cartoons or paints pictures innocently, ignorantly or under the guise of freedom of expression without deliberate intention to provoke nor knowledge that it will lead to disharmony. Nevertheless, I recognise that we need to strike a balance because if we are too strict, there is a danger of swinging to the other extreme. My family and I were in California, USA, on a holiday in late December one year and we were advised that we should not greet others with "Merry Christmas" as that was deemed to be a religious greeting, and if the recipient of the greeting was of another religion, he might take offence. We were told instead to use "Happy Holidays" which is neutral.”
“Our society is such that the possession of obscene materials is considered morally wrong and the open display of them viewed as socially distasteful. People who do possess obscene materials of any kind tend to do so furtively and at their own risk of being found out and shamed. I would like to commend the Government for making its position on obscene materials very clear through the existing section 292 of the Penal Code and the proposed amendments to bring it in sync with modern technology. But in spite of this succinct statement of the law, I do not think the Government does, in practice, actively raid people's cupboards for Playboy magazines nor conduct spot checks on computer hard disks to ensure that they are free of obscene materials. However, the reason of the Government not being proactive in enforcing this law against possession of obscene materials does not make it redundant or run "the risk of bringing the law into disrepute", a phrase borrowed from the Law Society. Sir, my next point relates to racial and religious harmony. Many nations regard Singapore with some envy, as one of the most peaceful and harmonious multi-cultural societies in the world. Many people, especially those who live in countries where religious violence often rears its frightful head, marvel at how Singaporeans of diverse faiths and ethnic backgrounds are able to get along with one another. Foreigners from lands as diverse as India, China, the Middle East and Europe coming to Singapore have found to their delight and perhaps relief that they can very easily assimilate into our society due to our long understanding and practice of cultures similar to theirs. This has worked in our favour, attracting tourists, talent and investments to Singapore.”
“In a fast-changing world, the traditional family unit is already vulnerable to various encroachments such as rising divorce rates, the increase in the number of single-parent households and work pressures. We must do all we can to support the integrity of the family and keep it safe from further challenges. By promoting homosexuality, we are effectively initiating a shift in the definition of the family unit. I gravely fear that repealing section 377A will lead to calls for further integration of homosexuality into our society. Singaporeans are simply not ready to change their family values at this point in time. Encouraging homosexuality will undermine the traditional family institution and weaken our social fabric. Let the family unit not be compromised. The majority of Singaporeans want their children to grow up in a traditional environment that espouses healthy and wholesome traditional family values. We do not want the homosexual lifestyle to be promoted or celebrated. Sir, my next point touches on section 292. Every society will have to set its own values, standards and norms. Take the Japanese, for example. My Japanese friends tell me they are shy to answer their mobile phones and talk loudly while travelling in a commuter train because that is simply "bad manners", but paradoxically I have witnessed Japanese men very openly and nonchalantly reading sexually explicit anime magazines while riding in those same commuter trains. Singaporeans, on the other hand, might not care much for people around them when they talk loudly on their mobile phones, but the majority of us would be embarrassed and offended by blatant displays of pornographic materials.”
“It has forced us to examine our beliefs and convictions against the context of changing perceptions and values that have happened over time. Judging by the number of signatures that the two opposing websites - "Repeal377A" and "Keep377A" - have amassed, it has compelled many of us to make a stand for what we believe in. The true crux of the matter is whether Singaporeans are ready to openly accept homosexuality into mainstream society. Although a vocal segment of society has garnered much support for the repeal of section 377A, the majority of Singaporeans have unequivocally rejected these cries to decriminalise homosexuality. The overwhelming sentiment of Singaporeans is that they are not prepared to compromise their conservative family values by opening up to alternative sexual behaviour, nor allowing it to permeate across time honoured boundaries into the conventional family sanctity. Sir, I would like to thank Prof. Thio for giving me a history lesson yesterday on how the concept of marriage and modern-day family came about. The family unit has been acknowledged as the building block of society, praised as the foundation of social order and exalted as the bastion of civilisation. It is the family that nurtures our children. It is the family that inspires us to contribute to our community. It is the family that believes in working towards a future. Every nation is fully cognisant of the importance of the family as the primary source of stability and growth. Singapore is no different. Our Government has demonstrated its commitment to preserve and strengthen the family structure through pro-family laws and policies. I believe that a great majority are keen to preserve the family unit as we know it - a family unit that consists of a father, a mother and their children.”