Ong Seh Hong
Singapore
“The target groups are often the defenceless youth. We have an obligation to protect them and it is important to raise awareness and educate the public on the threat of all these cyber bullying, cyber crimes and cyber sexual hunting. Close cooperation with the parents is another instrument to combat the scourge.”
“And if the book is published, the writer still has to go through book dealers who will take a 50% cut and the books will be put under consignment, ie, payment once every three to five months. The sale of Chinese books has dropped from more than 10,000 to a few thousand, and now to around 1,000.”
“Therefore, I seek an update from MCYS on the nature and the extent of social problems relating to gambling at the casinos following the full-operations of these two casinos in Singapore. What are the control mechanisms in place and how effective have they been so far? Gambling”
“There is, for me, a simple way to tell if the Budget brings real benefits to the people and the country. If the Budget hinders us, if it taxes so severely or gives too generously that we lose our motivation to work, if it makes onerous administrative demands on us and on businesses, then it cannot be a right budget.”
“Sir, I have a few supplementary questions. First, besides denying employees from taking sick leave which is a very clear infringement of the Employment Act, there could be other forms of exploitation of the workers, such as requiring them to work unnecessarily long hours.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for giving this detailed account of what happened because there were discrepancies in the newspaper reports in the accounts by Mr Goh as well as the Police. However, I would like to ask the Minister how does the Police ascertain whether personal safety is being compromised.”
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“I think it is also time that we must start to inculcate this sense of responsibility among Singaporeans, so that everyone is accountable to what happens to this country. Only with that sense of responsibility will there be active participation as a citizen. The next thing we need to do, I think, is to promote patriotism, the love for our country. It was actually very disheartening to hear that a number of Singaporeans did not display the national flag on National Day, because they were unhappy with the state of the economy, and maybe because of bus fare hikes, etc. But, on the other hand, it was also heartwarming to read a Singaporean who emigrated to Holland still displays the national flag every August. Patriotism is the love of one's homeplace, its people, and to the familiar things and scenes associated with the homeplace. The love should be unconditional. Singapore is my home, good times or bad times. It is no wonder that home-making and homeland make the central themes of many very moving poems, songs and stories. In fact, I attended a choir performance last Saturday. Out of the 48 songs on the list I went through, 14 of them actually were on either gu xiang (homeplace/homeland) or zhu guo (motherland). So, I think we need to have this sense of patriotism among our Singaporeans. But what type of patriotism? I think we must differentiate that from nationalism. Someone - I cannot remember who - said that patriotism arises from the love of your own people whereas nationalism arises from the hatred of other people. But, in Singapore, we are a country that consists of different races and cultures. We must have a patriotism that could be applicable to us. Abraham Lincoln's definition of "patriotism" could be aptly applied to our case.”
“We must inculcate in Singaporeans, young and old, to have the pride of being Singaporeans. There is no other reason. Just because you are a Singaporean, you should be proud of being Singaporean. And this pride can stem from the love of the country. To develop the love for our homeplace and our country, many have spoken on having a sense of belonging. I would like to call on the Government and our fellow Singaporeans to develop two more senses. One is the sense of indebtedness; the second is the sense of responsibility. What is sense of indebtedness? We have always been taught about our rights and opportunities. Government should give me this, Government should give me that, as if the world owes us a living. We have not been taught to define our lives by our debts and the legacies that we have, but by our rights and opportunities. So, it is high time that we must inculcate this. Sir, I see that maybe there are at least three types of indebtedness everyone has. First is to mother nature, God, universe or whatever you call it, for giving us life. Second is to our parents for bringing us to this world, educate us and bring us up. Third is to the country for protecting us, for providing us with the opportunities that we may grow and get to where we are. Our people have to, first, develop this sense of indebtedness, and then will the feeling of gratitude evolve. With this sense of indebtedness, we will be grateful of what our parents have done for us and what the country has provided for us. With that, we will be spontaneous to have our sense of responsibility, like the dutiful children repaying their parents. As regards sense of responsibility, too often, we are Singaporeans who, whenever anything happens, will say, "Government should do this, Government should do that .".”
“Of course, many people also stay on for the economic prosperity, for the jobs that are available here, for a better life, for the safe and secure environment here. But something might not have gone right that nowadays, though our country is doing so well, there are still younger Singaporeans who want to emigrate, more often than not, for economic reasons. Why? I ask myself that question. As I look at it, as a nation, we have a relatively short history. In the past three to four decades, our emphasis has been placed on economic progress and quite often, we emphasise on materialistic success. I am not criticising our Government for having done that. Indeed, with a population of two million mouths to feed, that should be the top priority of any sensible Government. But the education system, in response to the economic need, has correspondingly focused on producing people for the job market. The teaching of values, national history, humanity and culture has therefore been relegated maybe to a lesser priority. As a result, we may have inadvertently produced a generation of Singaporeans whose value system is primarily materialistic and economic. Their relationship with the country may also be measured on economic terms. They will see what this country can offer vis-a-vis what they can get from another country, like doing shopping. Sir, if we want to bond Singaporeans to this country with purely dollars and cents, we are doomed to fail. Because, in bad times, when there is no money to be made, they will pack and go. So, we have to bond them with their hearts. For our call to resonate in our fellow Singaporeans' hearts, they must have the same frequency. The frequency of the heart is the value system.”
“One would have expected him, from what he has experienced previously in Singapore, to accept the job, but he chose to come back to Singapore. The story did not end there. When he came back, the almighty MOH officials told him that he had to start working as a Temporary Medical Officer, although he was already qualified as a Registrar. Worse still, he was offered the salary of a second year Medical Officer, the point he left the services several years ago. At this point, a friend of this young man in Hong Kong actually got him a job as a lecturer in the University hospital there. The pay package, with housing allowance, was about four times higher than what he got in Singapore. However, he chose to stay on again. Many people might have taken the opportunity and moved on for the pay was higher and the prospect seemed brighter overseas. Was this young man mad or not? Yes, he might have been, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. This young man is a psychiatrist and this young man is myself. You see, sometimes, psychiatrists do things quite unusually. Why did I choose to remain in Singapore? I believe, for the same reasons, many Singaporeans have chosen to stay on. I grew up here. My parents who worked so hard to bring me up and to send me to school were here. My brothers and sisters were here. My friends were here. The community and the people whom I grew up with were here. I wanted my kids to receive education here despite what has been said about the education system. And deep inside my heart, I know, as a Singaporean, there is this sense of indebtedness I have to this place and the attachment to this country. For these reasons, I stayed.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak on the motion. Why did we move this motion? Why are there some people who choose to leave Singapore for good? The reasons behind all these have been very well alluded to by a number of hon. Members before me and I shall not dwell on them. In any case, we must always accept the fact that there will always be people looking for greener pasture elsewhere. But, on the other hand, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have to realise that many Singaporeans who are capable of emigrating, have chosen to stay put. Even many of them working overseas are still maintaining their bonds with Singapore. Why do they stay? Maybe by focusing on what makes these Singaporeans stay on, we can continue to build on the emotional linkages with all the Singaporeans and deal with the problem that way. Let me tell you the story of an unhappy young man. There is this young doctor who, after his basic medical training, applied for traineeship and a posting in a specialty that he is interested in. As a medical doctor, if you want to become a specialist, you have to go into the area of your interest and get a posting there, and then you can do the specialist examinations and become a specialist. But he was turned down because he did not have any posting in that specialty before and he did not pass Part I of that specialty examination. However, he could not have sat for the Part I examination if he did not have any posting in that area. He became very frustrated. He got caught in this catch-22 position. Eventually, he got the traineeship overseas and off he went. He spent a few years in UK. After he passed his specialist training, his consultant there had wanted him to stay on and offered him a job.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to clarify my point because the Minister said that he could not understand what I meant yesterday. I was saying that the main problem of the older workers being unable to find a job is, we all know, because of the seniority-based wage system. But if we freeze and lower the CPF contribution rate for this group of workers, it may result in a certain reluctance when we really want to push for a job-based wage system. Because from the employers' point of view, they say that since the Government will take care of it from the CPF front, they do not have to do anything. Therefore, there is a reluctance there. From the workers' point of view, they say that if they are going to accept a CPF cut when they grow older, why should they accept a job-based wage system? That is what I meant that by introducing this CPF freeze, it may create some problems later when we want to push for a job-based wage system.”
“This is because if the employer feels that the skill level or work attitude of the said employee is not good enough, the saving of 4% CPF contribution will not be enough incentive for him to change his mind. Furthermore, the lowering of CPF rates for this group of workers runs contrary to our intention to promote "equal pay for equal work". From the perspective of the employers, they will feel that, after all, the Government is adjusting downwards the labour cost from the age of 50 onwards, why should they bother to promote the practice of "equal pay for equal work". From the employees' point of view, they will also refuse to accept this equal-pay-for-equal-work system because they are being paid a lower CPF contribution. Otherwise, they would be hit at both fronts. Therefore, I feel that the lowering of CPF contribution rate for older workers will hinder the establishment of an equal-pay-for-equal-work scheme. I think a more positive way of resolving this problem of employability of older workers is to accelerate the abolition of the seniority-based wage system through our tripartite cooperation mechanism. We must work through the public education system to change the mindset of the people in order to help establish and promote the equal-pay-for-equal-work system. With the new wage system, our people will be more willing to accept skills upgrading and retraining, as well as to adopt a pragmatic and realistic pay expectation. This is the way to enhance the competitiveness of our labour market. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Government's stand on the proposed CPF adjustments.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Government's acceptance of the ERC's recommendation to make changes to the existing CPF system. This will reaffirm CPF three major functions as retirement fund, medical expense and housing need. But on the proposal to reduce the CPF contribution rate for workers aged between 50 and 55, I feel there is a need for further deliberation. Deputy Prime Minister Lee has explained that the reason for this measure is to enhance the employability of this group of people. But I feel that using the CPF contribution rate alone to tackle this problem is treating just the symptom but not the cause. Why do I say this? This is because the low employment rate, relatively fewer chances of employment and higher risk of retenchment for these people are mainly due to the seniority-based wage system in Singapore. Mr Matthias Yao has already explained this in detail. I will not repeat it. Sir, I feel that if we use just the CPF alone, before we could reap the benefits we will suffer the ill-effects first. This is because the older people who are currently employed will automatically lose part of their wages. Although the Government has taken the lead in announcing that it would pass on this part of the savings from the wage cost to the civil servants under the TCTC scheme, and Singapore Technologies has also responded to this call, we cannot ensure that all the private sector employers and enterprises will follow suit. Some employers will say, "The Government is asking us to cut the CPF contribution to help us save on labour cost", and then conveniently pocket the savings. On the other hand, there is no guarantee that the lowering of CPF contribution rate will enhance the employability of the workers in this age group.”
“It says, "With the cold winter coming to an end, there will come a gorgeous spring." So long as the people and the Government are willing to put in a concerted effort together, I am sure we will have a better and more beautiful spring ahead of us. I support the amended motion.”
“I, therefore, suggest that the Minister for Transport should give consideration to open up this market so as to improve the competitiveness of the operators. I hope that the Minister will not give the usual routine answer to this question. If the methods proposed in the past are not feasible, it does not mean that there is no solution to it. I think if there is a will, there is a way. We should jump out of the old framework and think out of the box, and be more creative in the way we operate our public transport. There are so many talents in the Ministry of Transport. If we add this up with the feedback from the people, I am sure we could come up with a solution to effectively open up this market. I think this is very relevant to our situation, particularly to Singapore which embraces a free market economy. For example, the opening up of the communications market has led to a greater variety of services being provided by the operators and a higher quality of service. If the Minister is worried that by opening up the public transport market, we will revert to the chaotic situation some 30 years ago, I do not think this would be the case. The environment nowadays is quite different. The quality and expectations of the people are higher now. I am sure that the Ministry of Transport is able to properly plan and arrange in such a way that the market can be opened up smoothly and successfully. I am sure there will be more pros than cons in the opening up of the public transport market. This will generate a check and balance over the operational cost of the players. In addition, it will also cause the companies to be more sensitive towards the feelings of the commuters. Since I started my speech with the lyrics of a song, I would also end with the ending line of this song.”
“Why is it that people still have so much worries about its decision? I feel that on this occasion, when dealing with this issue, perhaps the PTC has not perfected its communication skills with the people. I think if there is more consultation with the interested parties and with more thorough studies and better communication, I am sure we will not hear so much voices of discontent among the people. I suggest that the Ministry of Transport consider improving the way in which PTC operates and the way it communicates with the people, so that people can see, hear and feel that the PTC is also protecting their interests. In addition, I also suggest that the Ministry of Transport consider appointing some bus or MRT commuters to the PTC to enhance the scope of its representation. This will increase the voices of the people in PTC. At the same time, whenever they make any major policy decision, they should adopt a more consultative approach to collect feedback from the people, so that they can increase its transparency. Having spoken on the communication part of PTC, I would like to talk about the competitiveness in the public transport market. In our process to remake Singapore, we keep hearing this expression of "leaving no stone unturned". So in our public transport system, should we also take this opportunity to turn the stones? The present method of operation of public transport system has been used in Singapore for many years. It has raised the standard of our public transport to an enviable situation. We have a world-class transport system now. But now these two companies are each having a comfortable share of the pie. There is no competition between them. How are we going to improve their productivity?”
“The people's interest is that as mentioned by many of my parliamentary colleagues who spoke before me, quality service at reasonable prices. I shall not repeat this point. Secondly, the companies' interests. Of course, the companies want to make profits. We cannot deny that. They must make profits, failing which they cannot survive. The only thing is that they must make their profits in a reasonable manner. Thirdly, the Government's interest. That is our long-term target. We want to set up a world-class transport system. This is a long-term plan which must be a major premise in our consideration. At the same time, we should also maintain the independence and professionalism of the PTC, so that this element of check and balance in the operation of our public transport system will not be eroded. Mr Speaker, Sir, I fully agree with the amended motion by Dr Tan Boon Wan requesting that PTC take a comprehensive, overall view of the situation whenever they consider any application for fare increase. Now, what the people want to know is whether or not the PTC has considered the present economic downturn and unemployment situation in Singapore. They want to know whether PTC has thoroughly examined the operation of the two companies, and whether they have made every attempt to improve productivity rather than pushing the burden to the commuters. On this occasion, this round of fare increase, they have given labour cost as a factor for the increase. The public is not yet convinced of this. My colleagues have already spoken on this. I am not going to repeat it. Over the last 10 years or so, the PTC has done very much and, I am sure, they must have given this matter very full deliberation before they made this decision.”
“In fact, there is nothing wrong with them. They just worry themselves sick. In a way, these patients are somewhat like the people in Singapore nowadays. They all understand the reason for this round of fare hike. To the people, this 3-cent or 5-cent increase is a potential worry. This is a signal of something more serious to come. We must learn to accept their concerns, give them the necessary support and reassurance, and then gradually build up their confidence. Only then can we change their mindset. Secondly, we have to listen to their problems and understand their concerns, just like a doctor who has first to understand the problems of his patient before he would make a diagnosis. So, similarly, in this issue, we have to understand what are the things that the people are most concerned with. Their concern is not just the 3 cents or 5 cents. I disagree with Mr Ong Ah Heng when he said that this was a small matter. This is not just trivial as they may appear to be. In the minds of the people, there is this anxiety that an avalanche of price increases is forthcoming. On the one hand, the Government is asking them to exercise wage restraint; yet, on the other hand, there is a whole series of price increases. They feel that the burden is getting very heavy, too heavy for them to bear. Thirdly, we must set up our treatment plan. This plan must be specific and feasible, and it must be a long-term plan to treat the disease. While we are dealing with this issue of fare adjustment, we want to see an all-win situation - a situation where everyone is a winner. We have to consider the interest of the people, the interest of the companies and the interest of the Government.”
“They have clarified some of the misunderstandings of our people and to let the people realise that the Government actually cares for them. And these policies are farsighted and the intention is good. Mr Ong Ah Heng has also very eloquently and emotionally analysed the various acts of the Government which were done with the interest of the people at heart. But why is it that this issue has aroused such a vigorous reaction by the people? I think it is because we have not done enough in our communication with our people, and we have not been thorough enough in explaining to our people. This is what Mr Arthur Fong had mentioned just now. In order to improve communication with our people, I think we have to look into various matters. Let me give Members an analysis in my capacity as a psychiatrist. Actually if we want to treat our patient effectively, there are three steps to follow. First, we must build up a good doctor-patient relationship. Secondly, we have to understand his problems by talking to him and listening to him. Thirdly, we must set the treatment target and then give specific, feasible and well-paced treatment to the patient. How do we build up the relationship between the doctor and the patient? There are three important elements. First, the doctor must accept the patient. Second, he must support the patient and, thirdly, the doctor must assure the patient and build up his faith in the doctor. For example, many of my patients suffer from anxiety disorder. They have a lot of worries and bodily symptoms. They say, "Oh, I am going to have a heart attack now." "I have breathing difficulties, I cannot breathe," etc. More often than not, I would find nothing physiologically wrong with them. I know it is a matter of psychology.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate. Today, I am going to tell a story about a song I heard in my car a few nights ago. In fact, this is a song, not a story. A lady had made a request for an old song entitled "A Couple's Duet" to be broadcast over the radio programme. This is a pretty old song, one that was recorded some 50-60 years ago. The song started with the wife singing, "Prices going up day by day, trouble and worries for us who have to pay and pay." She then went on to lament on how the prices of everything had been going up, how difficult it was for her to run the household. She complained that her husband was useless and unable to earn enough money to support her and the family. The husband then replied that he had his grievances too. He said the market was bad, his job was insecure and he had to bear with the whims and fancies of his employer. No pay rise, and his job could be lost anytime! Mr Speaker, Sir, this is a very old song, some 50 years old, and it was about the chaotic situation in China at that time. I really do not know whether this lady had requested for this song that night by coincidence or by design. Of course, Singapore's economy is in a recession and unemployment rate is rising. But it is still not as bad as it was in China during those chaotic days. Yet, the lyrics of this song seem to reflect some of the worries of our people today. We have heard speeches by many of our Members in the last two days. They are actually reflecting the sentiments of the people and this is something that we, as Members of Parliament, ought to do. Some Members have raised some suggestions. Here, I would thank Minister Mah and SMS Khaw for their clarifications.”
“In the interest of time, Madam, I will just go straight to the questions. May I urge that the Ministry accredit and regulate all the external degree courses offered in Singapore, to protect the interest of Singaporeans, as well as those foreigners who come here to study. This is also to protect the image of Singapore as an education hub. Secondly, I would also like to urge that the Ministry and the Public Service Commission (PSC) make public a list of universities, which they deem as reputable, when considering an application for a public service job. This would also help Singaporeans to make informed choices when selecting self-improvement courses.”
“After graduating, they just throw it aside. Fifthly, the teaching method and curriculum. These were already mentioned by Mr Yeo Guat Kwang earlier on. Now, the question is how are we going to improve on all these areas. Firstly, I think the Government leaders should give a very clear instruction and send a clear signal to raise the status of Chinese in our society. For example, more importance should be attached to the official publications in the Chinese language. They should be carefully monitored and vetted before they are sent to the printers. Secondly, we have to improve the quality of our Chinese teachers. We must have specialist Chinese teachers, starting from primary school onwards. We should also send them to some well-known overseas universities to improve themselves. Thirdly, they should teach Chinese in a more interesting manner, as mentioned by Mr Yeo Guat Kwang earlier on. Fourthly, to further raise the standard of Chinese in the SAP schools and encourage the students to learn more profoundly the Chinese culture, history, language and philosophy. We could perhaps cooperate with the NUS Chinese Department to work out something along this line. Fifthly, we should let the graduates from our NUS Chinese Department play an important role in our society. If we want to benefit from the emerging Chinese economy, we should give the Chinese language in Singapore a boost in the arm.”
“I tell only one story per day, Sir. (In Mandarin): Sir, the low standard of Chinese is a subject of great concern to the Chinese community in Singapore. In the past two or three months, we have seen a lot of the articles of this nature in the Lianhe Zaobao's editorial and forum pages. In our exchanges with the NUS Chinese Department, the Singapore Chinese Teachers' Association and the media, we keep hearing the same voice of concern. For example, the many mistakes in Chinese translations in some of our official publications have become a laughing stock, and the fact that some undergraduates in the Chinese Department of NUS had to use Hanyu Pinyin in their examination papers because they had forgotten how to write the Chinese characters. The general feeling is that while most Singapore Chinese could speak simple Chinese in casual conversations, they are completely off the mark where reading and writing are concerned. Many Singapore businessmen find themselves unable to communicate with their business partners in China. Where does the problem lie? First, it would be the environment. Because in our environment where English is the main working language, there are not many opportunities to speak Chinese, and not much importance is attached to the Chinese language here. Secondly, the curriculum time for the learning of Chinese is reduced. Chinese is regarded as a subject and not a medium of instruction. In Primary 1, the time spent on Chinese is only 1/3, in Primary 4, only 1/5, and in secondary school, it is even less. Thirdly, with the retirement of the older generation of Chinese teachers, we are now short of specialist Chinese teachers who could teach the language well. Fourthly, the mentality of the students. The students are treating Chinese as an examination subject.”
“Fortunately, our political leaders, including the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Education have repeatedly emphasised the importance of mother tongue to alleviate the doubts of these people. Sir, we cannot prevent other people from giving up their own mother tongue and culture to accept another language or another culture, like the wolf in my earlier story. But we must try to make sure that every Singaporean, whether Chinese or Malay or Indian, will have the opportunity to learn his mother tongue to know his own roots. Only then, can the various communities feel that their own culture will not be threatened. By learning their own culture, they will be able to build up their pride and respect for their own community. And only with the pride and respect for their own community, can they trust the other groups and to live in harmony with the other communities. Apart from that, with this globalised new economy, it will certainly bring an impact on our society and culture. The retention and enhancement of our traditional values can help to alleviate some of these adverse impacts. I hereby urge the Minister for Education to reiterate the status of the mother tongue. I also urge the MOE to attach more importance to the inculcation of culture and values in the contents of our mother tongue education, and thereby enhance the students' knowledge in their own culture and history.”
“For this reason, he subsequently sent all his children to the Chinese school to study their mother tongue. Another example is former NMP, Dr Lee Tsao Yuan. It was only after the age of 40 that she began to re-discover her own cultural roots. As such, we have a responsibility to help every citizen know and retain his own cultural heritage, and mother tongue is the important key to the preservation of cultural heritage. Therefore, we have a responsibility to help every one of our citizens maintain his own cultural heritage. Some people may say that you could also learn your own culture through the English language. Is that so? I personally feel that it is impossible for one to go deep into the quintessence of Chinese culture through English, and learn to appreciate the beauty of the Tang Dynasty poems. You cannot really understand your own language and your own culture through another language. Some people allege that mother tongue is the cause of racial segregation, and are fond of proposing that the mother tongue be abolished. They use incidents such as the September 11, the tudung, etc, as an excuse to advocate the scrapping of the SAP schools and the community-based self-help groups. Some cited the United States as an example and say that in the United States, everybody speaks the same language. It is a big melting pot, and nobody cares about his cultural roots. I do not think this is true. As a matter of fact, a lot of people in the United States are actively searching for their roots. Remember the famous best-seller, Roots by Alex Haley. It gives a vivid account of how the Americans are looking for their lost roots.”
“Sir, let me tell a story. Once upon a time, a pack of wolves were living on a hill. There were black wolves, brown wolves and yellow wolves. At another hill nearby lived a group of monkeys, and they were gorgeous golden monkeys. Among this pack of wolves, there was one yellow wolf who did not like the colour of his fur, and he was also not happy with the sound of his howling. He aspired to become a golden monkey, like those living on the nearby hill. He therefore tried very hard to learn the cries of the monkeys, imitate their postures and even practised the way they climbed the trees. One day, he thought he had mastered the crying, walking and climbing skills of the monkeys, and decided to go to the other hill to join the monkeys as one of them. But, the moment the monkeys saw this wolf approaching, they surrounded him and attacked him. Fortunately for him, he managed to run away very quickly, but not before he sustained injuries all over his body. Dejectedly, he returned to the pack of wolves. But, when he opened his mouth, he had forgotten how to howl like a wolf, and found himself unable to blend into the pack of wolves. The moral of this story is that no matter how well the yellow wolf had learnt the language of the monkeys, he should not neglect his own mother tongue, to howl like a wolf. Likewise, no matter how hard you have learnt to acquire proficiency in another language, you must not forget your own mother tongue. In his memoir, the Senior Minister mentioned that when he and his wife were studying in England, they met a group of Chinese students and from his interaction with them, he began to realise the extent of his cultural loss. He did not learn the Asian culture, and he did not belong to the English culture. He was lost somewhere between the two.”
“That is it! However, we must know that children may have done poorly for a variety of reasons, other than being a slow learner or of lower IQ. First, there may be a group of students who are socially disadvantaged, such as those who come from broken families. This group of children would need social intervention to help them, and not a placement in EM3. The next group of students, who may not do well, are those who may have learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, and, again, they need special education and not EM3. The third group may be those who have just bad luck. This poor kid may be too nervous and did not do well in the examination, or his parents might be quarrelling the night before, therefore affecting his mental readiness for examination. This group of children need a second chance to sit for the examination, and not a placement in EM3 that labels him permanently. Therefore, may I urge the Minister to review the age of streaming, and maybe do it at a much later age. The Ministry should also put in extra efforts to identify the underlying causes of students who do not do well in the streaming - I have stated earlier the reasons for not doing well - and help them accordingly. Sir, I also urge the Minister to put in appropriate measures to spot and develop talents in non-academic fields.”
“Sir, I agree with the objective of streaming if it is to maximise the potential and ability of each individual, develop his or her special talents and minimise wastage of our education system. However, I echo the concerns of my hon. colleagues, Mdm Halimah and Mr Inderjit Singh, on the shortfall of our current streaming system. As I see it, there are some areas of our current streaming system that must be addressed before we can really achieve the objective we set out to do. 12.45 pm First, streaming at Primary 4 is too early, as children at this age are not fully developed psychologically or connectively. And this is the point that I alluded to during the debate on the President's Address, and Mdm Halimah has also just reiterated the point. Secondly, streaming uses only academic results as the only criteria. This fails to recognise other types of talents in areas such as sports, arts and music. If we do not recognise these talents, how can we maximise and develop them? Is there any surprise that we have not much luck in achieving sports excellence? Thirdly, using academic criteria alone will also result in a kiasu examination-oriented mentality, and defeats the true purpose of education. It makes study and examination a source of stress, just as Mdm Halimah quoted the SPH survey in 2000, that students were more afraid of examinations and tests than of their parents dying. I would be very sad if, one day, my daughter comes and tells me, "Dad, I would rather you die than I fail the examination." Maybe, at that point of time, I would choose to die! Fourthly, the present system does not address the need of various groups of students who do not do well at their streaming examination. Under the current system, if a student does not do well in the examination, he is in EM3.”
“Sir, just a quick clarification. I just want to say that when I raised the question of herbal products, I do not confine it only to traditional Chinese medicine because there are now a lot of herbal products from the western part of the world. For example, St John's Wort is touted as one of the herbs to treat depression and I have been asked this question many times, whether it works. The Malays have certain herbal preparations like jamu, and so on and so forth. So we really need to build up this knowledge in order to safeguard our public. In view of the constraints of time, I will take this issue up with the Minister on another occasion. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I just want to clarify that I am not saying that Chinese medicine is not safe or to that extent. What I am saying is that there is a lack of knowledge on the part of our regulator about the pharmacology and toxicology of the various herbs in their original form. What I actually want to urge is to build up this knowledge base, this pharmacopedia of all the herbs commonly used in Singapore. To my knowledge, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong have done a lot of research on this area, and we can actually tap on these resources and to build up our knowledge so that we can prevent any mishaps in future. This is my suggestion.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head O of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code OD 3600. Sir, there is a perception that all herbal products are safe because they are natural. As a result, many members of the public take herbal medicines freely for various ailments and as health supplements. Even our regulation shows a lack of knowledge of the pharmacology and toxicology of herbal products. This is evidenced by the fact that our regulation is only concerned with the contents of heavy metals and adulteration of western prescribed medicine in the herbal products. Even the Minister commented that these herbs have been used for hundreds of years and, therefore, they should be safe. The fact is that a number of herbs themselves actually contain chemicals that may interact with other drugs or cause various bodily damage directly, if taken in sufficient quantities. Many such cases have actually been reported in various medical literature. They resulted in kidney, liver and other organ failures. Sometimes, some of these cases were even fatal. I urge that while the Ministry tightens up the control on adulteration of western medicine in herbal products, it should also build up a pharmacopedia of all the herbs commonly used locally, and use this knowledge to better regulate the importation and production of herbal products since so many Singaporeans actually use them regularly. Then, with this knowledge, I also urge the Ministry to educate the public on the safety aspect of herbal medicine.”
“However, I find that our policy to subvent only the poorer half of the population's healthcare will make it unaffordable to many who are caught in between. Under the means-testing for a community hospital, for example, only the poorer half will get the Government's subvention between 25% and 75% of the cost. The cut-off is per capita household income of about $1,000. 4.00 pm Let me illustrate my point using a very simple example. The norm cost of a "C" class in a community hospital's stay is about $200 per day, and the average length of stay is about four weeks. The average cost per hospital stay will therefore be about $5,600. Using our national statistics, the median household income is about $3,600. So if one is unlucky and probably has about $5,000 household income, most likely, he would not pass this means test and he would have to bear the whole amount, which is more than one month's income of the whole household. Even for those who just pass the means test and are eligible for 25% subvention, 75% of $5,600 would mean a hefty bill of $4,200. Compare this to the existing system which allows the patients to choose the class they wish to stay, if they stay in "C" class, they will get 80% of the subsidies. I feel that more people will be left out with this new means test. Therefore, I would like to urge the Minister to reconsider the policy of subventing only the poorer half of the population. Precisely because the healthcare cost is rising, more people are in need of subsidised healthcare. I would urge the Ministry to grant more subventions to patients and to make our healthcare more affordable. Otherwise, I am afraid the coffeeshop talk of "can die, cannot sick" may one day come true, which I certainly do not hope to see.”
“Sir, I share the concern of rising healthcare cost, as highlighted by the hon. Member, Mdm Halimah. Sir, healthcare cost is rising because of several factors, such as aging population, introduction of new medical technology, use of newer drugs which are still under patents and, therefore, the cheaper generic drugs are not available, increasing demand of better-informed customers, ie, the patients themselves or their family, and rising labour costs. May I urge the Minister to look at the ways to contain the rising cost before passing them on to the patients and their family? When it comes to paying bills, our healthcare financing policy has always been to rely on co-payment to minimise abuse and wastage of our healthcare resources. This is well and good. However, I am concerned that in our haste to recover costs and to balance the budget, perhaps we have been pricing our healthcare costs too high to the patients, beyond the affordability of some of them. I feel that a bigger burden has been passed on to the patients and their family, sometimes more than they can afford. One point to note is that MOH has actually introduced means testing for step-down care services, such as nursing homes and chronic sick hospitals. It will apply to community hospital patients in July this year and I understand that, eventually, all acute hospital patients will also be means-tested. Here, I must first declare my interest as the Medical Director of Ren Ci Hospital, which will be opening its 200-bedded community hospital this year. I agree with the principle of means testing, so that the poorer patients actually get more subsidies while the better-off should bear a bigger burden of their medical bills.”
“Sir, actually I want to raise my concern about the quality of service of maid agencies, but the answer was given by the Minister just now and here I would like to thank the Minister for giving the assurance that the service quality of maid agencies will be accredited through the system. Dr Ng Eng Hen: Sir, Mr Seng Han Thong brought up a relevant point. MOM empathises with those who have been cheated. There are currently, as Mr Ong Ah Heng pointed out earlier, 11,000 licensed employment agencies in Singapore, of which the majority, about 700, deal with foreign domestic workers. My Minister has made the point that we are going to strengthen that particular sector by working with CASE on the foreign domestic workers. In terms of the other employment agencies, we will continue to increase our enforcement agencies, as well as to facilitate these agencies to improve their performance. But I think a word of caution is required for the public. There will always be companies who will try to capitalise on aspirations and hope, especially when the downturn is severe. I think the public will have to be wary because sometimes these fly-by-night operators can do it very quickly and you get cheated. If there are instances where the public feels that they are cheated, they can approach MOM. We will conciliate, we will also refer them to the Small Claims Tribunal, but I think they would have to exercise substantial caution when dealing with these agencies.”
“For instance, I propose that the Manpower Ministry could perhaps set up a one-stop agency to assist foreign talents relocate. The agency could help in the following areas: 1. Visa applications for spouse and dependants; 2. Housing problem; and 3. Education for children. After helping them settle in, we could have a programme to systematically integrate them into our community such as joining in the grassroots activities. We should also encourage them to join in national events such as National Day Parade. For example, a contingent of foreign talents or a performance by them would be a recognition of their contribution to Singapore and render them a strong sense of belonging.”
“For our country to benefit maximally from these talents, we must help them sink roots and become an integral part of our society. Many Singaporeans view foreign talents with mercenary suspicion that they are here only for economic self-benefits. I believe some of them are. But we are partly to be blamed if we deal with foreign talent purely on an economic basis. That being the case, when we pay well, they work for us. When someone, somewhere, pays better, they move. Sir, to retain them, we have to make them feel at home, give them a strong sense of belonging, and integrate them well into our society. I would like to quote the Prime Minister who said this during the debate on Singapore 21 on 5th May 1999: "To sustain our economy and to let our society flourish, we need to import foreign talents and offer some of them PR and citizenship. Our population will become more cosmopolitan. The city will become more international. Newcomers every year have to be integrated into our society. We have to create in them the same strong sense of belonging to Singapore as the thoroughbred Singaporeans." While Singaporeans working overseas miss our "char kway teow" and "roti prata", our foreign colleagues here are human too, and miss the creature comforts, their friends and the environment that they grew up with. Therefore, it is very important to help them feel at home and feel as if they are part of us. Singapore has many things to offer. As a society, our core values of "meritocracy, equal opportunities, clean government and racial/religious harmony" are attractive to many of them, including our Senior Minister of State, Mr Khaw Boon Wan and hon. Member, Ms Irene Ng. This is the soft side of selling. On the practical aspect, we should make life easier for them.”
“Sir, although our unemployment rate has gone up, we should continue to attract and retain foreign talents. During the period of Warring Kingdoms, the Kingdom of Yan often suffered defeats in the hand of the Kingdom of Qi. So the King of Yan asked his cabinet minister, Guo Wei, how he could recruit talents to help build up the country to fight the Kingdom of Qi. Minister Guo Wei told him the story: "Once upon a time, there was a King who wanted to find a horse which can race a thousand miles - Qian Li Ma. When he heard of one such Qian Li Ma, he quickly dispatched his most entrusted official to go and bid for it. However, when the official reached there, the horse was dead but, nevertheless, he paid 500 taels of gold to buy the dead horse. As expected, he got a scolding when he went back to the King with a dead horse. He replied, "If a dead horse could be worth 500 taels of gold, how about a live Qian Li Ma?" True enough, when the news spread, many Qian Li Mas were brought in front of the King. King Yan Zhao took the message and started treating his talents well and in no time, his Kingdom was able to beat the Kingdom of Qi. Sir, I am not asking our Minister to go and buy a dead horse. However, we need international talents more than they need us. Talented human resources are globally mobile. Even China is trying its best to woo back its outflow of talented Chinese. Our Malaysian neighbour is courting our talents as well. I understand there are a number of Singaporeans working in the tech park in Penang and elsewhere. Even with our current unemployment situation, we should continue to attract them to Singapore, to enhance our limited human capital, and to treat them well. This will send out the right signal to the global talents. However, we must not stop here.”
“I would like to ask that the Minister would consider whether the relief for course fees be changed and made more pro-learning so that the relief could be extended to courses not relating to one's existing profession, trade or business, as required. Secondly, whether the amount of $2,500 can be increased because many of the people who are claiming course reliefs are those who pay tax and more likely to be the professionals, executives and managers (PEMs), and by encouraging them to reskill, they probably would be taking diploma or degree courses that cost a lot more. Thirdly, whether unused relief for course fees can be carried forward or be used by the spouse because this would encourage the PEMs to attend courses using their savings to upgrade themselves when they are out of job.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government has provided certain reliefs as a means of redistribution of wealth. Just now, Mr Low Thia Khiang said that while giving away the Economic Restructuring Shares, it gives away more than $1 billion with one hand and takes back the money through GST with the other. But, by this kind of relief to redistribute wealth to those who are in need, these families would have the money to spend on things they need, and the money would be re-channelled into the economic system to stimulate the economy. Mr Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, in order to meet the challenges, we must take bold steps to propel our economy into new heights. However, we should always be mindful of our fellow citizens who may fall out along the way and extend a helping hand to them. Let us build up our social capital while we accumulate the economic wealth. On this note, I support the Budget.”
“This would promote the value system and culture that would hopefully produce more philanthropists like the late Mr Tan Kah Kee and the late Mr Lee Kong Chian. For donations enjoying double tax relief, the Government actually bears about 40 cents of every dollar donated because of the tax incentives. However, voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) also receive substantial amounts of donations from members of the public who are not paying taxes. The Government should consider providing matching grants to VWOs on every dollar they raise from these non-tax-payers, in the spirit of double tax relief. Of course, we cannot create a more caring society just depending on tax relief alone. We should continue to cultivate the public-spiritedness and community bonding through education and involvement of people. Community involvement programmes (CIPs) in the schools are good starting points. However, CIPs should be made more interesting and motivating. Students should not be made to feel "compelled" into doing these good deeds. CIP initiatives should come from students and not pre-arranged by the schools. In addition, we can also encourage the charitable organisations and grassroots organisations to jointly launch community services and voluntary work. For example, our hospitals and the Northwest CDC jointly run a domiciliary service that provides medical and nursing care to the home-bound patients. This programme has a special feature, that is, we are able to make use of the network of grassroots organisations to help those families which are genuinely in need. At the same time, we are able to recruit more volunteers, give them the training and allow them to go back to their own community to serve.”
“In the United States, the 1980s and 1990s were dominated by free market ideology and government deregulation, much of it defended by the idea that wealth would trickle down to the poor. Everything was done to encourage investment activity of all kinds, regardless of risks involved. Did the wealth trickle down? No, wealth distribution in the United States today is significantly less equitable than it was 30 years ago. Wealth is more concentrated than it is in the European nations. The article explains this phenomenon stating, "A dramatic increase in investment activity, unmatched by measures to boost the flow of funds between people, ought to lead to an increase in wealth inequality." The article also mentions the effects of income tax, capital gains tax and sales tax. According to the article, both income tax and capital gains tax reduce differences in wealth by redistribution and discouraging speculation respectively. On the other hand, sales tax, even those targetted at luxury goods, might exaggerate differences in wealth by dampening purchasing power and encouraging people to invest more of their money. So, in this Budget, the proposal to give double tax reliefs to donations to charitable organisations is commendable. I must declare my interest as I am working for a charitable organisation. I would suggest that the Government should take a bolder step to give double tax reliefs even to those who donated with- out naming opportunities. We should welcome individuals and organisations who want buildings/rooms/facilities to be named after them. We could publicise these donations and make good examples of all those buildings and facilities to showcase how many people benefit from such good deeds.”
“Uncertainties cause anxiety, and there will be resistance. As a small country with many limitations, we have to be resolute in making and accepting tough decisions and move on if we want to survive and be successful. We need to anticipate and prepare ourselves for any possible social and political consequences. Digital divide would bring about the economic divide between those who make it in the new economy and those who do not. Consequently, the income gap would also be enhanced. If the Government is unable to effectively redistribute some of the wealth to cater for the needs of those who could not make it, there is this possibility that a social divide will appear. Eventually, we may face political divide when the socially disadvantaged begin to harbour the impression that they are not being taken care of. I am sure nobody would want to see this happening in Singapore. Mr Speaker, Sir, the threat of widening wealth inequality is real. I recently read this article in the Harvard Business Review which explained the Network Model of economies. I am no economist. But I understand that this is a mathematical model proposed by Jean-Philippe Bouchaud and Marc Mezard from the University of Paris. The model can track the degree of inequality of wealth distribution and shows how the distribution can be influenced. Specifically, the two researchers found that the greater the volume of money flowing through the economy and the more often it changes hands, the greater the equality of wealth distribution. Conversely, the more volatile investment returns are, the richer the rich tend to get. The example of the United States was quoted in the article.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to take part in the debate on the Budget. In the very beginning, I had the same concern as Mr Low Thia Khiang in thinking that the Budget was diverting or shifting the burden of tax from a small group of companies to the general public. But after further analysis and study of the Budget, I am convinced that this is not the case. If we do not want the general public to bear the cost of GST and make the necessary changes to our economy, then we will not be able to attract foreign investors to Singapore. That means, no additional jobs will be created for our people. Many people will stay unemployed and have no income. They will have no money to spend, and hence no GST to pay. That being the case, 3%, 5% or 0% GST will make no difference to them. Mr Low Thia Khiang's farfetched thinking that the higher cost of living is the result of GST is far too simplistic. Many people like to say, "Look, 30 years ago, I paid only 30 cents for a plate of char kuay teow." But now, the same plate of char kuay teow costs $3. You may say that the price has gone up ten-fold. But, is that the whole truth? The fact is, it is not so simple. Thirty years ago, when I was 10 years old, my father's monthly income was only $100. Now, the average family income, if you take the median income, is about $3,600. So the standard of living has gone up, so have prices of goods. This is a general phenomenon. Mr Speaker, Sir, as we restructure to face the challenges of globalisation and a knowledge-based economy, we have to make a lot of adjustments and restructuring. Many times, we have to make bold changes in many areas, in taxation, in employment practice, CPF scheme, and so on. Sir, changes always bring uncertainties.”
“What are the steps that the Ministry will take to make sure that it will not deteriorate into just another form of examination?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to seek the Minister of State's clarification. Since project work is a supplement or additional to the existing curriculum, will it not be an additional stress on the students now that, as he stated correctly, the students already have quite a heavy curriculum? The other issue is: what are the steps that the Ministry will take to make sure that project work will not become another examination where the students will prepare for it and that they have to get a good grade to get into the university?”
“" So, education is not a simple task. Over the past few decades, our education system has been implemented with vision and practical means. I believe that so long as we continue with this spirit and attitude, we will be able to ensure that the quality of our people will become better so that the future generations will be better than our current generation, and our success story can be sustained. In this spirit, Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Motion.”
“We must give them the religious knowledge and understanding so that they will understand the different features of the various religions and the different ways of life. And this will not be confined to just one single education system or religion. It is only with this kind of understanding and through the organised activities involving students of different ethnic groups, will our students learn to interact with one another, and to have tolerance for one another's religious and cultural practice. Our young people generally are indifferent to political affairs. I feel that in our National Education Programme in the schools, we should enhance the political awareness of our students, and arouse their interest in current affairs so that they can be involved in the social and political well-being. They should be encouraged to participate in community work, and to show their care and concern for the society and community. To enhance the political awareness of the students, we will be able to strengthen their identification with the nation. Finally, I would like to raise the question of mother-tongue education, especially the Chinese language in our schools. The standard of Chinese language is an issue. After the opening up of China, our society claims to have a lot of bilingual people and they feel that they can hitch a ride on the fast train to China. If we want to maintain this advantage, then we should ensure that the standard of Chinese language among our students must attain a certain standard of proficiency, so that we will be able to take advantage of the development of China and communicate with the Chinese people. Then we can find our place there. Mr Speaker, Sir, as it is said, "It takes 10 years to grow a tree and 100 years to develop a person.”
“The family and the schools are the best places for building and developing the character of our students. We must systematically inculcate in the minds of our children the right values. We must make sure that our children are knowledgeable. In addition, they must be benevolent and courageous. We cannot think without learning. As Confucius said, "Learning without thinking is futile, and thinking without learning is dangerous." So here, I would like to refute what Mr Chiam See Tong had said about the teaching of Confucius. He alleged that Confucianism made us subservient and obedient to the Government. I think he has misunderstood the Confucius teaching. Confucius stresses the importance between the individual in the society and the family. It does not suggest that the people should just be subservient and obedient to the Government, with no questions asked. Mr Speaker, Sir, our students must also have the sense of benevolence in the modern society. It should take on a wider meaning to imply that we must have the spirit of care and concern to society, to our friends and our family. And finally, our students must also be brave, have a strong character and a strong will power. It is only with this kind of spiritual strength that our students will be able to survive and become undaunted in the ever changing world. So once the character of the students has been built up and developed, we must ensure that this virtue will be reflected in our social bonding and also in our sense of belonging to the nation. In a multi-racial society like Singapore, we must teach our children, from the very early ages, to understand and appreciate the importance of racial and religious harmony in our society.”
“And as parents and members of the society, we must give them encouragement and help them to restore their confidence and self-respect. Mr Speaker, Sir, basically, I am supportive of the streaming policy. But in implementing the streaming system, we must correct certain misconceptions and the wrong attitude of some people. The next point is on the question of age at which streaming should be implemented. Normally, the students are streamed between 9 and 10 years. At this stage of their development, their intellect has not been fully developed yet. Sir, according to the Piaget Theory of Cognitive Development, there are four stages of development in the children's life. First, the sensory-motor phase from ages 0 to 2. Secondly, the pre-operational phase from ages 2 to 7. Thirdly, the concrete operational phase from ages 7 to 11. Lastly, the formal operational phase from age 12 onwards. It is only at this last stage that the children will be capable of abstract thinking. From this theory, it may seem not to be correct to stream students at the age of 10. I think this should be reviewed, although it has been practised for more than 20 years. Mr Speaker, Sir, apart from the inculcation of skills and knowledge, we must also stress on the character-building aspect of education, the inculcation of values and moral standards. We must be able to cultivate students with the right character in order to survive and prosper in the changing world. If our students do not have a comprehensive build-up of their strong character with adaptability and responsibility to the society, family, loyalty and the sense of belonging to the nation, then we will not be able to attain the objective of our nation building.”
“It is therefore necessary that we correct this wrong attitude and wrong perception of the parents and the society in general. Under the new system of technical education, these students will be able to learn new skills, whereas under the old system, these slow starters would be eliminated and sieved out of the school system. Mr Speaker, Sir, after many years of changes and innovation, our technical education system is now upgraded. Students who join the ITE get to learn a lot of new and advanced technology and skills. As far as I know, ITE has established direct links with some well-known technical schools overseas. For example, Yishun ITE in which I serve as a memebr of the Advisory Committee, has joined up with the Albuquerque College of the United States of America to jointly develop technical courses on wafer technology. Students of Yishun ITE have the opportunity to learn the most advanced technology, and even go over to the United States for training. Graduates of the ITE nowadays enjoy good job prospects. Last year, because of recession, many university graduates could not find a job. But 86% of the graduates of ITE secured their first jobs upon graduation. So, ITE is not "It's The End" after all! We must correct the attitude of certain schools towards the EM3 and ITE students. Many parents and students have given feedback that in some schools, these students are regarded as "problem students" and are discriminated against. Some have even regarded the EM3 students as some kind of liability, likely to affect the ranking of the school. We should implement the idea of teaching according to their ability. We must give these students more help and good teachers.”
“It also shows that our people are deeply concerned with our education system, especially the streaming system. Are there many defects and faults in our streaming system? Our human resources are limited, Mr Speaker, Sir. If we want to bring out the potential of every citizen, we must also teach the students according to their ability. Streaming is only a way, a means. But why after more than 20 years of implementation, there is such a reaction from our people? I would look at this question in three aspects: Firstly, the expectation of the parents and the perception of the society in general. Something is apparently wrong here. Secondly, the attitude of the schools towards those students who are being streamed into EM3 or ITE. And, thirdly, the age at which students are streamed. These three points are inter-related. In our society, general importance is attached to the position in school. As a result, parents' expectations for their children are very high. Because of this, for better results, a lot of parents put a lot of pressure on their children so that the children are made to feel averse to learning. This becomes a vicious cycle. In addition, the society and parents also have a wrong perception on the EM3 and the ITE or technical education stream. "I Not Stupid" described ITE as "It's The End". This is a typical example. Mr Speaker, Sir, the society regards those weak in learning and slow in learning as born losers. This is against the intention of the streaming system. Streaming is intended to help this group of students who are slow learners and to allow them to cope better in a more comfortable pace, so that they can eventually develop their potential to the fullest, in due course.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the motion standing in the name of the Member for Marine Parade GRC, Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, to thank the President for his Address at the Opening of the Tenth Parliament.. The President's Address outlines the severe tests and challenges that Singapore is facing and the Government's determination to counter such challenges. In her speech, Mrs Lim mentioned that the Presidential Address has sounded three "wake-up calls", reminding us that we must work together with the Government to overcome these difficulties. Can Singapore sustain its success stories after our pioneers have stepped down? The key to this question lies with the quality of our nationals. There is a saying in Hokkien, "A generation of centipedes, a generation of earthworms." Will the nationals of Singapore become less and less capable, turning from a generation of strong centipedes to that of some weak earthworms, or will it transform itself into a generation of robust, flying dragons? I feel that in this area, education plays a very, very important role. Education is the key to the long-term survival of our people. But promotion of education should not be confined to the Ministry of Education alone. It should be the concern of everybody. Everybody must take part in the learning process. In the Addendum to the President's Address, the Minister for Education reiterated that we must implement policies which can bring out the best potential of our students, so that they will not only be able to master the skills and knowledge, but also possess the right attitude and values. Here, I am not trying to advertise for the film "I Not Stupid". But this film has given rise to a lot of discussions and talks among our people. It emphasise the importance of education.”