Penny Low
Singapore
“These amenities will offer recreational choices and also prevent traffic congestion to the new town when it is built. Will MND look into these suggestions favourably and also work with MOT to prevent congestion?”
“Going forward, the quality of our lives will also depend on how well we can integrate knowledge with technology and creativity to find solutions with daily, social and economic concerns. What plans are there to encourage people to act responsibly, dream up new ideas and design for a better world?”
“Let us navigate the sea of change with mastery of seafaring skills, guided by the light of the stars and not by passing fancy ships. Only then can we continue to be that extraordinary little red dot the world envies; only then will we know that the future generations will continue to be world-beaters and make their families proud.”
“These considerations should be part of the MediShield Life design so that it is holistic, it incentivises the desired behaviour and it improves the overall health outcome of our Page: 122 nation.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Clarification, Sir. The Minister mentioned that MediShield premium payments can be paid for by immediate family members.”
“Mdm Speaker, there have been more reports on the increase in rodents lately and I am wondering whether NEA has done any study to discover the reason for such an increase, or is it that there is just more visibility of rodents in, especially, housing estates.”
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“It is very heartening to hear that we have a Smart Nation plan that does want to be inclusive and bring in also the interest of the marginalised. I am also wondering, on the same note, whether it is possible to include the marginalised, our disabled community, upstream. In other words, at the planning and gathering of inputs stage, but also to get some of them who are quite able despite their physical or other disabilities, to be part of the planning and designing team. The second area is, as the Minister mentioned about the barrier-free access efforts made by the various agencies, quite often, I have encountered circumstances and feedback from the disabled community that many of these barrier-free access amenities, no doubt were planned with good intentions, but when put together, may not actually work for the disabled. For example, the visually impaired has given feedback that, although you have tactiles on the ground at the MRT stations, they do not know where the tactiles are leading to the toilet or leading to another bus station. Or for the wheelchair-bound, very often, when they come down a slope, it meets all the barrier-free access specifications but it ends up with the pillar right in front and issues like these. So, whether it is possible to involve them, either upstream or even downstream where they could then be also trained as barrier-free access auditors or other such fields, especially when universal designs are concerned.”
“Madam, profit maximising markets are poor allocators of social value. Hence, as economy improves, trust and productivity deproves and social capital falls. Creating a truly inclusive society with high social capital requires commitment to action from everyone. In the UK, South Korea, US, Thailand, Hong Kong and others, governments have identified social enterprises as a driver of social capital and pledge to support social enterprises at every stage of the journey. Funds, manpower, private and public sector links are forged to support ground-up initiatives. In the case of Singapore, I think we have done some but far from enough. In fact, we are falling behind many countries that have started after us. Can the Minister give an update on the state of social enterprise development in Singapore, and also, the one-stop centre or the hub that he once thought about? The public sector can also consider assigning social value to their procurement process or even devolve public services to social enterprises, as in the case of UK where 15% of all social enterprises (SEs) started in 2011 and 2012, and some 40% of all SEs worked to deliver public goods and services. Corporates too can be good partners of SEs in helping to mentor, provide distribution channels, generate demand and supply of SE goods and services. Would MSF facilitate these bridges or better still, engage and partner SEs to play match-maker Page: 14 between the SE sector and corporates. Does MSF have a plan to quantum leap the SE sector?”
“Madam, the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games are coming to town. Competing on home ground means higher expectations and this would inadvertently put more pressure on our athletes. Many of them have competitive skills and good physique, Page: 49 but in competition where all eyes are on you, the killer app often lies in the mental toughness of the athlete. Some may call this the "killer instinct". Hence, during the preparation and during the games itself, what forms of support are we giving to our athletes and National Sporting Associations to ensure a good showing at the Games? Would free passes be given to the athletes' family so they, too, can witness and support their family members in the competition? The ASEAN Para Games will be a chance for our para athletes to do Singapore proud. Yet there remain significant barriers to sports participation for the physically challenged. How can we build on the Games to reduce these barriers and expand opportunities for more persons with disabilities to participate in sports? Going forward, how can we improve the infrastructure for people with disabilities on every Singapore street? Lastly, the Games is an excellent opportunity to showcase the humane, caring side of Singapore. Could the Ministry consider working with social enterprises, charities and not-for-profit organisations to create collaterals, memorabilia, products and services to meet the demands of the Games? I think we all have to try and work together to build an inclusive society whether it is in sports or in the provision of goods and services for our nation.”
“I hope that together, we can seriously groom a generation that will be looking to using their connected network to make a much more positive impact in the world. Youth Aspirations”
“To reverse this trend, I advocate that the Ministry funds a high-tech, high-touch system, comprising volunteer CRM, training and scheduled apps, as well as real trainers and volunteer relationship managers to help NPOs better understand and manage their volunteers. Further, it could inject celebrity young Page: 42 achievers as motivators and initiators of projects, thereby energising volunteerism. In Singapore and the world over, young people are also taking to the field of social entrepreneurship by storm, either as founders, workers or volunteers. Perhaps the Government can design volunteer through-train systems where youths can continue to participate in VWOs or social enterprises beyond their formal school years. This could take many forms. An example is where school-going youths can identify the causes they care and serve as volunteers. Meanwhile, they can also learn the ropes of how to set up such social enterprises and hone their entrepreneurial skills along the way. Sufficient resourcing could enable youths to continue to pursue their social enterprises initiatives or school projects when they graduate, thereby helping them to do good and do well. This is not just in life, but also for life. Madam, to make the world a better place, we need people to be committed to voluntarily help each other. There needs to be closer collaboration amongst schools, social impact organisations, private sector and the Government. We need all hands to be on deck, committed to groom a generation of change-makers for good. I would be happy to work with the Ministry to look into ways to increase volunteerism and youth social enterprises.”
“Mdm Chair, what do billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, swimmer Joseph Schooling, golfer Lydia Ko, youngest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai who is only 17 years old, pop stars Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber have in common? They are all teenagers or below age 30. They are formidable young achievers. They used much less time than their predecessors to top the charts. Today, over 50% of the world, or about 3.5 billion people are under the age of 30. It is the largest generation of young people the world has ever known and also the most connected generation ever. In fact, young people around the world are transforming our lives in powerful ways! Just as we honour and uphold our Pioneer Generation, to ignore the influences of the young and what they are impacting on our socio-economic and political fabric would be perilous. Many are energetic and not happy with status quo. They want to play a part in shaping our common destiny, they want to contribute to a better future and some may want to do this as a volunteer, others want to start a social business. Hence, we must build platforms that can facilitate their aspirations and guide them to become net contributors to the world. In the field of volunteerism, Youth Corp Singapore (YCS) is a step in the right direction. Can the Minister give an update on YCS and also the state of youth volunteerism in Singapore? What else is being done to engage youths in volunteerism? 1.00 pm Given the need to educate, train and review volunteer development, few Not-for-Profit Organisations (NPOs) would have the resource or time to truly develop all their volunteers. As a result, drop-out rates and one-timers are high.”
“Madam, Singapore is a well admired nation, grew out of the vision of a small population – lovingly known as the Pioneer Generation. At age 50, it is time to leverage on our jubilee, to reflect and inflect. Our economy grew steadily, and ran ahead of the growth in civic consciousness and social capital. Trust in general fell, as social tensions rose. Productivity fell while expectations rose. Given the many do-good projects that SG50 has generated, how could we leverage on our legacy and the celebrations to invest in the Singapore Soul, to ignite behavioural change, to raise civic consciousness and shape Singaporeans into a compassionate, caring and Page: 27 innovative society? Is there a strategy to pick, partner and make permanent projects that can generate mindset or cultural change in Singapore, and increase social capital or the innovation quotient of Singaporeans? Apart from financial resources, the skills of civil servants or mentors could help expand SG50 projects into national initiatives, social movements, social enterprises or commercial businesses. Does the Minister have a plan to leverage on them and facilitate and grow do-gooders as well as do-good projects? If the SG50 celebrations are to mean anything, they should be used as a platform, a springboard, from which we can shape and transform Singapore, into the home we want, for many generations to come and the Singapore we are proud of. Heritage Impact Assessment”
“Pollution makes life inhabitable. In urban cities, the sources of pollution are mainly linked to urban activities like transport and cooling, industrial, construction activities and trans-boundary. In percentage terms, how much carbon footprint are the vehicles, construction works and buildings adding to our total carbon footprint count, and how is this compared to international benchmarks? Vehicles are key domestic contributors of PM2.5. What is the Ministry doing to reduce the domestic emissions from vehicles? In particular, there appears to be more and more heavy vehicles emitting black smoke on the roads today. What is the Ministry's enforcement plan and how can this be substantially strengthened? Given the proximity of construction sites to the heartlands, especially in new towns like Punggol, are there tools and strategies in place to assess, monitor, model – including source apportionment – to improve air quality and noise pollution? Page: 126 Ill-designed buildings also sap more energy. How is the Ministry using design thinking, laws, technology, incentives and behavioural change to find sustainable solutions in Singapore? Lastly, what has the Ministry learnt from its involvement in the Kyoto Protocol and other international negotiations? What awareness-raising actions and policy support activities are there to encourage smaller companies, SMEs and consumers to go green? Air Quality”
“These amenities will offer recreational choices and also prevent traffic congestion to the new town when it is built. Will MND look into these suggestions favourably and also work with MOT to prevent congestion? Lastly, what would MND think are some factors that could have contributed to the success of Punggol New Town and what can we learn from it and replicate its success elsewhere? Housing Tribunal”
“Sir, I declare my interest in Punggol New Town as the Member of Parliament there. Minister Khaw rightly remarked that HDB builds not just Page: 145 the hardware but it is really about building the pulse and heartbeat of Singapore and I agree with him. Design and process can make a difference in shaping town culture and how residents feel towards their home. Fourteen years ago, residents were unhappy with the lack of amenities in Punggol New Town, so we organised the Punggol New Town Development Taskforce to shape Punggol together. Today, Punggol has become the first eco-town in the tropics and it is now destined to become the largest satellite town in Singapore situated along the creative and innovation corridor. Residents are now proud owners of a home with unique town features and there is a high resident-engagement level through activities and events. So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the agencies, residents and grassroots leaders for helping to steer the development of Punggol. I would like to ask the Minister for an update on the state of development for Punggol and how we can also leverage on the eco-town concept to get people to go green. In particular, how much design thinking will be incorporated upstream to build social capital, civic consciousness and desirable social behaviour? What is the Ministry's plan to continually engage residents in the design and process of building homes? In building up critical mass, how can MND also ensure that the laid-back charm of Punggol will not be compromised? I call for MND to decentralise town centres, make permanent concept parks and special features, especially along the Punggol Promenade and Sungei Serangoon, so people can enjoy the laid-back charm.”
“Going forward, the quality of our lives will also depend on how well we can integrate knowledge with technology and creativity to find solutions with daily, social and economic concerns. What plans are there to encourage people to act responsibly, dream up new ideas and design for a better world? In particular, meaningful designs can also have a great impact on how a social organisation is perceived and how a community work to address important Page: 163 issues. I have a suggestion. I wonder if MCI could consider spearheading a Design for Good festival, matching designers with social enterprises and charities to create better and more attractive products and services for social good. 3G Quality Service”
“I repeat that the growing non-profit organisations (NPOs) and social enterprise (SE) sector needs similar platforms. Each time they are told to force fit into either private sector or charity platforms, even when they neither qualify for the grants nor are the platforms the most suitable, many NPOs find it challenging to raise or justify the large upfront costs of technology. Neither can they afford to hire a technologist to integrate freeware or maintain their system. Yet, their social dividends more than justify the help they need to drive productivity and innovation. Will MCI seriously consider funding such a platform, please? Design On the third cut, design for a better world. Today, design influences people's lives and is integral to the product development process. The iconic iPhone, Vespa scooters, Levi's denim jeans, Post-it pads, Streamline staplers, safety pins are all lasting products with designs that not only look good, easy to use, solve problems but also are commercial successes. Design allows businesses to edge ahead of the competition by creating new products, services and experience. Beyond businesses, are there also new areas that design can play a key role in? The world has become complex and people are demanding more than just aesthetics. Good design has to be inclusive, sustainable and yet integrate multiple technologies successfully into social behaviours and people's lives. All with the human touch. Human-centred designs make cities more humane, attractive and certainly much more competitive, because they attract the best people and the most talented. How can Singapore and the Design Council promote design as a tool for improving the quality of architectures, environment, Public Services and, ultimately, improve life for everyone.”
“Sir, in the Twitter office, large wall screens track tweets sent in real time, so that they can break news ahead of traditional media. YouTube is now mainstream TV. WhatsApp and WeChat easily replace SMS systems. In Singapore, I heard that in a new housing estate, only 10% of the dwelling units subscribe to the paper version of the broadsheet; the rest probably got their news via TV or online. As I observe the Gen Y, it appears that their handheld devices have become their main source of information for news or peer-to-peer reviews on what is hot, what is not. In the age of smart phones and high Internet speed, information is on demand. Consumers' media consumption patterns have changed significantly. How does the Media Development Authority (MDA) intend to help the media industry strengthen its capabilities and adapt to these changing media consumption patterns? Also, how does MDA help guide consumers make the right decisions, enforce cybersecurity and avoid falling prey to online scams? ICT for Entrepreneurs My second cut, and I declare my interest as a social enterprise volunteer. Entrepreneurs drive the economy and social entrepreneurs drive social capital. In Singapore, a vibrant start-up community is taking shape nicely in both sectors. What are MCI's plans to build on this Page: 162 momentum? To succeed, entrepreneurs must make ICT integral to their business, whether to drive demand or to keep accounts. Will MCI consider building a share ICT platform to facilitate: one, the sharing of information, productivity tools, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices, demand and supply opportunities and so on; and two, big data analytics to ensure access to big picture and useful opportunities to make hay at the right time.”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State for her reply. I am wondering if the reply regarding top-ups to MediSave of the CPF account holders' accounts and using that to supplement the MediSave expenses or the medical expenses of family members as well as insurance, means that they can also use their Page: 153 own MediSave account to pay for the MediShield account of another person whether it is a sibling, a parent or a child. That is the first question. 7.00 pm The second is on the tax advantage to IPC-registered organisations. My point was really about how it would direct a lot more funds in the market to go towards IPC-registered charities. But there are many organisations that are small and too small to register for IPC. They may not be a social enterprise; they could also be a VWO but they are at the start-up stage, and they also need these fundings. For SEs that are not IPC-registered, many of them do not quite qualify for either the private sector grant or ComCare due to certain qualifying criteria. So, could the Ministry look into some of these gaps and filter them out? I am quite happy to work with Ministry for that.”
“Deputy Prime Minister Tharman has emphasised on personal and family responsibility. I agree with him. Homemakers, stay-at-home mums, singles looking after aged parents, low-income siblings and elderly may face retirement and medical savings inadequacy as they age. Currently, Medisave top-ups are not tax deductible and the $7,000 tax deductible ceiling is too low. Can these be revised to encourage families to contribute to their parents', grandparents', siblings', homemakers' and caregivers' MediSave and Special Accounts? I also declare my interest as a volunteer in the social enterprise sector. I think the Government should rethink charity in order to build a more pervasive culture of giving. Restricting incentives to IPC-registered charities only serve to direct funds to bigger charities, encourage cherry-picking, leaving equally worthy but smaller ground-up initiatives and non-IPC registered Non-Profit Organsiations (NPOs) high and dry. Many smaller Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) yield social dividends, but their financials do not justify them paying relatively huge sums to auditors. Others may be social enterprises that really want to be financially sustainable in the longer term, so did not register Page: 145 themselves as IPC. Unlike private businesses and charities, the sources of funds for non-charity registered NPOs are extremely limited. The Government is duty-bound to ensure a level-playing field to recognise help that is given to all do-gooders and not just the bigger fish in the IPC-registered charities. The fear of moral hazards can be ring-fenced with guidelines. The signal must be that the start-up culture is also welcomed in the social sector. Pioneer Generation Ambassadors' Engagement”
“Let us navigate the sea of change with mastery of seafaring skills, guided by the light of the stars and not by passing fancy ships. Only then can we continue to be that extraordinary little red dot the world envies; only then will we know that the future generations will continue to be world-beaters and make their families proud. They will look back to our Golden Jubilee and say, "Majullah Singapura!" 5.13 pm”
“I quote: Page: 104 "Any attempt to restore a man's inner strength in the camp had first to succeed in showing him some future goal." "He who has a ‘why' to live for, can bear with almost any ‘how'." "What we really needed was a fundamental change to our attitude towards life that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. Our answer must (be) in right direction and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the answer to its problems and to fulfil the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Please allow me to ask, do we know why we are here? Why do we work hard? Only when we know "why" can we recreate the pioneering, frontier mentality that gave meaning to education, skills training, lifelong learning, innovation and growth and, of course, a better tomorrow that our Pioneer Generations came for. Let me recap. I hope the Finance Minister's Jubilee package of support this year is understood in a way which the DNA of our pioneers is being passed on – investments in a better future where Singaporeans are given resources to craft a brighter path ahead for themselves, their families, businesses and the country. Without that mindset, the package can only be a perilous path to a sense of entitlement, complacency and lead to unhappy outcomes. The spirit of resilience, initiative, grit, adaptability, innovation and excellence must be what this Budget invests into. A better tomorrow is the why we are investing into. We celebrate this in every Silver Support recipient and we want to inculcate this in every SkillsFuture and Edusave account holder. It is the genetic imprint of the Pioneer Generation that we are embedding or reinforcing in them.”
“The enhanced support for innovation and internationalisation for Singapore enterprises to create jobs and maintain competitiveness and the enhanced school subsidies and lifelong learning and SkillsFuture schemes are introduced to ensure there is social mobility for all. But has the Budget gone far enough to boost our mental toughness? I think not. Perhaps, the SkillsFuture initiative could be renamed "Our Future initiative", allowing the funds to be used for accredited courses that strengthen skills, mental toughness and offer that sense of purpose that will allow us to survive in any condition. This transforming of our mindset has to undergird the big bang measures of our Jubilee Year Budget. It will make all the difference between whether these are seen as hand-outs for which there can never be enough, or a hand-up to those who already have a vision of a better tomorrow and take them as springboards to fulfil a dream, to turn an innovative idea into reality. I read with dismay calls for more money, more help, more hand-outs because the Government owes it to them, because the rich owes it to them, because we have reserves and it is time to break the piggy bank and use them or what else could they be otherwise? How can that be? There is help. There should be help. But how much is enough? It has been 70 years since the horrors of Auschwitz were uncovered. Let me cite the famous Dr Viktor Frankl, a Jewish psychologist and a prisoner-of-war in World War II. He observed that some prisoners thrived despite the dire conditions of the concentration camps and the inkling of what else might befall them. He observed that physique was no guarantee of survival but a strong, determined mindset made all the difference.”
“This is a dream come true for our Pioneer Generation. Let us recall our heritage: 50 years ago, Singapore was rejected by the Federation of Malaysia and we lost our economic hinterland. The British pulled out and more than 25% of jobs vanished overnight, the better tomorrow which immigrants sailed to Singapore for, disappeared. As we celebrate SG50, I spent time chatting and interviewing a number of Pioneer Generation members (PGs), one by one. I asked them about why they chose to stay in Singapore 50 years ago, what they did to survive and how they thought about their future then, because it must have been quite bleak. Their answers varied slightly, but some patterns emerged quickly. Some chose to stay in Singapore because they had nowhere to go, some because it would have been a loss of face to return empty-handed and others stayed quite simply because they felt settled here already. But once settled, they all steeled their minds Page: 103 to survive and prosper. Many took on two or three jobs, focused on a desire to own a roof over their heads, get their kids to schools and have the next generation do better than themselves. Each one of them took, what Member Chia Yong Yong said, personal responsibility to provide for themselves and their families. Collectively, they harboured hopes for a better future for their children and their kampungs. We prospered because of their sense of hope, hard work and perseverance. We must have the same mindset that built Singapore we know today in order to build a Singapore tomorrow. In the Finance Minister's Jubilee Year Budget, future-readying our people takes centre stage, and rightfully so.”
“Obviously, jobs may be lost, new ones Page: 102 will be created, well-being will improve. Another example, I spent time with my good friend, Ms Tan Le, who is a star in the National Geographic brain games series. Her company, Emotiv, uses big data analytics to transform the way the functioning of the brain is studied so that even the physically disabled can now move things just with their brain power. What is even more fascinating is her own life story, her journey. Tan Le was a Vietnamese refugee taken into Australia at the age of five. Her mum and granny taught her to be independent and take responsibility for her own life. She was a little bit traumatised by the deaths that she saw as she made that journey, but she steeled her mind to survive for a better tomorrow. She graduated with a law and commerce degree and went on to become a serial entrepreneur. Before long, she was named Young Australian of the Year, made it to Fast Company's Most Influential Women in Technology in 2010, Forbes' 50 names you should know in 2011 and earned a place in the "Hope" section of the Eternity Exhibition of the National Museum of Australia. How did a poor refugee girl achieve all these and all under the age of 40? Tan Le says, "It's all in the mind". What we think, we become. Looking at how she has transformed her destiny so successfully and across so many different fields, it is clear that the best adaptive system is based on the adaptability of people. It is all in the mind. These examples made clear that the killer app to survive and thrive in the fast-changing future is not found in a "thing", it is not found in "money", it is not found in Government schemes, but in people with the right mindset. Closer to home, we celebrate our Jubilee year with pride and gusto.”
“When I went to visit the offices, it was clear to me that the offices were designed as places where the brightest gather, exchange ideas, innovate, collaborate but, most importantly, nurture the belief that the power to create the future is in their hands. Not the hands of the government, not the hands of someone else. This is the opposite of a dependency or entitlement mindset; the opposite of a complaint and grumble culture that saps energy. Many purposeful and gungho people, Singaporeans included amongst them, are dreaming up disruptive innovations for the common good, some of which will, no doubt, become a commercial success. To cite one example, I think of Scanadu, set up by a couple, Sam and Walter, in Palo Alto in 2011 to build up what until then was the fictional Star Trek tricorder – a multi-function hand-held device used for medical sensor scanning, data analysis and data recording. They did this because when their five-year-old son tragically fell 40 feet and lapsed into a coma, they learned that none of their son's various health data could be consolidated for collective analysis. Their company motto? "We are the last generation to know so little about our health". Scanadu crowdfunded US$2.25 million from 8,800 backers in more than 100 countries through the website "Indiegogo". Then, they went on to raise $20 million in total, counting Yahoo's Jerry Yang amongst its funders. I was told that there was a Singapore company that also funded them. They shipped their first consumer medical device just last month. When I tested it when I was there, it measured all my vital signs in less than 10 seconds, just by putting it to my temple. Very simple. If successful, cumbersome hospital lab tests and long waiting times will be a thing of the past.”
“Just to spur a bit of imagination, let us imagine a world where computers are no longer a device that we carry around, but embedded into wearable technology and flexi screens, aviators and intelligent homes which share information seamlessly in augmented reality to help us make efficient decisions. Consumer medical devices perform diagnostics and monitoring and, when combined with information about our own personal genomes, people can take greater charge of managing their health and improving their life expectancy. Page: 101 Renewable energy could reach grid parity and food could be grown vertically in an urban landscape. In this future world, borders are blurred, systems are complex and everyone is inter-connected. What will be needed is a system change and not just piecemeal catch-ups. State regulations will need to be redesigned to ensure there is no dysfunctional, unfair and unethical use of these technological innovations and systems. This is perhaps the essence of the Finance Minister's dream and possible nightmare. Ironically, as society prospers, citizens expect more from the Government. Will this mindset erode our competitiveness and resilience? So, how will governments cope as citizen-customers demand more from them, 24/7? Or will Singaporeans be on the cutting edge of these changes and the Government more properly finds itself in the role of regulator and facilitator? What is our collective mindset that we have today in Singapore? In a recent trip to Silicon Valley and San Francisco, I looked into the face of the future, thanks to a connected network which put together visits to 10 interesting companies that imbibed the power of a "we can do" collaborative mindset of the people who are building that future.”
“He knows, however, that this sweet dream can turn into a nightmare if he does not take care of the manpower and cost challenges that might come from a straitened labour market. So, he continues with the transition support packages, employment credit and does not raise foreign worker levies for now. However, the biggest threat to his sweet dream is the demographic monster. Hence, he sets aside huge funds for the Silver Support Scheme, to enhance CPF savings, promote employment of seniors. Meanwhile, CPF LIFE and Medishield Life also provide social risk-pooling to cover basic retirement and healthcare needs respectively. It should be patently clear that as citizens and businesses put in their share, the Government multiplies it through such schemes – that there is a shared responsibility to safeguard our future. All things being equal, Singapore should hum along in the next few years. The real excitement, therefore, lies in the Finance Minister's second dream about what Singapore might be in the next decade and beyond. In fact, it is also a question of what Singapore could be and want to be. In Singapore Tomorrow, the global technological revolution has not only changed the way we do things, but it has also changed the way we live, our relationship with each other and, of course, the role of the Government. Today, the mobile phones have made landlines obsolete. A five-year-old car sharing service, Uber, is valued at a whopping S$55.5 billion. But this is only a start. For tomorrow, the sharing economy will be in full bloom. And the quantum leaps in infocomm and bio technology, and quickened financial velocity and human migration will mean that the world is in a constant flux of super-fast and super-connected change.”
“Mdm Speaker, what prices a Budget? To me, the answer must be what it makes of a nation. I wish to direct my comments not at the fine details of Budget 2015 but at the strategic issues that it raises. I will hazard a guess at what keeps the Finance Minister awake at night as he crafted the Budget. He might have had two dreams – the first about Singapore today and, the second, Singapore tomorrow; both of which can turn into nightmares if we do not get our fundamentals – our value system and, as Mr Lim Swee Say said, our mindset – right. Mdm Speaker, in doing this, I rise to support the Budget statement with some important caveats so that Singapore remains a place where dreams can come true for many generations to come. In his first dream, the Finance Minister knows of Singapore today where most people have a roof over their heads, jobs chasing them and food on the table when the economy is growing at a developed country rate of 2% to 3%. He mitigates some gaps in socio-economic development via fiscal plugs, to ensure that everyone from the bottom up shares in Singapore's success. Even the sandwiched generation and the middle class are helped so that the working adults feel less of a pinch as they take care of their parents and kids. Page: 100 What he knows is that with this judicious use of targeted redistributive measures to level up the bottom, as well as increased investment in broad-based human development through education and skills training, businesses in Singapore, too, should find workers who can add value, create value and will be worth a higher wage. This is important as the best form of welfare and enhanced social mobility is a good job and career for our citizens.”
“Just a further clarification on that. I do not mean just from the Medisave account but also cash top-ups, whether they could also be given some form of tax exemption, like the case of topping up for parental CPF accounts.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Clarification, Sir. The Minister mentioned that MediShield premium payments can be paid for by immediate family members. I laud that, but my question was whether it will allow siblings, the more well-to-do siblings, to pay for the less well-to-do siblings and also whether multiple account payees could contribute to one single account. Obviously, that would be up to a certain ceiling per year.”
“These considerations should be part of the MediShield Life design so that it is holistic, it incentivises the desired behaviour and it improves the overall health outcome of our Page: 122 nation. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am assured that our healthcare future is in good hands – so long as we all understand our collective responsibility to look out for each other, so long as we take personal responsibility in prevention and cure and so long as we continue to elect a capable and responsible Government – who has a compassionate heart with a level-headed and informed view of Singaporeans' longer-term needs. Sir, I support the Bill. 5.51 pm”
“And they do it en masse naturally. There was no particular campaign whatsoever at activity centres. It is just that everyone is encouraged to come out and exercise and keep healthy. It is quite a scene. I think it is something that we can learn from and adapt it to our own environment. Apart from giving the body a workout, such community groups offer the friendship, the sense of belonging and mutual emotional support that are critical to our psychological health. Often, it makes a big difference when a person has a sense of hope and knows that he or she is not facing the illness or a physical condition alone. Therefore, I advocate the setting up of a health endowment fund, something which I mentioned in the last speech, and more aggressive programmes alongside MediShield Life reforms to encourage healthy living habits, build physical and psychological health and redesign our environment, or take advantage of our connected parkways, to focus on prevention rather than cure. Nobody wants to pay extra premiums to cover the irresponsible guy who does not bother about his health, so we need to get everyone in on this movement. Reward the role models who could be our ordinary men and women in the heartlands, who live healthy and advocate it to their family members and neighbours. We should incentivise peer-to-peer influence and facilitate community platforms – which is critical for cultivating healthy habits and passing on factual health tips and, in doing so, also help us build up a social capital that in turn gives people a stronger sense of security and positively impact on their health.”
“Health professionals should be incentivised to return to high touch, not just high tech. Transactional relationships exert a toll on the healthcare system as patients suffer anxiety or uncertainties which could have been answered with just a few more minutes of question-and-answer (Q&A). Redesign the healthcare professionals' rewards system so that the "care" is put back in "healthcare". I do not know if Shaman has real divine powers, but it is clear that by putting the patient in the centre and giving time to the treatment exerts a positive psychological or placebo effect that sometimes result in unexplained cure. The point is, spending more time with a Page: 121 patient helps, especially after hours and months of waiting for medical consultation. Second, personal responsibility. Our health is ours and so is the cost. Besides consuming healthcare responsibly, we should also take care of our own personal health – something which only we ourselves can do for ourselves. This involves mindset and behavioural changes – starting from our diet to lifestyle habits. More greens, less processed foods and less binging, healthy doses of regular exercises can help keep the doctor away. If it is hard to exercise alone at home, join exercise groups with certified instructors at every heartland. In my constituency, Punggol North, there are at least 20 of such groups embracing various forms of morning exercises every day and these are complimented by all different types of exercises in the evenings and on weekends. Recently, I led a parliamentary delegation to Ecuador. I was very impressed to see that in Quito, the capital city, every Sunday, popular streets are closed and extensive areas are designated to encourage residents to jog, cycle and work out.”
“MediShield Life cannot be a stand-alone scheme. Hence, together with other health reforms, questions like how it will change consumer health consumption behaviour should be asked. For example, how will the subsidies and coverage influence people's utilisation of health services? Will it reinforce inappropriate patterns of healthcare? For example, will it favour provision of high-tech, doctor-centred, hospital-oriented care and undermine the provision of preventive care? Corollary, how will it incentivise the productivity and behaviour of providers? Third-party reimbursement systems may suffer the moral hazards of excessive or inappropriate consumption and high administrative costs. Therefore, upstream design thinking should be translated into operational budgets, financial plans, monitor and evaluation systems. Extensive links with major stakeholders – employers, providers, government, support groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and so on, should also be roped in to ensure that the final health outcome is an improved one. Efforts should also be put into developing feasible networks to share health financing evidence, best practices, information, knowledge and comparative experiences. Of course, in the market, I think there are some valid concerns about data privacy – who gets to access them, how will it be used and how will it be properly protected. Apart from hefty fines, it will also be important for the Government to highlight the safeguards in place to prevent any abuse or hacking activity. Downstream, collective responsibility is key. Unless we expect the Government to tighten claim restrictions when the time comes, we all have a part to play and we are in it together. Healthcare should be people-centric. First, professional responsibility.”
“I am heartened by that, but at the same time, I am going to suggest that perhaps, we could also try crowdsourcing video clips made by those who are concerned with it and those who have video or storytelling abilities, so that on one hand, they learn about it with their team and on the other hand, they are able to produce short watchable clips that will educate the public. And perhaps also set up interactive websites that feature case studies and financial calculators as well as brochures and leaflets that can be made available at public places like shopping centres, hawker centres, community clubs, clinics and hospitals. The truth is that for many people, they do not quite care about the details of insurance policies until disaster strikes. Hence, making these resources available permanently will help to alleviate any misconception of the scheme on an ongoing basis. Above all, the messages should be clear. To the older Singaporeans, they should have the assurance that they will be taken care of in their old age, although they should be encouraged to continue to live a healthy lifestyle. To the younger generation, there is personal and collective responsibility in keeping future premiums low; that means maintain healthy lifestyle, do not abuse the healthcare system and still there is a need to put aside more for common illnesses, deductibles and co-insurance. The third criterion is whether the Scheme improves the health status of the population, or simply put what is the final health outcome? Ultimately, the litmus test will be how and whether it improves the outcome of the population's health and our health system, how it Page: 120 aligns with the objectives of our overall national health system and how it keeps costs down.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, while self-help is pivotal, intra-family help should also be encouraged and facilitated. Cash top-ups and contributions to siblings, parents, grandparents and children's Medisave account should be made tax-deductible and this should be allowed for multiple account contributors simultaneously, and obviously also up to a certain ceiling. This would be in line with IRAS' recent amendment of the Parental Relief policy. By doing so, it not only ensures that those doing better can help those who are doing Page: 119 less well, it also strengthens the concept of a family being the basic unit of society and build a strong sense of collective responsibility and social capital. If successfully implemented, MediShield Life will anchor itself on a pre-funding and pre-payment scheme, with increased risk pooling and risk protection. This would mean for those who desire more comprehensive protection, various riders could be offered as an option. Here, I repeat my call to do a lot more to encourage all employers to cover their staff through MediShield Life. A second big area in evaluating a scheme is whether the scheme is efficient, effective and responsive in serving the people. I think any system, no matter how well-designed, will falter unless it is well communicated. Despite the advertisements and Government announcements, many are still unclear about what MediShield Life covers and some even question if they would ever use it. There is an urgent need for effective public communication to explain the nature and benefits of MediShield Life. I hear Senior Minister of State Dr Khor's assurance about roadshows and the various publicity plans that are in place.”
“But there still remains quite a number of questions on people's minds, in particular, the long-term sustainability of the scheme. How do we cope with the rapid technological advancement that escalates costs of detection and early treatment? What happens when someone defaults on the payment? I hear some of the assurances given by the Minister of State but what are the definitive criteria and system in place to ensure that premiums are collected, and we weed out the irresponsible and free riders? How do we ensure, at the same time, that the needy are objectively and adequately taken care of? And, in addition, how much premiums will we have to pay over a lifetime? Is the amount in Medisave sufficient to cover these premiums? Is there a "minimum sum" we need to set aside by retirement age to ensure that we have enough to cover premiums during our retirement? Otherwise, is there a risk that we may use up our Medisave on deductibles or outpatient or Integrated Shield Plans and so on, thereby leaving insufficient funds for MediShield premiums in retirement or even before retirement? I think more information on the overall costs and financing should be made available so that the man on the street understands the impact of health financing in their lifetime and the need to save more for the long term. Perhaps, MOH can help to improve financial literacy on health costs, help people to understand what is covered, what they need to be responsible for and what options they have to supplement their coverage and how the healthcare system is funded, for example, how many percentage is funded from taxes, from MediShield, from Medisave, so that there is transparency and sufficient knowledge to help people to budget and plan.”
“By doing so, the increased risk pooling and risk protection, along with adequate social protection mechanisms like financial assistance that target subsidies to the low-income and the disadvantaged will ensure that no one is left behind. Two, it is universal. Universal coverage should be lauded. I hear Minister of State Dr Lam and Senior Minister of State Dr Khor's explanations about the lien on sub-standard life, but I would like to appeal for more information and greater compassion. Many people with pre-existing illnesses tend to be from an older age group and because they cannot work full-time, many are also from the lower-income group living in smaller or rental flats. The 30% lien for 10 years can be a burden for them. In the spirit of mutual help, may I ask the Ministry how much would this cost per insured, if spread amongst the entire risk pool, or if absorbed Page: 118 by the Government? I think we can be more compassionate in this instance. The third feature is that there are lower out-of-pocket expenses. Sudden bad health gives no notice. Hence, the shift in financing from post-payment to pre-funding and pre-payment will ensure that people do not need to worry about treatment and financing simultaneously, which can be disastrous. Many of our hardy Pioneers and elderly hid their bodily pains and health conditions from their children and refused treatment because they do not want to burden their family. This is not right. Our elderly have contributed to Singapore and deserve the best care in their old age. We need to take care of them. With MediShield Life and pre-payment, financial barriers are reduced. They will receive proper treatment while the ethos of saving for a rainy day is also being reinforced.”
“Sir, I rise in support of the Bill on MediShield Life. As per my previous speech during the debate on MediShield Life, this Scheme is not just about dollars and cents, but it is about our people and it is also about our social ethos. It is only when we put people in the centre of this $4 billion proposal, that the "why" we advocate MediShield Life becomes clear. The "why" is always because we want every fellow Singaporean and citizen to live with a sense of dignity and self-worth and to inculcate the value of self-help and mutual help along with the virtues of saving for rainy days, or 未雨绸缪. And this is, in fact, what makes Singapore. The MediShield Life is merely the "what" and "how" we do it. Therefore, this speech should be read with reference to my previous speech. For today, I will focus on the mechanism or the "what" of this Bill. First, however, I recognise that this is a very complex scheme with many considerations, and it is quite a feat to pull it through within such a short timeframe. Once again, I would like to congratulate the team behind it, from the Minister to the Permanent Secretary, the MOH team and the committees behind it – well done! Ultimately, whether it is a good scheme or not depends on a few factors. First, is the scheme fair? Does it have financial equity? Is it sustainable in the long term? There are three features of the Scheme that stand out. The first is that it is automatic. Everyone is automatically included – no additional paper will be required. In other words, no Singaporean or permanent resident (PR) is left behind because they are ill-informed, illiterate or poor.”
“Mdm Speaker, there have been more reports on the increase in rodents lately and I am wondering whether NEA has done any study to discover the reason for such an increase, or is it that there is just more visibility of rodents in, especially, housing estates. Apart from rodents, there have also been quite a lot of reports about pigeon nuisance, especially roosting in HDB flats. Could NEA also take more stringent actions, especially on feeding, so that the issue does not multiply to affect all the other residents living the housing estates?”
“A quick follow-up question. I am heartened to hear that there are work support schemes for the patients. But what about the employers and their colleagues? Quite often, the environment will become too stressful because people do not quite understand how they function and what works for them. So, whether there are also schemes in place to help employers and their colleagues understand how to deal with such a patient.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker. A supplementary question, please. For the low-risk patients who have been discharged, ultimately, I think the aim must be to integrate them not just back into the community but also into the workplace. Are there also work integration programmes and counselling and such sessions that have been designed to guide them through and also guide their colleagues and employers so that they could more successfully integrate back into the workplace?”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker. The Minister has mentioned that the Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) is another additional option for people to save. I agree with that. My question is that while the SRS is not taxable, the annuity payout from the SRS is taxable. Why is that so? Can we improve it so that we can encourage more people to save into SRS and then also to boost their retirement income Page: 28 through annuity?”
“No, it has not excluded any citizens or PRs or those with pre-existing illnesses and, no, this House, this nation, has not been split over an inclusive basic national health insurance scheme for our Page: 100 people. In fact, these "Nos" are the reasons why it is remarkable. It speaks of Singapore as a united nation with a long-term vision, and Singaporeans as a compassionate, sensible people. This is why I love Singapore. And this is why I am proud to be a Singaporean! Mr Deputy Speaker, a healthier nation is a stronger nation. I support the MediShield Life White Paper and, once again, congratulate the team that put it into order. 6.21 pm”
“That must be left to personal choice and responsibility. What MediShield Life does is to provide good affordable basic care – another form of social safety net that Singapore can be proud of in years to come. Through it, our citizens' immediate concerns are dealt with in a way that keeps an eye on longer term considerations. Lastly, any good news is not good enough, unless well spread and well understood. As is the case with many Government policies, schemes could be complex and further complicated by naysayers. I hope the Minister would consider setting aside resources to communicate the scheme into the hearts of the heartlands, in as many ways as possible and reaching as many segments of the population as possible. MOH can consider having community ambassadors, that is, real people, to spread the good news, peer-to-peer or via information counters, apart from audio-visual or print aids. The media and employers should also be engaged. Mr Deputy Speaker, healthcare cost is like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode if we do not take care. But we must remember that, ultimately, this debate is not about dollars and cents, perhaps it is not even really about healthcare or healthcare cost, but it is a debate about our people, about our social ethos, as I have discussed. I would like to register that the MediShield Life White Paper and the response to it so far have been remarkable. No, there has not been as fierce debate as experienced in countries that are wealthy and as democratic as the US. No, it has not even taken as long as it took in countries that clamour healthcare rights as basic human rights.”
“However, my heart is also with the smaller firms, VWOs and NPOs, who may or may not be able to afford the increase in employer contributions to Singaporeans' CPF funds. Given the tight labour market, many are already having difficulties attracting talents into their organisations. Will this move unwittingly lower their competitiveness in attracting talents? Is there support for this even as we hope employers will play their part to ensure they have healthy workers? MediShield Life is a portable medical insurance plan. Do not leave home without it. The Basic and Integrated Shield Plans should be positioned as the default portable medical insurance plan for all. This beats the current system where companies take up private Page: 99 insurance plans that are not portable, and employees are vulnerable to exclusions and uninsurability whenever they switch jobs. Both are expensive options. We should do a lot more to encourage all organisations to cover their staff through MediShield Life, which is a win-win for all. Get them to pay the premium. However, we must not confuse this with an all-inclusive scheme. To keep premium affordable and guard against irresponsible healthcare consumption, the co-insurance and deductibles portion are important, but it is clear from the public's initial response that this has not been as well understood. Third parties will have to stand up and offer their dispassionate analysis. If successfully implemented, MediShield Life will anchor on a pre-funding and pre-payment scheme, with increased risk-pooling and risk-protection. This would also mean that for those who desire more comprehensive protection, or a better class of service and beds, Integrated Plans and various riders can be their options.”
“There should also be a social stigma imposed on those who check family members into hospitals during festive seasons and holiday seasons because it is thought that this is the best way to take care of the weak and where the family needs to go away for a break. When the MediShield Life kicks in, practices like these should be frowned upon and not allowed to become a habit or a norm. I advocate also the setting up of a Health Endowment Fund – whatever name you may give it – alongside MediShield Life reforms to encourage healthy living habits, focusing on prevention rather than cure. It should fund incentives for health promotion, holistic care and regular health screening. What gets measured, gets done. Right focus, right results. Wrong focus, and we may be debating the affordability of the MediShield Life 20 years or, maybe, just 10 years from now. So, overall, is MediShield Life better than the current MediShield scheme? It is an affirmative yes! If done well, it will be better than many national insurance schemes in the world. Why? There are at least two other additional reasons for this – first, the automatic inclusion feature, so no one is left behind, and second, its affordability. Patients will now pay less, and worry less, and the premiums can be covered by a mandatory 1% increase in employer contributions to the CPF scheme. Perhaps, Medisave Minimum Sum could be reviewed to keep up with the times. The initiative by PSC to increase Medisave contribution by 2% and imposing a $50 per month floor or contribution floor for lower wage workers is laudable. This will help individuals fund MediShield Life.”
“Our current healthcare system boasts of the use of latest healthcare technology. Yet, little is spent on R&D on patient care and emotion care that are one of the most critical components of healthcare. Perhaps, emotion care is not measured in the healthcare KPI, or, put simply, it does not pay to see patients for, say, an extra five to 10 minutes, then it is the case today. Yet, I think that a great deal of the psychological effect of a doctor's explaining medical conditions and setting a patient's mind at ease probably reduces anxiety that can manifest itself in many physical symptoms which necessitate more medical interventions. The healthcare system's reward system must be augmented and geared towards putting the care back into health. We must optimise the slighter increase in patient-centric time cost for that which is far better than the larger medical bills that we would otherwise be paying. By "we", I also refer to each and every one of us who will be insured. Our health is ours and so is the cost at the end of the day. If they do, they will also see the shared responsibility and personal benefit of taking care of their own health, their dietary choices, their lifestyle, their interests in well-being and also just being informed about the basics of living well and Page: 98 living healthy. This is where you find interesting shared interest between agencies like MOH, HPB, Sports Singapore, NParks, People's Association and so on. I suggest that, perhaps, they could work more closely together to foster a sporting lifestyle, community-based recreational activities and healthcare awareness classes. After all, "health is wealth" is the new mantra.”
“This risk is increased in an ageing society and when there is an unexpected epidemic. Having premiums or claim items reviewed in an ad hoc manner will heighten uncertainty and lower public trust. The system requires an institutionalised way in which premiums and what is covered by the MediShield Life scheme are regularly reviewed. A Page: 97 national panel should be able to access all the necessary data on claims experience, on financial resources, as well as the data on health outcome and the best of actuarial projections, to establish if little tweaks will need to be done to update the scheme and ensure its sustainability. Of course, expanding claimable items or limits at low cost to the insured is always welcomed. Of course, if accessibility and affordability can be improved and yet the system proves to be fiscally sustainable, that would also be ideal. We need to find innovative ways to fund and run it. It will also have to keep the faith with policyholders so that there cannot be major shifts in what is claimable. Hopefully, that would also provide guidelines on what the Government can do or respond to. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the sustainability of the scheme, which is very much dependent on the claims experience, will also hinge on the idea of "shared responsibility", which is the third principle. The claims experience of MediShield Life depends a lot on what we do in our daily lives. Many Members in this House have spoken about it in various forms. By "we", I mean all those in the healthcare profession who prescribe the treatment, diagnostics and drugs. They will need to be more firmly moving towards practising patient-centric medicine, spend more time with the patient, rather than getting patients to spend more time with machines or consuming more drugs.”
“I appeal, on behalf of those with pre-existing illnesses – consider a level premium charged according to age, rather than current health condition. Strengthen the proposal for the sake of inclusiveness. The second principle is "sustainability". If Medishield Life is good, we need to ensure that it will last. We should commend MOF and MOH for setting aside a $4 billion fund that will take care of all transitional subsidies and execution costs for the next five years, and designing a scheme that has claim limits and deductibles to prevent the infamous buffet syndrome, as well as a scheme that entertains no inter-generational premium transfers, so we do not unwittingly deprive our children of their own healthcare and living needs. Remember that whatever we do, the eyes of the future will look back at us, either in praise or in bewilderment. Premium prices and Shield fund adequacy depend primarily on three factors: the administrative costs, the returns on investment and claims experience. On the first two, I will entrust our civil servants and many in the profession to optimise the workings of this scheme. What would be helpful, however, would be yearly public reports on how the administrative costs are managed and whether the funds are prudently invested, as well as transparency on fund use. Suggestions on best practices on admin and ops, innovations, the nation's health report and so on can also be included in such reports. The third factor is the claims experience. This is the wild card in the MediShield Life equation. If total claims go up, funds go down unless investment returns make up for that. Beyond a certain threshold, premiums will have to be increased, or the scheme runs the risk of bankruptcy.”
“Last Saturday, at a Ramadan welfare pack distribution at my ward, Punggol North, I met a middle-age man – let us call him Mr Jaya. He had some facial abnormality. Curious, I asked him about it. He explained that cancer has not only caused a dent on his visage, but also on his finances; the need for continuous treatment drove him and his family from a 4-room flat to a 1-room rental flat. He was grateful to HDB for the low $56 per month rental flat and you see how important an institution that is, but laments that even if he recovers, he will have no means to cope with a relapse or any illness, as no insurer would cover him up till now. His illness has deprived him of a full-time job and he lives from hand to mouth. When I told him about the "for life, for all" universal coverage of MediShield Life, he stood in disbelief. I could see tears in his eyes for the renewed hope he now feels. This is also why I have an opinion about the 10-year 30% lien, or additional premium, imposed on people with pre-existing illnesses and how to improve the inclusiveness aspect of this new system. Page: 96 Make no mistake – the inclusion of pre-existing illnesses is a huge relief, and the 75% Government subsidy is already generous. But why not go all the way, and help those who are already ill and have paid the price of their illnesses all these years? Their savings are depleted and many are constrained in terms of their employment choices, prospects and earning capacity. Is it possible for the Minister to discuss whether it is worth collecting 30% additional premium for 10 years? Why is it an imperative? Or can we waive this 10-year 30% lien altogether? This is not only a more impactful way of helping the disadvantaged, but also a way of levelling the playing field for them.”
“First of all, inclusiveness. Auntie Tan lived a hard life. After the war, she quit school to work as a dog rearer for a British family and a part-time washerwoman. Eventually, she started a small business and a family. When ill, she turned to home remedies to save her Page: 95 every cent for her children's education. Insurance never crossed her mind as it costs money. When she eventually thought about it in her 60s, it did not work for her because of pre-existing illnesses and exorbitant premiums. A few years ago, she experienced numbness on her face and dizziness, dared not tell her family because she did not want to be a financial burden to them and just prayed the condition would go away. Sometimes, she even secretly hoped for a massive heart attack as the cheapest way to go. She did not get her wish. Unfortunately, she suffered a stroke and is now partially paralysed. The doctor said early detection and treatment could have prevented the stroke and its extending costs. With MediShield Life in place, others like Auntie Tan can enjoy a different outcome and she will enjoy a different outcome. Many people of Auntie Tan's vintage worked hard, scrimped and saved for their families and their children's future. They were selfless. And now, if we are agreeing in 2014 that they most certainly do not have to face the cost of health in their golden years on their own or rely only on their family, then Singaporeans and PRs who are eligible in this scheme will share this responsibility. If it was their collective hard work that has given us the Singapore today, then it is our collective responsibility to look after them – even if it means paying a little more per person for life.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, 11 years ago, I rose in this House to speak about reforming our MediShield scheme. Since then, I have repeated the desire for a bolder MediShield system with lifelong coverage and coverage over a wider range of needs. It is clear that the Government is responsive and, today, I celebrate with many in and outside of this House the good news about MediShield Life. As a Chartered Life Underwriter, I felt a little humbled by Dr Janil's knowledge of it, I am keenly aware of the complex web of demands and costs associated with medical insurance plans; the meticulous underwriting and moral suasion these depend on; the generous funding and a responsible government action required to bring something like MediShield Life into fruition and make it sustainable. The Government's policies have become more inclusive, yet it does not take short cuts or the easy way out, to ensure that the good stuff that people want and need will still be available to every citizen, decades on. For its efforts, the team at MOH and Minister for Health, Mr Gan Kim Yong, as well as the citizen-led MediShield Life Committee under Mr Bobby Chin, should be applauded. In this speech, I would like to emphasise important guiding principles in designing the finer details of MediShield Life to ensure that the benefits do, indeed, last many lifetimes. The scheme cannot be a flash in the pan that dries out even before a child born today reaches her working years. These should be principles that Singaporeans themselves adopt in assessing proposed schemes that others might entice them with, whether in coffee shops or cyber cafes. The three guiding principles are Inclusiveness, Sustainability and Shared Responsibility. Let me discuss them with my suggestions in relation to each.”
“That is the Singapore Spirit. Madam, let me borrow a story from the former Head of Civil Service, Mr Lim Siong Guan's new book titled, "The Leader, The Teacher and You", to make a few quick points but important points about the Singapore Spirit that we must keep burning bright and then offer my suggestions for the way forward. Mr Lim titled the story "Believe that there is a better way". And this is how the story goes. Page: 54 A blind boy sat with his hat by his feet. He held up a sign that said, "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in that hat. A man was walking by; dropped a few coins in the hat. He then took the sign, wrote a few words and put the sign back so everyone who was walking past could see it. Soon, the hat began to fill up. That afternoon, the man who changed the sign came back. The boy recognised his footsteps and asked: "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?" The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." Same same but different. What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it." Both signs said the same thing but the second sign told people how lucky they were not to be blind. It was not just about someone else now – it was not just about the blind boy but it was about the passers-by and their own lives.”