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.”
The complete record
Every one of 773 lines we hold for Penny Low, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 13 of 16.
“Ling in my office here last month when she was here for a public lecture. And of course, we talked about Tanya Liu. She told me how Tanya's sheer determination and strong family support, and of course combined with good clinical care, contributed to her recovery. But she was never brain-dead. She was only in coma. Yesterday, Dr Lily Neo talked about an European case, 18 years in coma, suddenly woke up. I was not aware of that European incident. But that incident probably inspired a popular Hong Kong TV drama which is currently being screened by Channel U, Hun Qian Hun Hou, "The Awakening Story". It is about a woman who was unconscious for 16 years and suddenly woke up. The trouble is that, during the 16 years, the husband had a girlfriend. So you can imagine: big complications. My wife is hooked to this nightly drama, every night at 9.00 pm. As husband and wife should do things together, I too end up following the poor woman's emotional ups and downs. But, again, this fictitious character was in coma. She was not brain dead. Given all these sensational news reports and popular TV drama, it is not surprising that lay persons should be confused. Some would harbour doubts about what really constitutes death. Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Mr Iswaran and Mr Gan Kim Yong therefore rightly urged that I give a clear, unambiguous explanation on brain death and, preferably, in simple layman's terms. "Brain death" means that all functions of the brain have stopped and stopped permanently. So it is not quite like what Miss Penny Low tried to explain just now that there are certain brain activities still happening. The loss of capacity to function is permanent, it is irreversible. There is irreversible loss of the capacity for consciousness.”
“But I urge the Government to review both the prescribed tests for brain death and the medical procedures for organ transplant from brain dead bodies. The Acting Minister for Health (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Mr Speaker, Sir, let me first thank the 22 Members who have spoken on this Bill. Among the speakers were two veterans in this House who also spoke on HOTA in 1987: Mr Chiam See Tong and Dr Tan Cheng Bock. I checked the Hansard proceedings of that session. Both of them were consistent in their comments and they remain strong supporters of HOTA all these years, as a way to save lives. I am cheered by the strong support given by all the Members for this Bill. [Mdm Deputy Speaker (Mrs Lim Hwee Hua) in the Chair] 4.38 pm I have listened carefully to all the speeches. I soaked in all your concerns and reflected on them last night. And this morning, I went through the media reports to make sure that I did not miss out on any point. Let me now respond to each of these points. It will take a while but I hope you will bear with me. Let me begin with the most talked about issue, which is brain death. Most Members have expressed concern on this, even though it has been legislated 17 years ago. For example, Dr Lily Neo asked if the care for the patients, who are potential organ donors, would be compromised. She asked: would their organs be removed prematurely? Mr Gan Kim Yong asked if a brain dead patient would suddenly wake up from brain death. In similar vein, Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked if brain death, in all instances, constitutes death. She and Mr Chiam mentioned the recent case of Ms Tanya Liu, a popular Taiwanese newscaster, who was apparently saved from "brain death" by Prof. Ling Fung of Beijing. But it was an unfortunate misreporting by the media. I met Prof.”
“Even if a body is brain dead (and I mean cessation of all brain functions, as defined in our Interpretation Act), many sections of the public will still expect that the brain dead body be allowed to "shut down" its bodily functions, so to speak, before the harvesting begins. We treat a motorcar with more respect. Its engine is switched off and there is more than enough time for it to cool down before its parts are cannibalised at the scrap yard. We keep one minute of silence - out of respect in memory of the dead. Perhaps, we can also spare a few minutes of "shut down" time - out of respect for the body of the dead. These few minutes, as my colleague, Dr Ong Seh Hong, has pointed out, is an important ritual not just for the dead, but also for those alive. It is the crucial few minutes which allow the loved ones to grieve, bid farewell and do the necessary rituals to send the dead to another world. Whether it is social, religious or even psychological, any anthropologists and sociologists worth their salt will tell us that it is amongst one of the most important rites of passage in human history, and has great significance to those alive. The advance of medical science should not be achieved at the expense of our human dignity. Literature in US suggests that there are medical procedures which can help preserve human organs during what is called the "warm ischemia" time. The advance of medical science should help us maintain our human dignity. With the emphasis on the biomedic and life sciences in Singapore, and in our quest to be a regional medical hub, we must be in the lead in such issues in order to be in the league. All said, HOTA is about saving lives, and I support the Bill.”
“These standards have been accepted worldwide. But a survey of these standards indicated that they test the physiological response of the body (such as its pupils and respiratory functions) to determine whether there is any sign of brain activity. The question is this: are these tests prescribed some 20 years ago still adequate? Does the cessation of these few brain functions mean the cessation of all brain functions? In Singapore, the prescribed tests for brain death set out in our Interpretation Regulations in 1998 were lifted from our old Rule 3 of HOTA 1987. Both were based on the brain function tests developed in the US, 20 years ago. The pertinent question is: have there been no new advances, medical breakthroughs, or change in medical consensus since then? I understand that Singapore doctors use EEG and other confirmatory tests to determine brain death. I urge the Government to review the prescribed tests for brain death to keep pace with the medical practice in Singapore. Apart from the prescribed tests for brain death in Singapore, I also urge the Government to review the medical procedure in organ transplant from brain dead bodies. Literature from the US, UK and Australia shows that brain dead bodies are maintained on life support systems up to, and perhaps throughout, the harvesting and organ transplant procedure. This practice keeps their organs in optimum condition for transplants. The brain dead body is not allowed to shut down its bodily functions naturally. Hence, the "torso jerks" and "arms and legs flail about" as described by some doctors in the UK and Australia. I believe that many sections of the public will find this practice distasteful.”
“Instead, its heart beat quickens and its "torso jerks" and "arms and legs flail about". When I looked up the Internet for related reports, amongst others, a British anaesthetist, who also appeared in the Guardian newspaper dated 19th August 2000, was quoted as saying that anaesthesia is usually required for organ transplant from a brain dead body because, let me quote, "if you don't give anything at all, the patient will start moving and wriggling around and it's impossible to do the operation. The surgeon always asked us [meaning the anaesthetist] to paralyse the patient." The foregoing is an example of literature on the Internet or otherwise, available to our Singapore public. Such literature certainly generates unease amongst the potential donor public. Hence, I advocate that we must have more public discussions and awareness of this literature, (ii) upgrade our laws and procedure, where necessary, and (iii) differentiate our local practice from that in other countries (particularly that of the UK and Australia) wherever possible so as to dispel public unease. As a first step, perhaps, we can try to understand the current state of affairs in UK and Australia. The UK legislation defines brain death to be the cessation of brain stem functions. This definition is less stringent than that in our own Interpretation Act (section 2A). We should distinguish between our track record and the UK experience. The US and Australian legislation define "brain dead" to mean cessation of all brain functions. So does our Interpretation Act. However, since the 1980s, a US Presidential Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavorial Research has developed certain standards for the determination of brain death.”
“And there is a waiting list for patients who need organ transplant. So while MTERA remains useful for the categories of people and organs not covered by HOTA, there is a need to expand the scope of HOTA to save more lives. The opt-out system benefits everyone within the system. The benefit to a person within the system is that he enjoys priority in the event that he needs an organ donation from another person who has passed away. In other words, the opt-out system benefits the potential donor as well. And the expansion of the system under the present Bill will benefit more potential donors. While I support the Bill, I do have some concerns with the prescribed tests for "brain death" and the procedure for harvesting organs from the brain dead. The debate in this House and the Ministry of Health's public consultation show that a big section of the public is still concerned about the concept of "brain death". There is a need for greater public awareness of the medical procedure for determining brain death and the procedure for the removal of organs from the brain dead. I came across some American literature that said: "Often when "brain death" is declared, not all functions of the brain cease." The remaining brain functions may include continued brain wave activity and the brain continues to produce a hormone called arginine vasopressin that keeps the body's fluid and electrolytes in balance. There is also a phenomenon where a brain dead body may still exhibit flexion and muscle stretch reflexes, resulting in movements that resemble grasping. In a book entitled, "The Nasty Side of Organ Transplant" by Norm Barber, an Australian cardiologist Dr David Wainwright was quoted that when the dissection begins, the brain dead body does not lay dead and still like a corpse.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in this debate. Organ donation has always been a sensitive issue, and the harvesting of organs, a controversial one, whether you look at it from the medical, social or religious angles. However, the crux of HOTA is that of saving lives. The reality is that many patients who have a chance of recovery lost the opportunity to live or live an improved quality of life, because of the shortage of willing organ donors who no longer need them. This Bill will help increase the supply of organs for transplant in Singapore. There is a higher demand than supply for organ transplants all over the world. A similar shortage of organs for transplant in Singapore will result in Singaporeans heading for the less developed countries for organ transplant - countries where the standard of medical practice may be lower, and thus putting themselves at risk. To alleviate the suffering of this section of the Singapore society, we need to increase the availability of a greater variety of organs from a greater number of donors in Singapore. There has been some debate whether it should be an opt-in or opt-out scheme. I thought it would be good if we take a look at the experience of the Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (MTERA) which embraces the opt-in system. MTERA enables Muslims not covered by HOTA to opt into the scheme to donate their organs. MTERA also enables non-Muslims to opt into the system for organs not covered by HOTA. However, the number of donors under MTERA is not encouraging. I understand from the Organ Transplant Unit, Ministry of Health, that only some 56,000 donors (out of our entire population of about three million) have pledged their organs under MTERA. This is a very low percentage.”
“Sir, given that there have been quite a lot of disputes and unhappiness over the sale of unit trusts and the high pressure sales tactics, would it not be more prudent to harmonise in favour of 14 days?”
“Sir, will the Deputy Prime Minister give an indication whether the harmonisation would be in favour of 14 days or 7 days?”
“1% per annum, it means that the interest cost is $64 million per annum. My question is: is that a reasonable sum to cover the yearly administrative cost? Obviously, I would like HDB to verify the above figures and also explain why it takes $64 million per annum to administer the loans. Last but not least, going back to the final objective of CPF, which is that of setting up a medical fund, there is a need for more insurance schemes to be allowed under Medisave. The current MediShield policies and long-term disability policies are not adequate to address the range of medical needs, especially if people are to live to 100 years old. It will be almost impossible for hard cash savings to catch up with the cost of medical needs, given inflation and rising needs. Hence, a good way to pass on the cost would be the pooling of risks via insurance. I advocate a more diversified menu of plans carefully selected by the Government to augment these long-term needs. Mr Speaker, Sir, indeed the CPF cut is a bitter medicine, but it is a necessary though painful bitter medicine. My sense is Singapore can only continue to be competitive if the people, the private sector and the Government stay together, and stay as one. My sense is the music has not died. It has perhaps become much more sombre than before. But if the three `Ps' - which is the people, public and private sector - could stay together, ie, whenever we hear someone singing to the Beatle's tunes of "Help! I need someone", that they are not so self-assured these days, I hope we could, whether as individuals or as Members of Parliament or the Government, respond with John Lennon's "Stand by me", so that Singapore can continue to compose and churn out our own music, and let the lion's roar we hear be alive and strong.”
“Hence, I hope that the relevant authorities would relook at the Supplementary Retirement Scheme and fine-tune it, to incentivise people to invest into this scheme to beef up their retirement dollars. Next, on the housing fund and the use of Special Account to top up for any differences. I am heartened to hear that there will be a change of rules to help people keep the roof over their head. However, I am mindful of the implementation blues. Here, I would like to quote a case of my Punggol North resident, Mr Ang Tock Chye. Mr Ang lost his job where he commanded a salary of about $1,800 in the past. Today, he works in a supermarket, taking home about $800 to feed his family, working from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm, six days a week. Because of the reduction in salary, he could not pay his mortgage loan. What he did was to write to HDB asking to use his Special Account to pay his instalments. However, he was told that he had purchased his home after the CPF cut in 1999, which meant that the CPF cut in 1999 would already have been factored into the mortgage loan calculation. As such, he was not eligible for the use of his Special Account to repay the loan. In addition, he was greeted with another letter from HDB titled, "Late payment of charges of mortgage loan instalment". I think this is where the implementation blues could set in. I believe that HDB has a heart to help, but it has to do more to ensure that its implementation meets its policy intention. Yesterday, the Minister for National Development also mentioned that the additional 0.1% charge (being the difference between cost of fund and HDB subsidised loan rate) for the loans issued under HDB is to cover administrative cost. I understand that the total mortgage loan outstanding is $64 billion. At 0.”
“In the past, when the CPF was liberalised, many workers invested their money into financial products like annual premium endowment policies. These are saving plans that require members to pay their annual premiums through their CPF Ordinary Account. The objective is to realise a sizable lump sum from their policies at retirement. These efforts should be applauded. However, with the cut, they may default on their annual premiums because of fewer dollars going into their CPF accounts. If they stop paying, they may suffer a substantial loss on these policies. I would like to point out that these members have prudently set aside the money systematically on an annual basis because of our encouragement. They have planned for their retirement proactively and I think we owe it to them to help them to fulfil some of their payments. As such, I advocate that we allow the use of their CPF Special Account to top up the differences if they are caught in a bind. This would mitigate their losses and, at the same time, allow them to achieve their retirement goals and objectives. In addition, many articles have been written about the impact of the CPF cut. In today's Straits Times, Ernst & Young had a report about the group of 50 years old and above being the most critically affected. This group of people will have less tax sheltered dollars and increased tax liability. My sense is that we do have a vehicle in place that could help them, that being the Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS). The SRS is a deferred tax shelter. Unfortunately, under the current regime, it is not an attractive instrument.”
“In fact, the purpose of financial planning is to help people realise their financial goals. And because goals are unlimited, whereas resources are limited, therein lies the need for optimum planning. And because each route to achieving one's goal is not a smooth one, therefore you need to build into the plan shock absorbers and do periodic plan reviews to factor in personal changes, career changes, family changes, economic changes and unforeseen circumstances. Any good planner worth his salt would advocate the use of a slightly more conservative assumption and the establishment of an emergency fund to take care of events like job loss or emergency use of cash, which is why I support the Prime Minister's statement and advocate using a band for flexible CPF contribution. Mr Low also mentioned that the changes affect many Singaporeans' financial plans. He is only partially right. The truth is most people do not even have a deliberate plan to start with and, therefore, the urgent need to educate Singaporeans to help them to become self-reliant. In addition, I also hope that Mr Low realises that unless there is inheritance money or long-term financial contributions from friends and relatives, a person cannot even start planning because, basically, if there is no job, there will be no money, and there will be no meaningful plan. And this is why the emphasis is on cutting business cost, so that the existing businesses will stay and more investments can flow in to help job creation. Let me reiterate that only when there are jobs can there be meaningful financial plans. In addition, Mr Speaker, Sir, with the cut, I am also concerned about the viability of some workers in continuing with some of their own initiatives that they have already started.”
“My sense is that it could be that we have outsourced a lot of the lower ranking jobs, thereby reducing the need for Division III and Division IV officers. Perhaps we have employed more people to think and to plan for us, and perhaps teachers are also included in the Division I officers. My question is: are we getting too top heavy where there are too many Generals and not enough soldiers? How do the Generals keep in touch with the heartbeat of the heartlanders and ordinary Singaporeans? Most importantly, how has the quality of the civil service improved as they become planners and thinkers, meaning top heavy? I think our people need to know whether our tax dollars are well spent. Let me now turn my focus back to CPF itself. My hope is that we do not need to revisit the CPF issue again for the purpose of trimming business costs. While the CPF cut may help boost a few businesses, it certainly means a reduction in retirement nest-egg. The purpose of CPF remains that of, first, a retirement nest-egg, then a housing fund and a medical fund. With the proposed fine-tuning, Singaporeans will be saving less for their nest-egg through CPF. They are encouraged to do more through self-help, such as financial planning. I think, like entrepreneurship, Singaporeans would benefit from the Government's help to boost consumer financial literacy. I have spoken on this topic many times. I shall not repeat too much. But I would like to point out that even Mr Low Thia Khiang did not appear to understand the concept of financial planning, and he linked it to fixing long-term CPF rates so that there is certainty in planning. I would like to point out that financial planning is necessary precisely because there is uncertainty in life.”
“But what he also highlighted was that if a Fortune 500 company with financial muscles and substantial investment in Singapore has to go through 18 months of negotiations and incur legal fees and huge administrative cost, then what chance has an SME to survive the bureaucracy and the procedures? He also pointed out the opportunity cost forgone for the entire process. The energy could have been more productively used in creating more business opportunities. Similarly, I was told by some representatives from the Singapore Food Manufacturers' Association that some of them experienced having to apply for separate certificates for their export to various countries, in particular, the agriculture and fishery exports to the EU. I understand that EU does have some requirements but was told that the certificates issued by a neighbouring country exporting to the EU has a much more efficient process and allows many items to be listed within the one certificate. I also understand that the cost of such a certificate is about four times that issued by other countries. They hope that the Government can look into some ways to help them smoothen this process and reduce the cost. Next, I have come across some statistics on our civil service sector. Perhaps it is time for us to also take a look at cutting waste within the civil service sector. From the year 1992 to 2001, I noticed that there has been an almost 100% increase in the Division I officers over the last 10 years. In fact, out of the four Divisions of our civil service, Division I officers make up about 40.6% and Division II officers 29.9%, which means about 70% of our civil servants are in Divisions I and II, whereas Division III, 22.6% and Division IV only a mere 7%.”
“I applaud the setting up of such a brilliant committee and I would like to quote a few instances where rigidities and procedures hinder businesses. I spoke with a Mr Renaud Semerdjian, General Manager of Clear Channel (Singapore) Pte Ltd. Clear Channel is a Fortune 500 company which has invested $100 million in just hardware cost for the bus shelters and taxi stands, and I understand that more investments are on the way. In addition, they are committed to paying LTA $232 million in rental for the entire contract. Mr Renaud reflected to me that up until August this year, they were receiving as many as 1,583 invoices per month in 1,583 separate letters with 1,583 reply envelopes from Singapore Power. Why? Because they have built, to date, 1,584 bus shelters, and each one of them is individually billed. They spoke with Singapore Power about consolidating their bills so that they can receive one bill for all the bus shelters in a consolidated account, so that he does not have to assign a staff for the purpose of opening envelopes, sticking stamps and sending them back. Unfortunately, Mr Renaud was very disappointed because he had to spend time engaging consultants and lawyers to speak with the relevant people before this decision of not allowing them to have a consolidated billing was reversed. I understand that he got positive news from Singapore Power only on 28th August. Mr Renaud told me that he was willing to pay six months of the average total bill in advance, just to cut down on the administrative hassles.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I concur with the Prime Minister's statement on the urgency to transform our wage and CPF systems so that we can save jobs, so that Singapore can continue to shine on the world stage, and Singaporeans can enjoy the desired standard of living. But it appears to me that the CPF is like the Singapore version of a Swiss knife. It is multi-purpose and has a sharp blade. A 3% cut in CPF cuts like a knife for the workers, but may not be magical enough for businesses. Most of all, a CPF cut in itself will not be sufficient to give us the competitive edge. In fact, businesses do not look at wage cost alone to determine where to do business. They will study the costs and rewards through the four factors of production, being land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship, as well as the ease of doing business and even the quality of life in Singapore. In other words, it has to be a holistic look at our competitiveness, and not just wage cost alone. Hence, the slew of initiatives unveiled by DPM Lee on Friday, if anything, is a signal to the world at large that we are prepared to bite the bullet and push on. But the question remains: how far and how effective will these measures be? In the past year or so, I visited many SMEs and trade associations to hear their cries. Four buckets of tears were quickly filled up. The four buckets are SME financing, rental cost, jobs and job applicants, and red tapes and bureaucracy. Much has been said about these four buckets of cries in previous debates, and I would choose to focus on the last, being red tapes and bureaucracy. As such, I am delighted at the setting up of the Cut Waste Panel announced by DPM.”
“I have also, at various times, fed back to LTA on the lack of lighting at temporary shelters. I understand that this is something that SBS and other authorities could not do except the LTA. I am wondering whether the Minister of State has an update on this matter.”
“Sir, when will the temporary interchange be ready and operational? And when it is operational, what would it offer to the residents?”
“Without the safeguard, default payments will end up being recovered through higher electricity tariffs, which will be borne by all consumers.”
“I am happy to hear the Senior Parliamentary Secretary assuring us that they would look into the shattered shower screens together with my residents and grassroots leaders. Can I propose that we form a special task force to jointly look into this issue as well as other estate developmental issues because there have been some unhappiness and inconveniences brought to the residents due to the slowdown in the building project in Punggol 21? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Mr Speaker, Sir, yes, we would ask HDB to work with the MP of that area to look into all the issues in the estate, including the issue of broken shower screens. DEPOSITS COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED TO SP SERVICES 7. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the total amount of deposits collected to-date from domestic consumers and transferred to SP Services by its predecessor (PUB); (b) how much interest has been earned on the said deposits; and (c) whether SP Services will offset the interest earned by each consumer against his/her monthly utilities charges. The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, Sir, as of end June 2003, the total deposit collected from domestic consumers was $148 million. For each consumer, SP Services buys electricity for immediate delivery while the consumer pays for the electricity only 1.5 months later. By law, SP Services is allowed to charge a deposit, up to 1.5 months of the consumer's monthly bill, to finance SP Services' purchase of electricity for the consumer's use. Therefore, SP Services does not earn interest on these deposits. The deposit also acts as a safeguard to minimise the risk against default payments.”
“Could the Senior Parliamentary Secretary then explain what instances would cause tempered shower screens to shatter into shards rather than in rounded pieces? Because, if the incident at Block 130 Edgedale Plains was caused by rough usage, then it should not have shattered into shards. Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: In the incident mentioned by Miss Penny Low, we suspected that rough usage was the cause of the shattering. The fact that the shower screen shattered into shards rather than into small little pieces is something that HDB has to do further tests on. So, we will subject some of the glass shower screens in the cluster of flats around Block 130 to the surface compression test, which is a non-destructive testing which can be done in-situ. We are willing to go to every unit in the Block 130 cluster. We will instruct HDB to work with Miss Penny Low and her grassroots leaders on the possible replacement of some of these shower screens, if Miss Penny Low thinks that they should be replaced.”
“In one of the past sittings in this House when the shattered shower glass screen issue was brought up, I was given the assurance that all units with tempered shower screens would be checked. I understand also that indeed the HDB officers had gone around to do the checking. Nevertheless, a number of units that experienced shattering shower screens recently were inspected units. Not only that, they resulted in shards rather than rounded-edge pieces of shattered glass. That indicates certain defects within the material itself. In other words, it is not due to rough usage but to a defective product. May I ask what is the explanation for that, since they were already checked, they were inspected to be good and not defective, and yet they cracked into shards, and that is defective? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Sir, following the Parliament session last year when I replied to Miss Penny Low, HDB went to about 15,000 flats and inspected almost 30,000 shower screens. The purpose of that exercise was to inspect for the quality of the hinges and the fixtures that were used to hold the frameless tempered glass screens. At the same time, during the inspection, HDB officers also inspected for any chips resulting from rough usage. At that exercise, some glass panels were changed because they found that some of the hinges were not in order and we suspected that these hinges came loose because of rough usage. So, we made good all the glass shower screens we thought at that time were not in order. These two accidents came about after the inspection. The inspection process does not guarantee that future accidents would not occur. But it did guarantee at that time that the inspected batch was safe for use.”
“Sir, I am curious to find out whether the syllabus and the practices in school focus more on the differences amongst the various ethnic groups, or on the commonalities amongst the groups. Surely, with the heightened awareness of differences, people will be more sensitive to each other but they would also be more distinct as a group, and the reverse is also true.”
“Sir, I am heartened to hear that there are one-to-one consultation sessions for interested parties. Are these limited to only companies of a certain size or are they available to all entrepreneurs, including start-ups? Is there also some form of one-stop enquiry centre for FTAs, whether it is the US-Singapore FTA or the other FTAs?”
“Does HDB set a timeframe for halted projects to resume work? In the case of Punggol 21, some projects were stopped for a considerable period of time before work resumed. In a particular case where the blocks of flats were all completed and in fact inhabitants had already moved in, some sub-contractors took away some installations at the void deck, leaving exposed steel wires and all because the main contractor could not pay them. That is a safety hazard.”
“I would like to ask the Minister of Health. I understand from Today newspaper that Ribavirin is the most preferred oral medicine for SARS but it has long-term effects on the foetus. In other words, if pregnant ladies ever consume it, it might lead to negative consequences on the baby. What could be done to help protect our healthcare workers who are currently pregnant and are in the SARS battlefield? Should leave be given to them or should they be reassigned to jobs where they are not exposed to SARS?”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister for Health how many super-spreaders have been identified in Singapore, and how this figure compares with those of other nationalities in other countries. Have there been any studies on the profile of these super-spreaders and, if so, are there any commonalities that have been found? My second question is directed to DPM and Minister for Finance. Will there be a possibility of including in the package itself or introducing a package to help individuals who are affected by SARS, eg, in their loss of income, perhaps in the form of a one-off special personal tax relief?”
“I would like the Minister to consider a few suggestions: (1) To extend the range of courses to include personal development and family management, or even in-depth courses like fundamentals of public administration and so on, because a lot of our new grassroots leaders are people of quite good calibre. When they grow, and when they can manage their family and their career better, I think they would become even better volunteers. (2) Increase funding resources to make it more generous, so that cash strapped grassroots organisations will not be hard pressed to choose between allocating resources for individual growth vis-a-vis that of community needs. (3) Organise more international exchange programmes to encourage wider experience. In an increasingly complex world, our grassroots leaders need to be well placed, and they can benefit from cross cultural exchanges of views and opinions with other like fashioned international organisations. (4) The Grassroots Club. I understand that the Grassroots Club is currently under-utilised. Perhaps more could be done to turn it into another venue for courses. It can do the part of bringing more people to the Club. I think that is good for the Club itself. And if it can also decentralise some of the training centres and make it more accessible to the grassroots, then I think it is a win-win strategy for all.”
“Sir, first and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous contribution of the grassroots leaders and other volunteers. Many of them are people movers and shakers who have helped shape and stabilise Singapore and are integral to the shape of Singapore to come. In fact, in the last year or so, as this House has been busy, the grassroots leaders have been equally busy. They were busy understanding and disseminating information about the 9/11 incident, the Jemaah Islamiyah arrests, the water issue and now even more needs to be done in the weeks and months to come to ensure that whatever happens in the Gulf, whatever happens to the Iraq war, there will be peace and harmony, especially religious and racial harmony, in Singapore. Most of these grassroots leaders are volunteers and, through sheer altruism, contribute their time and energy for the betterment of our community. Many sacrifice time, effort and even money. I ask myself what do they reap from it. Is it money? There is none. Is it power? Not necessarily so. Is it prestige? Well, there are only so many PBMs and BBMs. So, what then could be the greatest gift? I think it is personal growth. As they help our society to grow, what can we do to help them to grow further? I believe the People's Association is doing a tremendous job in helping to recruit new volunteers and doing part of the training. It also helps to provide some resources to help grassroots organisations like RCs and the various Cs to start up. But it can do more not only to recruit and train new volunteers but also do more for the existing volunteers.”
“The basic human instinct to help a fellow man is alive in Singapore. My feeling is that even those who criticise do so because they care. Hence, Mr Speaker, I am confident that the choice that the Old Guard made in 1965, in taking the leap of faith to be on our own, with a vision of a peaceful and progressive nation that offers opportunities to all, regardless of race, language or religion, will continue to be supported and built upon further by generations to come. I have addressed most of the questions, Sir.”
“I think it is difficult to say whether or not my son will be more tolerant, or more integrative, because it would depend upon the values of the parents and not their racial backgrounds. At the same time, I would like to assure Mr Mohan that we are serious about integration and about the need to promote a more caring society. But that seriousness need not be reflected in our willingness to encourage such inter-racial unions. This is ultimately up to each individual to decide who should their partner be. Mr Chandra Mohan also has said that we should promote more schemes to promote compassionate feelings towards the poor and the needy among our school children. As I understand it, MOE has a programme to promote such activities within the schools and I will not touch upon that. But, at the more general level, I have given some examples on some of the things that we have done to achieve their objectives. A lot is being done by MCDS and its partners. I will be most happy to provide Mr Mohan with some of the details of these programmes. Sir, finally, I have outlined MCDS' programmes that will help to build our cohesiveness as a society. But ultimately, the choice is ours. If every Singaporean sees the value in persevering and continuing this experiment called Singapore, then our efforts will not be in vain. Sir, I am optimistic about Singapore's future as a nation. Under all that bellyaching and complaints that we hear at our meet-the-people sessions and other meetings, lies a strong spirit of wanting to see through these difficult times together as a nation. It warms my heart to see one of my staff, a Chinese Singaporean, stopping her car at the top of the hill, where MCDS is located, in order to give a ride to an elderly Malay Singaporean man down the hill.”
“It also gives advice and training on volunteer recruitment and management and facilitates volunteer recruitment through its website, and through its partners such as companies. The National Volunteer Centre currently has a list of volunteer hosting organisations on its website, including support groups. It intends to expand the listing so that it is more comprehensive. I also urge more established VWOs and people sector organisations to take such support groups under their wings, to use their premises and so on, in the spirit of people sector partnership. So to the lady that Miss Penny Low has mentioned, I would encourage her to approach the NVC and I am sure we can do something to help her start a new support group. But ultimately, Singaporeans must want to be in such groups. As mentioned by Miss Penny Low, Straits Times journalist, Ms Chua Mui Hoong, who recently shared the story of her battle with cancer, recounted in her article how she found comfort in support groups in the US but felt that those with cancer in Singapore tended to keep to themselves. Singaporeans need to learn to come together. This is what social capital is about: building networks of trust for mutual benefit. Sir, Mr Chandra Mohan has also raised the point about whether or not we want to encourage inter-racial marriages and the adoption of children from different racial groups. Sir, this is a personal decision. We support marriages. MCDS is pro-marriage and pro-family, but ultimately groups will have to decide what is the best outcome for themselves. Currently, there are no studies that we know of to show that marriages between two people of different races would promote greater understanding. I can speak from my own personal experience for my wife is not a Malay.”
“The fund will provide some capital to social entrepreneurs seeking to invest in start-up projects or to scale-up fledgling social enterprises. 4.45 pm Sir, Mr Sin Boon Ann made some comments on social assistance but I will address them later when other Members speaking on the same topic have made their points. Miss Penny Low spoke about encouraging the formation of support groups. I agree with her and I am glad to see support groups springing up in Singapore. Members of such groups give one another emotional support, information and other resources. Many are run by volunteers. They exemplify the spirit of active citizenry and self-help. There are many such groups that we may not know about. Allow me to highlight a few. Cancer Story.com was founded by Lee Soh Hong to share her experience in dealing with cancer and help patients and their families face the battle against cancer. Another example is the Amputees Caring Together (ACT) Club at the Alexandra Hospital which was started last year. The Club brings together people who have lost their limbs and are struggling to cope with the loss. The Club is an initiative of the Hospital's Rehabilitation Department and its key organiser, Ng Hwee Hian, is a physiotherapist. A support group was formed to help the amputees talk through their fears, and help them and their families cope so that they can live normal lives. The National Volunteer Centre supports such support groups as well as volunteer hosting organisations by providing start-up grants of up to $50,000 on a co-funding basis. The Centre provides information which people sector groups find useful, for example, on how to start an organisation or go about getting fund-raising permits.”
“They will also infuse corporate expertise into the non-profit sector. Sir, another concrete example of community self-help is social entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurship is about bringing business practices or innovation to solve social problems. One example is the recently-established Food from the Heart programme, which delivers unsold bread from bakeries across the island to charity homes. It was initiated by a couple, who used their logistics expertise and implemented a mobile tracking system. The system, accessed by handphones, coordinates the times and routes volunteers take to transport bread and pastries to some 35 homes. A social enterprise is essentially a business with a social mission, not merely commercial objectives. Many Voluntary Welfare Organisations like MINDS, Teen Challenge and the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped also have humble commercial activities or what may be termed as social enterprises. Social enterprises are becoming more sophisticated. One example is the Industrial Services and Cooperative Society, commonly known as ISCOS, set up in 1989, to help discharged inmates re-integrate into society through work rehabilitation. It promotes self-esteem and economic independence by developing businesses to provide employment opportunities. ISCOS is financially self-sufficient, and profitable with healthy revenue. Another example is the Development of Economy for Women Credit Cooperative Ltd, or DEW, which has assisted 1,500 women since 1981 to save together regularly and lend to one another from the savings at a reasonable rate of interest. DEW members assist one another through mutual cooperation. To foster and support emerging social enterprises, MCDS will, as a start, establish a $2 million Social Enterprise Fund in FY03.”
“Charities should be prepared to show that the donations are spent wisely, and go towards programmes that make a difference. The challenges we face go beyond encouraging charity and keeping faith with the donors. Philanthropy has to be increasingly strategic, and directed at emerging social needs. Money raised should be invested for good results. Some social problems need to be tackled via the root causes. For those who can be helped to help themselves, we should empower them, rather than provide a crutch. For those who need lifelong support, there must be a safety net to protect them. We need to channel our passion and resources strategically to tackle the social challenges that we face. In developed countries, donors, especially rich philanthropists and foundations, are moving towards a model of social investment. They want to be involved in enterprising, outcome-driven programmes. They donate funds, share expertise with non-profit agencies, and take an interest in the programmes. For example, the Robin Hood Foundation was set up by an investment banker to raise funds and partner organisations to fight poverty in New York. Programmes are regularly reviewed for results, and the foundation also sources for expertise to help programmes do better. We need to find new ways of getting the best social value from the charity dollar. We need to find ways of encouraging new philanthropists, who expect and want greater involvement for the funds they donate, to come to the fore. Our infrastructure has to support the growth of more foundations and philanthropists, and enable our charities to run the distance. Corporations can add value by partnering non-profit organisations in their programmes, and exercise social responsibility.”
“Philanthropy is about "giving back" to society. It provides an important channel for the more successful to help others and to better our society. It is an important bridge, nurturing people in a world of increasing income inequality. Besides bringing people together, philanthropic activities are critical in complementing the Government in providing financial support for social causes. There is room for more philanthropists in Singapore. So I fully agree with Mr Charles Chong that more needs to be done to promote philanthropy in Singapore as a way of bridging the income divide. An excellent example of a modern-day philanthropic organisation in Singapore is the Tsao Foundation. It is guided by the vision of their founder, Mrs Tsao Ng Yu Shun, who was 86 years young when it was first chartered in 1993. She wanted to do something about the challenges of growing old. Tsao Foundation became one of the few philanthropic organisations in Asia that provides services rather than grants. The Foundation carries out a wide range of programmes, including a community-based healthcare programme, which runs a domiciliary medical clinic service, and a community care management service. Hence, my Ministry will provide more resources to the National Volunteer Centre to promote philanthropy. The National Volunteer Centre currently promotes volunteerism as a way of life. Promoting philanthropy has good synergy with volunteerism, as both call on Singaporeans to give of their time, talent and resources, to make a difference to the community. Sir, as I mentioned earlier, Singaporeans donate generously. They do so as they trust and are confident that the charities will do the right thing. We should not take this trust for granted.”
“Sir, one concrete way of strengthening ties and bonds in our society and bridging social divides is to promote volunteerism and philanthropy. Philanthropy refers to the giving of money and resources for charitable purposes. It comes from the Greek word for "love for mankind". This sense of giving back to the community cuts across all boundaries, be it class, age, gender, race or religion. Sir, we have a strong charitable culture in Singapore. Foundations, clan associations and religious and community groups, work tirelessly to raise funds for various causes. Most people would expect charitable giving to fall in bad times. But the numbers show that even in bad times, the haves are doing more to help the have-nots. Donations to Institutions of Public Character rose every year from $157 million in 1995 to $381 million in 2001, despite the financial crisis in 1997 and the economic downturn in 2001. Similarly, our national volunteerism rate increased from 9.3% in 2000 to 14.9% last year. We do not have the 2002 figures yet, but recent fund-raisers such as the President's Challenge and the Ren Ci Hospital Charity Show have received overwhelming public support. The donations to the President's Challenge increased 50% from $4.1 million in 2001 to $6.3 million in 2002. The Community Chest, which raised $37 million in FY 2001, expects to meet its fund-raising target of $40 million in FY 2002. All this shows that we are indeed a caring, cohesive and compassionate society. Philanthropic activities in Singapore are not new. But we need more modern-day versions of Lee Kong Chian, Govindasamy Pillai, CJP Paglar and Mohammed Eunos Bin Abdullah - people who had a passion and did good for the community. We should preserve the spirit of philanthropy and broaden its base.”
“The National Steering Committee on IRCCs will be putting together a resource guide for IRCC members to help them do their work. The Committee is also planning more training for IRCC members. To further support such bottom-up community initiatives, my Ministry will give more than $80,000 for four community projects under the pilot phase for the Community Harmony Grants Scheme. Let me give two examples of the approved projects. The Inter-Religious Organisation will develop an inter-faith manual to guide community and grassroots groups who wish to organise more inclusive community events and activities that would cater to the needs of Singaporeans of various faiths. The Joint Social Service Centre in Central Singapore CDC will be starting a course for frontline staff, such as nurses and social workers, to enable them to better appreciate ethnic differences and serve their clients of different races more effectively. These are just two examples. We would, of course, be very happy to hear new ideas from any Member of Parliament or member of the public on activities that can bring about better inter-group understanding. Apart from facilitating inter-racial and inter-religious activities, the Government has also worked with religious groups to reaffirm Singapore's commitment to fundamental principles that have held Singapore together as a multi-religious society. The Minister of State for Community Development and Sports, Mr Chan Soo Sen, has been leading this effort. His working committee has held many dialogues with main religious groups and achieved a consensus on the Declaration on Religious Harmony. He will be ready to share about the Declaration soon.”
“The friendships and understanding built up will also help manage the ground reactions during times of crisis. While some people doubt the value of visiting religious places of worship, IRCC members told me that this is like visiting someone in his own home. It really breaks the ice among the members. IRCCs also add value to grassroots organisations by giving suggestions on how their activities can be more inclusive. For example, avoiding evening activities on Thursday nights, as Muslims tend to congregate in mosques at those times for extended prayers. And this culminates with the Friday afternoon prayer session. Many Hindus, for example, visit the temple on Friday evenings, just as many Christians go to church on Sunday mornings. Besides playing this advisory role, IRCCs also reach out to promote cross-cultural activities that attract all races and religions and engage in public education. For example, the Bishan-Toa Payoh North IRCC, together with five religious groups and the Inter-Religious Organisation, reached many residents in a public education effort called "Celebrating New Year through Community Bonding". Some 35,000 participants turned up at the Carnival last weekend on 15th and 16th March. In November last year, Fengshan IRCC had a Community Quiz targeted at young people from primary and secondary schools, and the voluntary sector. The quiz promoted greater awareness and understanding of ethnic cultures among school students. The feedback from the schools was very positive. Fengshan IRCC, together with South East CDC, is now thinking of developing a puzzle book for younger children in the South East District. In the next phase, IRCCs will expand their efforts to get their members more actively engaged.”
“Common space is underpinned by our shared values, such as our belief in nurturing strong families, meritocracy, multi-racialism and a corrupt-free Government. Sir, some are concerned that by enlarging the common space, our private values and ways of life will be threatened. It is not a zero-sum game. While we have our private needs and preferences, we can accommodate and appreciate others who are different within the common space. What we do in our private space should not make it harder to mingle and understand others outside of our belief systems. Cultural and religious values, when practised in the spirit intended, should help to enrich and enlarge the common space. Sir, as Mr Charles Chong and Mr Zainul Abidin have pointed out, as a society, we need to find ways to meaningfully engage one another, negotiate our differences and move forward. The Grassroots Organisations (GROs), Inter-Racial Confidence Circles (IRCCs) and Harmony Circles are some of these platforms. IRCCs and Harmony Circles are avenues to expand the common space. The IRCCs are in a good position to help Singaporeans make sense of events that affect their lives. The IRCCs comprise a diverse group of national leaders from the local community. Currently, the members comprise 23% Malays and 16% are Indians. Half are people from outside the grassroots network, including community, school and religious leaders. Through the IRCCs, community and religious leaders form friendships and better understand one another. Armed with a good understanding of other communities as well as their own communities, the IRCC members are in a better position to help their own communities and followers navigate through sensitive or difficult issues.”
“Hence, we need to continuously encourage the building of ties across all groups, in order to demonstrate this value to all Singaporeans. Most of us would have experienced the idea of being in a common space one way or the other as part of living in Singapore and being Singaporean at heart. Let me cite some everyday examples. Sports is a universal activity and passion for Singaporeans, regardless of age, gender, race and religion. During the last World Cup finals, big screens were set up at a few public areas, and even hospitals, for people to enjoy the match together. You could even find crowds sitting or standing outside shops selling television sets, watching soccer together. And every time a goal was scored, they would cheer together, and every time the referee made a bad call, they would jeer him together. There are also not many countries where you can find temples, mosques and churches peacefully co-existing next to one another. Just look at our Chinatown, Little India or Geylang East. We know of several places of worship in Singapore built with generous donations from all Singaporeans, regardless of race or religion. For example, Dr Theyvendran, who oversaw the renovation of the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple in Ceylon Road, told me that the temple received donations from Muslims, and involved Chinese architects in its design. 4.30 pm Sir, we respect diversity within the common space, so that all can be comfortable and feel at home in it. Diversity goes beyond race and religion. The common space includes diverse groups, with different interests and needs. Examples include environmentalists, arts groups and sports enthusiasts. In other words, it is a space that all Singaporeans have a stake in, no matter what we are and what our interests are.”
“At the more personal level, we found that the proportion of Singaporeans who had close friends of a different race rose significantly, from 70% in 2001 to 76% in 2002. In fact, a much higher proportion of Malays indicated that they have close friends of another race, from 71% in 2001 to 86% in 2002. Sir, these findings speak well of the current racial and religious group relations. It suggests that there is a certain amount of social resilience among Singaporeans in general, a social resilience that provides a sound foundation for safeguarding and enhancing racial and religious group relations in Singapore, despite shocks, such as terrorism. However, one note of concern is that, unlike 2001, in 2002 we found that only six out of 10 Singaporeans with tertiary education were satisfied with current race and religious group relations. This might be due to a greater sensitivity to the global terrorist threat, as well as perhaps increasing expectations of what constitute good racial and religious group relations. Sir, one of the basic characteristics of Singaporean life is the presence of, and the continued need to enhance our common space. Our common space reflects what makes us uniquely Singaporean, while embracing the diverse cultures and faiths that we come from. The presence of the common space allows for the diversity to flourish primarily because what brings a diverse people to the common space are the values and aspirations that define us all as Singaporeans. Without this shared aspiration and the common values that define us, there will be no Singapore. But how the common space grows depends largely on how the different communities see the value in preserving a uniquely Singaporean identity.”
“A good example of community resilience is the Seniors Befrienders programme run by the Lions Befrienders Service Association. Quite a number of the befrienders, who provide meal delivery and errand running, among other things, are elderly themselves. In fact, 23 befrienders are 80 years old or older. Sir, I agree with Mr Charles Chong, Mr Zainul Abidin and other Members that we must continue to forge racial and religious harmony. Last year, I reported findings from a benchmark Survey on the Social Attitudes of Singaporeans conducted by MCDS in 2001. The findings were very positive. Nine out of 10 Singaporeans were satisfied with race and religious group relations in Singapore. However, the 2001 survey was conducted before the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US and the arrest of JI members in Singapore in January 2002. Hence, I said that my Ministry would be conducting another survey in 2002, to see if the views have changed. Mr Charles Chong has asked for an update on the second survey. I am very happy to report that, despite the two key events in the one-year interval, there have been no significant changes in satisfaction with the current state of racial and religious group relations. Nine out of 10 Singaporeans continue to be satisfied with race relations, but with small differences, if the data is analysed by race: Chinese community, 88%, Malays 91%, and Indians 93%. The second survey also found that almost all Singaporeans, 99%, were comfortable with the idea of allowing their children to play with children of other races. 96% of Singaporeans also thought that it was good to have people of different races living in the same neighbourhood. There were no significant differences between the races in this regard.”
“In fact, we must tackle challenges head-on. To enable this, MCDS promotes individual resilience, family resilience and community resilience. At the individual level, MCDS promotes personal responsibility and self-reliance. We provide a basic social safety net to look after the well-being of the socially disadvantaged. This net will help them build up their self-esteem, so that they can get back on their feet as much as possible. A good example of individual resilience is the story of Elim Chew, highlighted in the newspapers last week. She left school early, but continued her education in the school of hard knocks, and turned out as an extremely successful streetwear retailer. A firm believer in an attitude of gratitude, she even gives half her income to community causes. At the family level, we help create a social environment that is conducive to having children and raising families. We help facilitate programmes that strengthen families, so that they can continue to be the first line of care and support for the individual. The State can provide financial support to needy individuals, but it can never replace the emotional care and social support that only family members can give. A good example of family resilience is the story of Kenny Goh. His company, Ken-Air, may have collapsed, but his family ties have strengthened. At the community level, we promote the principle of "Many Helping Hands" and enable communities to solve their problems together. The haves should help bridge the social divide by helping the have-nots. More than that, there should be more collaboration between and within groups. Community activities nurture human bonds, mutual support and social networks, which neither the State nor the market can provide.”
“A cohesive society should also go beyond mere talk to action. Volunteerism, philanthropy and mutual self-help groups can enable people to connect, cooperate and build bridges across social divides. These activities enable social groups to interact and affirm common values, such as helping the less fortunate. Common values that all groups can uphold are a vital dimension of the common space. We also want more of the support groups that Miss Penny Low talked about. Sir, it is widely believed that one test for social cohesion in Singapore is the war on Iraq, which started this morning. Both Mayor Zainul and Mayor Heng have touched upon this. As reported in the newspapers, there is some feeling against the war, and this feeling cuts across racial and religious groups, even though there is strong support for the Government's stand as rational and in Singapore's interest. Such variations in views are inevitable. They are found even in the US. Whatever our personal views, I am confident that we will maintain our shared perspectives as Singaporeans. We have passed previous tests, and I am confident we will pass this one. Whilst a cohesive society is one that displays unity in diversity, a resilient society is one that shows unity in adversity. Singapore has had a relatively smooth ride, although a carefully managed one, in the past 25 years. But now we are entering into a much more competitive, volatile and uncertain environment, both economically as well as geo-politically. The ability to recover quickly from setbacks, whether from the loss of a job, of loved ones, or from something like the shock of the Jemaah Islamiyah arrests, these are tests of our resilience. We must be able to bounce back from misfortune and cope positively with challenges.”
“In the same way, Singapore's ability to cope with tough times would also be affected, if Singaporeans from various segments of society are not united. Our society has also been likened to a dish of rojak - many different pieces, each with its own distinctive feel and flavour, with the prawn paste binding them together and enhancing their taste. The test of a good rojak is in the paste. A cohesive society is like a good dish of rojak, with thick prawn paste being the inter-group understanding, the interaction and cooperation, as well as the shared values and aspirations that bind the various ethnic groups together. Our challenge is to ensure that we have the right paste, or the appropriate connectors that can only be developed through enlarging our common space. Social cohesion is about building social capital. Social capital refers to the social trust, norms and networks that people can draw upon for mutual benefit. In other words, people getting together and growing comfortable with one another, eg, through dialogues and networking, as well as working and interacting on common projects. In this manner, we build social capital and not allow social exclusion to take place. If any group feels that it does not belong, and feels excluded, then our rich social tapestry is at risk. But, as Mr Charles Chong has said, social cohesion must go beyond racial and religious harmony, and includes collaboration between various groups, eg, between religious and secular groups, between the rich and the poor, between the young and the old, and between citizens and foreigners. We want to create opportunities for such groups to interact in all aspects of life, such as through the arts, culture, sports and recreational activities.”
“This afternoon, while we focus on our domestic issues, let us not lose sight of the turmoil in the international arena. We must not take safe harbour for granted, and must continuously work towards maintaining national peace and harmony. Hence, I thank Mr Charles Chong and other Members for raising their concerns about social cohesion, racial harmony and our society in general. Sir, I would like to also acknowledge the 98 cuts that MCDS received - the most among all the Ministries. Nevertheless, MOS Chan Soo Sen and I will endeavour to answer all the queries to the best of our abilities and, hopefully, to the satisfaction of all Members who have taken a keen interest in the work of our Ministry. Sir, MCDS' vision is for Singapore to be a cohesive and resilient society. However, unlike Ministries that directly deliver the end outcomes, such as a good education or health system, MCDS primarily plays the role of facilitator, enabler and catalyst. We encourage and enable the individual to show resilience, the family to show care and support, and the community to show inter-group understanding and interaction. We may be the cheerleaders, and sometimes even the coach or the physiotherapist, but we are not the players. The players are each and every Singaporean. A cohesive society is one that displays unity in diversity. We want to ensure we have strong social networks amongst Singaporeans. Players matter most. That is why they are valued more than coaches or physiotherapists. A soccer team cannot perform at its best on the pitch, if the players do not get along off-pitch, whether because they let their different backgrounds come in the way, or because of other reasons, such as stolen girlfriends or flying boots.”
“We can reach out to this group of people, so they know that they are not alone in the darkest moments of their lives. Support groups can act as self-help and mutual help groups. These are pressure-release valves, a stabiliser for the despondent, and the light of hope. It is often said that it is in these darkest hours that a listening ear, a helping hand, and an understanding smile are the balms that soothe the pain. Perhaps, MCDS can tangibly assist these mutual and self-help groups by: (1) providing trained facilitators and social workers; (2) publicising the existence and easy accessibility to such a group, perhaps a form of a guide could be published to facilitate better access to these groups; (3) providing some very basic start-up funds or meeting venues in different parts of Singapore to facilitate their meeting; and (4) taking a proactive stand to encourage the formation of suitable support groups for both the client and the patient, and the caregivers. On the last case, I read that Mrs Catherine Cheong is keen to start a support group for vitiligo sufferers. Perhaps, MCDS could consider reaching out to her and give her a hand to form maybe the first vitiligo support group in Singapore. 4.15 pm The Acting Minister for Community Development and Sports (Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Sir, as we negotiate the economic restructuring and show concern for those who need help, as war begins in Iraq and the world faces greater uncertainty, the need for us here in Singapore to continue to re-affirm our way of life as a cohesive, harmonious society is ever more pressing. I appeal to all Singaporeans to stand united and weather this temporary storm together. We had done so in the past and, each time, we had emerged stronger as a nation.”
“Sir, some two weeks ago, I was deeply moved when I read the article written by our journalist, Ms Chua Mui Hoong, on her fight with breast cancer. Yesterday, another ST interviewer, Ms Elisabeth Gwee, interviewed a Mrs Katherine Chionh on her struggle with her skin disorder, vitiligo, also caught my attention. Recently, a young friend of mine, aged 22, also contracted breast cancer. All of a sudden, her world went into a spin and so did her families. Words like confusion, anger, fear and disbelief are understatements. Their fight is a long and arduous one and perhaps one which can sometimes get so bad and lonely that thoughts of giving up all hopes may surface. I salute these three women warriors who have since conquered their illnesses and surfaced stronger than before. However, I would also want to recognise those who were behind them and who gave them strong support when they were down so that they can live a life again. We have caring Singaporeans too. All three women could surface today only because they have found a strong support group who, in the words of Ms Chua, shared information, thus empowering patients and their caregivers. Sir, in the last 15 years, we have unbridled growth and a very rapid pace of change, and the stress level is high. At various points in time, people did help to cope and move on. The retrenched need help, the sandwich generation needs help, the physically disabled or unwell need help, the alcoholic or smokers need help, and the list goes on. As a responsible Government, we must reach out to this group of people by providing some assistance, both financially and infrastructure-wise, to help them move on with the predicament.”