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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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 16 of 16.
“Sir, as my colleague, Mr Leong Horn Kee, has stated, Singapore has been highly praised by many international rating agencies. Despite slipping a few positions here and there, we are still within the top 10 most competitive countries in the world. These ratings are not just mere morale boosters but they have helped Singapore to attract the much needed foreign investments. Going forward, however, the competition will become more intense, especially with the rise of North Asian and other destinations with competitive cost structure. The rating agencies serve as a barometer to the global hunters. We must maintain our competitiveness in their views. My question is, how successful would we be in retaining and improving our international competitiveness ranking with the new Budget? In our effort to attract new FDIs and global talents, as well as retain existing ones, what are the specific strategies formulated to: (i) reduce the total cost of doing business in Singapore; (ii) address the flip side of the cost, which is the expected yield of business in or from Singapore; and (iii) address Singapore's role in the region? Let me briefly elaborate on each of these points. One, on reducing the total cost of doing business in Singapore. This would include not just the overt costs like tax, land and labour, but also the covert costs like the cost of living and the quality of life. Why would a top talent, who is mobile, choose to stay in Singapore if he is a Singaporean, or come to Singapore if he is a foreigner? Is Singapore exciting enough to attract and retain them? How livable is Singapore? Two, on expected yield. Empirical evidence shows that people migrate from low-cost rural areas to high-cost cities in search of jobs or yields.”
“These centres can certainly act as social glue stations for all, regardless of race, language or religion. In the face of rising ethnic and religious intolerance, as witnessed in the Middle East and, more recently, the rise of Mr Jean-Marie Le Pen in France and the shooting of Mr Pim Fortuyn in Holland, I urge the Government to reconsider its funding operatives for GROs. In conclusion, after the two economic crises in 1998 and 2001, the GST hike and the sweeteners, what remains unchanged is an economy that needs to constantly redefine itself, in order to stay relevant to the world. This is the only way to ensure that its people can continue to enjoy growth and the comforts of secure jobs. Commensurate with this, Singaporeans must be willing to take on the challenges and accept rapid changes in their working lives. This means not just a political will but a collective will of the 3Ps, as Mr Heng Chee How has mentioned - the people, the private and the public sectors. The Government's role will then be to persuade and enable the people, enhance and empower the private sector, and style itself as a shrewd steward of Singapore's economic growth in the global arena. On this note, Sir, I support the motion.”
“To this end, Budget 2002 has sagaciously granted double tax deductions to charitable and welfare organisations with IPC status. This means that for every one dollar given, the Government contributes 44 cents. In addition, donations from estates, are now exempt from estate duty. This is certainly a step in the right direction. The higher personal income tax relief for NSmen, their wives and parents, new tax reliefs for families with handicapped parents and continued child-bearing rebates for divorcees, are also much welcomed measures. All these demonstrate the budget planner's determination in promoting a cohesive society based on the virtue of care and share. However, perhaps more funds can be allocated to help the lower-income and senior citizens who have toiled to bring us the fruits of their labour. Many of them are the founding fathers of Singapore, and many of them have low education and little funds to live on. Even with retraining, many would not be able to keep up with the pace of change and the rising cost of living. Hence, I hope that the heartening increase in the social development budget to 44.5% would translate into greater benefits for the less-able and senior citizens, to help them take care of their basic needs like food, medical, transport, among other needs. Most of all, it must help them to integrate into the mainstream. To this end, perhaps I could suggest that the GROs be given more operating grants so that volunteers can focus on serving and integrating residents and the community, rather than limiting their ideas and imaginations to the funds they can raise. RC centres, for example, given the necessary manpower, can be opened every night and utilised as residents' kampong corners.”
“All these were not directly addressed in this Budget. May I suggest that resources be allocated to build a database of business opportunities, procedures and network programmes, so that there is more transparency and accessibility to information? Perhaps GLCs and successful enterprises may also act as mentors for the new or smaller kids on the block. Whilst the Budget made provisions for start-up stock options, specific incentives for SMEs would make our economic stimulation initiatives even more powerful. In particular, easier access to capital for SMEs and other entrepreneurial financing instruments could be developed. Perhaps, the Government could consider setting up SME banks that operate on slightly different objectives from that of the three big banks, with the focus on helping and investing in SMEs. In both the inward and outward economic expansion strategies of Singapore, the EDB has been instrumental, over the years, in bringing the top names to Singapore. The newly-formed International Enterprise Singapore (IES) will need to expand their every effort to globalise our enterprises. To this end, we need to unlock the potentials of SMEs and grow them into corporate giants of tomorrow. We should identify as many SMEs as are deserving, so as to form a critical mass with real impact. Thus, the Budget should increase the resources for these Boards in lean times, rather than cut them. A penny saved on this may cost us many dollars in lost business. Third, take care of all in our land. If the Pareto's principle of 80/20 is true, then whilst the Budget addresses the needs of the top 20%, which are our desired hunters and gatherers, who may create jobs and wealth for the nation at large; the Budget must make provision for the less well-endowed and the less able.”
“For example, a young entrepreneur who requires a small basic office with two clerical staff would probably need a start-up capital of about $75,000 to last a year, ie, not counting his own salary or living needs. For the many self-employed road warriors in sales-related work, a shift in car cost from ownership to usage has also become an additional cost that eats into their return on investment. This cost of doing business, this risk-return relationship, must be addressed, not just for the new start-ups, but also for the existing SMEs. In fact, for the new start-ups, due to the limited finance schemes available, young start-ups often have to beg and borrow from the 3Fs - father, friends and some say in jest, the `fools'. Each of them then becomes a minor shareholder who may decide to get interested and exercise their rights when the business grows, thereby distracting the entrepreneurs from the main thrusts of his business. When the business fails, the entrepreneur is greatly discouraged and he becomes the laughing stock of the community that he lives in and borrowed from. This is made worse with the local bank mergers. Even banking and finance costs have increased for the new and smaller enterprises, as banks prefer to deal with the 'bigger fish'. All these, to sum up, are entry barriers. Perhaps, the Finance Minister can look into the above areas of concern and consider measures to create a conducive breeding ground for local hunters. On the point of SMEs, many SMEs that I spoke with were unexcited about the Budget. Some lamented about the high cost of doing business in Singapore and some were worried about the hollowing out of some industries to countries with lower cost. Many are unhappy about the crowding-out effect of GLCs.”
“Perhaps, a broad-based "dare to fail" or "never say die" culture should be inculcated all round, rather than in limited pockets of activities. May I suggest that via the budget allocated to MITA, Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Community Development and Sports, we invest heavily in our human capital. We can create more community-in-partnership programmes beyond the football fields into the fields of arts and culture, entrepreneurship, sports and adventure. This broad-based approach will help lay the foundation for an entrepreneurial culture and provide the critical mass necessary to encourage any snowball effect desired. I also applaud the 7.8% increase in MOE's budget and hope that the investment in our children's varied talents will translate into future leaders who are not just academically sound, but also able to think out of the box and move fast in the global hunting arena. For those who have left school, the Finance Minister can consider a higher personal tax relief for education to encourage working adults to upgrade themselves. The current relief level of $2,500 has not kept pace with the cost of education which, for a part-time degree programme can cost between $15,000-$20,000. While there is no gain without pain, an encouraging breeding ground for our own hunters should have favourable risk-reward ratios. This is especially so in Singapore where many are educated and taught to look at cost-benefit analysis before venturing beyond their comfort zones. Currently, the risks associated with entrepreneurship is perceived to be at a premium vis-a-vis a return on investment.”
“Given the limited land and high labour cost, we must indeed focus on branding ourselves and develop industries at the top of the economic value chain. While diversification is sound, we must avoid diluting our potentials to become mediocre players. Just as the Singapore brand is synonymous with "quality", we may consider further positioning ourselves to be synonymous with our niche industries. This will position us as the de facto headquarters for our desired hunters. These niche industries should then be developed as our new engines of growth that lead economic activities further down the value chain. For example, when we think of consumer electronics, Japan comes to mind. When we think of IT, Silicon Valley appears. When we think of textile, it is India and when we think of fashion, it is Paris. So my question is: when we think of Singapore, what comes to mind? Perhaps it is SIA or Creative Technology. Whatever the case may be, we need a face and personality to attract these global hunters. Second, cultivate hunters and gatherers from our land. In times of severe crisis, I believe that chances are the home-grown industries will have a stronger economic and social heartstring to Singapore. Therefore, we must not relent on our efforts to cultivate our own companies, alongside world class MNCs. To do so, we need to adopt a holistic approach. Very often, it has been said that we are very clinical in our approach and we segmentise things, and when these segments are put together, they do not form anything that is viable in the long-term. Hence, I would call on the Government to consider putting these segments together and examine them closely and adopt a holistic approach.”
“May I offer three areas which the Budget, or the rest of the ERC jigsaw puzzle teams can address: First, we must attract the new breed of hunters and gatherers to our land. Second, we must cultivate our own, our local hunters and gatherers and, third, we must take care of all who is in our land. Let me touch on the first point. To attract the new breed of hunters and gatherers to our land, we must realise that when these IT-age hunters and gatherers move, they move with huge resources and global network that we can benefit from. They can enhance our global hub status and bring the latest technology to create jobs, jobs and more jobs for our people. The Budget has addressed these challenges by firming a fundamental shift in the national tax regime, from narrowly focused direct tax structure to a broad-based indirect tax structure. The controversial GST hike from 3% to 5%, the welcome cuts in corporate tax from 24% to 20% and the reduced personal income tax from 26% to 20% in 3 years are necessary steps to position Singapore as a viable business location for both local and global players. The Not Ordinarily Resident (NOR) taxpayer scheme attracts talents, while the tax incentives for the global fund managers attract capital. With all these, combined with our FTA efforts that fasten our links to the world, Singapore is in a better position to attract talents that will reside here and create new business enterprises. However, I feel we need to further identify the type of hunters and gatherers we want to attract. The Budget signalled a shift in emphasis to develop high-end manufacturing alongside high value added services, such as finance, logistics, healthcare and education.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in this debate. Sir, the quintessence of Finance Minister Lee Hsien Loong's Budget Statement is encapsulated in the title for his speech "A Budget For A Different World". Indeed, while the physical landscape of the world remains largely intact, the economic landscape has seen fundamental shifts. In ancient times, human beings were hunters and gatherers. The economy was totally mobile - existing where the hunters and gatherers existed. The agricultural revolution created predictability in food supply. Homes were built, production and economies were centralised. The industrial revolution again changed the basis of economic production. Division of labour and mass production led to economic specialisation. Where is the hunter and gatherer? Meanwhile, in this whole process, our hunters and gatherers have become merchants and tradespeople - their geographical spread diminished in favour of clustered industries. Today, however, the IT revolution is again changing the rules of the game. Time and distance do not limit businesses. Even space tourism is now a reality. People are once again extremely mobile, like our `hunter and gatherer' forefathers. The new age hunters and gatherers find their food in a borderless world, armed with advanced information systems and network that can help them find their opportunities and make their kill. The world is their oyster. The rule of the game is the fittest and the fastest survive. May I take this opportunity to applaud the Finance Minister's courage in keeping in sight the demands of the global arena in the formulation of this year's Budget. In the face of this breed of new hunters and gatherers, we must ready our people, our economy, to stay relevant to the world.”
“I think if we do not view it as a zero-sum game but that the net result of this debate itself can add on to the validity of some of the Bills that are passed or even the debates in this House, then Parliament and Singaporeans at large will actually benefit. Last but not least, "guang huai duo yi dian". If in a spirit of wanting to involve more people in the process itself we involve more people in the form of NMPs who will also be getting the voice from their own represented groups of people, then I think we will all strive towards a much better society and a much better Parliament. Sir, I support the motion.”
“14%, yes, I am sorry. I did not mean to insult him. 14% of the votes. He must have thought that, after going through the parliamentary process and so on, he has more to contribute. I do agree, however, that the process of selection itself has to be more diligent. We have to be careful about whom we want to speak for and which constituent is not represented. I think Mr Steve Chia actually mentioned that the youths and so on are not represented in the voting process because they are under 21 and perhaps they are the group of people whom we want to represent. Then, of course, there are other minority voices that we need to hear. So I would think that, yes, if we can broaden some of these selection criteria on the one hand and make sure that it is not just based on some people who have academic excellence but that they have really done something in some associations, even if they do not have that kind of academic excellence, we can bring them into this House, so that the various groups have a voice. Last but not least, I would like to remind this House that, earlier on, Mr Chan Soo Sen spoke about "lu san dian", ie, the three points that he talked about, that we have to be "xin xiong kwang yi dian", "guang huai duo yi dian" and "dan zi da yi dian", which relate to taking risks. In that light, I would say that, yes, one, let us be "dan zi da yi dian", ie, take some risks. In retrospect, the NMPs have indeed contributed to the debates in this House. Will they do more harm? I think we have to be "dan zi da yi dian" and take a little bit of risk there. Two, "xin xiong kwang yi dian".”
“Sir, I know it is getting late, so I will keep it very short. As I hear the arguments and the debate itself, it appears to me that the issue of the NMP scheme sounds a bit like the issue of foreign talent. I think Mr Chiam said that NMPs drown the voice of the elected Members. So it is the same argument, that foreign talents dilute local talents. Some said that the NMPs have no constituency and, therefore, they cannot speak for the people. It is the same argument that the foreign talents do not know Singapore and, therefore, cannot work for Singapore. There is also someone who said that NMPs have never fought the GE itself and, therefore, they do not have the emotional rootedness, which is the same argument that foreign talents would just pack up and go. But I disagree with these arguments because I support the foreign talent issue itself. The NMPs, by adding them on, will not drown out the voice of the elected Members unless, of course, the elected Members themselves choose not to speak. In terms of media space and so on, if they can stir up a very good argument that promotes debate itself, then perhaps the media can consider giving us more space, rather than limited to that number of pages. In terms of constituency, I would say that although they do not represent a constituency, they do come from certain associations or representations. In that sense, they can be contributing to the debate itself with perhaps a little bit more depth on specific issues. As for the fact that they never fought GE and, therefore, they do not have the emotional rootedness, we also know of the same NMP who then went to fight the elections and garnered only 14 votes. I think he must have gone through - An hon. Member: 14%.”
“' It is therefore my hope that we - the people, the public and the private sectors - can establish mutual trust and cooperation, not just to ease the possible pains of change, but to also embrace the winds of change. Not just as `you', not just as `I', but as `we'. United we stand, divided we fall. On that note, Mr Speaker, Sir, I wholeheartedly support the motion to thank the President.”
“The current legislation makes it difficult to borrow on such property, especially if it is HDB property. Can they downgrade? It is easier said than done. Could we then look into the needs of this group of people by revisiting the legislation, and perhaps under very stringent conditions, based on compassionate grounds, consider acting as a lender of last resort? I know DPM has just said that the Government cannot be a last resort of any kind. While I concede that that is true and we have to be very careful, if it is undesirable, then can we explore other options? For example, relook at the mortgage policy for this group of people so that they may use their last available assets to ease their retirement years. The problem is there and more will be affected as time passes. We need to tackle these issues. Sir, we have a Government that has continuously shown its wits and tenacity - ensuring Singapore remains a premier business hub. We do not ask "Who moved my cheese?", but proactively look for new cheese and create new cheese. We have a Government with great financial wisdom, one that adopts a policy of building up and protecting our reserves so that we can seize the opportunities to become bigger and stronger. Our Government has made a conscious choice to do so. What about our people? We now need to foster this culture in our people so that they too can one day lead the dance with our Government, at the world stage, to the same tune. Let us provide the space so that our youths, our people, can grow. To quote an old adage, `Give a child a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a child to fish, you feed him for life.”
“It may sound out of this world, but I know and I understand that these are not traditional roles, but perhaps we can think out of the box and either build or outsource some of these services to start a financial counselling process for very major purchases - much like that of marriage counselling. The emphasis should be on the attitudes and habits around money, rather than on technical calculations, as is being done today. Certainly, a financially savvy population will save us from the need for more financial hand-outs and more taxes. Sir, I am under no illusion that financial literacy would eliminate all financial hardships. I believe the Government has a social obligation to help the less able and less fortunate. I join the calls of my colleagues in this House to seek ways to lower the cost of basic necessities, like public transport, healthcare and utilities. In the Sengkang part of Punggol North division, where void deck coffeeshops are replaced by airconditioned food courts and neighbourhood centres come in the form of an airconditioned mall, my residents not only miss the hawker centres there with a heavy heart, but also with a very affected pocket. The cost of living has indeed shot up. This problem is compounded where there are job loss and wage cuts. There is another group that has caught my attention lately. This is the `asset so-so, but cash poor' group of people that is sandwiched between the haves and the have-nots. These are citizens who are faced with financial difficulties, despite owning a roof. They have paid so much for their property that little is left to see them through their silver days. In 20 to 30 years' time, some of these properties would have only 60 years or less of lease.”
“Member Mr Lim Boon Heng wondered aloud if there is a way to reconcile the lack of retirement funds with perhaps too much housing. May I offer my observation. Our CPF savings for the ordinary folks is a powerful retirement tool, but only if it is properly understood and utilised. To illustrate using the Census 2001 report of an average household income of $4,943 per month, and assuming an average household works for 30 years of their life, they would potentially be able to accumulate a combined CPF savings of $1.037 million, based on an average compound interest rate of 3% per annum. In other words, the average Singaporean household is potentially a millionaire household. If only people realise this and moderate their demand for a nice roof with their need for a nice retirement nest-egg, retirement funding would become more achievable. The problem here is, Sir, that many Singaporeans do not perceive their CPF savings as their retirement nest-egg. What they perceive their CPF savings is money stuck in the Government's coffer. As such, they will seek all ways to withdraw it. Housing withdrawals have no cap, and is perceived as a status symbol, and a means to release their funds from CPF. I agree with Mr Lim that taking a huge mortgage loan in one's 50s when one cannot afford it is disastrous. Sir, we have designed a world-class retirement system, the CPF system. It is now time for us to go one step further to ensure that our people fully understand its prowess and utilise it accordingly. While the CPF liberalisation is much welcomed, systematic education is needed to prevent unsystematic leakages. May I suggest that the CPF Board and HDB look into the possibility of playing a much bigger role in advising Singaporeans in their finances?”
“With anticipated slowdown in wage increment, we must not develop a new generation of big spenders with huge debts and be trapped in the obsessive pursuit of the 5 `Cs'. Do we want to hold our future generation hostage to debts created today? The answer must be `no'. Spending of what one earns is not wrong, but spending beyond one's means runs contrary to the basic economic formula of save, invest and accumulate. I realise that for some people, poverty is a stark reality. For others, it could just be a state of mind. I would like to ask, is it the high cost of living, or the cost of high living, that leaves us breathless? I believe the answer lies somewhere between the two ends. Perhaps instead of working non-stop to acquire more and more, we could re-evaluate our financial objectives, lest we end up chasing our own tail. While we work hard to make money, we could also learn to make money work harder for us. A particular credit card company urges us not to `leave home without it'. I say, if you cannot resist temptations, you better leave home without it. Good financial discipline and the attitude towards money can be nurtured from young. Young children should learn about the importance of savings. Older students can be encouraged to operate school cooperatives, thereby incubate entrepreneurs who will learn about the value of money and financial management. With social and domestic sciences in our academic curriculum, perhaps it is time for us to consider including financial science as well. We can increase FQ, or financial quotient, this way. Adults, parents and retirees too can benefit from such knowledge and proper understanding of money attitude and tools. Yesterday, the hon.”
“As water has no fixed form, survival has no fixed rules. In the industrial age, a hardworking, experienced and highly-educated person is almost made for life. In the information age, experience and age can become liabilities, not assets, if we choose not to respond positive to changes. Many people will become contract workers or freelance consultants in this era. This change will not only affect jobs and careers; it affects the entire lifestyle. We need to take stock of where we are now, and where we want to go, in order to harness the regional and global opportunities. Stock take: Government ok, people? When it comes to taking stock, I think the Government has been prudent in its spending and some say, aggressive in its investments and earnings, and therefore we have built up enough resources to tackle the challenges and to harness opportunities. However, the same cannot be said at the individual level. Many residents came to me with numerous bills unpaid and little resources to last. Many of these bills relate to lifestyle expenses. I am very, very concerned. Here, again, I refer to the value system of our people. Does more mean better? "Money no enough!" - that is the common outcry of many Singaporeans. The truth is, money is never going to be enough as long as we are buying the latest hi-fi, upgrading, having posh furniture, and keep paying them in instalments. Are we heading towards becoming a society of consumerism and debt? The latest report in 2001 showed a 28% increase in credit card debts and 19% increase in personal, not business, bankruptcy. This could be conveniently attributed to the recession, but the underlying cause is largely spending on credit.”
“Rome was not built in a day, we must be patient and tolerant. However, we do need to accelerate our learning curve in Internet time, in real time, and for the sceptical ones, for real this time. Core value system as anchor So where do we start? I suggest we start with the basics, with the fundamentals. There was a time where quick fixes and get-rich-quick dot-com companies ruled the market. That did not last very long. When the Internet bubble burst and the dot-coms became dot `cons' and dot `gones', value stocks and fundamentally strong companies prevailed. Similarly, let us invest in our own value system. It is only when we know what we are about, then can we battle external pressures. Sun Tze once said: Zhi bi zhi ji, bai zhan bai sheng ( , ). Translated literally, it means "Know thy enemy, know thyself, hundred battles fought, hundred battles won." To a certain extent, we are only what we think, so let us jointly identify and strengthen our shared core values, let it permeate the different strata of our society, not just via talk, but via conscious efforts to externalise these values in our daily activities. In other words, let us walk our talk. Adjust responses to harness opportunities Once we know what we stand for, then let us adjust our reactions to change. We are in a challenging time and we have crisis to surmount. The Chinese term for crisis is weiji ( ). Weiji means weixian de shi hou, bi you jihui ( , ). It implies that there are always opportunities amidst adversity. After all, good value cheap sales surface only in hard times. Hence, if we can change our collective dominant thought from that of facing adversity to finding opportunities, then the net result must be better. We have to break through glass ceilings and expand our mental box.”
“Many will rather wait for the right job and apply for financial assistance meanwhile. Sir, the Government can only do so much. People and Government In Jack Neo's recent production `I Not Stupid', which has been mentioned many times in this Parliament, there was this mother who had so over-provided for the well-being of her child, that the child did not even know how to butter his own bread. What will happen when mummy is no longer around or as able? We need to put our citizens in the driver seat. Not one person, not a small group of people, but all Singaporeans at large. We must get our people to say `what I can do?', rather than `what can the Government do?' In our quest to remake Singapore, let us focus on encouraging and facilitating our people to think and work for what they believe in, rather than provide all the answers. Let each one take ownership of his destiny, and switch gear from a reactive to a proactive mode. We must switch gear, from a government-centric approach to a people-centric approach. I am not advocating the abdication of the Government's role or responsibility. That just cannot be the case. I am advocating shared responsibility for a common destiny. The Government should be after all, by the people, from the people and for the people. For what is a government without popular support? In Karl Marx's theory about the bourgeois and proletariat, polarisation will lead to a revolution. We are far from that but we must be mindful of any divide or gap. Needed space Bridging will certainly mean more risks and take more space. However, this is the necessary space needed to germinate a self-conscious society, the space needed to encourage an enterprising population, the space to experiment, fall and rejuvenate.”
“Or is it that we have a Government that cares, and cares so much, that we often look to our Government for all directions and answers to our life - from economic means to business ideas to personal life choices? Obviously, I have not heeded that call yet. Sir, it was once said that when the US sneezes, Singapore catches pneumonia. Similarly, when our Government opens a door, many people rush in there without questioning why. Obviously, when something goes wrong, the Government gets the blame. Sometimes, the Government also gets away with it, because there simply does not seem to be another way out. Many of us are in our comfort zones, and some perhaps do not see or even want a way out. I cannot agree more with the hon. Member Koo Tsai Kee who said that as we become richer, we become more kiasu, or scared to lose. I myself was in that trap before. Years ago, I sold my car and was in the midst of shopping for a bigger and better car. When a friend asked me out, I told her that I could not because I had no car. She screamed and said: "You have no car but you have `kahs', meaning my legs. So what is your problem?" Sir, I was awakened. I realised that years ago when all I had was a backpack on my back, I was mobile and dexterous. I could go anywhere I wanted, to pursue my dreams. Not kiasu, not kiasi. As I accumulate some wealth, I became hesitant and cautious, thereby suffering from paralysis via analysis. What an irony! Sir, but I realise I am not alone in my predicament. I have come across many people at the meet-the-people session who are handicapped by their material trappings, and they could not harness new horizons as a result. We know of many retrenched workers who place more importance on job types and job distances, even in the face of mounting debts.”
“On a national level, I am thankful that we have a `navigator' Government that chooses to grab the bull by its horns and ride on the waves of change. Our Government realises that we need to constantly check on ourselves and stay relevant to the dynamos of the world. We are at this milestone check now, and we have promised to `leave no stone unturned'. Personal response and choices On an individual level, however, the picture is less clear. My question here is: Are we aware, as individuals, that we do have a choice? Earlier on, the hon. Member, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, stated that his junior asked him why he should be fighting for Singapore and dying for Singapore. And the hon. Member, Dr Wang Kai Yuen, asked him whether it was a result of our education or social system or family upbringing. I suppose my question is: Is it because we have been so caught up with our own work, at our individual, adult or parent level, that we have not spent enough time to inculcate some of these values, such as emotional rootedness, that Dr Vivian spoke about, in our children? It appears that more than 40 years of prosperity have bred a new cohort of Singaporeans who have not made a habit of making up their own minds and whipping up enough courage to pursue their passions. There is no denial that many of us would prefer to hit the well-beaten path. Could it be that some of us still live in the shadows of the 1960s' state of emergency? Or could it be that we have been running so relentlessly up the economic ladder, sparing little time to pause, reflect and dwell deeper into what we really want or what we are really about?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to speak in support of the motion by Mrs Lim Hwee Hua to thank the President for his Address to this Parliament. Change `Change', Mr Speaker, Sir, is the buzzword today. In fact, throughout history, change is the only constant. It is the only way by which our body renews and rejuvenates itself, our mind keeps pace with the dynamo of the world. Change changes life and change will not change. If that is confusing, that is indeed how many people react to change. Confusion, uncertainties, pain and a new world order, which not all can understand or keep pace with, are the products of change. As a sociology student, I used to sit by Orchard Road and watched the world go by. I used to observe how people react towards unanticipated events. When something happened, some shrugged their shoulders and walked away, some screamed and got angry, and some launched an investigation to see if there was an opportunity to reap. I realise that for every action, and that includes non-action, there is a reaction, there is a consequence. Therefore, how we react to the changes around us today will determine our social, economic and political destiny. Hence, my question, Sir, is how are we responding to the changes today? Do we respond as a victim of change, thereby feeling helpless, willy-nilly? Or do we respond as a critic of change, thereby generating negative energy? Do we respond as a bystander, awaiting for all to move before hopping onto the bandwagon? Or do we respond to change as a navigator, seeking to lead and reap, and write our own story? Every generation has a story. What is the story for our current and future generation?”