R Ravindran
Singapore
“Sir, on behalf of all Members who raised various cuts under this amendment, I would like to thank the Minister for Defence, the Second Minister for Defence and the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for their detailed explanations. I would like to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“All this training only comes when the critical time for us to play the game and stay there on the field after the critical 30 minutes. I think it is critical that the SAF provides safe training but, at the same time, realistic training. I would like to ask the Minister how the SAF intends to provide for more safety.”
“Sir, ASEAN, as an organisation, looks like it is back on track. The last ASEAN Leaders Summit showed that the leadership shares a common vision and is committed to meeting the goals set henceforth.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr George Yeo, and the Minister of State, Mr Zainul Abidin, for their very comprehensive answers to the queries raised by Members and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $257,379,160 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.”
“If such rivalries continue, there is every risk that the community-building exercise would be fatally compromised. At best, the EAS may just emerge as another talk-shop like APEC or ARF, where leaders meet, declarations are made, but little community-building is achieved.”
“Sir, the big plus over the recent debate on the Melvyn Tan's case was the tremendous understanding of the role of National Service by all Singaporeans and the spirited defence of it by many.”
The complete record
Every one of 385 lines we hold for R Ravindran, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 8 of 8.
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Budget. First, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the Government and, in particular, to the Minister for Finance for the prudent fiscal policy implemented over the years. This can be seen in the degree to which we have been affected by the on-going economic crisis and how we are able to weather the present crisis. Many Singaporeans in many feedback sessions have stated that they now understand better and, in fact, appreciate the Government's foresight and prudence in building up the large reserves over the years. Sir, let me now move on to the current Budget. The Budget has been hailed by some as a thinking man's Budget. I wish instead that it had been everybody's Budget. While I commend the Government for being prudent, I feel that this time round the Government has been far too conservative in its fiscal policy. Sir, the regional economic environment has turned for the worse. The latest delay in the review of the IMF package for Indonesia and the disbursement of the second tranche of loan will mean that the political, economic and social environment in the region may get worse. The latest earnings warnings last week from big US electronics corporations will mean that the outlook for the local electronics sector, which makes up half of the manufacturing industry, will not be too bright. The regional economic climate, the local retail, tourism and property slowdown, coupled with the high interest rates, lower incomes, and high Government charges, fees and rentals, will only add to the economic slowdown. While some fiscal stimulus was introduced by increasing capital expenditure, I was disappointed by the lack of fiscal stimulus in increasing personal consumption.”
“So if we want a team of good people to take charge of the various ministries and to look after all the billions in our coffers, we must be prepared to pay them salaries commensurate with their responsibilities. 5.00 pm”
“I would like to tell you a story that was reported in the newspapers in the United States, an analogy to illustrate the importance of the Ministers' job. The entire system of a certain large computer company in the United States suddenly broke down. There was some malfunction in the computer system and all the experts in the company could not detect where the trouble was. Finally, the company had no choice but to hire a senior consultant from another state and fly him in to check the system. When the senior consultant came, he conducted an analysis which lasted just a few minutes, and then drew a line on the cover of the computer and said, "Well, you open up this part of the computer and you will find the faulty part." The entire system was restored in less than an hour, when the faulty part was replaced. It was as simple as that. The consultant then sent a bill for $10,000. The computer company protested, "What? You were here for just a few minutes. All you did was to draw a line, and you are asking for $10,000 for that!" The consultant replied, "Yes, no doubt, I have only drawn a line, and for that I would charge you just one dollar. But to know where to draw the line and advising you thereof is worth $9,999!" The moral of this story is that a Minister's job is not as simple as what some people may perceive it to be. Everybody can draw a line. Anyone who can hold a pen can draw a line. But the question is where to draw the line. That is the deciding factor. It is never easy to find and recruit good talents. There is a Chinese saying: "Getting a thousand soldiers is easy, but to get one good General is extremely difficult." If you want the horse to run well, you must feed it well. You cannot ask the horse to run well and do not feed it well.”
“" So what he proposes is not something that I think is going to do much difference to the existing system. His proposal has got several holes through which many things can go through. If at all, the trend that has appeared in many bureaucracies all over the world is to shed layers of bureaucracies, not to add on levels of bureaucracy. What the NCMP's proposal envisages is adding another layer of bureaucracy. It goes against the trend in many bureaucracies all over the world. Sir, our Ministers are constantly evaluated by Singaporeans. If at all, whether they are under-paid or over-paid or whether the salaries that are being paid to them are not justified, that decision should lie with the Prime Minister, and when he takes his team to the election, let the electorate decide. Similarly, the 1994 formula was something that was on the agenda of the Opposition. The people had made a choice. They were comfortable with this decision and they voted overwhelmingly for the Government's formula. In the circumstances, Sir, I urge Members to reject this motion that has been put forward by the NCMP. Mr Peh Chin Hua (Jalan Besar)( In Mandarin): First of all, I would like to thank Mr Speaker for giving me this opportunity to join in the debate. With regard to Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam's motion, I must say there is nothing new in his proposal. He is suggesting that a Committee be formed to review the Ministers' salaries. This is not practical at all. He should go back and study the Hansard and find out all that we had discussed concerning the Ministers' salaries. I agree with my colleagues, Mr Chng Hee Kok and Mr Ravindran. The Ministers' salaries may look huge but they are actually very little compared to our GDP. It is only a small fraction of our national income.”
“So even if the Prime Minister and his Ministers go before this Committee to justify their salaries, in passing judgment on one person, at the end of the day the Committee may end up passing judgment on the rest of the whole Cabinet, and I think that is not something that is favourable or suitable in the Singapore context or in any Westminster model. Sir, it is also unclear from the NCMP's statements earlier as to whether this independent Committee's decisions will be final. If a particular Minister is unhappy with the decision of the Committee, can the particular Minister take the independent Committee to the court for a judicial review on the basis that its decision was not correct? And then will this judicial review be subject to a further appeal in the Court? Then there is no end to this whole process of establishing this independent Committee of being satisfied with one set of decisions. Sir, what happens also is unclear. If the independent Committee sets a low salary benchmark, does it mean that the Prime Minister will be unable to attract very talented people to the Cabinet? Will it mean that because he is unable to attract the best into the Cabinet, he comes back to this House and says, "Look. We need to set benchmarks. We need to change the composition of this independent Committee?" We will all be coming back to this House to decide how do we ensure that what we pay is market rate and will be able to attract the best into Cabinet. And, on the other hand, Sir, if the independent Committee recommends even higher salary, is the NCMP going to come back into this House and still claim that, "Look. Salaries are still too high. We need to do something about it, you know. We need to change this whole independent Committee and come out with another scheme?”
“Here again, even if the Government sets up a Committee and the Committee is staffed by ex-Cabinet Ministers or top civil servants, the same accusation will come from the NCMP saying that the Committee that has been appointed is not one that is impartial but one that is subservient to the Government or one that is not totally independent. So we cannot run away from the fact that whatever that the Government does, the Government will be repeatedly accused that it is not setting up something that is independent. The second point that I would like to highlight is that it is unclear as to what is the nature of the work of this Committee. Will the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Ministers be required to appear before this Committee to justify their salaries? Must what they have done in the past be disclosed to the Committee? Sir, all these things are very serious matters but the NCMP has decided to be silent on these points. And he is also unclear as to whether the proceedings of this Committee must be kept secret or whether it must be in public. Sir, if it is secret, the accusation will be that it is a hush-hush affair and that it is not something that is disclosed to the public. But, on the other hand, if it is made public, then matters that affect the integrity, the standing and moral of our Ministers will be up for public ridicule in certain instances. So I am not clear as to why Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam chose to keep quiet as to whether the proceedings of this proposed Committee should be open to the public or should it be secret. In any event, Sir, in respect of the discharge of the duties by the Minister, as Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam, the NCMP, would be aware, Cabinet works on a collective basis. Decisions that are made are made ultimately on a collective basis.”
“0.9 month, correct. Thank you. Sir, if at all, the existing policy is able to attract the best for the best pay. I think the nature of the decision-making process is something that should be left to the Prime Minister in view of the sensitivity of the matters involved and also the fact that if these matters come out in public, it is something that will affect the dignity and standing of our Ministers in Singapore. Sir, if there was fear that the formula was designed in such a way whereby it only goes up, I was one of those who was happy when the Government disclosed early this year that because the top income taxpayers bracket had gone down, as such the salaries for both the Government Ministers and the senior civil servants were downgraded because of the drop in income. So it is not a case where this formula is designed whereby it only moves upwards but it is also designed to ensure that when the top earners' income tax goes down, the Ministers' income and the top civil servants' income go down also. Sir, in respect of the proposal that is before the House, one needs to look at it very carefully, although Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam did not take us through in great detail about the Committee that he intends to set up. The first question, Sir, where one has to ask is: who sits on this Committee, and who appoints them? It is not everybody in Singapore who understands the nature of a Cabinet Minister's job. Very few of us really are in a position to assess what a Cabinet Minister does in his job and whether he does it well and whether he does it poorly. So I think the best persons who will be able to decide will be the ex-Cabinet Ministers or individuals who have served in top positions.”
“No. There is such a thing as Cabinet responsibility. Sir, the Prime Minister has a heavy burden. He looks at the team in picking up the Cabinet Members. In respect of the performance of Cabinet Members, I think their performance, besides being judged by the Prime Minister in his capacity as the leader of the Cabinet, is also judged by the public. Members of the Cabinet are seen in press conferences, in debates in Parliament and in various forums where their performances are gauged by the public. If at all, Sir, there is any complaint about any performance, the right forum for Members is both in this House and also as far as Singaporeans are concerned, is to exercise that right in the general election. Todate, Sir, the hon. Member has not been able to cite any form of abuse by the Government in this area of remuneration of our Members of Parliament. If at all, the evidence seems to indicate that our Prime Minister has been very stringent in rewarding our Members of Parliament. Again, I would like to highlight the fact that in 1994 in the course of a debate in Parliament, it was mentioned that he was only paid 0.9% as an average for bonuses for the political appointees.”
“Sir, in view of the moment of interruption, and I may need more than five minutes, could I have your permission to speak tomorrow?”
“Sir, in view of the same points being canvassed by Dr Ong, I am not speaking.”
“Can ASEAN maintain its principle of non-intervention or will it adopt a new policy of constructive intervention in Cambodia? Sir, I would like the Minister for Foreign Affairs to explain ASEAN's policy on these two countries.”
“Sir, ASEAN marks its 30th anniversary this year. It has become respected by the international community and has evolved as a major regional player in the global community. Sir, certain cardinal principles have guided ASEAN in reaching its reputable status today. One of these policies of ASEAN is the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states or even non-member states. Consistent with this principle, Myanmar was admitted into ASEAN last week despite international objections and reservations. Sir, Myanmar's domestic political situation came under criticisms from the ARF-dialogue partners in Kuala Lumpur last week. My concern is whether Myanmar's presence in ASEAN will affect the good image of ASEAN in international forums. Will ASEAN change its strategy towards Myanmar from one of constructive engagement to one of constructive intervention, as has been highlighted by certain political leaders in Kuala Lumpur? Will it entail ASEAN inevitably getting involved in the internal affairs of Myanmar to bring about change and will also the ASEAN way of doing things really bring change to Myanmar? 2.15 pm Sir, another policy of ASEAN is the principle that the nature of a country's domestic situation is not a pre-condition for membership into ASEAN. Here, again, the recent move to postpone Cambodia's membership into ASEAN appears to be contrary to ASEAN's claim that a country's domestic condition has never been a factor in admitting members. It has opened ASEAN to criticism that it has double standards towards the membership of Myanmar and Cambodia. Sir, recent events pose some interesting challenges to ASEAN. What if the recent events in Cambodia had unfolded after Cambodia's admission into ASEAN? Would its membership be suspended?”
“We are also allowing controlled basking now along the Singapore River, along Orchard Road, in the ethnic areas of Chinatown, Little India and Geylang Serai. But here again we do not want basking to degenerate into a high class form of begging. The NAC will take charge. We will ensure that while we allow for more spaces for artistes to perform, we do not also in the process bring in the seedy and the sleazy. It is still experimental. Two years ago there was an appeal to me to allow even our civilian memorial to be used as a performing arts venue. I thought it was too early and turned it down. Last year they asked to use the Suntec fountain. The police were against it. NAC appealed on their behalf. PELU relented, and so they had a good performance at the Suntec fountain. And if there are other further requests, I think we should look into them. But this is part of an evolving arts scene in Singapore which is very exciting.”
“Mr Ravindran asked whether we should not recreate something like Harajuku in Singapore. I have been there and I watched how young Japanese enjoyed themselves on weekends and even when they are grunge or punk they are very well organised and not a hair is out of place. There is a very Japanese character to the way they let their hair down. We are Singaporeans and we have got to find our own balance, given our own climate, and the tendencies of our own youths. We have got to disallow those below 16 to attend tea dances. So we have got to be careful that there is a tendency in our society for secret societies to come in and influence young people in the wrong way. What we have done in the last few years is to progressively open up outdoor spaces for arts performances. So the Dance Theatre has had many dances under the sun at Fort Canning. We had the opening of the Asian Performing Arts Festival there and it was beautiful, a lovely, breezy evening, Ramayana re-enacted beneath the banyan tree, lit up from below and Hanuman climbing up one of the blinds. Recently, I was there again for a production of Hamlet in contemporary costumes and it was magical. It was a lovely sight and I think we should invest in some fixed installations so that an arts group going there to perform need not carry so much overheads with them. There are many other places which we are developing as outdoor spaces, at the Istana Park, Xiao Qulin in Bukit Batok, Bishan, East Coast Park, Marina South, and we have got to experiment in different forms to see what will work for Singapore, what Singaporeans are happy to go to to watch outdoor performances and whether there are shelters nearby in the event that it suddenly rains, as it so often does here in sunny Singapore.”
“45 pm On Dr Yaacob's point about how to remember the bravery of the men of C Company led by Lt Adnan, I think this is something which would eventually enter our history books and become part of the collective memory passed on to younger Singaporeans. Lt Adnan was an officer of the Malay Regiment of the British Army. Lim Bo Seng died as a Major-General of the Kuomingtang Army. Many of those who fought in Force 136 in the jungles of Malaya fought because of their sympathies for the Malayan Communist Party and the Chinese Community Party. But in their own ways, responding to their own emotions and their own callings, they fought against the colonial powers. All of them are, in a sense, antecedents of modern Singapore. I think it is important for us to remember the hallowed grounds on which Lt Adnan and men of C Company died on Kent Ridge. There is a bungalow there which Dr Yaacob's Committee recommended to MITA last year to be converted into an information centre on Lt Adnan. I think that is worth doing. Of course, the story of the battle of Pasir Panjang should be recorded in the History Museum. But it is useful to have an information centre on the site itself which can provide maps, the way the battle was fought and to remember specific details which the Museum may not see fit to carry. In fact, a number of the soldiers died near a bungalow today at Pepys Road, No. 31K, and I am glad to report to Parliament that the Ministry of National Development has recently allocated that bungalow to MITA and to NHB for its use as an information centre to record the battle of Pasir Panjang and other World War II sites in Singapore. This is something which should be done and something which the NHB is looking into.”
“BG George Yong-Boon Yeo: Sir, no history of Singapore can be written without reference to the movement within the Chinese community to build Nanyang University and the involvement of Nanyang University graduates in the political development leading up to independence and post-independent Singapore. Therefore, I fully agree with both Mr Goh Choon Kang and Mr Seng Han Thong that the old Arch should be preserved, because it is an important symbol to a phase in the evolution of our national life. Both the Nantah Arch and the Nantah Administration Block should be considered as national monuments. And I have asked the Preservation of Monuments Board to look into the matter and to make a recommendation. My own preference is for the Arch to be restored to its original condition. Unfortunately, the old characters had been lost. When Nantah was absorbed into NUS, Pan Sou wrote the new calligraphy for Nanyang Li Kong Shua Yuan and the old Archway. When the entrance was shifted to Jalan Bahar, Pan Sou's characters were removed and there was no new Archway at Jalan Bahar. So it was left empty. Since then, it is almost like a ruin in the area. I think it is now timely to restore it back to its original form, and to have a plaque there, informing Singaporeans of what their Archway means. The Xinzheng lou has now found its new use as the home for the Chinese Heritage Centre. It is being well maintained. There is a Yunnan Garden in front of it. There is a replica of the Nantah Arch in the Yunnan Garden. So I think that building will continue to be well looked after. Nevertheless, I think there is a strong case to list it as one of our national monuments. 2.”
“Sir, the Government has unveiled a plan to make Singapore a renaissance city in the 21st century. Our artistes, especially our budding and young artistes, must be nurtured and helped along the way. However, many may not have reached the stage where they feel confident to perform on stage. Some may find it costly to book and perform in a proper auditorium. Some may also be trying out some new art forms which may be experimental. Some may not aspire to be serious musicians but only as weekend musicians or performers. There are very few outdoor performance venues for these young and budding performers at the moment for them to display their talents and gauge public response. Sir, while in Japan some years ago, I found a place called Harajuku there which is very famous on weekends. On Sundays, a stretch of the road is closed, and young and budding artistes from all walks of life just come there, put up their musical equipment, set up everything else that they have, and perform for the public to watch. And members of the public come along and watch. Crowds gather when the performance is interesting and popular, while at some performances crowds just stand and then walk away. Sir, I think a similar concept in Singapore can be tried and I think it will give an opportunity for our young and budding performers a place for them to display their skills, a place to gauge public response to their performances and also, in due course, to develop confidence and to test whether the experimental art forms and performances they are trying out are something that will go along and get good response among the public. Sir, I would urge the Minister to consider this idea and see whether it is practical to implement in Singapore.”
“Sir, I am not moving the amendment in view of the fact that the matter has been raised earlier and answered.”
“I accept the answer that has been given by the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head R of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code RB 2400. Sir, the Government promotes the learning and usage of various mother tongue official languages, in particular, the Government has successfully promoted the usage of Mandarin through the use of the Speak Mandarin Campaign for the last 19 years. The Malay community, on its part, has embarked on a biannual Malay Language Month to promote the use of Malay language. It is undertaken by the Malay Language Council which comprises various Malay organisations and individuals. Similarly, Sir, the Indian community embarked on a Tamil Language Week two years ago and it is organised every two years. It is also similarly undertaken by various Indian organisations. Sir, as it is the Government's policy to promote the learning and usage of the mother tongue languages, I would like to ask the Minister for Information and the Arts whether his Ministry can coordinate all the three campaigns to help promote and raise the profile and usage of the other two mother tongue official languages together with Mandarin.”
“Sir, this year marks the 30th anniversary of National Service in Singapore. Numerous tributes have been given by our national leaders to National Servicemen for 30 years of contribution towards service for the nation. Our National Servicemen in the SAF, the Police Force and Civil Defence play a vital role in the Total Defence of Singapore. The Budget has goodies for many groups of people. One group that was left out was our full-time National Servicemen. Sir, I think it is once again time to review the allowance that is being paid to our NSF men. The last increase was in 1994. Three years have lapsed then. This being the 30th anniversary, I would urge and ask the Minister for Defence whether there are plans to increase or review the National Service allowance for our NSmen.”
“Until now, 41% of 1,100 collective agreements have a clause on skills retraining. We are grateful that within 1995-1996, half of the collective agreements which were signed had such a clause on skills training. In comparison, it was one-quarter in 1995. At the same time, investment in skills training has reached 3.6% of the wage cost or payroll cost, which is not far from the objective of 4% at the national level. In short, the hope of the labour movement to increase investment in the training skills of our workers should be welcomed by employers. If we can extend this, not only are we able to enhance the competitiveness of the companies but also that of the country. It is an enhancement of the economic strength of the family. Competitiveness has a direct effect on the income and welfare of our workers. A Caring and Gracious Society Mr Deputy Speaker, I hope the emphasis which is made daily to increase our competitiveness should not make a Singaporean to be self-centred for himself and for his family. We should encourage Singaporeans to be ready to render their services to the unfortunate. We hope to see that our communities are gracious and strong in the social and emotional aspects. The Government, other than emphasising on the marketing aspect, should also emphasise on the help for the unfortunate, especially those who are in need of financial support. If we are able to bring about success in this, with the basic principles spelt out by the President, not only we will be a progressive country but we will also be a supreme country. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the motion of thanks for the President's Address.”
“I think it is good that the Ministry of Education has widened the opportunities for our children to have more interaction with their contemporaries from other countries through an exchange of students. This can be done, firstly, with the cooperation of the special schools, together with the children of other citizens in Singapore. This will give our children the opportunity to galvanize their skills, not only in their IQ development but also give them an opportunity to enhance their EQ. Preparation for Competition Mr Deputy Speaker, many of our friends in this House have already said about the importance of preparing our children for education to face the acute competition. Many Members have said about the importance of training and retraining among the adult workers who lost the opportunity to obtain the skills when they were young. As a labour MP, I am grateful that the labour movement in Singapore, under the leadership of NTUC, is making such an effort. In fact, our labour movement, in fighting for the interest and benefit of the workers, has become a significant partner in the development of Singapore through the tripartite relationship with the Government and the employers. Yesterday, Mr Ong Ah Heng said about the NTUC's effort to bring about the retraining programme together with the Government and the employers. I believe the NTUC will enhance their role by encouraging our workers who are not young to grab this opportunity. The employers and the Government should also play their role. Singapore companies, especially the small and medium enterprises, should play an active role because they comprise 95% of the total number of companies in this country. They pay half of their payroll to our workers.”
“Although our aim is to improve cohesion among all levels of the community regardless of their background, language and religion and their socio-economic status, it is important that the teaching staff under this programme should be among those who are able to disseminate the fact to nurture the national spirit in the right way and also to enhance the sensitivity of the students. This is important as a Malay proverb says that "The place where you stand on is the place where the sky is". Or an Arab saying that "Loyalty to the country is part of the faith which will live in your soul". As we continue our effort to deepen the root of our loyalty, we should also nurture friendship with all countries. It is ironic that the disbanding of the Cold War and with an increase in economic cooperation between countries, it is also accompanied by an increase in nationalism in many countries. This nationalism will bring about an acute competition among the countries, including economic competition, especially among neighbouring countries. In this aspect, I support fully the Government's policy to extend friendship with other countries. Our attempts to increase economic cooperation, whether among the ASEAN countries or the Asia-Pacific countries or in other regions like the European Community, are in the right direction. The Prime Minister has also expressed his desire to have such cooperation with other countries while at the same time competing with them. In this aspect, the National Education programme should inculcate this learning. We should nurture this spirit among our children and give them the opportunity to prepare themselves with the ability to develop friendship.”
“This is a case where one wishes to turn on or turn off the tap. Mr Deputy Speaker, this is not the best way to have a good relationship with your neighbour. If we are trapped in this situation, anything we do will be deemed as inappropriate. It is important to stress that even in such a situation, we should re-establish the relationship to the previous level and, if possible, we should be more cordial in future. However, this relationship must be based on mutual respect and a win-win situation. How good our relationship with the other countries, we should not be too overly dependent on that country for our needs or for any activity, especially our main requirements. I think the people of Singapore are in support of the Government's attempt to expand our water sources other than the one obtained from Malaysia. National Education Mr Deputy Speaker, the crisis should make us more united and committed to build a united country. In this respect, the step taken by the Minister for Education to introduce National Education is significant. I believe the formulation is not due to the recent crisis in Malaysia but, nevertheless, National Education will ensure our citizens are literate in history and help us to understand the stormy situation that may arise domestically as well as externally which will have an effect on our national interest. National Education can be a compass to guide our direction when facing a similar situation. Although National Education focuses on the young who are still schooling, I think it is better that this education be disseminated to the adult citizens.”
“All the races and the communities at all levels are quietly resentful of the derogatory criticisms that have been cast upon our leaders and the country. When I met a Malaysian official recently in the midst of this crisis and asked him for his view on the Singapore Malays' reaction, he said that, based on the letters that were published in Berita Harian and the general reaction, the reaction of Singapore Malays is similar to other Singaporeans. They are unhappy and not comfortable because the national interest is threatened. In short, in this case, Singaporeans, including the Malays, expressed similar feelings. This relationship is cooling down, and some Singaporeans hope that this matter will stop, especially the rebuttal made by some Malaysian leaders who are casting unfounded allegation against us. They want good relationship to be resumed. I also feel that the prolonged tension will not be good for both parties. Both countries need each other and prolonged dispute will be of no benefit to both parties. However, Singapore should be aware of the background and fact that has given rise to this crisis so that we become more knowledgeable to understand why after an apology is demanded, derogatory remarks and statements were hurled followed by repeated threats. And why every time a crisis arises, we are served with the re-run of the old movies, especially the allegations and objections and threat after threat. Although we want to end this unpleasant episode regarding our relationship with Malaysia, we are not happy if this pace is being set by one party, that is, we are being dragged into the crisis when one of their leaders wants to increase the heat of the tension and we should shut up when they want to cool down the situation.”
“We have a Government which is clean, efficient and honest, not only in namesake but also proven. In short, we have the foundation to be confident of the success of Singapore in the near future. But we have to be reminded by the President that Singaporeans should not be complacent as there are many new challenges that we are facing. While the country and the population are reaching maturity, we should expect an aging population. We are faced with rapid advances in technology and fiercer competition. The effect is that Singapore is exposed to a slower economic growth. All these challenges have an effect on one another and if we are unable to overcome these challenges, the effect will not only be felt by the community, the people, but will also affect the stability of a country. If we look at these challenges in terms of relationship with other nations who are blowing hot and cold, then the situation or circumstances will be more difficult. Mr Speaker, for the last two days some of our friends in this House have spoken about the Singapore-Malaysia relationship. Many, I think, agree with the Member for Bukit Timah, Dr Wang, that Singaporeans are sick and tired of the repeated threats made by Malaysian leaders against Singapore to freeze the water agreement. The criticism, which initially was directed at the Senior Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, but later extended towards Singapore and its leaders in general, has made Singaporeans more united. It should be the case. The threats and the challenges of any form should unite Singaporeans. We should be proud because, compared to the initial perception that Singapore will be divided on this recent issue in Malaysia, Singaporeans as a whole have given their strong support to the Government.”
“Out of about 450 Singapore Tamil teachers, less than 30 of them are graduates. A vast majority of the Tamil language teachers have no tertiary education in Tamil or other disciplines. Are these teachers able to teach Tamil to our upper secondary and pre-university students? I would urge the Minister for Education once again to look into the shortage of tertiary educated Tamil teachers so as to ensure that the quality of Tamil education in Singapore is maintained. One way to overcome the shortage can be through the setting up of a Centre for Tamil Language at the National Technological University or at the National University of Singapore or, in the alternative, by establishing a twinning programme with an overseas university offering Tamil language disciplines. Sir, I support the motion. Mr Hawazi Daipi (Sembawang)( In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me the opportunity to express my support to thank the President for his Address at the opening of the Ninth Parliament. While we are charting our new direction to bring Singapore to the 21st century, Singaporeans can look back to the past 32 years with full satisfaction. When we are facing the challenges in the next three decades, we are full of confidence that there will be continuous success for Singaporeans. The pillar of Singapore as a community is very strong. As what has been said by the President, the economic activity and trade are already globalised that we may not be too affected by problems with any one of our economic associates. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 4.01 pm We have good savings and we are able to enjoy political and social stability. We have excellent infrastructure. We also have diligent and educated workers and we have a large talent pool.”
“If direct increase in allowance is not feasible or not to be encouraged, perhaps the Government can place their extra allowance above a certain maintenance amount into a special CPF account which can be used either to buy a flat or pursue an education course. The Government has the resources and it will go a long way to rewarding our NSmen for their just sacrifice of their youth. I would also urge that for those NSmen who are without skills or who do not possess IT training in these fields before their ROD, the relevant Ministries undertake the necessary training so that when they enter the workforce they are better equipped to enter into the information age. Finally, let me touch upon the bilingual policy of the Government. The Tamil language is well and alive in Singapore. The Government has increased the hours of Tamil radio and television programmes. It has used Tamil in its official publications. Signages at the airport and certain streets are in Tamil. There are even Singapore web sites in Tamil on the Internet. I must express the heartfelt gratitude of the Indians in Singapore for the Government's commitment in the promotion of the Tamil language and other Indian languages. Singapore has the single distinction of being the only country in the world outside India where Tamil is an official language. Sir, our bilingual policy helps impart mother tongue language skills, moral values and cultural traditions. Tamil is studied as a second language by more than 18,000 students as at 1995. The Government has gone to great lengths to ensure that Tamil language classes are held wherever sufficient numbers of students are found. There is a growing concern in the Indian community over the quality of Tamil education in Singapore.”
“We should design schemes to help them to obtain hawker stalls and other small businesses for them to get back on to their feet. Let me now move on to the next topic of national defence. Singaporeans are committed to the defence of their country. Our Armed Forces must remain vigilant and operationally ready. Recent events have highlighted to Singaporeans the need for a strong and credible Singapore Armed Forces. We must continue our efforts in Total Defence to emphasise the role of each and everyone in the defence of the nation. We must continue to build and maintain a strong and deterrent armed forces. I am pleased that after a recent private survey done by me among NSmen, it showed their unanimous willingness and determination to fight for our country. I am highlighting this fact to let those who are watching us that no one should take us for granted and hope to stroll into Singapore. Our NSmen do us proud. National Servicemen play an important role in the defence of our nation. Our young men sacrifice 2 to 2(r) years of their youth for the benefit of our country. Many do it out of a sense of duty to the nation. The inequity of their sacrifice becomes more glaring by the bigger number of foreigners who have taken up citizenship without the corresponding responsibility of participating in national service. It is perhaps time that we looked into how we can take care of our NSmen better so that our NSmen feel that our Government takes special care of them. Here I would urge the Government to pay our NSmen increased allowances for their services. We have the resources to pay our NSmen more. Our NSmen and their families will appreciate the increase in the NSmen's allowances.”
“There are many agencies that provide a variety of social services, but no one agency is a one-stop agency, which is able to understand and refer the client to the right agency. Many of us in the grassroots agencies and others refer to the agencies according to our limited knowledge of these welfare agencies. I appreciate the effort of the Ministry of Community Development in publishing a book on the various social services offered by different agencies. I look forward to the creation of a one-stop agency, either at the national level or at the CDC level, which can be a one-stop referral agency to channel the clients to the relevant social services or agencies. Ideally, a telephone service with an easy digit to remember, like 888 or 777, can be created for people to telephone and enquire on social and other services offered by our volunteer organisations. We must also strive to do more for those who are in need of help. We provide safety nets for the disadvantaged in various forms. While we need safety nets which prevent them from falling further, we must also provide trampolines which can enable them to spring back from where they have fallen. They could have fallen for a variety of reasons, for example, the death of the breadwinner in the family, old age, a debilitating disease or a physical handicap. We can do more to help those in need. We must consider setting up a loan scheme which enables them to borrow a small sum of money at low interest rate to tide over their immediate problems. The loan scheme can be provided by a Government agency or by external financial institutions as a social service. Strict criteria can be set for disbursing these loan schemes. This will prevent many of them from resorting to loan sharks or to other desperate measures.”
“In addition, problems, which should be understood by Singaporeans as national problems, are being isolated as problems of certain communities. Many national problems are increasingly identified and carved out as problems of different ethnic communities and passed to them to solve. The beneficiaries of such assistance schemes and programmes only see their own ethnic community helping them, not the Government or the other ethnic communities. Cross-ethnic volunteer involvement is sparse. It is important and timely to reassess the role of our various ethnic based self-help groups. It has become clear that some of the problems faced by the various ethnic communities are similar, for example, tuition, family services, skills training and motivation programmes. We must avoid duplication of resources and enhance the position of the Government as the foremost body concerned for its citizens. It is perhaps timely to establish a national coordinating agency, not an ad hoc one, to look into ways to coordinate this effort. For a start, perhaps the newly formed CDCs can coordinate the various programmes offered by these self-help groups. Such an institute or body can reach out to all Singaporeans despite their ethnic backgrounds. The CDCs can also ensure that volunteers from all ethnic groups are mobilised to help all Singaporeans. I look forward to the eventual emergence of a single national self-help organisation to serve all Singaporeans. It will help bring people from the various ethnic groups together and help create a better bond among our people. Let me move on to the topic of creating a more compassionate society. We have a good network of social services. Yet it is the information about these services that needs to reach the end users.”
“Teachers and, if necessary, outside agencies must be brought in to motivate our students to become willing learners. I would urge the setting up of a National Institute of Motivation to help in this exercise. This Institute can play a leading role in motivating students and also can become a centre for all resource materials. A willing learner in turn becomes a joy to teachers. Many of these children come from disadvantaged families. Education holds the key to enable them to break out of the poverty trap. Sir, the young are our precious resources. Let us ensure that the best is brought out in them. Let me now move on to another topic on community bonding. I applaud the effort of the Ministry of Community Development to promote maximum community participation to help uplift the disadvantaged in society. I look forward to the CDCs to reach out to families in distress, low-income families, the elderly and the children in need. The Government must continue to render all assistance to low income families. Among the steps taken by the Government to help weaker students perform better was the setting up of the various ethnic self-help groups. This community-based approach has helped under-achievers to level up and break through the vicious circle of low education and poverty. Over the years, these self-help groups have gone on to take more responsibilities and more resources have been given to them to tackle various problems, for example, education, drugs, family issues, worker training, marriage counselling, and preventive programmes for youths among others. While there is merit in using an ethnic-based approach to solve sectional problems, I would urge the Government to reconsider the present scheme of things. Duplication of programmes becomes unavoidable.”
“In our competitive environment, the school system in Singapore is primarily geared at completing the syllabus and getting the best scores. Our teachers are trained to teach but not to motivate. The non-academic performers are identified as slow learners and streamed to learn at their own pace. Some do come back into the mainstream but many do not. Some bloom too late only to discover themselves among the less motivated and give up trying. Our school system assumes that all students come to school with a willingness to learn. It is not designed to take care of students who are not willing to learn due to a variety of causes. Many of these problems faced by these students outside their classroom manifest in many ways in school and show up in their unwillingness to learn at school. Lack of a proper family environment, lack of parental and educational guidance, peer influence or low self-esteem, all contribute to the unwillingness to learn. In the working environment, workers, and even employers, are regularly sent for motivation programmes to improve performance and change attitudes. It has proven to be a success in many cases. Motivation programmes run by ethnic self-help groups throw up evidence that academically weaker students who undergo motivation programmes show a marked improvement in academic performance. Sir, our children are our vital resource. No effort must be spared in maximizing the potential of our students. Our teachers must be constantly reminded that our young must be motivated to excel. The highly motivated students in schools are also the brightest and the best. I would urge the Minister for Education to place more emphasis on motivating our weaker students. Many of them are intelligent and able.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to thank the President on his Address to Parliament. Sir, I support the Singapore 21 programme of the Government aimed at making Singapore the Best Home for all Singaporeans. Sir, the Government's agenda is a far-sighted one and I support it wholeheartedly. I would like to offer some suggestions to help make the Government's vision become a reality. First among the lot, Sir, I would like the Government to motivate our under-achievers. Among the Government's action plans to meet the challenges ahead, none is more crucial than that of providing all Singaporeans with the opportunity to get the best education in the world. The Government's goal must be to ensure that a quality education is available and affordable to every Singaporean. We all know that an educated workforce is the key to our economic future. We have to invest in education not only because it is the right thing to do, but because it is the one thing we must do to continue to be a dynamic economic power house in the next century. Education has been the great equalizer in this country. Let us continue to make it so to achieve success for our country. Sir, meritocracy has been a pillar of our success in motivating people to succeed at all levels. The basic tenet of this principle is that everyone is generally motivated and will achieve according to his inherent talent and ability. Sir, however, in reality this is only partially true. There are many who are able but who do not excel due to a lack of motivation and self-esteem especially in their formative or school-going years. In my interaction with the students of Singapore and from feedback received, I found many students who are under-achievers lacking in motivation and self-esteem.”