R. Sinnakaruppan
Singapore
“In the first place, is the reporting system of the hand, foot and mouth disease cases by the GPs to the Ministry quick enough? Could it be that by the time the Ministry gathered all the data, the disease has already spread?”
“It is, in some ways, like what the Government has done for our university by setting up a private university, the Singapore Management University.”
“Sir, the question I really have is this. While it is very encouraging to see that the Government has started this scheme late last year, I would like to ask whether, in addition to looking at the priority for older estates, there are wards where there are more private estates than public estates.”
“I would also like to ask that this lift upgrading programme, on a pilot scheme that has been planned, can be expanded and more of the mature estates in the city centre can be considered for this upgrading.”
“It must have greater compassion and greater commitment to level up the lower strata of our society. Like the call by Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, it must do much more on public education on what we want to achieve as a nation. It must rally our citizens to help them cope with the impending changes of our economy.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we welcome this more calibrated approach to killer-litter offences by MND as well as MHA. I would like to ask the Minister whether, in the light of this approach, the Housing and Development Act could be reviewed to raise the maximum penalty from $1,000 to $5,000, same as the penalty imposed by the Town Council, for the n…”
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“I would like to find out from the Senior Minister of State whether a graduate who takes some of the optional modules in Tamil, ie, more than two modules in Tamil, will be able to go on to the NIE's post-graduate diploma and then go on to teach in the schools?”
“I would like to find out from the Senior Minister of State whether it would be possible for graduates from this course to go on to teach Tamil in the primary and secondary schools because that is the main problem that the Indian community faces in respect of Tamil.”
“Thank you, Sir. First, the Minister says that the DRE workers are paid the same market rate as the others in the market. But there is no market because DRE workers clean all the roads in Singapore. So the comparison he is making is with the Town Council cleansing workers who do it not under the sun, but they clean the stairs and so on. It is a different kind of job. So there is no comparison. Secondly, most of these Town Council workers are foreign workers. Even if you pay them $300 or $400, it does not matter to them because they will convert the currency, and it is not the same comparison. He also says that some of these workers are paid $1,400 to $1,500. But the problem is only less than 10% of the workers in ENV are skilled. As I have mentioned, about 80% of them are unskilled and you have to train these workers.”
“It is not suitable for drinking but it is clean enough for use in such areas as cleaning of toilets, flushing and watering of plants in non-catchment areas. 3.00 pm Sir, the quantity of such water is huge. The daily production rate could be in the order of half a million cubic metres which is comparable to the water consumption rate of Singapore. If we are able to convince people to use this large quantity of water in whatever feasible way, it will be able to lessen our dependence on fresh water supply. I would like to urge the Ministry to look into the following areas: (1) Promote the use of and sell this kind of recycled water aggressively for industrial, agricultural, construction and domestic application. (2) Consider building supply lines to all the potential high consumption areas. (3) Separate the industrial effluence from the domestic effluence so that the recycled water could be free from heavy metal contamination. (4) Conduct research to explore a cost effective solution to raise the quality of non-heavy metal contaminated recycled water for better use. (5) Conduct research to overcome all the known problems in the use of such recycled water.”
“Free of charge. What the ENV officers need to do is to approach the issue of mechanisation with a fresh mindset and do a fundamental redesign of the cleansing jobs and train these workers towards that end. And if they cannot do that, it may be better for Government to corporatise the operations, just like what they have done for refuse collection where SEMAC has been corporatised. SEMAC is highly mechanised and have happier workers who are better paid. Sir, last year, the public transport workers were recognised for their contributions to the public. This year, on PM's suggestion, the environmental workers in Singapore will be recognised. Sir, because this is a special year for the environmental workers, I would like to urge the Ministry of the Environment to do a major review in the salary structure and the working conditions of the DREs and be generous in granting salary adjustments. Sir, a 15% increase in the salary of a DRE earning, say, $800 will only amount to $120. And let me remind the Minister that the collective agreement for the DREs is long overdue, more than six months to nine months. So I would like to urge the ENV not to make a mockery of the Government's plan to level up society and show greater compassion for their loyal DREs. Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay: Sir, the topic I would like to talk about is recycled water from sewer plants. Sir, as a GPC Member for the Environment, I have the opportunity to visit the sewerage plant in Kranji. I found that after treatment a huge volume of water at the sewerage plant becomes crystal clear before being discharged into the ocean. This water has a trace of heavy metal and some bio-organism because some sewer water came from the industry.”
“Over the years, ENV has not done much to train these DREs or to mechanise their operations. Some of the ENV officers that I have spoken to tell me that the DRE workers cannot be trained and that it is very difficult to mechanise their operations. Sir, I get very angry and annoyed when I hear such responses. Why is this so? First, PUB also has a lot of DRE workers. But the PUB management has done an excellent job in providing adequate training for their DRE workers. Many of these workers have moved from BEST, WISE and even to `N' and `O' levels and these workers are also in their 50s and 60s. Sir, why can the ENV not learn from the PUB about training these precious unskilled workers who are getting rare and rare? Sir, the second reason why I am angry and annoyed is that I am an automation engineer and I have designed robots and machines in the early years of my career. To tell me that the cleansing works cannot be mechanised is a very very lame excuse. Just look at the private sector janitorial companies. They will point to many mechanised equipment that are available in the market. And if not, I will be prepared to advise ENV on how to design some of these machines. An hon. Member: Free of charge.”
“Sir, we often talk passionately about levelling up the society in Singapore so that the lower strata of our society can have greater opportunities to move up and have a share in Singapore's wealth. Sir, all this will amount to mere lip service if we do not do enough, for example, the daily rated employees (DREs) working in the Ministry of the Environment. Sir, we talk about paying high salaries for top civil servants and justify these huge salaries because they are the top brains in the service. But what about also paying adequately for the brawns of the DRE ENV workers who sweat and toil in rain and shine during weekends and weekdays, public holidays, to clean our roads or do the unpleasant but essential work in the sewerage plants. Many of these workers are in their 50s and 60s or even nearing 70s. Sir, we take their work for granted. If these workers just for one day stop work, then our image as the cleanest city in the world will soon be ridiculed and diminished. Of course, NTUC will ensure that they do not go slow but I think we cannot take their work for granted. Sir, indeed we seem to be squeezing too much from these workers. Let me give you a vivid example. A Samy, aged 62 years, has been working in the Ministry of the Environment for the past 33 years. His current basic salary is only $648.90! His gross salary is $973 after working for 33 years. Mdm Goh Boon Eng who has been working also in the Ministry of the Environment in the Cleansing Section for 19 years earns only a take-home pay of $622. Sir, does this not sound like exploitation of labour? Samy and Mdm Goh are just two of the 78% of the 3,329 DREs who are unskilled. It is not entirely their fault that they are unskilled. The Environment Ministry is to be blamed.”
“Also, with a better knowledge of current affairs, they would be able to correct the misunderstanding they have on some Government policies, and even convey the right messages to their commuters. On general knowledge, it will make it easier for them to converse with their commuters. I feel that if taxi drivers can go through this sort of courses, they will have better confidence in themselves and would also create a better image too. If he is driving a passenger to a concert, he can talk to him about music. If he is driving a passenger to HDB for the application of a flat, he can discuss with him the trend of the property market. We know that in every profession, there are bound to be some black sheep. But usually when a taxi driver makes a mistake, people will think that all taxi drivers are the same. People are in the habit of citing taxi drivers as examples when they make some critical comments. We often hear people saying things like: even the son of a taxi driver can go to the university, and even a taxi driver can afford to buy such a thing, etc.! I do not think we should use taxi drivers for such examples. In order to improve their image, I feel that taxi drivers should wear neat uniform and present themselves in a more presentable manner. As Mr Ong Ah Heng has said just now, in China, we always address the taxi drivers as "shifu" ( ), or master. Perhaps there will come a day when we address our taxi drivers as shifu and give them the respect they deserve.”
“They feel that when we give rebates on road tax to car owners, these taxi drivers have no share, yet they have to pay more for road usage. It is not fair to them. I suggest that in future when the Ministry of Communications adjust their charges, they should think in terms of the benefits of the taxi drivers. "6600" diesel tax is an old problem. I think we have to use our political wisdom to resolve this matter. The most effective manner to solve this problem is to have a comprehensive review of the background and reason for the levy of this diesel tax. Under the present circumstances, do we need to remain at 6600? We must also consider that taxi is also an important link in our public transportation system. So we have to review the "6600" policy. Our workers from various industries have their incomes increasing every year, but for the taxi drivers, when they get older, they travel less mileage and their income is reduced. So we should have a long term plan to provide training for taxi drivers to boost their morale so that they will be able to upgrade themselves, and maybe turn to another profession in the latter part of their life. Normally, when taxi drivers obtain their vocational licence, they would not think in terms of upgrading. The only training they have received is to cope with the radio taxi service. I feel that we can provide some training for taxi drivers, such as languages, current affairs and general knowledge courses. Every year, Singapore receives seven million visitors from all over the world. Our taxi drivers are like our ambassadors on the road. If we provide courses for them in Japanese, English, Chinese or Malay, it would boost their confidence when they receive their visitors.”
“Sir, one COMFORT driver told me that five years ago he scrapped his taxi and it was then re-registered in Malaysia. Up till now, the same taxi is still plying between Johor Baru and Singapore. Since our taxis are regularly maintained and inspected, why do we not allow them to have a longer life-span? I suggest that the life-span of a taxi should be increased from seven years to 10 years. Increasing the life-span of buses and taxis may on the surface appear to be a saving for the company in their operational cost. But I feel that it would also be beneficial to our bus workers too because once the operational cost is saved, it can be shared with the workers. For example, we can reduce the taxi hiring charges, increase the workers' welfare and also the commuters will not have to worry about the fares being raised. Mr Seng Han Thong (Ang Mo Kio)( In Mandarin): Sir, we want to realise the dream of having a world class transport system. I think we have to pay more attention to the contributions of our bus drivers and taxi drivers. There are three things we have to look into. First, increase their income. Second, improve their image. Third, raise their morale. In recent months, I have frequent exchanges with the taxi drivers and I feel that the most unhappy thing they have is the figure 6600. "6600" may appear to be a beautiful number but taxi drivers have a lot to say whenever they think about it. As Mr Ong has said just now, most taxi drivers feel that in order to offset this diesel tax, taxi operaters have to increase their rental charges. This affects the income of our taxi drivers. They are also afraid that with the implementation of ERP, their income will be further reduced.”
“Every year, when the time comes for them to renew their taxi vocational licence, they cannot help feeling sore about the $6,600 diesel tax that they have to pay. Frankly, almost all the taxi drivers do not understand why the Government has to levy the diesel tax of $6,600 on the taxis. Personally, I feel $6,600 is too high. I would suggest that the Minister consider setting aside part of the diesel tax and use it as an incentive by paying into the Medisave accounts of the drivers. This would be a sort of incentive to reward those full time, hardworking taxi drivers who have no bad driving record. When I say "full-time" drivers, I mean those who drive about 286 days a year, computed at 5(r) days a week. Thirdly, I would like to talk about the statutory life-span of buses and taxis. Just now, Dr Michael Lim had already spoken about the statutory life-span of buses and taxis. All buses and taxis have to go for two mandatory inspections a year. Only those which have passed the inspection could ply on the road. For buses which are 12 years old, they have to sell them to other countries. In fact, the buses which were sold and exported to other countries could still be used for another 10 years. In New Zealand we can see some former TIBS buses, and in Hong Kong we can see old SBS buses plying there. In some European countries, their inspection is only once a year and buses are allowed to be used for 20 years. According to a member of my union who has been working in the workshop for more than 20 years, our buses are very well maintained. It is a waste to scrap them after just 12 years. So I suggest that the statutory life-span of buses should be extended from 12 years to 15 years. Similarly, taxis have a statutory life-span of seven years and they are inspected twice a year.”
“But the fact is: do we need to maintain 40% of non-airconditioned buses? Singapore is close to the equator and, as we all know, the average temperature is 32-34 degrees in the day time. Every time when the bus driver makes a trip on the non-airconditioned bus, he will be sweating all over. And in the hot temperature, he gets tired very easily. Once he loses concentration, he is prone to accidents. On the other hand, passengers in non-airconditioned buses feel very uncomfortable because the wind that blows in is hot wind, and it is very dusty too. It is worse when it rains because you have to close the windows and inside the bus it is very stuffy. Passengers begin to complain why the bus is not air-conditioned. Therefore, I suggest that we should increase the number of air-conditioned buses to 80% of the fleet. Let 20% more drivers enjoy the comfort of driving an air-conditioned bus and more commuters would enjoy a pleasant bus journey. I feel that maintaining 20% quota on non-airconditioned buses with cheaper fare is reasonable. 4.45 pm Secondly, I would like to recommend to the Minister that we should review our diesel tax. Our taxi drivers earn about $1,500 a month. They have no annual increments, no annual leave, no medical leave and no CPF. For those who are 35 or below, they have to contribute about 6% of their annual income to their Medisave account whenever they renew their taxi driving licence. For those who are 36 and above, they will have to contribute 7% of their annual declared income to their Medisave account. At the time when they have to renew their licence, they may have no money. Then they have to borrow from their friends and may even have to borrow from the loansharks.”
“Also, cooperatives should be allowed to come in as they are not motivated by profit but only need to break even and serve their members. As the Government moves to discourage private car ownership by shifting the cost of ownership to the cost of usage through the ERP and other measures, the very competitive and integrated public transport system will make the cost differentials more stark, more vivid and more wider so that Singaporeans not only have an option to own cars but also have a cheaper option that also gives them a smoother and time efficient ride to their destinations. Mr Ong Ah Heng (Nee Soon Central)( In Mandarin): Sir, first of all, I would like to declare that I am the Executive Secretary of the National Transport Workers Union. I am also one of the founding members of the Comfort Taxi Drivers Association and the TIBS Taxi Drivers Association. In realising our dream of having a world-class land transport system, apart from extending the MRT line, the implementation of LRT and expressways, we cannot neglect our buses and taxis, because buses and taxis are indispensable means of transport in the daily lives of our people. Whether or not our buses and taxis can provide rapid, comfortable and safe service to the commuters in our very busy roads depends much on the drivers. So their working environment and work conditions should not be neglected. I would like to suggest that we should increase the number of air-conditioned buses. The Public Transport Council stipulates that air-conditioned buses can only take up not more than 60% of the total fleet. The reason is that fares on the non-air-conditioned buses are cheaper so that the people of lower income group can afford it. This is understandable.”
“Sir, Singaporeans' desire to own a car has continued to increase despite rising COE or car prices. This is because, firstly, owning a car has become a status symbol and, secondly, and more importantly, because of the lack of integration of the bus system with the MRT. I have spoken in this House before on how Hong Kong has successfully integrated its public transport system and about how much Singapore can learn from the Hong Kong system. SBS and TIBS run all the bus services in Singapore. TIBS has only a small share of the routes. While we understand that SBS has to run both profitable and the not so profitable routes as part of the requirement, I think this monopoly situation does not give sufficient incentive for SBS to critically examine its cost structure as much as if it faced stiffer competition. A good example where competition has helped consumers is in the computer industry where the manufacturers have been forced to reduce prices while producing very innovative and smarter value-added products and services. Sir, the recent increase in bus fares has made many workers very unhappy. Many unionised workers working in industrial estates have expressed their anger at the increase in the prices and they say that SBS is obsessed with making a lot of profit and that is why SBS has gone into properties. Sir, I think the time has come for the Ministry to re-examine this monopolistic situation and liberalise the bus services and allow other players to come in. Big and small one-man operated companies will find a certain niche. Even in the areas where they may appear to be non-profitable, one-man operated companies can come in and make a profit out of it, and help fill the gap that exists in our present public transport network.”
“Sir, I join my colleague, Mr Leong Horn Kee, to make the same plea for the private estate residents. Sir, some time ago, the Government announced that the private estates will be upgraded. In fact, the Minister and even our Prime Minister have mentioned so and that various amenities, such as what Mr Leong Horn Kee has mentioned, covered linkways, children's playgrounds, landscaping, landmarks and so on, were some of the ideas that will be considered. Sir, in my constituency about 50% of my residents live in private estates and during my many house-to-house visits to these estates, I am frequently flooded with numerous requests for the upgrading of their estates. So I would like to ask the Minister when the Ministry intends to initiate this project for the private estates and whether there will be any pilot schemes as in the case of the MUP for HDB estates.”
“Sir, therefore, I would like to propose to the Minister to introduce a new scheme for upgrading of lifts that are 14 years and above, and which are not identified for IUP or MUP. As the Lift Upgrading Programme can be done much faster than the IUP or MUP, it will certainly benefit residents, especially the older residents who would benefit from having lift landing on every floor. The HDB funding must certainly be adequate for the Town Councils to embark on it. Like Mr Leong Horn Kee, I would like to suggest that the funding for the IUP incorporating the lift upgrading be increased. Presently, only $1,000 per household is allocated for this purpose, and this accounts for about 15% of the total funding. My estimates for one of the precincts in my estate suggest that you need to provide for about $3,500 per household unit in order to do the lift upgrading, so that there is sufficient fund for other enhancements in the precinct and to do the repainting works. Therefore, I would like to suggest to the Minister to increase the funding for IUP from the present $7,000 to $9,500 per household. Sir, finally, on another point. The Minister, in his reply to Mr Ang Mong Seng's request to install lifts in four-storey flats, had agreed to do so during the MUP for such flats. I would like to request the Minister to go one step further and allow this to be done in the IUP as well.”
“Sir, I join my Chairman of the GPC in asking for a lift upgrading programme. Sir, in estates that are 14 years and older, the lifts are the old design and they are very, very slow. These lifts have a speed of about 45 metres per minute compared to the latest HDB lifts that are up to 120 metres per minute, in other words three times faster. Not only that, some of these lifts have an old relay control such that when a user presses for a lift, both the adjacent lifts come up to the floor of the user. As a result, many other residents have to wait much longer to get on to the lifts. Some of my residents tell me that they have to wait as long as five minutes before they get on to the lift and take them several minutes more to get on to the ground floor. Worse still, some of these lifts break down often and on several occasions during my house-to-house visits, my grassroots leaders and I have been trapped in some of these lifts. And, of course, the biggest complaints come from the older residents who want lift landing on every floor. Sir, the present HDB's lift replacement cycle is 28 years. This is certainly far too long, especially in relation to the rapid advances in lift technology. It is like trying to use a 286 computer until the computer cannot boot up any more, totally inefficient and obsolete. Luckily for residents, HDB allows lift replacement during IUP from Batch 4 onwards. But what about those precincts that were upgraded in the first Batch, the second Batch and the third Batch? It will take a long time before they get their Main Upgrading Programme. What about those estates that have yet to be selected for IUP or MUP?”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister of State what is the rationale for ALS label holders using the CTE in the mornings being charged additional fees under the RPS while ALS holders using the PIE and the ECP are not charged?”
“In most other areas in Singapore where very few Indians stay, for example, in Dr Ker Sin Tze's constituency, where many of his residents are in the Hougang area, or even in the Geylang Serai area of Encik Othman Haron Eusofe where Indians find it very difficult to find another Indian buyer. Therefore, I would like to propose that the Indian and others category be integrated with either the Chinese category or the Malay category for the majority of the areas in Singapore, with the exception of a few areas such as Little India where there is a reasonably high Indian demand for flats. In other words, what I am saying is that if, say, the Malay and Indian category is integrated, then Indians can sell either to Indians or Malays and vice-versa in those areas. And in this case, the quota for the predominant Malay areas should be kept to the original guidelines just like the Indian areas to prevent the formation of social enclaves. I think both proposals are workable and I urge the Government to consider the proposals and help the Indian, Eurasian and other communities to enjoy the same benefits as other Singaporeans.”
“What I would like to suggest, however, is to make some practical adjustments to the implementation of the policy, because of the problems faced by the minority communities, namely, the Indians, Eurasians and others. As the percentage set for Indians and others is only a maximum of 13%, this group finds it very difficult to sell their flats in the open market, because it is very difficult for them to find a buyer and even if they find one, they fetch prices which are way below the market price available for the Chinese or Malay-occupied units in the same vicinity. To address the plight of this minority group, I would like to suggest briefly two proposals for the Government's consideration. The first proposal is to allow Indians and other groups to sell their flats to HDB at a price that can be determined, taking into account the valuation price and the prevailing market price in that locality. A compromise formula can be set by HDB so that the Indian seller does not lose out too much from the market price. Subsequently, HDB can sell this flat to another Indian buyer, as HDB will be in a position to identify potential buyers from its database and will be done better than another individual seller finding another buyer or even, for that matter, housing agents. Sir, I would like to move on to the second proposal. The Indian sellers living in the areas where Indians stay in large numbers, like in Little India, do not have a significant problem in selling their flats to other Indians at around the market price.”
“The studio flats must be made very, very affordable as it would be a better alternative to the reverse mortgage scheme in which many older people may not be interested in such schemes, because people do not want to owe money to the Government or to anyone. According to the 1995 survey of senior citizens, the median monthly income for people aged 60 and above is just $455, not taking into consideration contributions from children. The Government subsidises HDB flats, and the subsidies can be as high as $100,000 or more for 4- and 5-room flats. The Government also gives Executive Condominium buyers a grant of $40,000. I urge the Government to heavily subsidise the studio retirement homes for senior citizens. After all, the cost of building studio apartments would be much less than that of 4- or 5-room flats and, more importantly, to show our gratitude to the senior citizens who have helped in nation building and who worked hard to bring about the economic success that we enjoy today in Singapore. Spending some of the Government's huge surpluses which have been accumulated year after year for such a worthy cause will make way for a more compassionate Government and, in the process, go a long way in developing a more compassionate society in Singapore. Sir, my next topic is on the ethnic integration policy. The Government implemented the ethnic integration policy in 1989, to prevent the formation of social enclaves in public housing estates. Under the scheme, the percentages imposed for each ethnic group in a neighbourhood are 84% for Chinese, 22% for Malays and 10% for Indians and others. To allow some flexibility, another 3% is added to the maximum proportion permitted in each housing block. Sir, I fully endorse the need for such a policy in multi-racial Singapore.”
“Sir, the Minister for National Development announced that the Government is studying the building of studio flats for senior citizens so as to ensure that parents can live near their children and thereby improve family relationships. Mr Lim Boon Heng, the Secretary-General of NTUC, had broached the subject of retirement villages some years ago. I am happy to note that Government is finally moving in this direction. In about 15 years' time, a tenth of the population or about 300,000 people will be above the age of 65. Hence, the Government should give greater priority to this concept of studio apartments for the old, and accelerate the building programme so that such blocks can be built not only in newer HDB estates but also in mature estates. The Government should bear in mind two important factors in building retirement homes for the senior citizens. The first factor is the provision of the right facilities for this proposal to work. In an article in the Straits Times in January, a social worker, Wong Suen Kwong, says that, for example, wheelchair-friendly lifts as well as inter-generational chess clubs and gymnasium must be built, and that the telephones in the estate should have bigger digits. Ideally, facilities like exercise stations or chit chat corners should either be on every lift landing floor or in the void decks as mobility is a big concern in old age. Services and shops should also be tailored to the needs of the elderly so that meal and grocery deliveries and doctors and pharmacies are all within reach. The second factor, which is very important, is affordability.”
“Sir, unlike my colleague, Dr Wan, I am going to talk about HDB retirement homes and I would like to take the two cuts together.”
“For example, by E-mail, we could communicate with our friends, relatives or our children who are overseas and it would also help to enhance the cohesion of our families. Children who are studying overseas could maintain a good link with their families. Now that the Government is encouraging people to venture overseas or to work overseas, E-mail will enable them to communicate with their family easily and effectively, and at the same time keep up with what is happening back home in Singapore. They will be able to understand the latest legislation and policies in Singapore. Therefore, I hope that MITA would give more publicity on the use of E-mail at home, because if all the families in Singapore could use E-mail, it would be of great advantage to our people. I think we should teach our people to learn how to use E-mail in their home.”
“It is becoming more and more difficult to know if a household has set up a dish on its roof in other countries and also it may become possible to get a line-of-sight from within the house. Given these two realities, I would like to ask the Minister if the Government has any plans to review its TVRO policy to allow households to install such satellite dishes. Mr Peh Chin Hua (Jalan Besar)( In Mandarin): Sir, in last year's debate, I commented in this House that Internet has become more and more commonly and widely used in Singapore. At the same time, Internet has been misused by some abusers. For example, the spreading of pornographic materials, sexual notes, and some groundless political comments and misleading curt religious propaganda, etc. MITA has required all Internet users and Internet service providers to be registered and licensed so that we would have a better control on the development of Internet in Singapore to protect our moral standard, political stability and religious harmony. I do not know whether this control has been effective. I hope MITA would take strong measures to further strengthen the control of Internet in Singapore. E-mail is also part of Internet. It is widely used in commercial and financial activities and it has also become part of our daily lives. Of course, there are also pros and cons in E-mail because some people could make use of E-mail to communicate with their friends and some would use it to send some nonsensical articles or materials or even pornographic materials. Some people even use the E-mail to commit crimes. So long as we have a strict control on the abuse of Internet, I think the advantage of E-mail clearly outweighs its disadvantages.”
“Sir, satellites play an important role in today's telecommunications and broadcast industries. To encourage companies in Singapore to launch their own satellites, the Minister for Finance announced that the investment allowance incentive would be extended to satellite operators and that leasing of capacity on satellites operated by non-resident persons will be tax exempt. The Minister for Finance also mentioned that having our own satellites will enhance Singapore's competitiveness as a communications and media hub by extending our communications infrastructure beyond just submarine cables, land lines and TV broadcasting stations. He added that it will also allow service providers in Singapore to offer competitive packages to attract content creators, developers and distributors. The Government's Television Receive Only (TVRO) policy has always been to disallow the use of satellite dishes for households, so as to keep out harmful satellite broadcasts which can convey values and lifestyles that are offensive to our multi-racial and multi-religious society. However, in recent years, two things have happened. One is that Internet and multi-media technology has opened up and this allows users to port in TV programmes from all over the world. The Government has also maintained an open and supportive attitude towards the Internet because of its commercial and international importance. Second, the satellite TV technology is improving by leaps and bounds. The satellite dish size which is determined by the frequency received by the dish and the satellite transmission power, is getting smaller and smaller. The satellite dish size is getting smaller and smaller.”
“Sir, the concept of regional corporate training parks was conceived by the GPC for National Development. A concept paper has been developed with the main inputs from Mr Chow Kok Fong and Dr Ho Kong Chong, both of whom are resource panel members. The GPC Chairman for MND, Mr Leong Horn Kee, will elaborate further on this concept from the point of land use when the Committee of Supply examines MND's budget. Sir, I would like to urge the Government to give serious thought to this important proposal.”
“The idea of a training park will build institutional synergies between a number of organisations, by drawing on the academic capabilities of NTU and NUS business and engineering schools, the expertise of the PSB in training workers as well as that of the NCB for IT disciplines. The development of training parks may have to begin as a Government initiative, just like the Science Park and the Business Park. Gradually, as the training function expands, this could be developed to a stage where parts of it could be farmed out to the private sector. But I think the Government must lead this concept right from the start. There are three key benefits that will accrue to Singapore and Singapore-based companies: First, the most direct benefit is the enhancement of Singapore's attraction as a location for regional headquarters and other regional operations. It would be more attractive for a company to locate specialist operational and service departments here because the staff in these departments would be available to train counterparts from other countries in the region. Secondly, if global companies, who invest in the region or Asia-Pacific, train their staff in Singapore, it will provide Singaporeans tremendous opportunities for networking with these executives who come from all over the world, and this will become a great asset for Singaporeans and Singapore-based companies. Thirdly, the existence of a corporate training park will also improve our formal training institutions and R&D establishments. Visiting instructors for these programmes will frequently be top-notch experts and it will not be difficult to imagine some joint projects between programmes in the training park and our universities and other institutes.”
“Sir, an increasing proportion of business activities in a modern economy is taken up with the training and re-tooling of managerial and technical personnel. It is estimated that if a business commits each employee to an average of seven working days per year for training and development, this will represent something like 3-4% of the company's activities. One estimate suggested that in the United States alone, the revenues generated by these activities reached US$8 billion in 1996. This has, in turn, led to a proliferation of specialist training companies and companies developing computer-aided training materials. In our efforts to promote Singapore as a base for regional headquarters, our tendency has been to stress the quality of our infrastructure for regional procurement, treasury, servicing and other like operations. I think there is a strong case to add to this the possibility of a training park infrastructure. Our Prime Minister, during his many working trips to many countries in Europe and elsewhere, has often floated the idea of using Singapore as a training hub for European companies, for instance, who have invested in Asian countries, as it will be more costly for them to send their Asian joint venture company employees to Europe for training. The concept of a corporate training park is thus built around the present EDB programmes to encourage the location of corporate and business headquarters in Singapore. Indeed, one of the qualifying criteria for OHQ or BHQ status is regional training and human resource management.”
“Sir, I would like to thank DPM for allowing the unions to be represented in the committee of inquiry. On that note, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $144,865,460 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $49,193,200 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head K -”
“It is very expensive for a civil servant, especially a junior civil servant, to engage a lawyer to defend himself or herself in the inquiry. In a number of instances, many civil service officers have shied away from defending their colleagues at such proceedings. The unions feel that it is their obligation to represent their members as advocates and would like to do so. I am told that the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE) has been making this request for about three decades now. NTUC supports the public sector unions' request on this, and I strongly urge the Government to review this policy.”
“First, as far as I am aware, as a rule, Division I officers are not allowed to join the unions. Exemption has been given, from time to time, for a few services, such as the teaching service. Sir, according to PSD, in 1986, there were about 10,500 civil service officers in Division I, and the Division I officers accounted for about 17% of the total officers in the civil service. Ten years later, in 1996, there were about 19,000 Division I officers in the civil service and accounting for about 36% of the officers in the civil service. Therefore, the percentage has more than doubled within the 10 years. It is expected that this trend of increasing number of Division I posts and declining number of other Division posts is expected to continue to accelerate. This means that the public sector unions will continue to face a declining membership base, and this would have implications on union leadership as well. Sir, on behalf of the public sector unions, I would like to urge Government to review its policy and allow Division I officers to join unions as an ordinary member. Those officers who have the final authority to promote or to discipline, who would number two to three per Ministry, should be allowed to become at least a General Branch member. In fact, all Permanent Secretaries and CEOs of statutory boards should volunteer to become at least a General Branch member so that it will signal a strong labour management relationship and pave the way for other officers to join the union. Sir, second, I like to raise the issue of union representation at disciplinary inquiries. Presently, the public sector unions are not allowed to represent their members at disciplinary proceedings.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head V of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, the Singapore Civil Service has undergone major changes in recent years. The entire civil service and the Government-funded statutory boards are now operating as Autonomous Agencies. One of the major changes arising from this is the devolution of the personnel function from PSD to the ministries, departments and statutory boards. Another change is the revised staff appraisal system. While these changes are intended to make the civil service more efficient and productive, it necessitates a greater need than before to examine the working relationship between union and management. For the management, it means that they need to be well trained to handle the personnel functions, such as grievances arising from the staff appraisal. They need to also understand industrial relations better and to develop better rapport with union leaders. For the unions and union leaders, it means that their members must move in tandem with their organisation's goals to be more efficient, productive and service-oriented. It means that the unions must be forward looking and work closely with their management as the civil service faces new challenges and to help their members to adjust to the changes necessitated by these challenges. As the union and management work towards forging closer rapport and working relationships, we must break the shackles of some of the archaic policies of the civil service and introduce bold changes that reflect mutual trust and the good industrial relations climate that prevails in Singapore as a whole. Sir, I would like to speak on two such policies of the civil service.”
“Sir, as the Minister of State has said that it is technically possible to incorporate at the gantry the car parking system, would his Ministry work with URA and other car park operators to ensure that this is done in the first phase of the ERP?”
“If you are a gentleman, come clean, do not insinuate. Mr Chan Soo Sen( In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank Mr Low. In the last election, the Workers' Party took part by fielding Tang Liang Hong as a candidate. Mr Tang Liang Hong's words, we are all very clearly aware of what he said. His words reminded me of what was often heard in the schools in the 60s from the chauvinists of those days: That the Chinese educated had no opportunity, that they were suppressed and oppressed, and that they must stand up. I feel that this kind of argument is not conducive to the principle of racial harmony. Since the Workers' Party found it fit to field Mr Tang Liang Hong as a candidate, I think it may not be the idea of Mr Low Thia Khiang alone. I think there might be other people who supported this idea. But I cannot list out all these names. Mr Low Thia Khiang rose ---”
“So people sit at the back most of the time. Only those latecomers have no choice but to sit in front. This is being shy, not being fearful about the speaker. We should not confuse shyness with fear. But if we want to be creative, we cannot continue to be shy. If we have any views, we have any good ideas, we must share with others. But of course, we must also be prepared to accept criticisms from others because we want to be creative, others also want to be creative. You have your views, the Government also has its own views and reasons for certain policies. You cannot take Government reply as vicious criticism and should not confuse shyness with fear. This is a psychological barrier we must break through. So long as we can express views which are not detrimental to our democratic system and racial harmony, then the Government will welcome the views and feedback of the people. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I fully support the motion in the name of the Member for Bukit Timah. Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang)( In Mandarin): Clarification, Sir. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, only now have I realised that Singaporeans are so shy. Just now, Mr Chan Soo Sen said that some people supported a chauvinistic candidate on one hand, and talked about the Government dividing the people on the other hand. I would like to know who were these people he was referring to. Mr Chan Soo Sen( In Mandarin): I was referring to a certain group of people. I think Mr Low is very clear as to who I am talking about. He may be one of them. But I am not saying that he is the only one. Mr Low Thia Khiang( In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, rightly put, I am not the only one. But I do not know who supported the chauvinistic candidate. I think he is very sure. He knows about it.”
“I was very surprised when I heard somebody saying that this is a country without the rule of law. A few years ago, when I was working as a Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, I went to the Queenstown Remand Prison. There were many people who were detained without trial under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act. Like Mr Zainul Abidin, I enjoyed the movie `Godfather'. You see the gangsters and gangster chiefs in the movie. There are many of them in Queenstown too. They are still very proud in the prison. If we release these people, I believe that all our front pages of newspapers will be full of crime stories of Singapore instead of what we see in other countries. This is what I would call real fear. If we want to put them on trial through the normal process, we can ask the Italian judges or police officers how they get witnesses to testify against Mafia gangsters. This is a great problem, they would tell you. There, the mafia gangs know that without witnesses, they would not get incriminated. They do not worry about the rule of law. Two judges, because they were too thorough in their investigations, were blown up together with their bodyguards. This happened a few years ago. Finally, Sir, like other Members in this House, I also hope that the people of Singapore create more space for public opinion. We should be less shy in expressing our views. We should share our views with others. If you release all those in the Queenstown Remand Prison, I think the people will be in real fear. Singaporeans are not in real fear when criticising the Government or its policies. I feel that Singaporeans are shy rather than in fear. If we go to attend a meeting or seminar or conference, the seats closest to the speaker or lecturer are mostly empty.”
“We must have a strong nation with strong people, and a strong will that, if necessary, we will stand up strongly for our country. The fourth lesson that we must learn from history is that community self-help is the way to social cohesion. Over the past 150 years, community self-help has been successful in various forms. The successful people return the money that they earn from the society back to the society, so as to help those less successful and less fortunate, so that the less successful will not fall behind. This was first done by the clan associations and other civic organisations. In the 1990s, the community self-help groups came in. As we approach the 21st century, the same spirit would manifest also in the Community Development Councils. The fifth lesson that we must learn from history is that open competition and mutual benefit is the way for our country to progress and to make friends with our neighbours. In the 1960s, when many other countries were influenced by the socialist thinking and closed their market for fear of letting in neo-colonialism, we dared to open up to the whole world for investments. We achieved unprecedented success, an economic miracle. But, now, everybody has discovered our trick, and decided they should also open up their doors. So we have regionalisation. When you open up your door, we will enter and support your policy. We share our success with them and we are very generous in sharing our experiences of success with countries like China and Vietnam. Through this method, we are able to make more friends. With this strategy, I think we can still march ahead in the 21st century. The sixth point is that the rule of law is a cornerstone of social stability and the well-being of the people.”
“Members, under this kind of a system, you have a form of democracy but do you have the spirit and substance of democracy? Our clean and honest Government practises meritocracy. Is this not the basic foundation of our democratic system? The third principle and lesson that we must learn from history is that we must make the country rich and our people strong. We should not be overbearing nor should we be servile. This is our principle for survival. My comrade, Mr Lim Swee Say, talked about the mood at his hom in 1965 when we first became independent. I had similar experience. Nobody was celebrating. We all felt the same way as Lim Swee Say's father - "We all had it. We are all in trouble!" If recently the friction between Singapore and Malaysia had happened at that time, our country was poor and we did not have a strong people, then we would not be able to do what we could do today - responding to the Malaysians without being overbearing nor servile. How would we be able to face the situation? I think we in this House could be talking in terms of compromise with the other party. Right now, we have a strong economy. Through national service we have the Armed Forces to defend ourselves. So, we can be calm and professional in our response. I would also like to add that we should also have a strong spirit that would not succumb to threats. I remember the former Czechoslovakia. Now it has become two different countries. In the 20th century the country had the most developed economy in Eastern Europe and a strong enough armed forces. But because they did not have the spirit of not succumbing to threats, so without a bullet being fired, that country was first conquered by Germany in 1938. The second time was in 1968. This time it was invaded by Warsaw Pact forces.”
“It will not change in the 21st century or thereafter. We must always bear in mind that divisive forces actually come from chauvinism, extremism and racism. If some people support chauvinistic candidates but, on the other hand, they say that upgrading by precinct will cause division among our people, it would be like "allowing themselves to set houses on fire, but disallowing others to light the lamp" ( ). The second point we should learn from history is that a meritocratic, clean and honest government is the foundation of a democratic nation. Meritocracy and clean government cannot be taken for granted. It is a concept easy to utter, difficult to get. We will realise this when we go to some foreign countries. Why do I say this is the foundation of our democratic nation? I often listen to the BBC broadcast. In one programme, one BBC journalist reported the election in a Latin American country. He said that before the election started, something happened to the family of a villager. I think it was the mother who fell sick. He was so poor that he was unable to give medical help to the mother. So he had to go to a local politician for help. The politician arranged for a doctor, and the problem was solved. His mother's sickness was cured. No money was collected from him. But his name was recorded in the politician's book. But during the election, the book was opened up. The politician asked his cadres to go and look for those people whose names appeared in the book. Transport was arranged to bring them to vote for this politician. I cannot forget the BBC journalist's conclusion. This villager said they were so poor that they could only sell their votes. I would ask hon.”
“But in the 19th century, the situation had changed because China's closed feudal society was forced open by Western gun-boat. But at the same time, there was another country, Japan, which was also at about the same time forced open by the West's gun-boat diplomacy. So by the end of the 19th century, both countries (China and Japan) decided to learn from the West, and sent their scholarship holders to the West. But the progress was entirely different for these two countries. On the one hand, the Chinese students were hindered in introducing what they learn from the West. I think because the decision-makers had a heavier historical baggage at that time. Even the reformists, like Kang Youwei ( ), advocated (zhong xue wei ti; xi xue wei yong) (Chinese learning as the foundation; Western learning for application). But, on the other hand, when you look at the Japanese, they were able to discard the historical baggage. They accepted new methods. The went on the new path. So today we can see that the Japanese economy has been leading by a few decades ahead of China while at the same time they are able to preserve their traditional culture and values which remain quite intact. This is not what we should forget when you study history. In other words, we should not slow down in our development while we remember history. In the next 10 to 15 minutes I would like to point out six areas where we can learn from the past, learn from history. These are experiences derived from the past which will remain relevant as we proceed to the new age. The first point is that our people, regardless of race, language and religion, should all live in peace and harmony. This is the basic of our foundation. This is what we learn from Singapore history.”
“The Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Minister for Community Development (Mr Chan Soo Sen) (In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of the motion in the name of Dr Wang Kai Yuen to thank the President for delivering the Presidential Address in this House. The Presidential Address first dealt with the future development strategy and direction of the country and then it went on to deal with National Education and the awareness of history. I think it is well-intentioned and very significant. It reminds us that we are not learning history for the sake of the past but we are learning history for the sake of the future. Therefore, I hope that the Ministry of Education, in formulating the curricula of the National Education, emphasises the need for students to learn from history for the future. Without forgetting the basic realities, they should be encouraged to look to the future, dare to innovate and dare to overcome obstacles and difficulties so that Singapore can climb to greater heights and survive and flourish forever. On National Education and the teaching of history, I think the important thing is to remember we should not carry the history legacy or baggage to such an extent to miss new opportunities because we live in the past. In all the Asian civilisations, Chinese civilisation lay greatest emphasis on history. In the past, the Chinese courts employed official historians on their staff. As a result, what happened over the past 2,000 to 3,000 years were all very well recorded and documented. Those days, if you were a scholar, you must be conversant with history, and in reciting precedents.”
“True, we have the Singapore 21 programme. Singapore 21 is the PAP Government's programme and pledge of what it will do for the people in the next five years. And the Government will certainly deliver what it has set out in the programme. In the Singapore 21 plan, what is clear is the Government's resolve, but somehow the role of Singaporeans themselves in this regard does not come out clearly. In other words, Singapore 21 is a necessary plan but not a sufficient plan. To supplement Singapore 21, we need a national agenda which could clearly spell out the role, the participation, the involvement of Singaporeans in achieving our national mission. That way, we can galvanise and hopefully energize Singaporeans to a national cause. The third strategy, in the absence of national crises, should be to teach our people about our difficult past. The National Education programme is a good start. But we seem to be only reaching out to the school-going children, as many Members have pointed out already. We also need to do more, much more, in educating Singaporeans, and some Members in this House may need it, as Charles Chong has put it. So it is even more urgent that we reach out to them because many in this age group are more cynical and self-centred as they are oblivious of our past. Sir, in conclusion, let us all work together and focus on building a new tomorrow. Let us build a greater nation where people look beyond themselves and their families. Let us build a new Singapore. I support the motion.”
“Charles Handy, a well-known management philosopher, in his book "The Empty Raincoat - Making Sense of the Future", expounds the idea of federalism, and he says, and I quote: `If we want to reconcile our humanity with our economics, we have to find a way to give more influence to what is personal and local, so that we can each feel that we have a chance to make the difference, that we matter, along with those around us. We have no hope of charting a way through paradoxes unless we are able to take some personal responsibility for events. A formal democracy will not be enough. We have to find another way, by changing the structure of our institutions to give more power to the small and to the local.' He talks about federalism, which though an old idea, can still be relevant because it aims to be local in its appeal and in many of its decisions, but national or global in scope. It endeavours to maximise independence, provided always there is a necessary interdependence. Our Government has already taken great strides in this direction by introducing the concept of Community Development Councils or CDCs. When CDCs are formed across the island and are fully functional, local governance will instill greater social responsibility and greater bonding amongst Singaporeans. We need to continually find new ways to devolve more powers to the local communities. The NCMP, J B Jeyaretnam, seems to push the line of giving more power to the people and yet he and his party do not strongly support the concept of CDCs. If they mean what they say, they should come out strongly in support of the CDCs. The second key strategy that we could adopt is to have a national agenda, a national mission that could galvanise Singaporeans as one people to meet new challenges ahead.”
“For example, a final year undergraduate told me that when he graduates he wants to start his own business even though he has already got a job offer from a big company. I asked him why starting a business was more important to him. His reply was that if he started his own business, he has the strong determination and drive to see it succeed. And if his business succeeds, he and his family will be better off. And he quickly added, and I quote, "just as importantly I want to be able to create jobs for my fellow Vietnamese and if I make good money, I can contribute to the Vietnamese national infrastructure projects through the corporate tax that I will have to pay." One would have thought that he would make a good students' union leader or a charismatic politician. But he spoke with such conviction that it was no idle talk and, in fact, when we exchanged notes with the Singaporeans in the group, it was evident that there were many other young Vietnamese who expressed similar sentiments. Later, we also learnt from the authorities that the young were indeed very committed to their country. Many youths across the country had volunteered themselves to build the all-important North-South highway in Vietnam. I am not sure if we get that kind of commitment from our youths, if we want to extend the CTE or the PIE! So what must the Government do to rally Singaporeans behind the national challenges ahead and to promote greater cohesion? I think we can adopt three key strategies to make Singaporeans look beyond their own well-being. Firstly, we need to evaluate the centralised structure of governance in Singapore and seek ways to devolve more power to the local community so that people can have a greater say in matters that affect them.”
“Our Prime Minister once said that one of his biggest responsibilities is to avert, at all costs, any crisis that could cripple Singapore. That is why on fundamental matters like water, we need agreements not just for the next 10, 20 or 30 years, but till the year 2061. And because of an able leadership and a competent Government, we have succeeded in averting any crisis in Singapore. But the paradox is that our overwhelming success incorporates our failure. Because we were so successful, Singaporeans are not able to appreciate in depth what national survival and sovereignty is all about or how precious it is for our continued existence and prosperity. National service does some good but we have not fought a war to know what it is like. And fragile Singapore cannot afford to fight even a small war as it will destroy all that we have built. So our success seems like an irony, a paradox for us all. I was in Vietnam recently as part of BG George Yeo's youth delegation. As you know, Vietnam fought the war against the Americans in the 1970s and won it. And the Vietnamese won the war not by superior firepower or technology but by sheer determination, intelligent manoeuvring and using innovative techniques such as burrowing or tunneling and booby-trapping. Today, a post-war generation, like our post-65 generation, is growing up in Vietnam. We met a number of them. They were very impressive. They have the same determination and drive and that "fire in their belly" that their parents possess. They all seem to have a common national rallying cause or crusade. That is, they want to succeed economically not just as individuals but also collectively as a nation. And that is what is most striking about them.”
“With our increasing affluence, are we losing sight of a sense of community, a sense of nationhood, a sense of social responsibility and instead fending only for our own existence, our own upliftment, and at the expense of some less well-off fellow Singaporeans. Adam Smith in his book "A Theory of Moral Sentiments" argued that a stable society was based on "sympathy", a moral duty to have regard for your fellow human beings. The market is a mechanism for sorting the efficient from the inefficient and it is not a substitute for social responsibility. So what is going to happen to our nation that we call Singapore? Our Prime Minister painted two possible gloomy future scenarios at the Inaugural Polytechnic Forum last September, which was showcased at the recent Public Service Exhibition. One scenario is a "Home Divided" where income gaps widen and Singaporeans become cocooned in the pursuit of their own comforts, and become increasingly selfish and envious. The successful and less successful will live in two different worlds with no bonding between them or the Government. The second scenario is "Hotel Singapore", where the best and the brightest Singaporeans leave for greener pastures, where there is no commitment, where there is no fighting spirit, no obligation to solve Singapore's problem; where there is a weak Government because the best would have fluttered away. Are Singaporeans ever going to wake up and buck these gloomy scenarios before they become hard realities? The recent political row must have jolted, a little, many an apathetic Singaporean. I am not sure if it succeeded in sending shudders down their spine or to galvanise them to a national cause or crusade.”
“When our asset enhancement programmes, such as our Main Upgrading Programme or Interim Upgrading Programame favour the less well-off Singaporeans, many living in private properties, for example, are envious; or a grant in favour of some younger Singaporeans for Executive Condominiums makes others furious or when Government gives all Singaporeans $200 under the CPF top-up scheme, there are complaints all round that the amount is too small. Recently, HDB announced a number of changes to its policies on upgraders, first-timers and the fiance-fiancee scheme, so as to reduce the waiting time by weeding out the non-bona-fide and less urgent applications. And hell broke loose. We have an avalanche of letters to the Straits Times Forum Page to complain. One writer says that "couples will be forced to proceed with the marriage just for the sake of not losing their deposit (of $5,000)". Instead of deploring the un-Asian attitude of young couples who put in their names in the application without any intention of getting married, he says the $5,000 deposit policy would lead to forced marriages! Another writer says that he is saddened that the HDB should set aside more new flats for first-timers than for upgraders. Yet another writer says that he feels strongly that the priority for ECs should be given to first-timers instead of upgraders or HDB Executive Flat applicants. These are only a few letters to the Forum Page. I am told that HDB received more than 4,000 letters a month, many with similar sentiments. What is happening to Singaporeans?”
“Sir, I rise in support of the motion standing in the name of Dr Wang Kai Yuen to thank the President for enunciating the Government's policies and priorities for the new term of Parliament. As the President had said, since 1965 we have come a long way. In terms of GDP per capita, we rank the top eight countries in the world; we rank as the most competitive economy; we have the world's best workforce and the best port, airport and the best and most comprehensive public housing in the world; and we have an honest and competent Government. As we look into the crystal ball to get glimpses of our future, we see tremendous opportunities and the promise of economic prosperity, despite keener competition. People the world over greatly desire the standard of living, the peace, the equality and the efficiency that we enjoy as Singaporeans. And yet many Singaporeans, paradoxically, do not seem to appreciate or really treasure all that we have achieved together. Many seem to take our success for granted and worse still engage in constant gripe, grouse and quibbles at our policies, programmes and new initiatives. It is perfectly all right for citizens to criticise policies as long as they are constructive and responsible and if they look beyond their pecuniary interests. But sadly, the greater our economic prosperity, the more the signs and symptoms of the evolution of a self-centred and envious society.”
“The quantum of ex-gratia payment is the difference between the value of the acquired properties as at 1st January 1995, and their value as at the date of acquisition, in this case, 4th March 1996, subject to a ceiling of $2 million on the total compensation. This is so regardless of whether the properties are rent-controlled or not. Sir, on the other part of the Member's question, the Chief Valuer will take into account the improvements of the acquired property in determining the market value in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act.”