Sam Tan Chin Siong
Singapore
“Sir, the Temporary Relief Fund was set up to provide timely financial assistance to lower- and middle-income Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who lost their jobs or faced significant income loss due to the economic impact of COVID-19.”
“The Workgroups will release their recommendations later this year. (In English): Mr Chairman, in closing, everyone has a part to play in building a caring and inclusive society. Inclusion is not just a vision. It is action.”
“We will continue to deepen our engagement with the EU leadership and also our ties with individual EU member states. We will also continue to engage the UK post-Brexit.”
“It is a very important prerequisite to prepare young children for future employment. There is another workgroup under EMP3 which focuses on the improvement to employment opportunities and prospects. This workgroup is co-chaired by Member Ms Denise Phua and myself.”
“I thank the Member for the questions. We have sufficient places in our Sheltered Workshops. Right now, we have altogether 1,700 places. If there is a need for more capacity, we will certainly increase it.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank the Member for the clarification. The difference between CKS and PDD is that PDD helps persons who have lost the mental capacity to make major decisions like liquidating the assets, bank accounts and all that to provide institutional care or some other major financial needs.”
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“Or you may have been informed that you had won a great deal of money in an international lottery. But, clearly, neither the bank manager exists nor have you ever bought a lottery ticket in the first place. I certainly would agree with Mr Calvin Cheng that it is important, even for adults, more so for the young, to be discerning about the information gleaned from the Internet, and consciously make an earnest effort to check the credibility of information they receive. MDA shares this concern. Hence, it organises an annual month-long nation-wide public education campaign called the "Media Fiesta", to educate the public to use media in a responsible and discerning way for work, learn and play. This year's fiesta was launched just last week. A new feature, this year, is a showcase of Internet filtering tools, parental locks and also cyber wellness tips to help parents guide their young to be more discerning when using media and the Internet. Parents play a crucial role in educating and guiding their children, and it is important for them to be aware of what their children are doing online. Sir, besides parents, the community also plays an important role in promoting cyber wellness and the discerning use of the media. I am happy to say that most of the projects supported by the ICSC are initiated by the community or voluntary organisations. Beyond this, I also note that there are a number of initiatives launched by the various public and private organisations to equip the young and their parents to be more discerning and responsible Internet users. For example, TOUCH Community Services and Fei Yue Community Services offer ongoing programmes and counselling services for the young and their parents to manage the impact of the Internet on their lives.”
“] Sir, talking about innovation and also grooming creative talents, actually, they are starting in our schools, and many school students actually participate in these activities. Other activities were all by the ICSC, very active. Sir, to complement such private sector efforts, MDA launched a nation-wide Cyber Wellness Campaign last month, which was supported by 23 partners. It aims to promote discerning and responsible use of digital and traditional media. 4.00 pm The campaign focuses on key cyber wellness topics, such as privacy, moderate gaming and Internet use, handling inappropriate content and managing cyber bullying. The activities include a roving bus exhibition, an online competition, a resource portal as well as talks and activities organised by partners. These are expected to reach out to 40,000 students, parents and educators in the first three months of the campaign, ie, from February to April this year. In particular, the roving bus will travel to 41 primary schools and 13 public locations. Due to the overwhelming response, MDA has decided to extend the roving bus exhibition to early next year to reach out to more primary schools. MDA actually heard the call by Dr Ong before he made the speech. Unfortunately, it is not just the young who need to learn how to discern the information on the Internet. With the increasing ubiquity of Internet, we hear of adults who are duped by online money-making scams, who fall prey to identity theft, and are also taken in by misinformation on the Internet. For example, I believe some Members may have, at times, received scam emails, such as a bank manager who asked you to send him your bank account number, with promises of great returns.”
“While there is useful and enriching information in cyberspace, there is also a lot of undesirable and harmful content as well as untruths and misleading information. So Dr Ong Seh Hong has also pointed out the dangers lurking in cyberspace, such as cyber-bullying and sexual grooming. How then do we separate the wheat from the chaff? How then can we protect our young, in particular, against the dangers in cyberspace? In this regard, the Government has made the promotion of cyber wellness an important national agenda, as evidenced by the setting up of the Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee (ICSC) in 2009. The ICSC, which is co-chaired by MICA and MOE, funds cyber wellness projects initiated by the public, the people and the private sector. Mr Chairman, Sir, I am pleased to say that to date, the ICSC has supported 16 projects, which include educational and awareness programmes for primary, secondary and post-secondary students as well as their parents and educators. These projects have reached out to 28,000 participants. The Inter-school Cyber Wellness Video Challenge is one project that was recently concluded. Students created video responses to several cyber wellness scenarios, based on their understanding of cyber wellness principles. The challenge reached out to over 20,000 students and attracted 132 entries from 80 primary and secondary schools. So all the video entries are shared online at www.savvysurfer.sg, so that the cyber wellness messages can reach out to more members of the public. Sir, let me now show Members a short video of some of these messages, which the competition organisers had worked with students to produce. So, just sit back and relax. [Hon. Members were shown a video.”
“It is important for us to note that cyber wellness should be a shared responsibility among the Government, the industry, the community as well as parents and individuals. Dr Ong Seh Hong has asked about our efforts to promote cyber wellness, especially among our young, and how we can be more discerning when consuming information purveyed on the Internet. Given the cloak of anonymity on the Internet, not everything in cyberspace is true or can be trusted, a concern also raised by Mr Calvin Cheng. This is a real concern, given that we live in an increasingly connected world, where our people have fast and easy access to information – and misinformation – at their fingertips. So, over the last three years, more people are indeed going to online sources for news and views on local issues and current affairs, although the local mainstream media remains the top source that they turn to. This trend is revealed in an annual survey commissioned by MICA to find out the media consumption patterns of Singaporeans and permanent residents. The survey conducted last year showed that among the media sources that they turned to for news and views on local issues and current affairs, 93% of respondents indicated that they watched local TV channels. This was followed by 54% who read the Straits Times and 32% who tuned in to the local radio stations. For online sources, 20% of the respondents visited blogs, discussion forums or social networks for news and views on local issues and current affairs. This had risen from 9% in 2008 and 13% in 2009. So we can see that the trend is increasing steadily. Significantly, we recognise that the amount of information one can get online is virtually limitless.”
“Notable examples include "Singapore Dreaming", "12 Storeys", "Army Daze", "I Not Stupid", "881" and, most recently, "It’s a Great Great World". These films have struck a chord with local audiences through their depiction of our country as well as their exploration of social issues of concern to Singaporeans. In addition to feature length films, I certainly agree with Mr Seng Han Thong’s call to promote the making of short films. The SFC has been supporting our film-makers through the Short Film Grant. Since 1998, this grant has supported the productions of more than 500 short films. Many of them reflect our heritage, culture and values. So I am happy to share with Mr Seng that our short films have done well locally and internationally. Some notable examples include "Ah Ma", or grandmother in English, by Anthony Chen, which won a Special Mention at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007, and it was the first time a Singaporean had won an award at Cannes, and "Monkeylove" by Royston Tan, which won the Grand Prix Award at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival. I note Mr Seng’s concern on the grant application process. Typically, what is required in an application are basic information, such as film storyline, budget and production schedules. The SFC is prepared to review and simplify, where necessary, the application process to encourage more aspiring film-makers to come forward to make use of the short film grant. In conclusion, Sir, I would like to assure the House that MDA believes in helping our local film industry to flourish and also to contribute to Singapore’s development as a cultural capital. Sir, let me now move on to the cyber wellness which has been a concern to quite a number of MPs.”
“Hence, I am pleased to note that our local film industry is growing commendably. From our feature films produced in 1998, the number has grown steadily to eight films in 2003, 23 films in 2007, to a total of 61 films in the past three years from 2008 to 2010. MDA recognises that films can be an important media to promote Singapore, Singaporean identity and also help to reach out to and engage our people. Hence, we set up the Singapore Film Commission (SFC) in 1998 to nurture, support and promote Singapore talent in film-making, the production of Singapore films and the development of the film industry in Singapore. In 2008, the SFC launched the New Feature Film Fund, which offers our Singapore film-makers the opportunity to express their views and perspectives of Singapore through the film medium. The Fund provides up to $500,000 to support the production of their films, which are released in our local theatres, thereby reaching out to fellow Singaporeans. For example, the Fund supported our local filmmaker Wee Li Lin’s romantic comedy, "Forever", which was released in our cinemas just last week. It also supported "Perfect Rivals" by Han Yew Kwang, which will be released later this month. The Fund also helped Boo Junfeng realise his debut feature film "Sandcastle". The film is about an 18-year-old Singaporean boy's coming of age story, set against the back drop of Singapore’s past and present developments, and the Singapore family and social values. The film premiered at the prestigious International Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival to full-capacity screenings. Apart from SFC-supported films, film-makers are also doing well with the support of private financing.”
“Some examples of local films with dialect content include "Singapore Dreaming", "Money No Enough 2" and "Blood Ties". Over the years, MDA has exercised flexibility by allowing films with a substantial amount of dialect, if the dialect usage is contextually relevant, and this includes "881" and "12 Lotus", which was mentioned by Mr Teo Ser Luck just now. They featured getai songs and some Hokkien dialects. The latest example is "It's A Great Great World", which features a range of dialects spoken by tradesmen and the older folks from the 1940s to 1970s, and it reflects the lifestyle of a bygone era in Singapore. Sir, MDA will continue to be flexible in allowing films where the use of dialect has merit and relevance. Mr Zaqy Mohamad has asked about the implementation of the recommendations of the Censorship Review Committee (CRC). MDA has been working closely with the industry and the community to implement the recommendations of the CRC. The initial recommendations which have been implemented include the step-up public education and also the cyber-wellness initiatives, which I will elaborate further in the later part of my speech. In the middle of this year, the public can expect to see improvements to our classification system as well as greater industry co-regulation. Sir, I would like to assure the House that MDA is on track to implement the majority of the recommendations of the CRC by the end of this year. Mr Chairman, Sir, content regulation is not peculiar to Singapore and it is, indeed, a common practice based on the norms, values and the sensitivities of one's own society. The intent is to offer diverse choices while protecting the young and not to impede the growth of the industry.”
“I chair this review panel which comprises representatives from the MDA citizen-based Advisory Committee, the broadcast industry and the academia. Sir, as part of its deliberations, the panel held a dialogue session with the broadcast industry to gather their views and also to understand the challenges and opportunities in delivering PSB content more effectively. In addition, a survey to gather the public's views on the performance and effectiveness of the PSB has also been conducted. The panel will complete its review and make its recommendations by the middle of this year. In conclusion, I would to assure the House that the Government will continue to provide strong support for PSB programmes, so that we are able to engage our people through a diverse, high quality and socially relevant programmes on traditional and the new media platforms. Mr Chairman, Sir, let now address the points raised by Mr Teo Ser Luck with regard to films. Mr Teo asked about the criteria and the guidelines on dialect in films. Film exhibitors are encouraged to screen the Mandarin version of Chinese films. This is to support the Speak Mandarin Campaign, which aims to ensure that Chinese Singaporeans are proficient in Mandarin. Is the Campaign still relevant? Several Members, including Mr Teo Siong Seng and Mr Chan Soo Sen, have expressed in this House that the standard of Mandarin among Chinese Singaporeans needs to be improved. So, there is more to be done and our dialect guidelines for films and broadcasts remain important. Having said that, films with dialect content have been allowed on a case-by-case basis, depending on the film's artistic merit and also the context and relevance of the dialects in the film.”
“As for the idea of the portal to provide access to past PSB programmes, I am very happy to share that MDA has, in fact, embarked on digitising PSB content which can eventually be made available for public access online. So, this is work-in-progress. Mr Sadasivan also suggested that, to incentivise quality of PSB content, PSB programme rights owned by MDA should be transferred to the producers. Whilst there are various models, I wish to share that the current rights arrangement MDA has adopted is based on international practice where the financiers of a programme own its rights. This is similar to what is practised by our counterparts in the United States, Australia and France. This allows for MDA to centrally manage and also facilitate the use of PSB content to benefit the greater public, schools and the industry, not just confined to the producers. *Cols. 4713-4714. However, for a token fee of $20, schools can use PSB content for educational purposes. Producers are also not hampered from using the intellectual property of their own productions. For example, producers need only obtain a licence at no more than $100 for licensing and merchandising activities, like producing DVDs. MDA will continue to review the rights arrangement in consultation with the industry. Ultimately, the aim is to ensure that public access to PSB content is not hampered while addressing the industry's needs. 3.45 pm Mr Chairman, Sir, to ensure that our PSB programmes continue to reach out to viewers and listeners and are also well received, I am pleased to share with the House that MICA has set up a PSB review panel in October last year. The panel is to look into ways to enhance the quality, effectiveness and the reach of the PSB content.”
“The xinmsn's video site is currently the fourth most accessed multimedia site in Singapore. Mr Seng Han Thong has asked about how PSB programmes can better serve and involve the community. To ensure that PSB content remains relevant to our communities, MDA consults and engages the various citizen-based Programme Advisory Committees. MDA also collaborates with other Government agencies to co-fund the provision of PSB programmes that meet social and community interests. For instance, MDA has collaborated with MCYS to produce programmes, such as "Mr Pakar" (or Mr Expert in English), which promotes positive family values. In addition, PSB programmes also seek to foster social cohesion and also bring communities together. In January this year, we saw the debut of "Talam" (Indian Beat) on Vasantham. The programme aims to promote community bonding amongst the various Indian ethnic groups in Singapore. It features a range of community events and showcases personalities and organisations from different Indian communities. Mr Viswa Sadasivan has suggested that archived PSB content could be made more accessible by reducing the cost of using such footage, and that a portal should be set up to provide public access to past PSB programmes. While footage owned by third parties are subject to their commercial considerations, MDA has worked towards assisting producers. For example, MDA had negotiated with MediaCorp to extend preferential rates for the use of footage in PSB programmes. MDA will also further explore ways to make archival footage accessible, especially for non-commercial and educational uses.”
“Members that it is important to leverage on the various media platforms and channels so that more people can enjoy and benefit from the PSB content. Today, PSB programmes are broadcast mainly on MediaCorp's seven free-to-air TV channels as they are the most wide-reaching TV channels and impactful broadcast media. On average, seven in 10 people tune in to the free-to-air TV channels during the prime viewing hours of 7 pm to 11 pm. For radio, an average of six in 10 people are tuned in daily. Hence, funding is also provided for PSB content on the ethnic language stations, such as Warna 94.2FM, Ria 89.7FM and Oli 96.8FM; the English news station 938LIVE; and the classical music station Symphony 92.4FM. PSB funding also provides for dialect news bulletins on Capital 95.8FM for the elderly. PSB funding has also been extended to funding radio dramas, such as the family-based radio drama "Happiness 2530" on Radio 100.3. This is in addition to the radio dramas broadcast by the Y.E.S. 93.3FM and the Capital 95.8FM. We will explore the need for further funding support for radio dramas if there is sufficient demand. Mr Chairman, Sir, I share Mr Zaqy Mohamad's sentiments that we ought to also reach out to our young Net-savvy Singaporeans. Today, about half of our people access the Internet daily. Since last year, MDA has started supporting the creation of web-only content, which is an extension of PSB programmes produced for TV. This web-only content is made available on the xinmsn online portal, which is a tie-up between MediaCorp and MSN. In addition, PSB programmes, first telecast on the free-to-air TV, are now made available on the xinmsn's "Catch-Up TV" offering to reach out to more viewers.”
“Today, there are over 2,000 locally-produced PSB TV programme hours supported by MDA annually. Of these, nearly 40% is produced by local independent production companies. This is a significant increase from 26% in the year 2005. Mr Chairman, Sir, I am also happy to report that our PSB programmes have done quite well. They are among the most-watched programmes on free-to-air TV. Examples of top-rated programmes last year produced by both our independent production companies and MediaCorp include the dramas, "Together ( 当我们同在一起 )" on Channel 8 and "Vettai" on Vasantham, and the information programmes "Spirit of Singapore" and "Budaya 360 (Culture 360)" on Channel NewsAsia and the Suria, respectively. Mr Zaqy Mohamad has queried what is being done to reduce the repeat rates of programmes on free-to-air channels. I am aware that this has been of concern, particularly for the minority language channels, Suria and Vasantham. I am pleased to inform the House that with funding support for fresh PSB programmes, both channels actually have been able to reduce their prime time programme repeat rates from an average of 30% to 40% in the year 2008 to the current average of 10% on each channel. Given the important national and social objectives of the PSB programmes, it is also crucial that these programmes reach out to a wide audience. Mr Baey Yam Keng has called for more PSB funding for radio programming, including radio dramas, while Ms Audrey Wong wants more PSB programmes on radio and TV. Mr Zaqy Mohamad and Mr Seng Han Thong have also called for the use of new media to broadcast PSB programmes. I fully agree with the hon.”
“The funding support for the PSB programmes for the coming new financial year will be comparable to previous years. Moving ahead, the Government will continue to provide funding support that is in line with the country's PSB needs. So, there is no change in the Government's support for PSB programmes, with or without the radio and TV licence fees. Just now, Mr Seng Han Thong mentioned in Mandarin about his concerns and worries for a few very popular Chinese programmes that may be affected by the PSB programme funding. He spoke in Mandarin and so I would like to respond to him in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Seng Han Thong expressed concern that a few popular television programmes will be affected after the radio and TV licence fees have been cancelled. He also wanted to know that in the event that these programmes are affected, will the impact be great? I want to tell Mr Seng that so long as these are good programmes that are popular with audiences, their funding will not be affected. (In English): Mr Viswa Sadasivan and Mr Arthur Fong talked about raising the quality of PSB programmes, and Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked how PSB could develop creative talents and the independent production companies. MDA has been working closely with the broadcast industry to foster a more competitive environment to spur the generation of fresh programme ideas for PSB and also to provide more opportunities for our independent production companies. These efforts are aimed at developing a sufficient pool of local talents to produce high quality programmes. For instance, MDA has been steadily increasing the proportion of PSB programme hours outsourced by MediaCorp to independent production companies.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to first thank some of the Members who are wearing this badge to signify their support for the Singapore Kindness Movement. Your support will give a lot of encouragement to my colleagues in MICA to roll out more and better programmes to make Singapore a more caring and gracious society. Mr Chairman, Sir, I thank the hon. Members for their questions on public service broadcast programmes, local films and cyber wellness. Let me first address the queries on the public service broadcast (PSB) programming. With the abolition of the radio and the TV licence fees, the hon. Members are concerned about whether the PSB programming will continue to receive strong support from the Government. Members' concerns underscore the important role that the PSB programming has played over the years in informing and also educating our people about our heritage, culture and history; and in fostering and strengthening our social cohesion and Singapore identity. PSB programming does so in an engaging way, with a diverse offering of locally produced and foreign acquired programmes. These programmes range from dramas, information, arts and cultural as well as sports and children's programmes. Many of these programmes may, otherwise, not be produced without PSB funding as they tend to be commercially less viable. Significantly, PSB funding has also contributed to growing Suria and Vasantham to serve the needs of our Malay and Indian communities. Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to assure the House that the Government will continue to place a high premium on PSB programming in recognition of the important national and the social objectives of the PSB programmes.”
“Sir, MTI and the other agencies working on this project are aiming to move the Bill in the later part of this year. It probably will not be at the next sitting but it will be at the next few sittings from today.”
“However, the lack of express legal provisions for the repair and replacement of defective products in the current legislation make it less easy for consumers to seek these remedies. By providing greater clarity, the new provisions will address the problems of some suppliers refusing to replace a defective product after repeated failed attempts at repair. I am pleased to announce that we have completed the public consultations on the proposed legislative changes. The feedback from the public has generally been very positive. We intend to move the legislation on the lemon law in Parliament later this year. Our approach is to limit the legislating of specific consumer practices to targeted industries, where the proliferation of errant businesses makes it difficult for the industry to self-correct through consumer education and accreditation alone. Mr Yeo also asked whether the five-day cooling-off period can be extended to the beauty industry. Sir, the cooling-off period has already been part of the CaseTrust accreditation programme, launched with MTI’s support. It recognises and encourages good practices such as giving consumers a cooling-off period and not selling to customers during treatment. The accreditation programme enables consumers to make better choices without going down the route of imposing prescriptive regulations on the entire industry, which will result in higher business costs that will ultimately be borne by the consumers. As the accreditation programme has just been launched last year and it is currently being enhanced, we believe it will be best for now to monitor the effectiveness together with CASE and we will tighten the regulations in the industry if necessary.”
“Suppliers who do not comply can face a maximum penalty of up to $10,000 fine or imprisonment of up to two years, or both. The CGSR, drafted with feedback from the stakeholders, such as CASE, consumers and retailers, will take effect from 1st April 2011. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang mentioned the need to provide safety information such as age group, health and hazard warnings on products. With the implementation of the CGSR, all consumer products are required to meet the applicable international standards. This will actually protect the consumers more effectively as compared to merely asking them to supply the product information. In addition to this, currently many manufacturers are already stating information such as suitable age groups and health warnings on their products. Consumers who find such information useful will likely to purchase these products, which will encourage importers to bring in more products with safety information clearly stated. Nonetheless, we will consider a regulatory approach if the market mechanisms are unable to provide consumers with information critical to the safe use of the products. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang also asked for an update on the lemon law. At the last Committee of Supply debate, I mentioned that MTI was studying the necessary legislative changes to introduce a lemon law in Singapore. Most of the key features of lemon laws, as implemented in other developed economies, are already present in Singapore’s legislation. For example, under the existing law, a consumer may reject goods purchased within a reasonable period and obtain a refund if the purchased goods are not of satisfactory quality.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, let me, firstly, thank Mr Yeo Guat Kwang for his feedback and keen interest in championing consumer protection. Singapore has a multi-tiered consumer protection framework with caveat emptor, or "buyers beware", as its cornerstone. Given the diverse and evolving range of consumer products and services, consumer education and awareness to enable them to discern the best deals for themselves, and also to reject unrealistic promises is the most sustainable approach. This has been the principle which CASE has been promoting all these years. CASE’s active role in consumer education is thus key to our overall consumer protection framework. Our consumer protection legislation provides the next level of defence. Our legislation needs to carefully balance risks against costs, as sweeping and prescriptive legislation will lead to higher business costs that may be passed on to the consumers. So, we regularly review and update our legislation to be in line with the international best practices. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang enquired on the progress of the consumer product safety framework. Sir, I am pleased to report that MTI has completed a review of the consumer product safety framework. Beyond the 45 categories of controlled goods mentioned by Mr Yeo, we will be also enhancing our consumer products safety regime to cover general consumer goods to align them with the latest international standards. MTI will be issuing the Consumer Goods Safety Requirements Regulations (CGSR) to give SPRING Singapore the power to stop the supply of consumer goods that do not meet international safety standards. Under these regulations SPRING will also have the power to direct suppliers to inform their customers of the potential dangers of such goods.”
“I thank Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Baey Yam Keng for raising the point which I did not respond during my speech. I would like to assure both Members and also the House that the CRC will take very seriously all measures that can help to seek out the materials and to ensure that our youth will not be falling prey to undesirable materials. 5.45 pm Specifically, on his question of filtering: as we know, filtering is not a foolproof measure which can effectively censure all the materials. But, nonetheless, this is also one of the options considered by the CRC together with many other options. Members will hear concrete measures when the CRC has completed its work. As for the pornographic materials in books and publications to be sold in bookshops and petrol kiosks, I would like to give my assurance to Members that we have not allowed this to happen in the past and we will continue to disallow this in the future.”
“This is also in MediaCorp's commercial interest to do. And, finally, I also want to assure Mr Viswa that we will study his suggestion on using new Singaporean talent and also the idea of having English programmes on Vasantham in order to promote the integration in the Indian community. Sir, in conclusion, we will continue to engage all segments of our society to fulfil our aspiration to build and strengthen our nation, where our citizens are engaged and emotionally attached to Singapore. This is a place where all of us call home. And for some of the Members' queries which are not addressed in my speech, please raise them during the clarification time.”
“The programme "Lifewatch", which documents the work of healthcare givers and their interactions with patients, received the prestigious 2009 CINE Golden Eagle Award. These are testaments to the rising quality of our local productions. Notably for Vasantham, after it was re-launched as a full standalone channel in October 2008, it now offers a wide variety of quality Tamil programmes as well as content that reaches out to non-Tamil speaking Indians as well. Some of my grassroots leaders told me they also watch Tamil programmes on Vasantham. That shows how popular it is with some of the Singaporeans. With news and current affairs being key sources of information on community events and Singapore's policies, the daily Tamil news bulletins and the weekly current affairs programmes "Ethiroli" (Echo) and "Naam" (Us) feature community events like book launches, family day carnivals, and so on, have been reaching out to the Indian community at large in Singapore. The new financial year will also see a new weekly community news-based programme focusing on local events. These programmes will serve to bring the Indian community together, including PRs and new citizens, a point made by Mr Viswa. I am pleased to say that over the past year, Vasantham has done well in attracting more viewers. Its prime time viewership has gone up by about 50% since its launch as a standalone channel. While there is competition from cable TV channels, such as Sun TV and Zee TV, Vasantham has consistently garnered the highest channel reach among Indian viewers who watch both free-to-air and cable TV. The Media Development Authority (MDA) will continue to work with the broadcast industry to ensure that the variety and quality of TV programmes are constantly improved, especially for local productions.”
“The support of the PSB programmes ensures that viewers are able to enjoy a greater range of programmes, including those genres that tend to be commercially less viable and may, otherwise, not be produced or broadcasted at all. PSB programmes cover a wide variety of genres such as information and current affairs, arts and cultural programmes, minority language news and programmes, children's and locally-produced sports programmes as well as quality local dramas. Based on the findings of the Public Programme Appreciation Survey, a representative survey of our community which was first started in the year 2007, the public service programmes have generally registered very high levels of appreciation. On average, eight in 10 of the most appreciated shows surveyed are public service programmes. Such programmes are also well received by viewers as evidenced by their high viewership numbers. For example, the Malay drama Pinggiran Ramadan (Ramadan Blessings) was one of the highest-rated programmes to date on Suria with a rating of 22% as compared to the average of 12% for other programmes on Suria. The finals of the Vasantham Star variety programme hit record high ratings of 26% versus an average of 15% for programmes on Vasantham. So, some PSB supported productions are also being represented by international distributors and acquired by established regional media players and channels such as ATV and TVB in Hong Kong, PTS in Taiwan and TVN in Indonesia. 5.30 pm Our PSB programmes have also been receiving international recognition, including seven awards at the 14th Asian Television Awards in this year. As you would probably know, "Little Nonya" is a hit overseas and has been broadcasted in several other countries, such as China, Malaysia and Hong Kong.”
“In particular, to address the issue of computer addiction, a point highlighted by Mr Arthur Fong, the ICSC is supporting the CyberWIZ camp. This camp is organised by the Institute of Mental Health to provide intervention and education to parents and children to break away from computer addiction. Significantly, ICSC will also be commissioning a research project to study and better understand the state of cyber wellness practices and behaviour among Singapore youths. The findings will enable direct Government and community efforts to focus on areas that require more attention. This study will look not just at Internet usage, but also gaming environment which is increasingly becoming popular with youths. At the initial stage, the study will focus on how youths behave within this gaming space. This will then help our efforts to support and coordinate a balanced and targeted range of programmes and activities that can better address cyber wellness issues and concerns. Over time, with more wide-ranging programmes, we aim to foster and entrench a culture of cyber wellness practices among our young people as well as across the whole community. Sir, MICA also seeks to foster social cohesion as well as a sense of community and a national identity among our people. As Mr Viswa has correctly pointed out, we recognise that TV is an effective vehicle for social integration, and we aim to achieve these objectives through the funding of Public Service Broadcast programmes (PSB). Besides its social role, we also agree with Mr Chiam See Tong that TV programmes should be diverse, of high quality and provide good entertainment, not just to confine to food programmes or some drama serials from other countries.”
“Launched in July 2008, the Infocomm Accessibility Centre (IAC) aims to equipping the hearing-impaired, the visually-handicapped and the physically-disabled with IT skills so as to enhance their employability and also to contribute to the workforce. IAC has since trained more than 2,600 people with disabilities in infocomm skills. While MICA encourages the adoption of new media, we share Mr Baey Yam Keng and Mr Arthur Fong's concerns on the need to foster cyberwellness and a new media literacy. Last year, the Government set up the Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee (ICSC) to coordinate national efforts to foster cyber wellness for the youths in Singapore. MICA and MOE are jointly contributing a total of $10 million over five years, from 2009 to 2013, to support the work of ICSC. The Committee recognises that a multi-pronged collaborative approach involving the community is necessary to effectively reach out to our youths. Hence, on 30th October last year, ICSC launched its first public call for proposals for projects that promote cyber wellness and new media literacy among our youths when using the Internet as well as mobile and other emerging technologies. The community's response to the call for collaboration was, indeed, very encouraging. The ICSC received a total of 32 proposals from the public, people and private sectors. The supported proposals are progressively being rolled out since February this year, and will reach out to youths, parents and educators. Examples of these initiatives include (1) cyber wellness education programmes for schools which cover primary, secondary and post-secondary levels, (2) cyber wellness camps, (3) counselling services, and (4) a nationwide outreach campaign by MDA to nurture Cyber Street Smart Kids.”
“These Hotspots will be located at various community centres and residents' committees, and will provide senior citizens free access to computers and Internet services. The first six hotspots will be rolled out in March 2010. Another eight hotspots will be operational within the next two months, the rest will be rolled out by the year 2013. IDA will also partner schools to organise a series of Inter-generational IT Bootcamps for senior citizens to learn infocomm together with their grandchildren. Beyond bridging the digital divide by helping more non-PC users pick up IT skills, we hope that this initiative will also foster closer ties between our young and old. In fact, IDA just piloted one such IT Bootcamp at the CHIJ – Our Lady of Good Counsel with some 20 pairs of students and grandparents just last week. The feedback from the participants was very positive. The senior citizens not only enjoyed the experiential and interesting learning, but they also said that they had quality time with their grandchildren at the camp. For schools such as Serangoon Secondary, Maha Bodhi, Radin Mas Primary and CHIJ-Kellock are planning to organise similar IT Bootcamps during the coming March school holidays. So, I would like to encourage other schools to also come forward to co-organise such bootcamps with IDA. To encourage IT learning among senior citizens, IDA will be initiating a scheme where incentives worth $100 each will be provided to senior citizens who complete 30 hours of IT training at any of the IT learning hubs that I mentioned earlier. This incentive can be used to purchase PCs at discounted rates from IDA-appointed partners. Through owning a PC, our senior citizens will be further encouraged to practise and also continuously hone their newly acquired IT skills.”
“The NEU PC Plus Programme offers new computers, bundled with three years of free broadband service, access and software, at subsidised rates to needy families with school-going children whose monthly household income does not exceed $2,500, or whose per capita monthly income does not exceed $625. Students from low-income families who are unable to co-pay can render some form of community service to receive a fully-paid PC with further assistance from this fund called iNSPIRE Fund. Those who already own PCs but cannot afford Internet access can also tap on the Broadband-Only Scheme that provides subsidised broadband subscription. To-date, the programme has benefited more than 28,000 needy students and households. Overall, 95% of households with school-going children now have access to a PC at home and 92% have access to broadband at home. Under the Silver Infocomm Initiative, IDA has set up five senior-friendly and conveniently located Information Technology (IT) learning hubs, called the Silver Infocomm Junctions, since the year 2007. Sir, another three such learning hubs are being set up and will be operational within the next three months. These learning hubs offer affordable infocomm training for seniors and also provide computer access. To date, more than 15,000 senior citizens have benefited from the training curriculum put together by IDA, which focuses on basic infocomm and digital lifestyle skills such as making video-calls over the Internet, using the free Wi-Fi service at Wireless@SG, and using social networking tools. Sir, to make it even more accessible and convenient for senior citizens to use infocomm, IDA will be setting up 100 Silver Infocomm Hotspots island-wide by March 2013.”
“So, during the installation, OpenNet will also endeavour to minimise any inconvenience to the home owners. So, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all homeowners to accept OpenNet's offer when the network rollout reaches their estate or block, and allow the deployment of the network into their homes. They can then fully enjoy the benefits of innovative Next Generation services which are expected to be rolled out by various service providers in the second half of this year. This is especially since we expect the Next Gen NBN to become widely used by operators for delivery of advanced next generation infocomm services to our households. To help consumers and businesses better appreciate the benefits of the Next Gen NBN, IDA will be setting up an Experience Centre by middle of this year. This will showcase the possibilities and benefits of Next Gen NBN and Next Generation services through interactive, hands-on exhibits that relate closely to our daily lives. IDA will also be working closely with grassroots organisations, the Community Development Councils and the Town Councils as part of the community outreach efforts. In keeping with these technological advancements, we also want to nurture a digitally-inclusive society and ensure that no one is left behind. IDA will continue to equip needy students through the New and Used (NEU) PC Plus Programme, which is called "NEU PC". We also encourage senior citizens through the Silver Infocomm Initiative and empower people with disabilities by setting up this place called Infocomm Accessibility Centre for people with disabilities.”
“Sir, the rollout of the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN) will further increase the data rate, providing ultra-high speed broadband access of up to one gigabyte per second island-wide. This future network is set to transform the way Singaporeans live, work and play. By having the same ultra high-speed access as in their office, people can now have more flexibility to work productively from home. Consumers can also look forward to a more innovative next generation services without having to leave the comfort of their homes, services such as personalised healthcare, immersive and interactive e-learning applications, interactive Internet Protocol television services, etc. Businesses will also benefit because the competitively priced services from this robust and pervasive network can improve their companies' productivity through lower costs of communications such as broadband services access, voice over IP, and high definition video conferencing, etc. They can also quickly link up and exchange business and operational information with their business partners across different locations, regions and countries, or take advantage of the Next Generation computing services such as cloud computing and remote data storage. Rollout of this network is now underway island-wide, with more than 20% of homes and offices covered thus far. So, I am pleased to share with the House that the rollout is on track and could well exceed our target of reaching 60% by the end of this year. In line with our aim of encouraging home owners to adopt the Next Gen NBN, OpenNet, the Next Gen NBN company will waive the installation charges of between $220 and $450 when home owners accept the offer of installation during the network's scheduled deployment to residents' homes.”
“Similarly, the percentage of households with broadband access has also increased ten-fold from 8% in 2000 to 80% in the year 2009. Singapore’s mobile penetration rate in 2009 was 137%, almost double the rate of 75% in the year 2000. So as a result, Singapore’s rate of household infocomm adoption has been comparable to the top 10 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries since 2004. Most crucially, competition in this sector has lowered personal and business communication costs. For example, in 1999, international calls to the USA cost 80 cents per minute and to Australia 90 cents per minute. Today, with various competing international telephony services, calls to the US and Australia cost as low as 5 cents per minute, which is a hefty 90% reduction in cost. Broadband services too, have not only become faster but also cheaper. For example, prices of broadband services were over $70 per month in 2002 for 512 kilobits per second access rate. Today, you can get higher speed plans of 3 Megabits per second, or six times as fast, for as low as $30/month. In addition, consumers can enjoy free wireless Internet access at the Wireless@SG hotspots. For businesses, prices of international leased circuits to countries such as Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and USA have also fallen by more than 90% since the liberalisation of the telecommunications market. 5.15 pm So, with cheaper, faster and greater availability of broadband, many Singaporeans are now enjoying a greater variety of online applications and services. These include online multimedia, location-based services, e-learning, and online computer games, as well as e-Government services.”
“These events focus global attention on Singapore and our people, and they are good opportunities for us to showcase Singapore as a kind and gracious host to the rest of the world. For the coming YOG, SKM will be working again with partners, under a unifying theme of "Let’s Champion a Smile". We hope that all Singaporeans, not just our frontline service staff, will play an active role in warmly welcoming our guests from around the world. But ultimately, graciousness has to be internalised. These major events provide meaningful impetus for our efforts, but they are not the final goal. Charity starts at home, a lot of people say that. I encourage every one of us to perform simple acts of graciousness in our everyday lives and also to make Singapore a pleasant and endearing home. Another factor in enhancing Singapore’s liveability is to ensure that all residents have access to leading edge infocomm and media technology. Mr Zainudin Nordin and Mr Teo Ser Luck have asked what MICA is doing to ensure Singaporeans are connected. I am pleased to report that over the last 10 years, the telecommunications market has enjoyed vibrant growth, with the entry of hundreds of telecom service providers, greater choices of telecom services and products, and a 500-fold expansion of Singapore’s international connectivity. So today, Singapore has multiple submarine cable systems with more than 52 Tera bits per second of potential capacity supporting international and regional telecoms connectivity. This has brought about significant improvements in the adoption of infocomm in Singapore over the years. According to IDA’s 2009 Annual Survey of Infocomm Usage, 83% of households today have access to computers. This is a significant increase from the 61% in the year 2000.”
“Singapore is fast becoming a vibrant global city. Other than preserving our heritage, we also agree with Mr Zainudin Nordin that we need to promote graciousness among our people. It is about our way of life and also the values that shape our society. The Government has been actively encouraging a gracious society. Last year, the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) launched Project Gracious with targeted programming in five different sectors – the home, the school, the work place, the neighbourhood and public places, and finally to our visitors from around the world. SKM is working with more than 200 private and Government partners, including schools, People’s Association, HDB, F&N, Robinsons and Vivo City Mall, to launch many new initiatives to promote graciousness among Singaporeans. The broad-based public education efforts are supplemented by deeper community engagement across all sectors of our society. Programmes like Friend of Singa allow students to take ownership of promoting kind values in schools. The Handy the Helpful Fish programme in pre-schools and kindergartens allow young children and their parents to learn kindness values and practice them together. The SKM also uses new media to reach out to the youth. Sir, Project Gracious is a long-term project which will need time. However, preliminary results shows that improvement overall perception of graciousness among Singaporeans is there. Full results of the most recent survey will be released in early next month. Singapore hosts many significant international events each year. So this year, we will be hosting the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in August.”
“I am therefore pleased to announce that MICA will be embarking on a major national project, to capture the collective memory of our people and institutions. Known as Singapore Memory, the project will capture all things Singapore. It will include the pioneering spirit of Singaporeans past and present, the milestones in our nation-building journey and also the creative expressions and aspirations of Singaporeans from all walks of life. In essence, we aim to create a "History of Singapore" as seen through the eyes and experiences of our people – you and me. This will help build up a shared identity and also a greater sense of rootedness amongst all Singaporeans, many of whom have witnessed tremendous changes in the physical and the social landscape in just one single generation. Sir, besides capturing and digitising these memories, we also enable them to be shared in a borderless way; where they can be accessed, discovered and researched at all levels, by researchers, students, institutions or any individual interested in Singapore. Hence, I would like to assure Ms Irene Ng and also Members of the House that all the Singapore Memories will not be locked away in a vault. This is a Private, Public and People (PPP) sector initiative. It is spearheaded by the National Library Board. We hope to be able to receive five million contributions on Singapore’s memories by August 2015. 2015 is the 50th year of Singapore’s independence. So it is very meaningful that Singaporeans present five million memorable recollections to commemorate our nation's 50th Birthday. For the benefit of both the present and future generations of Singaporeans, we hope that everyone will contribute generously to this collection, when we launch the project later this year.”
“She spent much time researching all these archives to prepare for her excellent book on the late Mr Rajaratnam. The book is titled "The Singapore Lion", which was launched last month. Ms Irene Ng also asked about making great speeches in Singapore into various forms. I am pleased to report to this House that all political speeches deposited with the previously Ministry of Culture, thereafter MITA and now MICA, since 1960s are available online via the online finding aid, Access to Archives. The texts of all these speeches are available online. Selected excerpts of audio recordings are also available online as well. Specifically on Ms Irene Ng’s suggestion of producing a compilation of key speeches, I am also happy to share that the National Archives is now working with Minister Mentor’s office to collate extracts of Minister Mentor’s views and comments on national and international affairs, Singapore’s economic development and social issues. All these will be based on Minister Mentor’s interviews and dialogues, both conducted in Singapore and overseas. When completed, this will give Singaporeans or researchers the opportunity to read and listen to Minister Mentor’s comments. We also recognise that there are many other things that evoke memories and a sense of nostalgia in people, although they would not necessarily qualify as national monuments. For example, you and your friends may have an interesting memory of growing up in Bras Basah Road or any other street in Singapore, or the parks, such as Fort Canning or any other parks, where you and your spouse used to go dating. So we want to capture these personal stories for posterity as well.”
“Sir, I would like to thank the hon. Members for asking about the social role that MICA plays. This is a challenging but important role. Our efforts are aimed at nurturing a sense of national identity and belonging among our people so as to strengthen the cohesiveness of our community; and make Singapore a place close to our hearts. A key component of nation building and national identity is our shared heritage and memories. Mr Zaqy Mohamad and Ms Irene Ng have passionately asked about our efforts to preserve familiar buildings, landmarks, neighbourhoods and things that invoke a sense of shared experience and belonging among Singaporeans. We are a young nation but despite this, we have a reasonably good collection of old buildings, which reflect our rich national, social and cultural heritage. I agree with Ms Irene Ng that we should be cautious about razing down structures in the name of progress. To date, 61 buildings have been gazetted as national monuments. Beyond preserving them, the National Heritage Board makes efforts to engage the public, organising programmes for Singaporeans to learn more about these historic landmarks. The National Heritage Board (NHB) also extends its efforts online, such as at yesterday.sg and MyStory.sg, for the public to learn and share about all things of heritage in Singapore. The National Archives of Singapore also serves a key role of collecting, preserving and managing Singapore’s public and private archival records, including oral history interviews. These are key to capturing the moments in our past, allowing researchers and the public in general to find out more about our chapters in history. One good example is actually Ms Irene Ng herself.”
“Sir, I would like to thank the Member for raising the clarification. Just now, my Minister talked about the Asian growth story. I think when we talk about the story, it is important to talk about China. Mr Wee Siew Kim also talked about the closing of the window of opportunity in China as China modernises and develops. It may have its own capabilities to take over some of the jobs that Singapore companies have been doing. I am more sanguine about this sentiment. I think it is true, as what Mr Teo Ser Luck has mentioned, that the coastal cities in China, as they are more developed, have also moved up the value chain. The cost of doing business there and also the type of investment and the technological requirements that they ask for may be beyond some of the reach of our companies. But there are also plenty of opportunities in central and western China, not forgetting north eastern China. I know that China has a plan to develop about 200 cities in China, each housing at least one, two or three million people. So, with the opening up of central and western China, there are plenty of opportunities for Singapore companies to go there and leverage on. I would suggest that our SMEs and companies to make a first port of call to IE Singapore to try and understand what are the growth opportunities and the potential in China. And also to review and re-evaluate their own capability to see whether they have the strength and the capability to leverage on these opportunities. Then I think when China really opens up and with the building of 200-300 cities in the next 20-30 years, the opportunity for long-term growth for Singapore will be very positive and optimistic.”
“As the Lemon Law is quite a complex issue cutting across many sectors, careful steps must be taken to ensure a balance and effective legislation is put in place to safeguard the interests of consumers and businesses. So MTI is currently studying the necessary legislative changes and will complete the public consultations on these proposed changes by this year.”
“In fact, we have significantly increased our funding by about 30% to CASE since 2008, and we continue to be open to providing more resources for new educational programmes for the vulnerable, which has been highlighted by Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, which cannot be reached by CASE's current efforts. Secondly, the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act has provisions for civil remedies, with appropriate and practical channels for redress and compensation. This will apply to sub-standard gold jewellery and timeshare sales raised by both MPs. In addition, the mandatory cooling-off period for timeshare sales has been extended from three to five days to address pressure selling, while a 60-day refund period was also added. Finally, the Consumer Protection (Trade Descriptions and Safety Requirements) Act is a criminal law carrying a fine and imprisonment term. This Act is reserved for false trade descriptions with clear criminal intent and harm, and for unsafe products. While it is not practical to screen all the products upfront, this Act nonetheless empowers SPRING to screen higher-risk products such as electrical and gas appliances prior to sale. Our product safety framework will also be enhanced to make it easier and faster for SPRING to recall unsafe products. For the incident of toy safety issue mentioned by Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, SPRING has identified the distributor of the toys. This distributor has recalled the toys from the market. SPRING has also visited island-wide 109 shops, push carts, stalls in 16 major shopping areas and found that four of them are selling those toys. These four shops have been asked to stop selling the toys. Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked for the status of the Lemon Law so MTI has been working on this matter.”
“To this end, IE Singapore and EDB will also consider expanding their ground presence in key emerging regions, such as cities in central China. 4.30 pm More global companies will seek to penetrate emerging markets in Asia. At the same time, Asian enterprises' ambitions to expand their international reach will also grow. So with our established hub status, efficient and business-friendly environment, strong financial sector and comprehensive FTAs with key markets, Singapore offers a compelling value proposition as a dual-purpose gateway for companies "seeking Asia" and for companies "going global". As an indicator, we have managed to attract nearly 3,000 Chinese companies here. One of them, AAC Acoustic Technologies Holdings Inc., a China-based global leader in miniature acoustic components, set up its regional headquarters and R&D centre in Singapore in 2009. This regional headquarters is to coordinate its global expansion and also to enhance product development capabilities. Beyond Asia, our economic agencies will also help companies explore opportunities in other fast growing or emerging markets such as the Middle East and Latin America. Developments in these countries create demand in various sectors such as infrastructure projects, transportation and logistics services, urban solutions, lifestyle and consumer products, which can benefit many of our local companies and SMEs. Finally, Sir, I would like to touch on an issue closer to home. I would like to thank Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang for their active roles in championing consumer protection, and for their feedback and concerns. CASE's active role in consumer education forms the basic level of our consumer protection framework, and we are supportive of CASE's work and efforts.”
“In 2009 alone, IE Singapore has organised more than 170 outgoing missions for close to 700 Singapore-based companies to help them internationalise their business. We have also gained an early foothold in India. In 1992, Ascendas opened its IT park in Bangalore, right after India embarked on economic reforms in 1991. Since then, Singapore developers have established more IT parks in various parts of India. Progressively, we strengthened our G-to-G engagements, cemented by the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). This has received a boost through the Trade-in-Goods Agreement under the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) that came into force this year. Reflecting a mutual desire to strengthen and also to deepen our bilateral economic ties, a second review of CECA will be launched later this year. Within ASEAN, my Minister earlier pointed to the benefits of increased integration. Bilaterally, we have also made steady progress in our economic engagement efforts. In Vietnam, for example, we embarked on a joint Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) in 1996. Today, we are already into our fourth VSIP project. More importantly, we have moved up the value chain, from developing industrial parks to integrated township developments. These projects have also facilitated our companies' ventures. For example, coffee processor Gold Roast leverages on its premises in the second VSIP to now process and also export Vietnamese coffee beans to the world. As the Asian economic landscape evolves, we need to deepen our knowledge on the emerging opportunities. IE Singapore and EDB will continue to support Singapore companies, and engage Asian businesses to promote greater bilateral trade and investments.”
“In China, we undertook the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) project 15 years ago, with the intent of transferring our developmental experience to China. In the process, we established strong bilateral economic ties and also built up the Singapore brand name in China. This has contributed to Singapore and our companies' familiarity with the Chinese business environment. It also further deepens our partnership with China. We have embarked on the Tianjin Eco-city and this is our second G-to-G flagship project. Bilateral ties were further enhanced via the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (CSFTA) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area agreement (ACFTA), which came into force recently. These FTAs have lower trade barriers and also created new opportunities for Singapore-based companies. To make deeper inroads into China, we established seven provincial-level business councils, with the latest two being in Jiangsu and Guangdong. These councils are set up in regions where Singapore businesses have a strong interest. Co-chaired by Ministers or Ministers of State, these councils promote economic cooperation and facilitate networking between the business communities of both countries. We have had considerable success with the councils. For example, under the auspicies of the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council, a consortium of Singapore companies comprises Yanlord, Surbana and SembCorp secured a choice site from the Jiangsu province for the Nanjing Eco High-Tech Island project. Through the council, IE Singapore was able to uncover downstream opportunities for other Singapore players. IE Singapore has helped the consortium to link up with over 25 companies, including SMEs, on this project.”
“In China, we are seeing strong signs of this, with large migrant populations moving into cities. By 2025, there will be eight mega cities in China with populations of more than 10 million each. In India, the three mega cities in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata will also have some of the largest and fastest growing cities in the world. This rapid urbanisation will add to the demand for infrastructure development and new services. Against this backdrop, Singapore is well-positioned to leverage on strengths that we have built up over the years, such as systems integration and modern services provision. For example, our ST Electronics was a key player in setting up Beijing metro's state-of-the-art command and control system. Many Singapore companies can provide high quality and high value products and services that have the potential to meet the rising demands in Asia. For example, Etonhouse provides quality pre-school and international school education in Indonesia, Malaysia, India and China. BreadTalk Group and Charles & Keith have also established a strong retail presence within Asia, in countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and China. They can scale up their operations in emerging new cities with the rise of China, and also other parts of Asia. Going forward, our economic agencies will step up efforts to help companies expand overseas. We will continue to strengthen our bilateral ties, improve existing trade and investment facilitative agreements, help companies understand the evolving markets better, enhance our outreach and also our ground presence. In many ways, we are reaping the benefits of our pro-active engagements of key markets, having recognised the value of growing our external wing early.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to certainly thank the Members for their views and their contributions on important issues such as internationalisation of our companies riding on the Asian waves as well as consumer protection. My Minister and Minister of State (MOS) had earlier talked about Singapore's internationalisation efforts. So on this subject, Mr Teo Ser Luck, Mdm Ho Geok Choo and Mr Wee Siew Kim asked how Singapore is tapping on both China and India's growth. In the foreseeable future, G3 countries will remain the key drivers for Singapore's external demand. But emerging markets in Asia, particularly in China and India, also present exciting opportunities for us. Already, the share of trade with Asia has been increasing. Ten years ago, China and India accounted for 5.7% of our total trade. Today, this has risen to 13%. The potential for further growth is therefore very strong. In order to realise this potential, Singapore needs to capitalise on two key trends which will underpin the rise of Asia. First, Asia will experience a surge in its middle-class. In China alone, this strata, which is often defined as people enjoying an income of at least RMB 25,000 a year, currently accounts for 12% of China's population and this is expected to grow to 75% by the 2030. Similarly, India's middle-class will also grow from around 5% to 10% today to about 90% by the 2030. This trend is also seen in varying degrees across most of Asia. What this means is a rise in the spending power, which will drive demand for quality products and services that will go beyond healthcare and education, into other lifestyle services. [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Matthias Yao Chih) in the Chair] 4.23 pm Second, most Asians will live, work and play in rapidly urbanising city centres.”
“The SCREEN programme has been in place for about five, six years. So MDA is currently conducting a review on the procedures for funding principles, and so on. We will consult the industry. Once the review is completed, it will be published to the industry concerned with the purpose of further improving the scheme to better make Singapore a more attractive international creative hub. Column No : 1132 CHILDREN NOT SUPPORTING ELDERLY PARENTS 10. Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports whether the Ministry will consider a solution package, with timeframes and ownerships, to address the problem of elderly parents whose able children are unwilling to support them, especially financially.”
“For the refund of the unclaimed fees, MDA is now working on the system to proactively refund the fees. It is developing a system that it is hoping to put in place in October this year. Essentially, what this new system does is that, the MDA will do a daily auto-offset through automation to offset excess paid against any other fees payable by the same customer, that is any customer who has got this unclaimed TV licence or any other radio licence, MDA will pick it up and then will offset any other fees that this same customer is due. The second component is that the MDA will also put in place a daily auto-refund to the customers including the TV and the radio, if the accumulated refunds to any customer exceed $20. And lastly, the MDA will also put in place a monthly auto-posting to publish any unclaimed monies online so as to cater to the list of people who are internet savvy. But for those who are not internet savvy, MDA will trace the record, the address and then we will take it up individually with the owners of the unclaimed monies. Deadline for the refund, since there is this new system put in place, MDA will aim to completely refund all the money by the end of this year to those who have the contactable address. For those who do not have the contactable address, MDA will post the names on the website for the people to find out. I hope I have addressed your questions.”
“Surprisingly, after listening to the young monks' explanation, the senior monk did not get angry. What he said was, "Saving a life is better than building seven pagodas." So the purpose of Zen Buddhism is to help ourselves and others to help the whole world. If burning the Buddha statues can prevent a few of the monks from freezing to death, then the Buddhist monks have played their role. If the statues are there for people to worship, they are only useful pieces of wood and not worthy of worship. If we project this story to the Human Organ Transplant Act, I think there is a certain meaning to it. In our society, what we need are values and systems. From a macro viewpoint, these systems and values are the main points we should consider – whether they can improve our lives and peoples' lives. I believe many Singaporeans believe that saving one life is better than building seven pagodas. Although the Bill has attracted some controversy, I hope people would look at it from a macro point of view, to support its implementation and put it into effect. There are currently 560 kidney patients waiting for transplants. Under the present circumstances, there are only 40 to 60 patients who receive organ transplants. Unless we do not, at this point, burn the Buddha statues to keep warm and do not send a gift of charcoal in the snow, then, out of these 500-over patients, I am afraid many of them will not be able to survive the severe winter. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill. *Cols. 3611-3612.”
“This is something that is worthy of our support. But there is a certain provision which has attracted the attention of many people and a lot of discussion. This is the question of whether the donors should receive payments for reimbursements of their medical expenses, medical insurance and loss of income. On the issue of whether this payment is correct and whether it contravenes any moral standard, it is a question without an easy answer as different people have different views. So, before I discuss this matter further, let me tell a story on Zen Buddhism. I hope we can get some lessons from this story. In a mountain, there was a certain monastery. One day, the senior monk went out and before he left, he told the young monks to look after all the things in the temple of the monastery, especially a few Buddha statues in the main hall. After the senior monk left, it started to snow heavily and because the weather was very cold, the young monks decided to chop some firewood to keep warm. But, unfortunately, the snow continued and did not stop. So these young monks could not go outside to collect firewood. What they did was to collect all the firewood inside the monastery. After that, the snow continued and it was still very cold. Unless they were able to find additional firewood, they were going to freeze to death. At that point, the young monks decided to burn the Buddha statues within the monastery. After a week, the snow stopped and the senior monk came back. When the young monks saw the senior monk, they were scared to death because all the Buddha statues had been burnt. In the monastery, the Buddha statues were the most precious things and they were afraid that the senior monk would be very angry.”
“An 18-member national committee on medical ethics had supported reimbursing donors so long as the sum is not so large as to become "an undue inducement, nor amounting to organ trading". Compensation should be for expenses incurred and indirect losses such as lost earnings. But this merely pushes the question further on – what sum would be tantamount to induce and what sum would be merely compensation? I would frankly admit that I have no answer to all these questions, as the sum would vary from person to person. But I do know that this is a case where the question can be answered by the process rather than the content of the reply. So we need more conversation and deliberation on this subject till we have a general consensus. Whatever the answer is, I am convinced that the present amendments do not contravene the two principles which I have highlighted above. Sir, it is a temptation to think that because a principle is easy to assert, but difficult to put into practice, that we should not say it at all. In my view, because it is difficult to put into practice, it becomes all the more important to make a stand for it. While the proposed amendments to the HOTA Bill may generate controversial reactions, we should not take a "safe" position and not to tackle it head on. Because by not doing anything, nothing is done for Singaporeans dying while waiting for their organ transplants. So, the proposed HOTA (Amendment) Bill is a courageous and right move to save more lives. Sir, on this note, I support the Bill. I would now like to speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *. ] Sir, the purpose of the third amendment of the Human Organ Transplant Act is to save more people who need organ transplants.”
“But if I may be so candid, I think if we had a compensation of, say, $50,000 or $100,000, we may see some of these "norms" changing amongst some people. And, indeed, that is the point of this amendment, ie, to change people’s behaviour so that more will donate their kidneys to save lives. In short, I think that HOTA does not violate the above principle, even as it stands now, being silent on how much payment should be, how it is to be made, and so on. But I think we can protect this principle further, by discussing who pays. For example, do we allow the payment to come directly from the person who receives the organ? Do we have provisions that this is a blind process - in that the donor does not know whether the recipient is rich or poor? Or do we organise some kind of national insurance policy, from which funds for compensation will come? The last appears to be the most socialist and least controversial method. In the end, I remain agnostic about the method and the final dollar amount. However, I do want to say that I know that money can and will change behaviour, and that we can work this to our good or to our harm. This brings me to the second principle. Money does influence behaviour and measures must be put in place to prevent organ trading. The HOTA (Amendment) Bill has certain provisions to guard against organ trading. The amendments include more severe penalties for organ trading. The penalty goes up tenfold – from the current maximum of one year in jail and a fine of $10,000 to 10 years and $100,000 in fine. So I hope this will be sufficient deterrent to dissuade people from going into organ trading.”
“I agree with this principle but, in matters of health policy, we need to see where this leads us and, more importantly, where it does not. It leads us to give an equal shot to a good life to everyone, rich or poor. For example, this principle would forbid us to save the lives of the rich and ignore the poor, in a national emergency such as SARS. We do not, for example, quarantine the rich and not the poor. Everyone stands an equal chance from the helping hand of the state. In this sense, the rich and the poor are equal. But to insist that in all matters of health, there is complete equality between the rich and the poor is specious. There are cancer drugs that cost $200 a pill and as long as you take them, your cancer is kept at bay. Once you cannot afford this drug, the cancer progresses and you are done for. So, in this sense, there is a difference between the rich and the poor in health care. Those of us who support the amendments to this Bill know that each year, about 1,000 people here lose the use of their kidneys. But only between and 60 people get a kidney transplant locally. As it is now, 560 kidney patients are still waiting for their transplants. So, some of them, those who can afford it, would go overseas to try to buy a kidney for transplant. Those who cannot afford to go overseas, they have to do the transplants locally and often have to wait for about nine years before they get one. Countries such as the Philippines and some states in the United States already allow living donors to be reimbursed for their time, cost and possible future health problems related to the kidney donation. In Singapore, some potential donors say it is because of ethics, religion, or cultural norms or fear of transplant operations that make them reluctant.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak. I would like to support this Bill, mainly because I support the principle that one should enhance a better quality of life whenever possible. This is a pragmatic and utilitarian principle that underpins many of Singapore's policies. But matters of health are unlike matters of bricks and mortar. When it come to health, we tend to think that it is a matter of life and death. Hence, people will do anything, go to any length to enhance their health and prolong their life. This explains why more than 2,000 years ago, the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, sent a contingent of 500 to a fairy land to seek the elixir of life. And this also explains why years ago, Michael Jackson was reported to have slept in an oxygen chamber just to remain youthful. While this Human Organ Transplant (Amendment) Bill starts out with a good intention to save lives, it is not without controversy in some of the amendments. I have spoken to many people on how they feel about the HOTA (Amendment) Bill, especially the part on the reimbursement of money to organ donors. Many have no objection to this. But a minority has expressed reservations. Their chief concerns centered on the following principles, which they argue the present amendments to HOTA appear to contravene. The first principle is that we do not believe that whether you are rich or poor determines whether you deserve to live or die. In our guts and in our minds, there is something abhorrent in the belief that the rich are somehow more entitled to something so fundamental as life. A rich man does not deserve to live any more longer than a poor one.”