Seah Kian Peng
Singapore
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply. Just a few supplementary questions. Given the decline in volume and given that I can understand SingPost having their challenges, how does the Ministry ensure that there is no degradation of services that are provided by SingPost?”
“Yet, violence, domination, pain, harm and abuse also occur within the walls of a family. We need to be vigilant and sensitive in our approach. Hard rules and automatic application of these rules are a poor response to the challenges that we face today.”
“Both parents and schools have a role to play in shaping our children in the way they should go and I agree with Mr Don Wee that it is important for families to have open conversations about these matters.”
“Just a quick supplementary question for the Senior Minister of State. First, I must say I am surprised but happy that the number of cases has gone down. Having said that, we need to also pay attention to the number of unreported cases. Personally, I am sure we have heard from many residents who come to us for these cases.”
“Second, we propose to put in place new processes to prevent the misuse of the MPA by parents who have abandoned, abused or neglected their children and did not fulfil their parental duties. In so doing, we also protect and spare their children from unnecessary distress.”
“The way we feed ourselves will not be the same. The way we live and the way we work will also be different – telemedicine, work from home, online learning and the need for insurance. But there are other things which will remain the same – resilience, unity, and a single-minded commitment to our joint future.”
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“I just want to ask the Minister of State whether he feels that the trend is likely to improve and, if not, what other measures can be introduced. Out of the 1,391 cases of teenage abortions, I note that 19 of them were girls who were under 15 years old. I am very concerned that this has to be tackled. I know it is a difficult problem. I understand this balanced approach. But I think more needs to be done, and it may involve more than just the MOE in this case.”
“Currently, the Singapore Pharmacy Board accepts overseas pharmacists from countries including the UK, USA, Australia and Malaysia for pre-registration training, subject to their passing the forensic law examinations, whereupon they can be registered and practise as a full-fledged pharmacist. So I am glad to notice that there are provisions for full registration and conditional registration. This will create an environment that attracts foreign talent, where under conditional registration, one could work here as a pharmacist. However, I note that the areas are in patient care, teaching, research or as an expert consultant. I would like to ask the Minister for clarification. Out of interest for the retail trade, especially in retail pharmacy, can it be widened and allow pharmacists from countries like, say, the Philippines or India, to work in the retail environment under certain conditional registration and subject to their doing on-the-job training and passing examinations? Madam, there is a severe shortage of pharmacists in Singapore despite the National University of Singapore's efforts to churn out more pharmacy graduates. We heard recently that there are less than 120 graduates a year. This compares to just 24 in 1982. But high attrition and a growing market mean that demand is far more than supply. Hence, this request that I am making. Mdm Deputy Speaker, on that note, I reaffirm my support for the Bill. 6.00 pm”
“There are three points which I would like to make. The first is on the Singapore Pharmacy Council. This is a new statutory board which the Bill will set up. I suggest that the nine registered pharmacists, which will comprise the Council, come from a broad spectrum. I would ask that one or two representatives from the retail trade be included in the Council. This is to ensure that policies and rules can be more trade friendly. Next, on training. Nanyang Polytechnic and, I believe, Ngee Ann and Temasek Polytechnics as well, all offer diploma courses leading to graduates becoming pharmacy technicians. The recent amendments to the Dentists Act now allows dental therapists to work under the supervision of a dental surgeon. Could provisions be made for these pharmacy technicians to work in retail pharmacies where the skills demand is less exacting for them to dispense and to provide advice under supervision? This would make them more valuable partners to the pharmacists. Pharmacists would then be freed up for other work. Alternatively, perhaps these pharmacy technicians could be allowed to dispense items but not prescription drugs and sign for Schedule 1 poison items in a retail pharmacy environment, again under the supervision of a cluster pharmacist because, nowadays, cluster pharmacists have to manage a few stores. This, again, is to help ease the shortage of pharmacists and to allow the retail pharmacy chain to operate a value added drug store which sells everything except prescription items.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak on this Bill. This afternoon, as I was coming into this Chamber, I met the Minister of State, Mr Heng Chee How. He told me, in his usual friendly way, that I had the honour of being the last speaker for the last Bill today. After four long days of debate, I think I got his message loud and clear. So I would keep my short speech shorter. First of all, I declare my interest as a Director of NTUC Healthcare Cooperative which runs a chain of retail pharmacies. This Bill is a comprehensive one, one which promises to give Singaporeans better healthcare professionals who are continuously trained, to prepare and deliver their medicines. We read daily of the new drugs and treatments that are coming online. It helps us sleep better at night - certainly without the help of Valium - to know that there is a vigilant group of people keeping track of them. This is important as pharmacists are those whom we rely on to educate us about our medications. Knowing why we take certain medicines, how to take them, all these will help us to follow the instructions more faithfully than we would otherwise do. Madam, the new change in the Pharmacist Registration Bill is in line with the earlier changes in the Medical and Dental Act. It is also in line with international practice where mandatory continuing education is already in place in Canada and the UK. It is a fuller framework than the previous Singapore Pharmacy Board framework, with provision for registration of professionals, including specialists in areas such as oncology, cardiology, geriatric medicine and so on. There will be a more varied career path for the practitioners and also better support for the healthcare system as a whole.”
“It requires a national awakening to the collective destiny we share. Our Government has taken a bold step in coming up with these reforms. While other countries have debated, talked and talked time and again, they have not moved. Indeed, no other country in the world has been able to find a solution. But what we all know is that the national pension schemes that already exist in some countries are clearly unsustainable. Let us not repeat the mistakes that other countries have made. We must not move to become an unconditional welfare state. It is and can be a popular call, but it can bankrupt our society. Mdm Deputy Speaker, this collective destiny that I referred to earlier cannot be a matter of "every man for himself". Neither can it be a matter of forcing everyone to take the same route. In the end, we have to come to that understanding ourselves. My own understanding is that we have a mutually assured protection in the state-led insurance plan. Given my own track record in managing my own personal finances, it is a plan that I am happy to be part of. 6.03 pm”
“Next, while the legislation will provide safeguards for re-employment beyond 62 till 65 in 2012, what happens from now till 2012 for those older workers who are already out of job and will be retiring before 2012? On this point, again, I look forward to the measures that Minister of State Gan talked about earlier. Beyond the talk, we need to focus on the desired outcomes of achieving a higher employment rate of older workers, going forward. Contract work is increasingly a common economic phenomenon - many companies outsource and their key consideration is to take the line of least resistance and to pick the cheapest option with little care to other parameters. Apart from the current statutory employment terms, what other safeguards can the Government put in to ensure that contract workers are not exploited? An example: I know of a contract cleaner who was working for a cleaning service company for at least the last seven years. He suddenly saw a reduction of $200 of his basic pay when the cleaning contract was given to another cleaning contractor. He is still doing the same job, but paid less now. Apart from salary change, the benefits that he had enjoyed with the first contract were not transferable to the new contract. He has to start all over again. Madam, I am sure that there are many issues on the ground which other Members have already raised and will continue to raise. It is not a simple problem that will go away with a single sweep of change. This is a delicate issue, which will take much time and effort. So I ask the Government to take this time, to make this effort, to consult and to take in as many concerns as possible. Conclusion Madam, preparing Singapore as it ages is not something for the Government to tackle alone.”
“Risks Madam, there have been many calls on the Government to give more flexibility for people to manage their own CPF funds. Currently, about 35% of the CPF funds is allowed to be invested by the member himself. The rest is to be put in "professionally-managed products". Madam, I believe that most of us are better at managing the finances of others, rather than our own. All of us tell others the importance of writing a will, ensuring we have adequate insurance. But I am embarrassed to admit that I have not written a will and neither am I adequately insured. My own track record of CPF investments is - at best - modest but, for corporate investments, much better. Hence, we must strike a balance between the two - personal choice, and perhaps a personal assessment of your own risk appetite, and a duty of care, to protect you from yourself. Perhaps, we are erring too much on the side of caution. We could, for example, allow a larger percentage of CPF monies to be invested by younger Singaporeans simply because they have a longer runway before they retire. Continuing Hire Act Now, I would like to focus on a gap which the changes in CPF have opened up. Once the draw-down age of CPF is extended to 65 years, and if the worker is unable to gain employment beyond 62, what will happen? He is left for three years in the lurch. As of now, the employability of older workers is still very much an unresolved situation. The employment rate of older worker is less than ideal. It is not a situation of older workers not willing to work, but rather the mindset of employers. So I look forward to the day when the adoption of older worker-centric measures by companies that the Minister of State Gan Kim Yong talked about earlier becomes the norm and not the exception here.”
“The message that is being perceived is that citizens have to take care of themselves during their old age. Some jokingly coined a new name for the CPF, "Cannot Pay Forever"! Can the Minister give an idea of the increased spending that the Government will be making towards the needy elderly? Can the Government do something to motivate self-reliance? For example, for those who have been means tested and found to be needy, perhaps, could we give them a dollar-to-dollar match for the contribution they are paying into the annuity? Madam, it is not an easy matter to force people to pay for something, even though it is good for them. The rich will say that they can take care of themselves. They want out. The poor say they have no hope of living past 85 years old. So they want out too because, otherwise, they would be subsidising for the rich! Others say that this is a way for the Government to relinquish their role of looking after the elderly and passing it on to the people themselves. How can something that is so good be painted out to be not so good? Madam, the key, I feel, is communication. Last week, over news radio, I heard several times, as I was driving, the MOM radio advertisement on encouraging the self-employed and informal workers to sign up for Workfare Income Supplement, or WIS. The problem I have is that the profile of News Radio 93.8 listeners is unlikely to be this group of people that would qualify for WIS - earning less than $1,500 per month. Maybe, the idea is for the more well-to-do to tell the target group, but it seems to be a rather roundabout way of doing things. I may be missing something but, if I am not, I hope the Minister will look into improving the effectiveness of the various communication plans for any new policies being introduced.”
“No doubt that life expectancy is increasing, but what is the percentage of local born citizens who live till 85 or beyond over the last 10 years? Is there an increasing local population that will live till 85 or beyond? Indeed, the statistics that there are over 9,000 people who are 90 years or more surprised many people, myself included. At a recent dialogue that Senior Minister and I had with our community leaders on their feedback on PM's National Day Rally speech, this view was again expressed. So we asked those in the audience, by show of hands, whether they had any relatives who were aged 90 years or more. About nine raised their hands, and this is nine out of 200 people which statistically is a large number. It goes to show that, indeed, there are already quite a number of such super senior citizens around. So one thing which I would like to know is the profile of older citizens. For example, are there more rich than poor older people? Perhaps, some would argue, this is because they can afford better health or some other reason. But whatever it is, if this is true, then we have to be careful about annuities. Because if the rich are over represented in this age group, then what we are doing is taking from the pool and giving more to the rich than the poor. I am not sure how this concern can be addressed, or even if it is a legitimate concern. Hence, I would like the Minister to provide the profile of the over-85 years, if it is at all possible. Another area is that the newly announced initiatives are perceived to be funded by the citizens and so people have been asking where and what is the Government's role in helping to look after such a group of elderly citizens.”
“Mutually assured protection Mdm Deputy Speaker, I support the proposed CPF reforms because I have seen many workers who, either through ignorance or apathy, suffer when they age. In the age of the Cold War, which many of us grew up in, there was a way in which the two super powers - America and Russia - kept the peace. It was called MAD: Mutually Assured Destruction. If you shoot me, I can shoot you back. And if you build enough weapons to kill me 10 times over, I will build enough for 12 times. In the end, no one shot the other, because you are assured that there is nothing left but a heap of rubble at the end. That way, everyone spent lots of money for unknown eventualities, and it was mutually assured destruction that kept the world together. Madam, we are moving into an era where we need to spend money, quite a lot of it, and mostly for unknown eventualities. We do not know how long we will live till, whether we will be healthy or sick. But we need some assurance that the centre will hold together, and we need to have the collective will to do so. Doing so will not mean mutual destruction, but mutual survival. Speaking of survival, one issue that was not addressed by our Prime Minister at the National Day Rally was concerning healthcare costs and this is close to everyone's heart, especially so for the elderly. As a Government, we must complete this piece of puzzle and some time soon. But, today, we focus on another piece. Annuities Madam, when the idea of annuities was first mooted, there were many anxious moments as we were not sure how the annuities would work. Workers were concerned that they were unable to withdraw their contribution to the annuity pool if they are unable to live till 85.”
“Sir, can I ask the Minister to consider completing this? He mentioned that the date for completion is early 2008. I would like to ask the Minister whether this can be speeded up, since resources are there.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister, firstly, how much is the cost of a bollard and, secondly, whether cost is a factor in not speeding up the schedule of completion of the installation.”
“I want to ask the Minister concerning the 143 students who are affected. From his answer, I am happy to hear that 116 are going to Sydney, and he mentioned that 24 have met the criteria and are being offered places by NUS, NTU or SMU. If my mathematics is right, there are three unaccounted. I want to ask what is happening to these three and whether special efforts can be given to these three students who are unaccountable.”
“From a membership of some 30,000 in the past, they now have less than 10,000 members, and it looks like this will continue to decline. How is this so? Well, much of the work has gone to foreign workers. Understandably, there is some frustration and not a little resentment towards these workers. They tell me: why do they get the latest machines? Why do they sit around on buggies when others, ie, the local workers, are in the drains clearing out the rubbish by hand? They cost less to employers. They also get free transport and housing, whereas the AUPDRW workers have to pay for everything. So, in the end, some of our local workers may lose out. [Mdm Deputy Speaker (Ms Indranee Rajah) in the Chair] 3.45 pm Madam, these are the raw emotions of workers on the ground and such amendments to the Bill may not reach their ears. However, I believe that such tightening of the rules is necessary to demonstrate our sincerity towards regulating the sector. It also shows that there is a genuine and fully costed demand for workers which will reflect their true market cost. It helps us to explain to our local workers that their foreign colleagues are not under-cutting the market in devious ways and through no fault of theirs, but that of their employers. It also serves to ensure that good and compliant employers are not disadvantaged. So the proposed amendments to this Bill address and allay such concerns. But it is just the beginning. The enforcement must now follow and be up to par. For sure, good rules, if strongly enforced, are the first step towards good labour relations. Madam, I support the Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to rise in support of the Bill. Sir, it is said that strong fences make good neighbours. Nowhere is this more true than in the area of people relations. Sir, these amendments make former grey areas into black and white. It requires both employers and fellow workers to observe a stricter worker regime. For example, it requires an employer of an employee or self-employed foreigner, who is aware of the commission of a false declaration offence, to notify the Ministry of Manpower. So, once one is aware of false information being supplied to the Ministry, as part of the work pass application process, one now cannot keep quiet. The proposed amendments are necessary. I support them for three key reasons. First, to ensure the employers do not flout the rules and, in the process, create an uneven playing field for themselves against others who are good and compliant employers. I support it also because it will be a step forward in ensuring that it does not lead to a displacement of local workers in favour of foreign workers, a point which Mdm Halimah and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang have also made. I also support it because, at the same time, it will serve to safeguard the well-being of foreign workers themselves. Indeed, as our country progresses and with the strong economy that is fuelling strong job growth, we have to be mindful of such concerns. All too often, we know the sentiments expressed by some Singaporean workers that their jobs are slowly but surely being taken away by foreign workers. Sir, I declare my interest as the Advisor to the Amalgamated Union of Public Daily-Rated Workers (AUPDRW). Most of them are in the vector control unit and many of them are actively cleaning the streets.”
“Just one final supplementary question. In terms of the nature of the cases of bullying that are being reported, do we see that the intensity has taken a different fold? I also want to caution the Ministry that these are known cases. I think there are many unreported cases which may not be captured. RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: We note the last point and certainly, we are mindful that for every incident that is reported, there may be a certain number that may not be reported or classified accordingly. The incident that the Member was referring to was a very serious incident where not only was the young lady threatened, but there was possible extortion in this particular incident as well. I want to say that for most of the incidents of bullying that we come across, they are of a very different nature altogether and such extreme incidents of bullying are even more rare. DRINK DRIVING CASES (Update on management measures) The following Question stood in the name of Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim - 5. To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs whether he can provide an update on the measures taken to manage the increasing number of drink driving cases.”
“I thank the MOS for his reply. He mentioned that incidences are infrequent which I am glad to hear although, from my own feedback, it seems to be increasing. I want to ask the MOS whether, based on the statistics that we have collected, we are seeing an increasing trend. And if so, what more can we do from the Ministry, the schools and even the teachers? RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: We have a school offences module and bullying is classified as a serious offence. In 2005, the average number of incidents per 1,000 pupils was 3.4, ie, 3.4 incidents per 1,000 students in the primary and secondary schools. In 2006, this was 3.7 incidents per 1,000 pupils. So I would classify this as infrequent. The way we have approached it is not to prescribe specific measures that schools should undertake to deal with this problem, but we give them a range of possibilities and the schools will then adapt and adopt this, depending on the profile of the students. Some even resort more to disciplinary measures. Some may prefer to use the approach where they go through mediation, counselling, restorative conferences and so on, in order to try and bring about a reconciliation between the bullied and bullying.”
“Sir, the PUB also recognises the importance of getting the young to understand the dangers of entering canals or drains, and will include this as part of our ongoing public education in our schools.”
“The safety measures are further reviewed by PUB's safety committee which is chaired by the CEO. We strive to create designs that are attractive yet safe. Allow me to show you an example. In the case of Alexandra Canal, where the decking on top of the canal will consist of shallow flowing stream with water play areas, while the main canal beneath the decking allows stormwater to flow. Also, metal railings can be replaced by alternative forms of barriers, such as earth mounds or shrubs, along the water edges. To allow water users, such as boaters or kayakers, to evacuate from the waters safely, gentle sloping embankments or evacuation points will be incorporated. These will be complemented by a siren warning system to alert water users, should there be a need to evacuate them. Warning signs and life buoys will also be put up at strategic locations along the canals. All water activities in waterways will be managed through an appointed operator (or organiser), who will manage and oversee the water users to ensure that the activities are carried out properly in accordance with safety procedures. The operator will conduct safety briefings before the commencement of activities, and ensure that safety SOPs are observed, such as the wearing of life vests. While safety measures have been put in place, the public should exercise *Cols. 827-844. individual responsibility and good sense when having fun in the waters. For example, parents should educate their children on how to play in the water safely, and the public should not enter any canals as there may be swift currents due to a sudden surge of rapid water flow.”
“Just a supplementary question. I hope the Minister, in this "Bring Your Own Bag" campaign, could make an extra effort to inform the public that the 10 cents that is being asked is actually going to the Singapore Environment Council and certainly not to the retailers. MEASURES TO MAKE OUR WATERWAYS SAFE 17. Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, against the backdrop of plans to make our waterways active, beautiful and clean, what safety measures are being considered in light of the recent cases where students were swept away by strong currents in canals and whether there are warning signs along these canals to warn the public of the danger of a sudden rise in the water level. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, I thank Mr Seah for supporting us. Sir, canals and waterways in Singapore are built to convey stormwater during heavy rains. This flood-alleviation function remains important even as we embark upon the ABC Waters Programme. Hence, we have to put in place a system to ensure the safety of the public as they enjoy the waters and get closer to it. While we may landscape some rivers and canals to make them more aesthetically pleasing and bring people closer to the water, this does not necessarily mean that all our canals and waterways are safe for water activities. In considering whether to allow water activities in certain stretches of our waterways, we conduct engineering assessments on the flow speed of the water during a storm and the ease of disembarking from the river banks. All ABC Waters Projects are designed with public safety as our foremost concern. Firstly, safety to users is a key design criterion for our consultants, who need to ensure that safety measures are an integral part of their project design.”
“Last month, I attended a feedback session organised by REACH on public transportation. The sentiments that were expressed by the participants there were no different from what I have just described. I want to ask: can we expect things to get worse? With the population increase, just standing still on our present standard of service means a near certainty of deterioration in standards. As it is, the morning peak public transport mode share is only 60%, way below the target of 70%. How does the Ministry intend to work at its KPIs? Do we expect them to be lowered, going forward? On top of the increasing dissatisfaction with long travel and waiting times plus overcrowding, how does the Ministry intend to tackle these complaints to make it an affordable and efficient mode of choice for commuters now and in future? For many people, public transport is the only way that they can get around. It is our duty - and an urgent one at that - to make it a quick and comfortable way to travel. I hope that in the ongoing Land Transportation Master Plan Review, the Ministry and the relevant agencies will get as much feedback from the commuters themselves, and thereafter actively act on them.”
“Sir, in the Public Transport Council's survey in 2006, our buses were rated 7 out of 10. The top three complaints - travel time, crowding of buses and waiting time - still persist as top grouses. I would like to ask the Minister whether public transport can be improved. When the Government announced plans for Singapore's population to increase from 4.5 million to 6.5 million in the next 20 years, many ordinary Singaporeans have been engaged on online discussions. Many are worried about Singapore overtaking Hong Kong as the world's third densest populated city. Their immediate thoughts are - being packed like sardines Japanese-style in trains. Generally, they fear a more competitive lifestyle, not only in terms of fighting for jobs available, but also in terms of fighting for private space in flats, buses and trains. Examples of postings are entitled, "Understanding the perils of large" and the "World's most densely populated country Singapore". One writer noted that it was important to ensure that there are enough buses and trains to go around "so that people who are not rich enough to own cars do not have to watch full trains and buses pass them by when they want to go places." Another wrote that he just came back from Australia after having spent three years there. He said, "Suddenly, I felt everywhere was so crowded. MRT is so full, even on Sunday morning at 7 am! My HDB is filled with China nationals and the roads are jammed with cars, even late at night around 11 pm. It's 4 million now, after I read about it's going to be 6.5 million in 20 years' time. I don't know how I am going to stay in Singapore." Sir, these are uncensored voices of people, which we will not get in the sort of polite conversations that come about during walk-abouts.”
“What are some of the deliberate integration processes that are organised for the foreign athletes? Or is it all left to the respective NSAs to deal with it?”
“Sir, just a point of clarification for the Parliamentary Secretary regarding the foreign sports talent scheme. I just want to ask what are some of the deliberate integration processes that are organised. Or is it all left to the respective NSAs to deal with it?”
“It is a well-known fact that engaging in regular physical exercises and sporting activities have a positive impact on improving the quality of life, life expectancy, physical and mental well-being and self-esteem. As more of Singaporeans join the golden years group, it is a logical step to encourage the elderly to take up regular physical exercises and sports. In Israel, games for the elderly is a new addition to its sporting calendar. Their competitors aged 60 years and above can compete in a variety of events, including track and field, swimming, bowling, badminton, table tennis, and so on. Its Director of Health Promotion, Mr Yusifar, explains, "Competitive sports among the elderly communicate the fundamental message that elderly people are just like any other group. They can compete, they can win, and they can be proud. A sense of pride and self-esteem are essential to the health and well-being of the elderly as well as their ability to participate." Madam, I am sure it will be a progressive step for us to adopt similar initiatives on a local level to engage active participation amongst the elderly, to foster and maintain their sense of pride, health, self-esteem and quality of life in our society.”
“Madam, one of Singapore's greatest strengths lies in our magic in attracting people from all over the world to come here and stay. And one of our greatest vulnerabilities is that many of these foreigners do not yet see Singapore as their home. In the review process of the foreign sports talents scheme, there is an agreement that we should help these talents integrate into our society and prepare them to be self-reliant citizens after their competitive years are over. I am sure all Members of this House have watched our sportsmen and sportswomen winning medals. There is a great moment of celebration of pride and joy, when they step up to collect their medals, and a greater moment of discomfort when the Singapore National Anthem is played and the athletes look lost. How many of the sports persons who played under our flag do not know how to sing the National Anthem? At some recent sporting events, I cringed when I saw some of our athletes looking forlorn and lost, and I know many Singaporeans share the same view. Although I do not think that not knowing how to sing the National Anthem implies that they have no sense of nationalistic pride, there is certainly more that can be done to raise their nationalistic pride on the part of these athletes. Sir, I want to ask: can the Minister outline the current schemes and plans in store for these athletes, specifically tell us if any part of the budget has been set aside to assimilate and localise the sporting talents to better gel with the rest of the population? One of the key issues, I believe, is the learning of English. If a fund can be set up for English lessons for foreign sporting talents, I believe it will be a great step forward. Still on the issue of sports, but for a different part of Singapore, the elderly.”
“As you all know, I work at NTUC FairPrice and, for obvious reasons, we keep a close eye on this as it is part of our social mission. In particular, our everyday low-price items are essential items. While we are generally cheaper than our competitors, we have noticed that prices for these are also trending up over the last three years. In fact, as part of our social mission, we recently announced that we will be absorbing the 2% increase in GST for all our 400 everyday low-price items, ie, essential products for a six-month period from July. These essential items include oil, rice, instant noodles, sauces, canned fish. Sir, this is not an advertisement for NTUC Fairprice. Quite the reverse, it is to show that even in a cooperative which prides itself on being price-competitive, prices do creep up, a phenomenon which is beyond our control. And this will impact the people on public assistance for whom every cent counts. Given this, I urge the Minister to consider giving them a decent significant increase, echoing what Dr Lily Neo has been pushing for the last few weeks. Sir, there are fewer than 3,000 people on public assistance in Singapore. This is a very small number compared to the more than 100,000 who are considered low-wage in Singapore. Given this small number, we can do a lot for them without greatly affecting our fiscal position. As I pointed out in my speech earlier during the Budget debate, a doubling of their allowance could have been done by not giving GST credits to those well-to-do and channelling it to these needy Singaporeans instead. Sir, I am not suggesting a doubling of the allowance, just a significant increase and on a timely basis. ComCare”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister what are the results of the review alluded to by Minister of State, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Jalan Besar GRC earlier. She gave a cliffhanger of a reply saying that there was good news pending a review. The Budget provides some support for low-income to help cope with the GST increase, but how do we help those on public assistance? Can the Minister enlighten us on what is the level of subsistence that is required for this group of people at this time and age? What are the results of its review? Sir, I am the advisor to the Amalgamated Union of Public Daily-Rated Workers Union. One of the union leaders there tells me that the estimated earning of a cleaner is about $800 to, at most, $1,000 a month. Many daily-rated employees from the public service, in fact, have to go for a second job to supplement their earnings. In particular, the ones who are struggling with their daily lives are the ones in families with single working parent, for example, the spouses are not fit to work and, therefore, the burden lies on the worker himself. For elderly daily-rated employees who are lucky to have children's support, this burden can be lightened. But while they get money from their kids, senior daily-rated employees above age 55, need more money to meet their medical needs, daily expenses and HDB mortgages and utility bills. Sir, these people are struggling with $800 and now, with Workfare, they can get more help. Sir, I wonder how then can anyone manage on $260. Yes, it is true that people on public assistance get free healthcare and do not have to worry on that count. However, I know that many other costs have increased. Take, for example, the prices of essential products.”
“Sir, I just want to further clarify on maternity and paternity leave. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary argued that because 92% of mothers take their leave at one stretch, therefore, the 8% flexibility is not an issue. In the same breath, he argued that 43% of companies that were surveyed offered paternity leave, that is a minority position. So, heads you win, tails I lose. I find this a bit disturbing because for all the talk about pro-family and procreation, I think this goes against the thrust, and there is not even a definitive timeframe. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary is saying that this paternity leave legislation is not even on the radar screen. I find that is a bit disturbing.”
“Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his reply. But I recognise and I have certainly heard what the Minister has replied that 92% currently take their leave in a continuous stretch of 12 weeks. My clarification is whether for that 8%, we can make it more flexible. For the 8% who currently take the last four weeks, can we make it more flexible by allowing them to take the leave from the fifth week onwards? On paternity leave, I would like to ask: is there any intention by the Ministry that at some point in time, it will consider legislating it? And, if so, could the Senior Parliamentary Secretary share with us what this timeframe would be?”
“There is a Chinese saying, ma que sui xiao, wu zang ju quan. Literally translated, it means the sparrow, though small, is perfect in every way. This piece of legislation affects a small number of people. There is no reason, however, for not trying to make it perfect in every way. Work Life Balance”
“The work is not onerous and, indeed, the mother may be quite happy to do so, provided she can take her sacrificed leave at another time. The Minister for Manpower was kind enough to give me a written answer to my earlier request for more flexibility. He said that for the first eight weeks of maternity leave, the feedback from employers and workers was that the existing arrangement is acceptable. He said that more than 92% of employees have opted to take their leave in a continuous stretch of 12 weeks and, therefore, this indicates that the demand for more flexible maternity leave period is not high. Sir, I thank the Minister for his consideration but his reply is not an argument, merely an accurate statement of the status quo. Demand for flexible leave does not have to be high. It merely has to exist for us to know that there will be mothers made happier when we are more flexible, to be exact, 1,600 of them each year, assuming an average of 20,000 babies are born. Actually, we do not know how many mothers would like to go back to work after a month, simply because there are not many silly enough to give up two months of paid leave. Even if they wanted to, they would not do it. Sir, I fail to understand why we must force women to take two months of leave at a stretch. 1.45 pm Let me now say something for fathers. Indeed, a more difficult issue is that of paternity leave. Is there room to give fathers some leave when a baby is born as well? Is there a way of allowing some of the maternity leave to be converted into paternity leave? Again, this is an issue of flexibility. I would also like the Minister to consider legislating paternity leave. Many companies already practise this and it will be useful for men to have this assurance when they become fathers.”
“Mr Chairman, I have a simple request to ask if more flexibility can be given to parents to decide how and when they want to make use of leave granted when they have a new baby. Currently, the Government pays for three months of leave for a mother who has a baby. Such leave was extended from eight to 12 weeks in 2004. The first two months is usually taken at a stretch. The additional four weeks can be taken flexibly over a period of six months. There are two areas of concern here. One, to preserve the rights of a mother in recuperating from childbirth. The second, to give the family, in this case, the mother and child, some time together. In the first area, the current legislation of MOM is sufficient. It states that in the first four weeks, immediately after the confinement, no employer can knowingly require a female employee to work. However, beyond the four weeks' period, there is no legal restriction. Both the employer and the employee concerned can agree for the latter to return to work. The existing restriction, however, is not a legal but a financial one. Why is this so? The answer is simple. Under the Children Development and Co-savings Act, as administered by MCYS, the Government-paid maternity leave is payable only on condition that the female employee consumes the eight weeks of maternity leave continuously to qualify for the scheme. My request is equally simple. Why not grant this flexibility to those who take only one month at a stretch? This costs the Government nothing extra but gives a lot to the mother and her employer. We cannot calculate the many contingencies that may arise. Say, for example, there is a project to complete and the new mother may be required to come back to work after a month.”
“Sir, I just want to ask a question relating to NDP. I know that there are many rehearsals which are conducted. I just want to ask whether, from the Ministry's viewpoint, there is any conscious attempt to see whether we can cut down on the number of rehearsals because this comes at a great cost in terms of man hours, woman hours, and children hours. Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Yes, that is one of our minor KPIs for the parade organiser, the combat engineers. So we have taken note of that public concern.”
“First, limit the sale of pets for commercial breeding, especially dogs. Many pedigree dogs are ending up at the SPCA. Up to a third of dogs there are pedigree. The authorities have previously said any limit on the sale of pets may result in smuggling because there may not be enough pets to meet the demand. However, this concern is unwarranted given the high number of abandoned pedigree dogs. There are obviously a limited number of homes to adopt them. Animals can be bought, even on the Internet. So the limitation of sale argument is thus justified. The benefit of a limit on pet sales is that it serves as a barrier of entry of frivolous impulsive buyers who turn pet owners. The serious owners are aware that pets are a lifelong commitment. They understand and will take any extra hassle in purchase procedures in their stride. Madam, many pets are bought at the whims of children who do not realise the full extent of animal care. Culling the animals does not solve the problem. The situation has not improved throughout the decades of doing so. Rather, we should pursue a combination of tactical with existing educational measures to reduce the abandonment cases and over population of strays. Madam, I myself do not have any pets, but to the many thousands of Singaporeans who love their pets, the current situation leaves much to be desired and causes them a lot of grief. Minister Mentor speaks of how we want to be in the first half of the First World. We can only truly do that, join the ranks of the civilised countries, not just by cranking up our economy, churning ever brighter students, but by caring for those who cannot speak and 100% dependent on us for the quality of their lives - animals.”
“Madam, we read of how Singaporeans are splurging on their pets, grooming them elaborately, feeding them gourmet food, even supplements. Having a well-groomed and beautiful pet is the height of the middle-class syndrome in Singapore. Yet, in the papers, we read of more abandoned dogs, fish, and cats. Madam, did you know that 8,000 pets are killed every year in the SPCA? In other words, 22 pets are put to sleep every single day. We say "put to sleep" because it sounds good. But the fact is that many Singaporeans are buying large animals like stuffed toys and throwing them out when they feel like it. The Botanic Gardens is not just a place for families to enjoy themselves, but the pets' dumping ground. The reason for the surplus in unwanted animals is two-fold. First, there are many pets readily on sale, leading to more cases of abandonment. Second, strays breeding uncontrollably with no effective preventive measures to curb the population. And to compound the problem, SPCA's adoption rate is less than 100 per month, or less than 1,200 per year against 8,000 culls. It also competes with commercial and private breeders and pet shops to find homes for its animals. Effective measures are required to stamp the surplus in unwanted animals. It is time for us to sit up and confront the fact that educational measures, like the Government's education campaigns on responsible pet ownership run by AVA, are not good enough. The public does not seem to have caught on the message and will probably need more time to learn it. Also, can the procedures to buy a pet be tightened in light of the large numbers of pets culled at the SPCA each month? Can we make it harder for people to buy pets? I have two suggestions for consideration.”
“We should work towards and build an inclusive society as we stay together and move ahead. Overall, there is a tone of confidence as we have much to look forward to, with a buoyant economy, good foundations and a roadmap for growth - this little but bright red dot of ours. Sir, I support the Budget. 1.32 pm”
“I suggest we prepare one common and comprehensive briefing pamphlet for grassroots, community and union leaders, outlining exactly how and when the monies for the various schemes will be disbursed, whether the recipients need to do something or do nothing at all, how their CPF contributions will change and whether any money will go into their bank accounts. And, of course, how they can find out whether they qualify. We can even set up a dedicated hotline, in different languages, for about six months, to assist. If we are serious about helping and reaching out to the lower income, we need to be sure that our efforts to communicate match the Government’s generosity in the allocation of funds. With the development of the IRs, we are moving to a different plane. I certainly look forward to the several thousands of jobs that it would create both down and upstream. Likewise, I am looking forward to our Government continuing to invest in allowing workers to upgrade their skills to keep pace with changing technology use in the workplace. Strong job growth, together with having a job, is certainly the best form of social security. At the same time, we can help workers while they are transiting to better paying jobs. Hence, I am hopeful of more wage increases and more Workfare Income Supplement features in tandem with further restoration of CPF rates in the years to come. The permanent Workfare feature is a welcome development and I fully support the basis that we should give a helping hand and help those who are prepared to help themselves. The GST offset package, CPF restoration and corporate tax changes are all very significant measures. We should now put the 2% GST increase behind us.”
“The lower wage earners were clearly the winners, as beneficiaries of significant handouts, which more than compensated them for the effect of the GST increase." From my own feedback from the ground and reading the reviews by corporations, financial institutions, MNCs and even international press, overall reactions have all been favourable and positive. The only missing and disappointing element is the status quo on personal income tax. I hope this will be addressed sooner rather than later and brought in line with the changes to the revised corporate tax rate changes. Likewise, a review on the abolition of the estate duty is long outstanding. Sir, this is a forward-looking Budget. The growth and investment thrusts would make us stay ahead and remain competitive and relevant. Whether it is about investing in our people through the introduction of the post-secondary education account, or creating a supportive environment for enterprises, big or small to grow and globalise, or growing the ‘high trust’ services, or enhancing our economic infrastructure or creating a living environment of the future, these changes are geared towards making Singapore a vibrant and special place to live in, and to work in. Figuring it all out Sir, even as we reach for the skies, we must remember those on the ground. As some colleagues have already said, the GST offset package is comprehensive, but rather complicated and, at times, confusing. It would thus be useful if we can improve the communications and awareness of these packages to the public and, more importantly, ensure simplicity in language, execution, implementation and process.”
“She was safe in the house until her son persuaded her to transfer the property to his name. What happened the next day - her belongings were in plastic bags outside the house. If she had been counselled and had known the risks associated with such a transfer, she would not have been in such dire straits. I do not mean to cast doubts on the strengths of family ties, but I do need to make it clear that, at some point, when it comes to dollars and cents, we need to teach people to protect their own interests. I am sure many Members in this House have seen and know of such similar cases at their meet-the-people sessions. So, I would like to suggest that compulsory counselling sessions at key financial turning points be conducted - eg, when a person is old enough to withdraw his CPF savings, or when he is transferring ownership of his flat, and so on. Perhaps, the MAS and other bodies can look into this. In fact, the MAS is already doing a great job of educating the public on insurance and so forth. A generous Budget Sir, when Prime Minister first announced the proposed increase of GST from 5% to 7% in Parliament on 13th November last year, I was asked by the Straits Times then for a comment. I said, "Let's not over-react to the news and get our emotions into overdrive but wait for what the Government will do to help those affected." So, I am heartened when I heard the Budget as announced by the Second Minister for Finance, Mr Tharman Shamugaratnam. Indeed, it is a most comprehensive and generous one, which covered all sectors and had something for everyone, including the very well-to-do. One international accounting firm described the Budget this way and I quote, "To say this was a focused Budget then is an understatement.”
“Old folks who are well-to-do somehow do not lack children who want to live with them. This is a cautionary tale for many of us who are in our 40s, like I am, since we are the tidal wave of the elderly that is going to hit this island. For myself, however much I pride myself on inculcating filial piety in my two children, my goal is to save enough so that I will not have to depend too much on them. This brings me to the second issue - how to prepare the present-day middle-aged for the future. I have been giving the matter some thought and, unfortunately, there does not seem to be a policy fix that is available, simply because this is a private and very personal life planning problem, rather than a public social or even healthcare problem. Hence, this should be tackled by aggressive public education and counselling. Having said this, however, we should realise that the costs of failure in public education will be high. I recently read - in fact, just last week - a case of a doctor who threw his mother out of her flat after she transferred the ownership of the flat over to him. She works as a cleaner, and this is how she has put her son through medical school. But her job as a cleaner is a bone of contention. One day, her son’s wife was at a food court with some of her colleagues and met her mother-in-law, who was working as a cleaner there, and it caused embarrassment to no end. The doctor, who earns $200,000 a year, is now paying his mother $1,600 a month, after mediation by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. Sir, this story boggles the mind on many levels, and is a hot topic of discussion on the Internet. But one detail stuck with me - the woman had a HDB mansionette in her name.”
“Having spoken to a random sample of people who are affected by this, support has been overwhelming and very encouraging. Middle class squeeze and caring of the elderly Sir, I would like to move on to the middle-class, and the middle-aged. I read with some interest the media’s attempts to pin down the middle-class. One easy way will be to take the middle of the country’s salary ranges and work it out from there. Hence, I would say that if a household’s monthly income is around $5,000, that household would form the middle-class. The middle-class is also the sandwich class in many instances. They have little ones to take care of, as well as their aged parents. Those whose parents are well, and are relatively independent, will count themselves lucky. But with an aging population, we need to plan for more to be done to help such households. There are two ways we can go about doing this - caring for the present-day elderly, and preparing the present-day middle-aged for their golden years. For the first issue, we need to think, for example, are there enough day care centres to help the elderly? Can we provide a Gold Bonus in cash for families whose parents live with them, in the same way that we have the Baby Bonus? Like the Baby Bonus scheme, money is not so much a financial subsidy per se, as a nudge in the right direction. In this, I echo the Member for Sembawang GRC who made this suggestion previously. Perhaps we can have a reduced maid levy for families with both young children and older parents under one roof. Sir, the Prime Minister has noted that there are many elderly who live alone, and this number is set to rise. If I may make one quick and perhaps brutal observation - it is often the needy elderly who end up in such a state.”
“The Government's goodwill gesture of giving a small GST credit to them is recognition that they are not forgotten. I am sure they appreciate this and would not mind forgoing this benefit for the community that needs it more. We are good at opt-in schemes - let us do it again for this group. If they want it, I say opt in for their $100. Sir, what can we do for this group, if we take away their $100? Well, we should acknowledge, we should thank them and make them feel happy. Why? Because of their generosity, we will have a sum of $12 million for a fund for the low-income group or the needy, to be used to help them in their hour of need. As a further gesture and acknowledgement of their contribution, the Government could consider granting tax-exempt status to the donors. As for this $12-million fund, we could call it the "People’s Fund". Those Members who find this name too close to the People’s Action Party can table for it to be called something else. But looking around the Members in this House presently in this Chamber, I doubt so. Sir, I digress - the name is nothing. What is important is our pledge to bridge the class divide. This cannot be done by giving the rich as well as the poor, even though the gift to the rich is a smaller one - much smaller one. The $100 means little, insignificant to the upper income group but means a lot and is of significance to the lower strata. As an inclusive and giving society, I am sure the majority, if not all, would be quite willing to forgo this $100. We need to swim together as a country. We cannot do so if the rich feel nothing for the poor, and the poor feel disaffection and resentment for the rich. I hope Government can give my proposal some consideration.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to say something fairly obvious about the super-rich in Singapore. And it is this - $100 does not mean a lot to them. I read from the papers that one of the learned Members of this House earns $1,000 an hour. That means he earns $100 in about six minutes. He will qualify to get $100 from the Government in GST rebates. I am sure that he will not mind giving this up. Sir, in Singapore, there are 62,119 people who earn more than $150,000 a year - that is more than $11,000 a month. I think it would be fair to call this group the very well-to-do. To help them cope with the GST increase, the Government will give out a total of $6.21 million - a little meaningless drip of $100 each. If we consider those who are merely well-to-do, who earn about $100,000 a year of assessable income, then the group increases by another 57,354 to 119,473. The amount from Government - nearly $12 million! Imagine what we can do with this sum of money! We can pass it to the sandwich class or to the low-wage workers. Just to put things in perspective, the total amount of money, given to all public assistance a year is around $12 million. If we take away this unnecessary rebate to the rich, we could double the current level of public assistance, without making a dent in our Budget. Sir, the very well-to-do is a privileged group. This group has done well and good for them - we need more of such people with the drive, the energy and brains, and with the opportunity to succeed. Most have also done their part to help the community - the esteemed Member that I mentioned earlier has gone down from charging $1,000 an hour to zero dollars an hour to help a charity fight its cause and win their case.”
“--- as a benign landlord. So they see this as something which is going to increase their operating costs. It may be competitive, but I think it will lead to higher operating costs. How do we address that?”
“Community vigilance is also important because some of these things are stolen at night. If Singaporeans see these people loitering around, they should alert the Police. I think it was Mayor Zainudin who was interviewed together with Mr Seah Kian Peng in a The New Paper article who called for community vigilance. So, let us work together. Let me assure Mr Seah that, indeed, I will personally monitor the trend and see whether tougher actions are necessary.”
“Sir, offenders who commit such crimes now are charged under the Vandalism Act, I believe. But thieves who steal lightning conductors are not mere vandals. Given the surge in such cases, in fact more than 100%, I want to ask the Ministry whether they can consider more effective deterrent measures, including making the punishment a lot stiffer. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, I believe that the legislative arsenal which is now available is adequate because offenders can be charged under different sections, depending on the severity of the offence, number of items taken and whether they have antecedents. These include section 379, which is theft under the Penal Code and also vandalism, as the Member has mentioned. Under section 3 of the Vandalism Act, besides attracting a penalty of imprisonment of up to three years, it also attracts mandatory caning of at least three strokes. So I think that is pretty tough already. Indeed, those with antecedents can also be subject to the corrective training regime, and some have indeed been punished under the corrective training regime which has a mandatory punishment of five years. Let me assure the Member that we will continue to monitor not just the punishment regime but the entire slew of measures that we have taken. The somewhat assuring news is that when this problem surfaced last year, it reached a high of about 131 cases in August, but it trended down to about 80 in December but went up a bit in January to 112. So it is not, of course, a time to claim victory. But let me say that the collective measures taken by everybody, in particular, the stakeholders, are important. So HDB has taken some measures. For example, NParks has taken measures to replace their metal bollards with concrete bollards.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the proposed amendments in the Bill. In fact, I want to echo what both of my colleagues, Ms Ellen Lee and Mr Zaqy Mohamad, have said, which is that, too often, we keep saying that parenting is a shared responsibility but the proposed changes always seem to be skewed only towards the mothers. I would fully support what both Ms Ellen Lee and Mr Zaqy have said. In fact, one of the enlightened companies that Mdm Halimah Yacob has highlighted earlier, UBS, is one of them. I believe that for fathers who adopt children, they extend the same benefits to them as well. We highlight such enlightened companies in the private sector. I sincerely hope that the public sector should take the lead in many of these things. If the public sector does not set the lead, I think it is very difficult to expect the private sector to do likewise. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“There are ways around it, and that is why I allow for the Medisave diabetes package to include a package fee. In other words, a patient pays per year, say, $200 package fee which allows him maybe six or eight visits in between to have all sorts of blood checks and so on. But you transact it once so that your transaction fee of a few dollars is spread over this $200 or $300. So there are ways around this. 4.15 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I just want to add on to Ms Ellen Lee's point. On the administrative fee that we are talking about, I think it is great that we allow part of Medisave to be used to pay for the treatment of some of these chronic illnesses, up to $300 a year. But for a $30 bill, to impose $3.17, if I recall correctly, is a big percentage. We understand the need for some of these administrative charges. The request is to see whether the charge could be lowered. I think $3.17 out of a $30 bill, percentage wise, it is a hefty sum. For the lower income group, this is very difficult to absorb. Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Sir, I am sorry to be a bit long winded on this matter. I happen to be quite familiar with this topic because, years ago, when I helped Senior Minister Goh when he was my boss, the Health Minister, to design Medisave, we were very careful because every Medisave withdrawal transaction costs money. And that is why we discouraged outpatient usage for many years, because we know that outpatient transactions are low - $10, $20, $30. But the cost of handling that $10 or $20 transaction is indeed a couple of dollars. Percentage wise, it is big. Therefore, for that kind of transactions, it is far better for the patient to pay out of pocket in cash. That is the reason for having to impose the administrative fee. It is actually to discourage small Medisave claims. But if the hospital bill is $3,000, then, of course, a few dollars of administrative fee makes sense. That is the reason. But we have been negotiating with CPF to bring the rates down, because now the transactions are in such big numbers, and we are spreading the overheads. So the cost per transaction can be cheaper, but it cannot be zero. There is a cost to it.”