Sun Xueling
Singapore
“We are deploying electric vehicle (EV) chargers in tandem with growing demand, within the constraints of space and electricity. As EV technology is continuously improving, we are also mindful not to overbuild as chargers can become obsolete quickly.”
“I thank Member Dr Choo Pei Ling for raising feedback from her Tengah residents. Currently, two multi-storey car parks in Tengah have EV chargers, and LTA subsidiary, EV-Electric (EVe) Charging Pte Ltd, is in the process of deploying EV chargers in another eight multi-storey car parks in Tengah.”
“The Government targets to deploy 60,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging points by 2030, which comprise 40,000 in public car parks, and 20,000 in private premises. As of March 2026, there are 30,500 EV charging points deployed in Singapore. We are on track to achieving our 2030 target in tandem with the growing demand for EVs.”
“In 2025, about 30% of Build-To-Order (BTO) blocks were completed earlier than their estimated completion dates at the point of flat booking. On average, these blocks were completed about two months earlier.”
“Yes, thank you. We agree with Dr Neo that it is important to bring together the wider ecosystem and we will consult all stakeholders. The Ministry of Transport's immediate focus is to drive the usage of drones more extensively, especially by the public sector and this is because we already have many potential use cases.”
“I thank the Member for her question. Earlier, I mentioned in my reply that the HDB notifies buyers at three junctures. This is to give buyers adequate time to plan. And that is why it is at the one year before, six months before and three months before.”
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“Mdm Speaker, I would like to seek a clarification. For the distance of 500 metres for each household that the Deputy Prime Minister has mentioned, does that apply to families in new towns or is that a number for mature estates?”
“Will the Ministry look into increasing communication and education for these freelancing workers so that they are aware of the risk that is involved in terms of overall financial planning for them when they are engaged in freelancing jobs?”
“Currently, financial institutions have their own proprietary systems for mobile payments. Will the MAS look at encouraging inter-operability between these systems to create greater convenience for consumers?”
“As the Minister has mentioned, the detention of our Terrexes appears to be contrary to Hong Kong and international law. I would like to enquire: in dealing with the Hong Kong authorities, has MINDEF found the experience to be largely rules-based and process-based? It could be a helpful barometer for how businesses assess Hong Kong's reputation as an international port.”
“This would help build a more inclusive society as more segments of the Page: 140 population can be actively participating in societal developments. Those with disabilities can also potentially use their abilities to support themselves, enabled by smart devices to help them operate equipment, read and also enter data. GovTech could thus be a key enabler in society, using technology to build platforms and creating convenience and increasing convenience for consumers as well as raise productivity for industries. GovTech could also be a key mobiliser in society, using technology to access segments of the population that are underserved and unleash the potentials in them. I hope the Ministry is able to prioritise the work of GovTech to maximise its role and make a critical difference to the lives of citizens. With that, I support the Bill.”
“While we are moving towards two-factor authentication for Singpass, huge advances are already being made in biometric authentication for financial services. Biometric automated teller machines have been deployed in several parts of the world including the UK, Japan, China, Brazil and Poland. The development of an efficient digital payment system with common infrastructure at the base level, a central addressing system where citizens can transact with one another safely and effectively and a unified point-of-sale solution for consumers is probably the way to go. Such an overhaul will require a multi-agency effort and I would like to suggest that this be one of the key priorities for GovTech. The second area of focus I would like to suggest to GovTech to look at is to use technology and solutions to better harness resources in the society and also unleash the potential in traditionally underserved or special needs communities in Singapore. Given Singapore's limited resources, the general economic climate and evolving trends in business models, there is an increasing need for us to embrace a "sharing model" to deploy resources more effectively. There are many latent resources in our society and community. This could be in the form of physical assets, labour and capital, for instance, under-utilised community spaces, stay-at-home mums who could act as volunteers. If GovTech is able to co-create solutions with citizens to enable better use of latent resources in our society, we could have win-win solutions for owners of resources and society as a whole. Separately, for special needs communities or the elderly, technology can be used to enable the elderly and less physically abled to access Government services from home, work from home and be more productive.”
“I thank the Minister for sharing his thinking behind the setting up of GovTech. GovTech has a huge task at hand, not only because of the scale of supporting 90-plus Government agencies, but also because it ventures into the unknown with technology and needs constantly evolving. What then will be GovTech's measure of success? I would like to suggest putting effort into building enablers which could benefit a broad base of users and also make possible more efficient business processes and upgrading the capabilities of the industry as a whole. For instance, our current landscape for electronic payments seems to be playing catch-up to developments in some other major cities. We had started out quite strongly when the Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS) was launched in 1985 but NETS has not evolved to be more inter-operable, being only available to consumers of one of the associated banks in Singapore and not interoperable with international card schemes. Consumers now find themselves faced with a dazzling array of card payment terminals with proprietary standards when they want to make payments. And credit card payments are already graduating towards mobile-enabled payments. We are thus in need of a platform that enables a seamless payment experience for consumers. This not only provides greater convenience to consumers but can also increase productivity and cut down costs for businesses. For instance, the man-hours and costs of processing cheques and handling cash are far higher than those of processing digital payments. However, a corollary of progressing mobile and digital payments is the ability to authenticate one's digital identity.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State. He had shared about the number of PolCams to be installed. Would the Senior Minister of State be able to share what percentage of the island would be covered by security cameras or sensors for surveillance use, given possible collaboration of the Smart Nation Office?”
“I thank the Minister for the reply. I understand that current liquidated damages imposed on lift contractors for delays in service recovery and non-compliance with maintenance standards only amount to $50 per day. I think that is hardly a deterrence. Would the Ministry consider rethinking how penalties are structured, as a nominal fee is hardly penalising and could also find its way back as higher maintenance charges that we have Page: 17 to pay lift contractors on a monthly basis?”
“I understand that London launched the world's first fully electric-powered double-decker bus in March this year. Would MOT consider using electric vehicles for public transport?”
“A supplementary question. I understand that London launched the world's first fully electric-powered double-decker bus in March this year. Would the Ministry of Transport (MOT) consider using electric vehicles for public transport?”
“Even as it is now made available to all, the experience of the programme should be upheld and all students should come away from it feeling proud of themselves and their achievements.”
“Mr Chairman, I still remember the experience I had at OBS when I was in secondary school. It was especially memorable because I was from an all-girls' school and it was my first time interacting with boys of the same age, solving problems and battling the rugged outdoors. It was also an opportunity for girls to push their physical limits, challenge their fears and bond with students from other schools and other races, especially since girls do not serve National Service. I found the experience extremely valuable and was thus delighted to hear that such an experience would be available to all in the cohort. However, just as OBS @ Coney Island was greeted with much excitement, given that all in the cohort will be given the opportunity of outdoor learning, there were also concerns raised by many parents who feel that their child is not ready or suited for such outdoor activities and that OBS should not be made compulsory. It is, therefore, critical for parents to buy in and support this initiative in order to ensure that it successfully achieves its objectives. Can the Ministry provide greater details of the activities that OBS will embark on and what it tries to achieve? If in their daily interactions with their children, parents are able to compliment and reinforce what OBS sets out to achieve, we are more likely to achieve longer-term benefits of this programme. Also, in order to maintain the quality of the OBS experience for students, can the Ministry take steps to educate students ahead of the programme so that all will do it with the right attitude and enthusiasm? OBS has, in the past, been seen as a star programme for student leaders.”
“Mr Chairman, I was in a student forum recently and a student asked if having a technical engineering background will still allow him to aspire to a C-suite level job. I found the question both telling and sad. I personally think that the rise of technopreneurs will help to correct this trend. But I was wondering if the Minister could shed some light on what we can do further to change mindsets about engineering as a profession.”
“Second, at the community level, can we develop more child-friendly community spaces, for instance, indoor playgrounds, where parents can have a cup of coffee as they watch their children play, or nursing rooms and baby-changing rooms decorated to be a little haven for parents and children, with soft music and alluring hues? Young parents can be made to feel special and not so alone in their endeavour. We have set aside resources to develop trade associations and chambers to encourage industry self-help and transformation. Can we put in resources to promote self-help groups for young parents, from promoting breastfeeding to use of online resources to organise play groups and make possible voluntary child-minding arrangements for young children? Parenthood should be celebrated. We have joined the parents' club. If we can change mindsets towards parenthood, hopefully, the question will be "Why not?" Whole-of-Society Support for Parenthood”
“Mdm Chair, I still remember when I mentioned among colleagues my desire to start a family, a senior woman executive's first response had been "But why?" To which I answered, "Why not?" And then she said, "The correct question should be 'But why?'" This conversation stuck in my mind and, as I pondered what we can do to promote parenthood, I realised the drivers behind her question. With growing gender equality and the ability for women in Singapore to self-actualise through their careers, the perceived downsides to parenthood are immediate and quantifiable − time and effort to take care of one's children, potential impact on one's career, and that is not counting stretch marks and potential weight gain from pregnancy − while the benefits or joys of parenthood seem vague in comparison. How then do we make the positives more apparent and parenthood less daunting? While the Government pushes out policies to help with the costs of raising children, if we look around us, even those who can afford to have children are not having children. So, targeting costs, though key, is but one way of lowering the threshold for those considering to have children. We talked of a whole-of-Government approach to promoting innovation and a business-friendly environment. Can we consider a whole-of-society approach to promoting parenthood? For instance, at the corporate level, while we acknowledge short-term changes in work arrangements due to maternity leave, can we ensure that our human resource processes are such that there is proper communication with new mothers so that they do not feel that they are penalised for having a baby.”
“Regarding the Minister's desire to promote a caring community and to empower volunteers to step in and to devote their time and resources, I would like to clarify for community-initiated programmes to provide informal childcare services, will the Ministry be able to provide some broad-based guidelines so that safety considerations can be addressed in such informal arrangements?”
“In terms of early childhood education, can we take in more caring individuals, promote mutual support within the neighbourhood and lighten the load of young parents? Kindergarten Fee Assistance Scheme (KiFAS)”
“Mdm Chair, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] There are many young parents living in Punggol. Many of the young mothers would like to return to work as soon as possible after giving birth. However, in order to return to work, they have to send their children to childcare centres. The problem is, one needs to queue on a waitlist for a place at the childcare centre. This is because the development of childcare centres has hit a bottleneck: it is difficult to recruit teachers. Why is it difficult to recruit teachers? Because the Government has laid out many requirements for early childhood educators. However, for a preschooler, what she needs most is to learn through real-life experiences, to learn through play. She does not necessarily need a sophisticated learning system. What she needs is love, companionship and encouragement. Therefore, can we consider lowering the criteria for childcare teachers, so that more caring individuals with experience in taking care of children can be recruited? In this way, we can increase the number of teachers and more children can receive care. In addition, can we consider setting up community-based parent support centres at the RC centres and allow housewives with experience and time to take care of children in need? Can the Government draw up relevant safety standards and establish a feasible model based on mutual support within the community? In the past, when there were big families, children could be taken care of by relatives after they were born. But, nowadays, couples only have each other within the family, and raising children becomes more difficult. However, as the saying goes, "远亲不如近邻", meaning that a neighbour who is near is better than a relative who lives far away.”
“I applaud what Minister of State Janil Puthucheary shared, regarding the promotion of ICT startups. Smart Nation serves as the lead user of technology and creates demand for local solutions. But for a startup to scale up, they need to solve big problems such as those of international markets. How is MCI supporting our ICT startups to internationalise and provide solutions for international markets? My second clarification: I note that company-led training will train 3,750 professionals. Given that company-led training is, perhaps, the most direct way to ensure skills fit to jobs, how do we encourage more companies to provide on-the-job training?”
“Further, to increase the marketing of reading, I would like to enquire if there can be pockets of smaller libraries so as to capture mindshare. I understand that the Ministry has a current planning parameter for a library to every 150,000 residents. But for new estates like Punggol, which has many residents with young children, proximity to libraries is important. Further, young residents would greatly benefit from earlier access to libraries. 2.15 pm Can the Ministry consider supporting community children's libraries or building interim container libraries, such as the one in Sengkang, so that young residents can have earlier access to books? History and Heritage”
“Mdm Chair, in a recent survey by the National Arts Council, less than half of the Singaporeans surveyed had read a literary book between March 2014 and March 2015, and a large proportion of the people surveyed preferred online pursuits to reading books. In fact, tiny bursts of information in the form of short Facebook posts, Instagram pictures and Twitter, have dominated the communication of ideas, and reading a book almost seems to run counter to the trend in the age of instantaneous gratification and information. But reading has a part to play in our drive for creativity and innovation. In the bestseller "Natural History of Innovation", the author, Steven Johnson, discusses the role serendipity plays in innovation and identifies reading as one of the best ways to cultivate serendipity. He suggests that the accidental combination of ideas that powers serendipity requires an abundance of ideas and for them to reside in one's memory waiting for an instance to associate with one another. Reading plays a key role in transmitting ideas to the reader and, where there is opportunity to read a variety of books over a compressed period of time, creates possibilities of serendipitous collisions among the ideas of different book authors. It is interesting that the founder of Facebook and promoter of bite-sized information bits, Mark Zuckerberg, has set up a Facebook book club and, to quote him: "My challenge for 2015 is to read a new book every other week, with an emphasis on learning about different cultures, beliefs, histories and technologies". Given the importance of reading, can we kick-start a reading movement and have role models share the impact that reading has on their lives?”
“How does the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) intend to work with all the different sectors in Singapore to ensure that they are resilient against cyberattacks and, as such, ensure the resiliency of the nation? How are we doing this by design as we progress the Smart Nation initiative? Lastly, given the international aspects of cybersecurity, with attacks either mounted or routed through other countries, how is CSA promoting cooperation with other international bodies, so that there is an aligned and concerted effort to guide against cyber threats?”
“Given the expected number of specialists required by 2017, are there sufficient company-led training and effective conversion programmes for mid-career professionals, so that we have a decent shot at meeting our manpower needs by 2017? Cyber-security In December last year, the Ukrainian power supply was shut down by a cyberattack for six hours and, more than two months after the cyberattack, the power grid's central control is still not fully operational. Separately, in February this year, hackers attempted to steal almost $1 billion from the Central Bank of Bangladesh. State and trade secrets have been the target of hacking and cyberattacks in recent years. The perpetrators, whether state-sponsored or criminal groups, aimed to cause disruption to key systems for strategic reasons, ransom, theft and to make political points. According to FireEye, a global cybersecurity company, cyberattacks are being increasingly mounted on Southeast Asian countries, due to interest in the region's growing industry sectors, such as energy, telecommunications, high-tech, transportation and finance. Territorial disputes in the South China Sea are also driving cyber espionage activities. As we move towards greater connectivity via our Smart Nation programme, different sectors with various expertise in cybersecurity will be plugged into the system – Government, power, land transport, maritime, civil aviation, water, security emergency, health, banking and finance. Not all sectors have networks built in with security in mind. In fact, many sectors may not have designed security into their networks as they were built.”
“Mdm Chair, I was in a discussion forum recently on manpower needs for the cyber security industry. It was well-attended by students, employers and mid-career professionals. Students wanted to know if they could continue upgrading their skills in ICT after they leave IHLs, given the constant developments in the ICT industry, and if they could aspire to C-suite level jobs, given their technical backgrounds. Employers shared their immediate needs and requirement for industry-ready talent. Mid-career professionals from adjacent industries to ICT wanted to cross over in the quickest and most painless fashion. Given the need to develop local talent so as to enable the healthy and sustainable development of the Smart Nation initiative as well as deal with cybersecurity concerns, how would the Ministry address local manpower development to address the concerns of the various groups I mentioned? Are we doing this in the most resource-efficient and timely manner? Secondly, 70% of our ICT manpower is made up of male professionals. Even though female representation in our ICT workforce is higher than that, say, in the United States (US), how are we making ICT education attractive to female students given the rising importance of the industry and the availability of good jobs? There are good role models like Jenny Lee of GGV Capital who has made a name for herself as an ICT venture capitalist with a Midas touch. Can we leverage more on the positive influence of such female thought leaders? Lastly, while company-led training programmes and internships are the best way to ensure skills fit to job requirements, not all companies may have the resources to devote time and manpower to training.”
“One of the key thrusts of the Smart Nation programme is to harness info communications technology (ICT) networks and data to support better living, create more opportunities and enable stronger communities. Networks of sensors and smart devices will enable better collection of data and the creation of user-specific solutions that will enable more targeted and efficient service delivery of Government services to citizens and businesses. While the greater use of data and technology can increase the efficiency of service delivery, how do we maintain a human touch in the process, especially if there are outlier cases? And how do we ensure that the needs of the elderly or the less Internet-savvy can continue to be met? And while technology allows our communities to connect to one another more easily and intensely, how do we guard against domination of data share by vocal groups and continue to deliver solutions that are beneficial to the majority of our citizens and businesses? Staying Inclusive in the Digital Era”
“And would it end up impacting the work of the Government? Finally, how will such industry-level planning for transformation mesh with sectoral manpower planning?”
“30 pm Assoc Prof Randolph Tan: Mdm Chair, the Industry Transformation Programme is a significant addition to the economic landscape in Singapore. It is meant to push for change in the entire industry by working hand in hand with stakeholders at the organisational level. It could turn out to be the type of penetrating approach which is needed to overcome resistance to transformation at the industry and firm level. Similar, though not identical, industry-level schemes have worked elsewhere. Nonetheless, I have some basic questions about whether overcoming a natural instinct of businesses to view businesses as competitors is possible and, even if it were possible, would it be worth the cost. Improving the degree of industry-level coordination is key to the Industry Transformation Programme. Previous efforts, such as the Local Enterprise and Association Development (LEAD) programme, have shown what the potential challenges could be. In his Budget round-up speech, the Finance Minister yesterday gave the assurance that anti-competitive practices will not be allowed to creep in. At the other end of the spectrum, there are also coordination challenges. Is industry-level coordination capable of producing a level of cooperation that can be balanced against the natural competitive instinct? As part of an open market economy, will the potential contradictions in seeking to coordinate entities which are supposed to be natural market-oriented competitors take an excessively heavy toll on the coordinating teams? I understand that these coordinating teams will be formed from public servants from various agencies. So, will the coordination roles of these public servants result in public service agencies and personnel incurring heavy costs on resources?”
“SMEs face developmental issues due to lack of resources and little access to information. I would like to discuss two areas where we can work with trade associations and chambers (TACs) to help our SMEs. Firstly, on the demand side. The use of big data in business is increasingly prevalent and will become de rigueur. Big data can be used to predict footfall of customers at different times of the day, types of customers that frequent shops, time spent comparing products and even time spent at different parts of a store. With such knowledge, retailers can play with product mix, price elasticity and store layout to maximise revenue. With big data analysis, their ability to understand, predict and even direct customer behaviour will only increase. How do we enable our SMEs to have access to the same information? Can we work with TACs and IHLs to do big data analysis on consumer behaviour and make available the analysis and public data banks so that our SMEs can leverage them to optimise their offerings and compete effectively? Secondly, on the supply side, research institutes and large food and beverage (F&B) companies invest in research, innovative packaging to extend the shelf life of food products. Proper control of heat and choice of wrapper can increase the shelf life of products by 40% and also provide consumers reheating and microwavable options. This helps save cost for companies with respect to refrigeration, reduces spoilage during transformation, and increase marketability of products. Can we work with our TACs to keep our SMEs abreast of the packaging technology being researched on and provide them access to technology? Industry-level Coordination 4.”
“How do we intend to build on the foundations of this relationship and leverage on the new narrative that is emerging from China with regard to its One Belt, One Road strategy? And how do we balance that against the geo-dynamic tensions that China's rise is causing for the region, especially as we hear of the weekly incidents and claims of illegal fishing in the South China Sea?”
“From the recent spate of news, China's influence in the region is set to grow as it fires on all cylinders. There is a palpable increase in China's activities in the region. Even while Chinese vessels have allegedly trespassed and fished in waters claimed by Malaysia and Indonesia and just days ago, a Chinese ship was seized by Vietnam near the South China Sea. It is also pulling out all stops to try to build trust by presenting the One Belt, One Road strategy, launching the AIIB and pledging deeper political, economic and social cooperation with regional countries. China's outbound direct investment surpassed inbound FDI for the first time in 2015. The search for new markets and better returns for its accumulated surpluses and multiple development bottlenecks domestically in China drives this push for outbound direct investment, given manufacturing over-capacity, insufficient domestic demand and increasing energy and resource consumption. I was at the Boao Forum recently and saw the interest ASEAN members had in China's outgoing strategy via One Belt, One Road. At the Inaugural Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting on the sidelines of the Boao Forum, Premier Li Keqiang offered preferential loans of 10 billion yuan and credit lines of US$10 billion to five ASEAN countries along the Mekong River to fund infrastructure and improve connectivity. In smaller group forums, individual ASEAN members spoke of how they could cooperate with China on production capacity and spoke glowingly of Chinese investments in their provinces. Singapore enjoys good relations with China and celebrated 25 years of diplomatic relations last year with the upgrade of the CSSFTA, an agreement to develop a third govenrment-to-government project in Chongqing.”
“Already, the World Bank Group's Infrastructure and Development Hub and Page: 66 the Asian Development Bank's (ADB's) Asian Infrastructure Centre of Excellence are established in Singapore. We are a hub for various infrastructure funds and project finance banks, such as Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Mitsui, that have their project finance desks here and can work hand-in-hand with the likes of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to provide financing options. There are, of course, always risks in overseas projects, especially when commercial projects can be thwarted by diplomatic tensions and idiosyncratic problems. But what we can try to do is to focus on projects which have strategic value for us and provide services where we have expertise, as this will allow us better control of project risks. The new economy presents challenges. But there are strengths that we can leverage on, new partnerships that can be formed and new opportunities that we can seize. Our Singapore Inc model was one where we put our minds and our resources singularly behind the need to provide good jobs and a good standard of living for our people. We can and should upgrade our Singapore Inc model to forge a new path forward.”
“Our Government agencies need to adopt a faster process, perhaps a one-stop window, when looking at licensing requirements for new technology and business models. We can, and we should, upgrade our Singapore Inc model so that it is more likely that the "next big thing" grows from our shores. Lastly, we have always leveraged our role and connectivity in the region. The ASEAN Economic Community 2015 and China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, together with funding streams from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), give us a fresh opportunity to shape a narrative that puts Singapore in the centre of capital flows, international cooperation and development. We can leverage the promise of the Southeast Asian market to attract investments, partner players and internationalise. This is not a new concept. But changing geopolitical situations, changing trading patterns and a new narrative coming from China warrant a constant reassessment to see how best we can position ourselves. We are a key node along OBOR in the centre of Southeast Asia and we can be a gateway linking the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean Basin and be a place for businesses to embark on partnerships and expansion into the region. Further, China has become a net exporter of capital in 2015, with non-financial outbound direct investments exceeding inbound FDI. As China looks to Southeast Asia for opportunities, particularly in the area of infrastructure development and production capacity cooperation, Singapore can play a role as a project development hub and provide a financing platform for China's new initiatives.”
“Our corporates can also work with emerging champions via a partnership model as many emerging champions start out as small companies looking for partners to trial their products and services. To encourage such partnerships, our two economic agencies, EDB and IE Singapore, need to tie together more strongly the efforts of attracting inward-bound investments with internationalisation of our local enterprises. Our local enterprises need a booster. Another area that Singapore can leverage is in the speed and scope of our policy support. To give some examples, Uber was a $60-million company five years ago. Last year, it was worth $50 billion and had expanded to 63 countries − a growth of 800 times in five years. Airbnb was a $100-million company five years ago. Last year, it had grown to $24 billion and expanded to 192 countries − a growth of 240 times in five years The speed at which companies need to grow and seize market share in the age of disruptive technologies is a matter of life and death for them. A year in the lifecycle of a technology-driven company can be worth a difference of 10 times in valuation and the outcomes can be quite binary – all or nothing. As a small nation, speed of adaptation and adoption should be our strength. We had a Singapore Inc model of industrialisation in the past and we had put everything on the table to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). A one-stop window for speedy approvals to enable rapid startups was the key then. If we are to be an early adopter or test bed from which new businesses can grow, our policies need to react to companies quickly. This is the new tempo of the market.”
“Companies in strategic industries will continue to innovate and be competitive because the problems that they solve for are integral to us. As we embark on the Jurong Innovation District, Punggol Creative Cluster and Smart Nation initiative, new competencies will emerge. Exploration of the use of data analytics and seamless Internet of Things technologies will add to our urban solutions capabilities. Energy-efficient green buildings, urban greening or farming will add to our offerings as a green and liveable city. And with greater connectivity arising from Smart Nation, all our critical sectors of power, security, water, telecommunications, banking and finance, transport will be linked up, and competencies in cyber security will emerge to safeguard the resilience of our system. Next, we can look to grow markets by working with emerging champions. Our Singapore Inc model of economic development has always been one where we are open and aspire to work with the best in the world. By working with emerging champions − companies with leading technology or new business models that are rapidly disrupting traditional businesses and creating demand with their new products and services – we can share in their IP, people and networks and ride the megatrends with them. We can gain access to emerging champions via M&As or through partnerships. Singtel's recent investment in Trustwave, the largest independent provider of cybersecurity services in North America with a presence in Europe and Asia, is an example of how our companies can grow Page: 65 competencies via M&A and internationalise in new market segments quickly.”
“" The Budget contains a host of measures to hasten the transformation of our economy – the Automation Support Package, Financing and Tax Incentives to Support Scale-ups and even a Business Grants Portal to streamline grant applications for our firms. But these are supply-side mechanisms, and supply and demand forces are closely interwoven. In our policies to grow the economy, we should also emphasise demand-pull policies – policies that help create new markets and expand existing ones – and I would like to suggest that we can do this by upgrading the Singapore Inc model. The role of the Government is critical in the Singapore Inc model. The Jurong Innovation District and Smart Nation are initiatives which play a role in creating demand for new products and services and drive change through being lead users of technology. Together with the Punggol Creative Cluster, these platforms allow local technologies to be test-bedded and this opens up opportunities for exports if they are successful. And just as we had adopted a targeted approach in our early years of economic development, the need to identify core areas of competencies, strategic strengths and invest in our capabilities in them, has grown even more acute, given the increasing contribution of technology and knowledge to products and services. We need to build deep verticals and competencies, for only then will our products and services be sought after by international markets. We have existing competitive advantages and we should build on them. Some competitive strengths arose out of scarcity or needs that we have. Our land scarcity, for instance, led us to create giants in urban planning, infrastructure and city management solutions. Our water treatment competencies arose out of a need for self-reliance.”
“Mdm Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak in support of the Motion. This year's Budget stood out for the futuristic new economy it painted while taking care of the humanistic immediate needs of our families and our workers. A new world where robotics and other forms of automation become core factors of production, industries are transformed and local firms scale up and internationalise. But also a new world where our children benefit from the First Step Grant and the KidSTART programme, and our seniors get help through the Silver Support Scheme. There is a lot that we wish to do: to improve education and opportunities for the less advantaged, to take care of our elderly more and to have social safety nets to cushion Singaporeans impacted by a restructuring economy. In a world with unlimited resources, we can strive to do everything. But alas, we do not have unlimited resources. The sustainable solution to provide more resources for social spending is thus to grow the pie so that we have more to share. I would thus like to focus my speech today on the economy and I will take up issues pertaining to individuals and families in the COS debates. Page: 64 The scale of the issues that confront restructuring economies worldwide is not lost on us, and while the Minister for Finance urges us not to let pessimism take hold in the midst of difficult conditions, the need to act decisively and quickly is apparent, as he said, and I quote: "The global economic landscape is changing and our challenges are pressing. We have a narrow window. We must find every opportunity to transform, to emerge stronger in the coming years.”
“NLB is prepared to assist any community group which is prepared to take the lead in setting up their own library corners or libraries to serve the needs of their residents.”
“I thank the Minister and would like to enquire, in new estates like Punggol where there are sizeable numbers of residents, especially those with young children, would the Ministry consider having temporary libraries so that we do not lose the opportunity to inculcate the love of reading for children at a young age? My second question is that the process of selecting books, sometimes, is as informative as reading a book itself. Would NLB consider making available more synopsis and recommendations so that users can acquire knowledge even as they are picking up a book? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, to the second question, we do that. What the library staff will do is that as and when new collections come into their possession, a review would be done and written up and this is made accessible, as I had mentioned earlier, on the NLB website. In fact, if you go to the Orchard Road Library, there are panels where we put up new books with a bit of a description as to what each book is all about. We will continue to curate content in such a way to attract new users to our libraries. If you were to look at our mobile app, there will be short excerpts about some of the books that you may be interested in. To the first question, unfortunately, the answer is that interim or temporary libraries will not be set up. The reason is that there is a nearby library called the Cheng San Public Library. Having said that, there may be communities that are interested in setting up their own community library, as had happened in Sengkang. The volunteers in Sengkang decided to set up a community library as the renovations are taking place at the Sengkang Public Library.”
“I thank the Minister for his explanation. I think the DTV roll-out will give an indication of the issues we have to look out for when we embark on the Smart Nation initiative. I would like to enquire, for the elderly and the less Internet-savvy, is there a hotline that they can call, especially if they face issues with installation? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, there is information available in the booklets. There are telephone numbers on the booklets which they can call to seek help. There is a website which they can turn to.”
“I thank the Minister. He had mentioned the Professional Conversion Programmes. May I know what is the length of time needed to complete these Professional Conversion Programmes? Secondly, where the community actually requires a lower standard of care, say, a child minder instead of a pre-school teacher, would the Ministry consider having lower standards of qualifications, so that the community will at least have a choice of having their children still cared for in a centre?”
“I have a question: would the MRO have any enforcement ability? I read that the role of the MRO is to obtain information on parties' financial circumstances to assist the Court in its fact-finding process and also have a standing in Court to tender the information obtained. So, is the ultimate penalty still a warrant of arrest on the defaulter? Who, then, enforces this warrant of Page: 74 arrest?”
“However, what in reality happens is that no arrest is actually made as warrants of arrests are issued for a variety of reasons including non-payment of parking fines or service and conservancy charges and it is impossible to task the Police to arrest every person who has a warrant of arrest issued against him or her. Lastly, though a garnishee order can be made to secure maintenance payments against bank accounts, each garnishee order is once off, meaning, that the aggrieved party typically bundles months of arrears owed to him or her, before making an application for a garnishee order to the Courts and in the meantime, the aggrieved party faces financial difficulties without the maintenance payments. There are also instances where the bank account is closed by the defaulter and there is no information on his other bank accounts. As such, while I listen with interest what the Minister has shared with regard to the appointment of an MRO, I would like to urge further the following considerations. That, one, the application process for maintenance complaints to be made more convenient for an ex-husband or ex-wife who wants to serve a private summons on their ex-spouse who has defaulted on maintenance payments. An example could be to have the application done at family service centres and in the case of an incapacitated husband, that a proxy should be allowed. And in the case where there is a warrant of arrest issued for an ex-spouse who can pay and refuses to pay, that an agency or system of bailiffs and perhaps the MRO that the Minister has spoken about, be tasked to enforce the actual arrest of the defaulter to give teeth to the charter. With that, I support the amendments to the Bill.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister for his exposition on the amendments to the Bill. On strengthening maintenance, enforcement and support, I agree with what the Minister has shared that it is not about increasing legislation and that we should consider the efficacy of the Page: 44 processes which are supposed to deliver the objectives espoused in the Women's Charter. I would like to highlight some instances where we should make the implementation more seamless. For instance, where there is a default in the payment of the maintenance order, the aggrieved party has to make an application in person at the Family Courts to make a maintenance complaint and the Court will then serve a maintenance summons on the defaulter. However, sometimes in the case of persistent serial defaulters, the aggrieved party may be so tired out by the process of having to physically attend Court each time the defaulter defaults, that she eventually gives up claiming the maintenance amount due to her. This is especially relevant for those who face financial difficulty in the first place and can ill afford to take leave from work or from taking care of their children to go to the Family Courts to make the application in person and attend Court for the subsequent mentions or for the trials. And in the case of "incapacitated husbands", I am not sure if he is physically able to make the application at the Family Courts should his ex-wife default. Further, should the defaulter fail to turn up in Court, he or she can be found in contempt of the Court and a warrant of arrest issued.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for the clarification. Can I just check and clarify what recourse does a resident have if the defects were reported within the DLP period, but rectified not to the satisfaction of the resident and the defects continue to persist? Will HDB then consider extending DLP?”
“Now, I finally understood that good education has to be inclusive, and requires love and the ability to embrace the individuality of every student, to unearth their potential and to enable them to progress to the next stage of life with confidence. "The ocean can hold water from thousands of rivers, it is great because it embraces all." Our success depends on how big-hearted we are. We are Singaporeans. Previously, we came from different backgrounds, speaking different languages and had different beliefs. On this island that was almost overlooked, we overcame difficulties and created a miracle, all because we respected and embraced one another, all because we respected and embraced the world. "Be strict with oneself, but forgiving towards others". In an unpredictable and ever-changing world, Singapore, the little red dot, shall forever be a shining light for humanity in the history of mankind. 2.57 pm”
“In his speech, the President talked about the need for Singapore to re-invigorate the economy and adjust to changes in the world. Likewise, to develop the new economy and utilise new technologies also require an open mind and an inclusive attitude. New technologies are often game-changers. New models may disrupt old business chains and impact traditional trades. Can our Government, businesses and individuals accept new technologies and new models that will bring long-term benefits with an open mind and inclusive attitude, while taking care of each individual's interests? The President also said that we must continue to invest in education. During my Secondary school years, I attended CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School. That was a period of my life where I received the most warmth and was most confident. Two weeks ago, when I met my principal Mrs Lee Poh See again after many years, I finally realised why I felt so. On that day, there was an alumnae event where we gathered to watch a documentary about xinyao (新谣). It was directed by alumna Eva Tang (Deng Bao Cui). After the documentary screening ended, we took a photograph together. Mrs Lee led us to shout, "Bao Cui, we will always support you!" Mrs Lee is already more than 70 years old and her legs are not working well, but still, she raised her arms and hugged all of us. And once again, we felt the same warmth that we experienced back in our Secondary school years. I remember back then, the school organised many extra-curricular activities, every student had a chance to shine in her own field. It did not matter if your results were good or not, Mrs Lee had encouragement for every student.”
“We are made a kinder and a greater people for it. I would now like to say a few words in Chinese. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Looking back at the 50 years of nation-building of Singapore, perhaps, the most outstanding feature is our economic success. However, what has guided us in our action and led to our success, is the spirit of Singaporeans. The Singapore Spirit is not based on a single race, language or religion, instead, it encompasses the spirit of every Singaporean. It is based on something that we can all identify with, that lies deeper within, and that is – the spirit of inclusiveness and humanity. Inclusiveness and humanity are part and parcel of Singapore's development as a fair and harmonious society. Inclusiveness and humanity is crucial as Singaporeans stand united to weather difficult times together. Inclusiveness and humanity are also intrinsically linked to Singapore's role as a bridge to the world. It is the spirit that uplifts the individual and it is also the spirit that makes a nation great. For Singapore to progress from prosperity to greatness, not only do we need material wealth, but also great spiritual strength. Page: 24 In his speech to Parliament, the President stressed the need to build a caring society. First and foremost, this requires understanding and tolerance between people. Confucius once said, "The benevolent loves others". In our pursuit of personal happiness, we must also be tolerant and care for others, especially those who need help. As Singapore becomes an ageing society, we need to establish, more than ever, a society that respects the elderly and care for the young, where people care for each other and is full of human kindness.”
“We cannot change it without first changing our thinking. To go beyond what we have now, requires us to find the generosity within us to accommodate differences, accept changes, care for our community and become a hub for people, activities and ideas. So, how do we strengthen this generosity of spirit? First, we have to promote a culture of communication. People to people, people to Government, people to social organisations. We need to first communicate to understand each other's perspective and then only can we resolve to respect differences and be generous in accommodating each other. The SGFuture conversations build upon the One Singapore Conversation and are important initiatives to encourage dialogue. Second, the way we bring up our children is important. Do we teach them to be self-centred, to be close-minded, or do we encourage them to be considerate, to be team players, to try varied experiences, to explore and to be curious. And, lastly, the role of the media. As broadcasting gives way to narrow-casting, public service broadcasting in new forms using new channels, is even more important as it is the platform for us to conduct a national conversation. Our media can also contribute to a positive culture by showcasing admirable qualities in the human condition and promoting the generosity inherent in our national psyche. We need to set in motion a virtuous cycle of imbuing generosity into our lives. The future brings uncertainties. But just like the late Minister Mentor Lee once said in 1965, "10 years from now, this will be a metropolis – never fear!" We believed, we aspired and we achieved. In the next 50 years, let us aspire to greatness. And that starts with each and every one of us. Let us maintain our generosity of spirit.”
“And as representatives of the people, while we fight for the interests of our constituents, can we strive to promote an uplifting politics of constructive criticism and discourage the politics of division? As the President highlighted, "Our system discourages narrow interest-based politics". Generosity does not mean that we are indiscriminate about what we accept. Today, as we are undergoing economic transformation, how do we go beyond current possibilities? The new economy brings challenges in terms of new technologies, new skills to master and new ways of working. Often times, we know what we must do, but our human psychology trips us up. For instance, where a new technology emerges, are industry incumbents generous enough to embrace it knowing it may displace legacy assets? Or where there is a need for us to relearn skills or work with others in an interdisciplinary way, are we able to put our egos aside to form new collaborations and break new ground? We will need a generosity of spirit to embrace the changes which will lead to long-term benefits for Singapore. Lastly, can we look beyond our shores and see a Singapore larger than our geography? We were home to China and Taiwan's first historic leadership talks in more than 60 years as we are seen to be a friendly partner. We welcome people with ideas and energy who share our values and aspirations and want to help make Singapore a success. We have always been an international hub, since our days as a free trade harbour. Can we continue to keep that openness and generosity Page: 23 of spirit so that Singapore can continue to achieve success as a hub for people; and ideas and help to power and shape the region and the world? Singapore, as we have created it, is a function of our thinking.”