Tan Boon Wan
Singapore
“May I ask the Parliamentary Secretary: do the residents really have a choice of flat? The flat type is being built, they are asked to select, and they are allocated. Do they really have a choice?”
“Sir, I have spoken on the issue of difficult neighbours in previous years. Anecdotally, quarrels among them do not seem to have abated. What is the state of relationship among the residents of our HDB flats? Many problems can arise between neighbours who live in close proximity to each other, practically separated by just a wall.”
“Sir, shops in the precinct and neighbourhood centres are generally facing difficulties and the shopping malls are bustling with activities. However, shops in some areas are doing well. Where the actual demand has fallen, due to the relocation of residents, a return of the shop for a HDB grant is appropriate.”
“Sir, recently, legislation was tightened to rein in the activities of the loan sharks. In spite of the heavy penalties, their activities continued. Innocent victims are still targeted by the runners. I would therefore like to ask the Minister for an update on the loan shark situation.”
“I hope that MAS will also look at this from the viewpoint of legislation or guideline. Although I have discussed this issue with the housing loan as an example, this appeal for new flexibility and consideration for the borrower applies to all personal loans, including credit card debts. Financial Literacy”
“On this issue, both the pro- and anti-sides have their own good reasons for the stands that they took. In deciding the matter, the Government has taken both views and made a decision that takes into account both of them and is in the overall and long-term interest of Singapore.”
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“May I ask the Parliamentary Secretary: do the residents really have a choice of flat? The flat type is being built, they are asked to select, and they are allocated. Do they really have a choice? And if they do not have a choice and, therefore, they are caught in a situation, should the HDB not take responsibility that they have designed that, and that is a defect in the long term, in terms of mobility?”
“Some are not academically-inclined, others are influenced by wayward friends, while others have personal family and financial problems. Most are resentful and angry and have no idea what the future holds for them. The hopeful part is that I have met some who have had a change of heart and sought help to return to school. They did well after that. Hence, not all are hopeless cases and they can be helped. Ideally for every child, we should investigate the reasons for the child dropping out and see how we can help to resolve their problems. In the schools and community, we should develop resources such as financial counselling to help our students stay in school. We should have the resources to detect and help the student before he or she drops out and stay in, but we must also develop resources to help bring back those who did. Every child who drops out of school before he or she develops his or her potential to be a useful citizen will become a lifelong burden to society. Besides saving a life and perhaps many others related to it as well, we can also reduce the long-term cost to society and the nation. Credit must be given to those principals and teachers who are prepared to give students a second chance. It cannot be an easy decision as the chance of misbehaviour remains. A lot of patience and effort have been put in to help to motivate these students. I have encountered several such principals and teachers. I am grateful to them and I know that the children and their families are grateful too. Finally, let me say that the responsibility lies not only on the schools and community but also the parents and family members. It is only by working together that we can evolve an effective solution. Vocational Education”
“Sir, with the recent diversification of our education system, there are now many modes of schools and paths that our children can take, each according to his or her aptitude and capability. They can study in a private, independent, autonomous or neighbourhood school. They can follow the IP, AO-level, N-level or ITE path. There are now more choices. There is, thus, no need for all the schools to have the same objectives or performance yardsticks. But I still hear of school children overloaded with homework, as if school is nothing more than to score good grades. This may not be due to the school, but a mindset issue which takes time to change. Nevertheless, I think the most important role of the school is to educate our young to be good human beings and citizens of Singapore and to be able to seize the many opportunities that will arise. School principals should recognise that they now have the opportunity to shape the role that their school can effectively perform to serve the community. The principal is the top leader in the school and has the most influence on its outcome. Teachers, staff and students take the cue from the principal. But the principal takes his or her cue from the Ministry of Education at the apex. Hence, it is vital that both the Ministry and the principal set the right framework for the school. This is especially so of our neighbourhood schools where some of the students may not be very academically-inclined. The school must find ways to bring out the best in the students in areas which their aptitude can do well and achieve. This brings me to a related issue - students dropping out of schools. There are many reasons why children drop out of school. Many find school boring and classes difficult to follow or nothing useful in them.”
“Sir, many SMEs are keen to venture abroad given the small local market. While they find the idea attractive and interesting, they also find it daunting and challenging. To help these companies, IE Singapore has several incentive schemes in place. However, for these schemes to be helpful, they should not be just post-active but proactive as well as easy to apply. Besides financial support, these companies could also make do with some hand-holding. Going overseas is no stroll in the park. Besides the cost, cultural and market differences can be wide. Taking a taxi ride can be harrowing. Clearing the immigration and customs can be a chilling experience. The business culture could be a minefield. Some places are controlled by cartels while others may need a local sponsor. To navigate the complexities and obstacles is no easy task. Government agencies, such as IE Singapore, could move in first and provide market intelligence, advice and ground support for venturing companies. A consortium where companies pool their resources and strengths is a good approach. Larger companies can help bring along smaller ones. The inclusion of SMEs in trade missions is also helpful. IE Singapore has been helpful in all these aspects. Our Embassies and High Commissions can also be of great help, but we need to do more. At the end of the day, our SMEs must take the bold step to move forward. They should cooperate with one another for the common good rather than to focus on self-interest, especially when they intend to move in as a group. The benefits may not be evenly distributed but everyone will benefit in some way. The markets are large enough for all our companies. Government agencies must proactively support these companies in the foray into new markets and territories.”
“Sir, I have spoken on the issue of difficult neighbours in previous years. Anecdotally, quarrels among them do not seem to have abated. What is the state of relationship among the residents of our HDB flats? Many problems can arise between neighbours who live in close proximity to each other, practically separated by just a wall. In some instances, no one seems to be in charge as the problems do not lie neatly within the responsibility area of any of the agencies. Take, for example, noise nuisance. As most of our people live in HDB flats, it is important for us to understand what is happening to take immediate steps to ameliorate the situation, to help neighbours to improve their relationships and to have mechanisms to resolve problems when they arise. As the landlord of the buildings, HDB has the most authority and influence to help resolve these problems. More needs to be done. Often, it is easier and less unpleasant to nip the problem in the bud, than to solve a really nasty and unpleasant one in full bloom. Operating Expenditure”
“Sir, shops in the precinct and neighbourhood centres are generally facing difficulties and the shopping malls are bustling with activities. However, shops in some areas are doing well. Where the actual demand has fallen, due to the relocation of residents, a return of the shop for a HDB grant is appropriate. In other areas, business may have fallen due to the shops not keeping up with the changing needs of the clientele, upgrading the physical aspects may not be enough. Service is poor or non-existent, goods are haphazardly displayed, overflowing into the corridors, looking more like a poorly organised warehouse than a retail outlet. The shopkeepers need help to modernise their businesses. Does the HDB have any other plans to revive the business in the precinct and the neighbourhood centres? 5.30 pm”
“Sir, with the ageing of our older estates, more residents are asking for the Lift Upgrading Programme with greater urgency. I am glad that since the programme was started, many blocks of flats have their lifts upgraded. But to some, this is not soon enough. Last evening, an old lady came to my meet-the-people session (MPS) and she was desperate to have her lift upgraded in her block. She only lives in the second floor. I asked her why. She said that she has written to HDB, and HDB has given her the usual explanation, "You have got to wait and queue for your turn." But she said that her husband has a stroke and he is now immobile, and it is very difficult for her to bring her husband down, just even one floor. He has got to go for medical examination. So she said that she would like to have it done as quickly as possible. I promised her that I will write to the Minister to convey her concern and request. I am therefore glad to hear that a less costly method to the programme has been found. I would therefore like to ask the Minister if he could speed up the Lift Upgrading Programme even faster. This programme comes on its own or together with the Interim Upgrading Programme and the Main Upgrading Programme. I would therefore like to ask the Minister when the list of eligible blocks of flats for these two latter programmes would be updated.”
“Sir, that Singapore will establish a second high-speed network is, indeed, exciting news. In the inter-connected world today, not having access to the Internet and its service is a severe handicap. Like my colleague before me, I am interested to know how we have used the existing network before we embark on giving a new one. To access the Internet we need a PC and a connection to a network. Hence, it would be helpful to know the penetration rates of the PC and the Internet among Singapore households. What is the utilisation rate of our existing networks? What more can we do to enable households without a PC to get one? What can we do to get those households not connected to the Internet to do so? Is access cost an issue? How does our cost to access the Internet in Singapore compare to countries like Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea? Is it too high? Will the penetration rate of the Internet increase if the cost is reduced? If so, can we get it lowered, the sooner the better? We should increase the use of Internet among our households via the existing networks before the second network arrives.”
“Sir, recently, legislation was tightened to rein in the activities of the loan sharks. In spite of the heavy penalties, their activities continued. Innocent victims are still targeted by the runners. I would therefore like to ask the Minister for an update on the loan shark situation. Has the amended legislation restrained loan shark activities? Has anyone been charged under the strengthened legislation? Does the police have enough resources to curb the activities of the loan sharks? Child Sex”
“I hope that MAS will also look at this from the viewpoint of legislation or guideline. Although I have discussed this issue with the housing loan as an example, this appeal for new flexibility and consideration for the borrower applies to all personal loans, including credit card debts. Financial Literacy”
“Sir, banks and financial institutions aggressively market personal loans in various forms to the public. It appears that the lenders are not very particular about who they lend to as long as they meet the minimum conditions. But if the borrowers default in the terms and conditions of the loan agreement, especially those concerning repayments, the lenders also appear to be very fast in foreclosing the loans. During the past few years, when the economy was performing poorly, the number of borrowers who defaulted also increased. Let me talk about housing loans. Many have lost their jobs and suffered a cut in income and were unable to service their housing loans. The lenders took steps to foreclose the loans. Some borrowers appealed to the lenders to adjust the repayment scheme in view of the financial difficulties. But the lenders prefer to foreclose the loans since then. In other cases, the borrowers' financial situation improves, as they said they could find a new job and could resume servicing the loans. But again, the lender was not interested. To a borrower, it was a very serious and grave matter. The house would probably be auctioned off at a low price, especially in a depressed market, and the borrower would get practically nothing from the auction proceeds. All his family's life-long savings would have been wiped out, and they are left without a roof over their heads. I am aware that this is a commercial decision for banks and financial institutions to make. But I hope that they could exercise flexibility and consideration in handling borrowers' personal loans so that genuine cases are given a needed help. I hope that MAS will convey this request to the banks and financial institutions.”
“We must never take for granted the unity of our nation, the good relationships among our different races. 5.28 pm”
“Every citizen who is not prepared for life in Singapore becomes a lifelong problem for society. It is less expensive to solve the problem when it is still solvable, but, more important, it is the hope that every citizen becomes a wholesome person who can enjoy the quality of life that Singapore has to offer. Sir, I applaud the efforts by the Government to improve the physical infrastructure for the elderly and the handicapped. The Lift Upgrading Programme, which is to make every flat accessible to the outside world for residents, has been speeded up. Soon, more ramps and other facilities would be built in our estates to provide our people with barrier-free access. But there is more that we should do for the elderly, especially those from the low-income families. Some are locked up in their flats while their children are working, or they are handicapped and not so mobile. Others sit aimlessly at home or at void decks. Yet, others do not have enough to eat. They lead lonely and meaningless lives. Let us do more to help them make the final years of their lives meaningful and pleasant. Finally, Sir, our race relations are good. But we must continue to work on them to make them even better. The race problems that surfaced recently in London and Paris showed that time alone does not even out differences. The recent cartoon issue reminds us of cultural sensitivities that need to be carefully managed. Since the birth of our nation, we had striven to build a united nation regardless of race, language and religion. The passing of Mr S Rajaratnam reminds us of this conscious effort. As a nation, we must continue with this task, with the same vigour as when we started. It is a journey without an end.”
“The point is that they do not understand the reasons for the distribution and some simply do not care to know. They are just happy for the cash. We must make the effort to explain to the people the rationale for the distribution. If we do not, the worry is that this will lead to unhealthy expectations and create a handout mentality. Another example is the service and conservancy and rental rebates which have been given for years. This is very helpful for the people, especially those with low income. But I think it will now be difficult to withdraw it. We must constantly review such benefits and incentives so that they do not become entrenched. We must do more to prevent this from taking root. During the recent difficult economic times, the Government has been greatly admired for its ability and willingness to help the people and business. We could do this because we had squirrelled away our surplus when times were good. This wisdom remains relevant today. In recent times like now, we have good reasons to share the surplus generated, but we must not create the impression that we no longer see the retention of surplus as important. We cannot de-emphasise the importance of building up our reserves and of keeping our surpluses for times when things are not rosy. Sir, let me come to some general issues that I would like the Government to do more. I am very concerned with our young who drop out of schools. Like Dr Amy Khor said, most of the young have difficulties coping with their studies. They dislike schools and are likely to be disruptive which make matters worse. We must do more to help these youths. We have made the effort to keep them in school and help them to make the best use of their school time.”
“This is clearly a recipe for disaster, should their economic situation deteriorate. To discourage owners from cashing out on the gain in the value with their first flat, I would like to propose that if a buyer seeks a second HDB loan to buy his second flat, HDB require that the sale proceeds of the first flat be applied to the cost of the new flat. For his and his family's own good, he should be discouraged from cashing out. Sir, I do have some concerns with the Budget, not of itself, but the possibility of creating the wrong expectation among the people. Firstly, the sharing of budget surplus is not a panacea for the income divide or low wage. It will not restore the income disparity between the high and the low-income earners. It is only a momentary boost. The answer to the income divide and low wage is to create more better-paying jobs and the ability of our people to improve their knowledge and skills to take on these jobs. There are no short cuts to this difficult problem. By reducing the proportion of people who need financial help for their livelihood, the more able we are, as a society and nation, to help those among us who are in need of help. In recent years, we have shared some of our surpluses with our people through the New Singapore Shares, the Economic Restructuring Shares and now the Growth Dividends as part of the Progress Package. Some residents have asked if the Progress Package is like the NSS and the ERS. Those who think they are getting less want more. Those who are not working are unhappy that they will not get the Workfare Bonus. They said that since they do not have an income, they need and deserve more of the surplus as they have more financial problems. Yet, others feel that they deserve more Workfare Bonus.”
“I also support the distribution for its stimulative effect. Some people questioned the wisdom of this because of the possible inflationary pressure when the economy is already trending up and the productive capacity is tightening. However, it is helpful to note that the shops in the neighbourhood and precinct centres have been complaining of poor business, when the national economic data were indicating growth. Somehow, the benefits of growth were not filtering down. Companies were making money. Income of the high earner was rising, but that of the low-wage earner was not keeping pace. This distribution of the surplus will get directly into the hands of the people, and I hope that it would stimulate business in the neighbourhood shops and centres. I strongly support the additional housing grant for the low-income earners. Buying a flat is probably the biggest investment decision they will make in their lives. This additional grant is also timely since the wages at the lower end are likely to increase much slower than it used to. Some of my low-income residents have difficulties servicing their mortgage. They ran into problems the moment they have a pay-cut or lose their jobs. In the new economic landscape where the prospects of having to change jobs during their lifetime increase, and the chance of defaulting on the repayment of debts is greatly increased, this additional housing grant will reduce the probability of default. Many of the people who had problems with the mortgage had also bought and sold flats. They bought a flat direct from the Government at a low price. They then sold the flat on the open market at a higher market price to realise the value gained, and then buy a bigger flat with the returned CPF savings, but now taking a bigger loan at an older age.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Budget. Many of my parliamentary colleagues have spoken on the business aspects of the Budget. I will confine my remarks to the people's component. The Budget signifies the keeping of promises made by the Government to the people. The financial crisis in 1997 revealed that our economy had grown out of sync with the global economy. To remain relevant to the world, Singapore had to restructure. It was going to be painful. We called on the people to keep faith with the changes, to participate with the restructuring and to bear the accompanying pains. We promised to share the fruits of success. We have had three continuous years of economic growth, and before the end of the term of the current Government, it is timely and right that we share the surplus, to keep the promises that we made. This is also to reassure the people that the restructuring process is on track and has so far been successful. This is also important for another reason - the restructuring journey is not ended. It continues and our people have to do the same. This Budget will add to the trust between the Government and the people. It will provide us with the courage, reason and conviction to continue to strive for more and greater achievements. I support the targeted approach adopted in this Budget to share the surplus. The effect of the economic downturn was not even across the population. The elderly, poor and low-wage earners were more badly affected. They have also gained less from the recovery. The distributed surplus will be more helpful and meaningful to them. I welcome the use of both the income and housing type in the distribution. I think this can be refined even more to further sharpen the targeting process.”
“And if there is an alert system, eg, handphone, then they could also link up with the nearest Neighbourhood Police Post. Whilst Government will do its part and the communitycan do its part, I think on the ground, the Town Councils and even the residents themselves can also do their part. As regards identity card offenders, Dr Tan is correct. I think this is also a timely reminder to Singaporeans to take good care of their identity cards, becauseone situationwherepeople suddenly find themselves being harassed is because they have misplaced their identity cards or given their IC to somebody else who then misuses it. So it is not so much for ICA to then come down very hard on situations of illegalmoneylending per se, but those who lose their IC. I think Members know that they are appropriately dealt with and the message is also sent that your IC is an important document. Please take good care of it. Sir, I think I have addressed all the points. Basically, I am confident that if we work together we cannot solve it entirely but reduce the incidents of illegal moneylending. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. Column No : 1845 STATUTES (MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS) (NO. 2) BILL Order for Second Reading read.”
“Sir, today's amendments are really just from one angle - a very focused angle - but one, which because this House supports it strongly, to send a very clear signal to perpetrators, andI think this will have the intended effect. We know that the numbers are rising. This is a phenomenon in Singapore which some may say is quite peculiar here but it is something that we cannot tolerate, because all of us on the ground will know that we do have residents coming to see us and sometimes wringing their hands in despair, like what Dr Tan has said, whether more can be done. Dr Tan says that the Town Councils will welcome this move. Indeed, it is true. Because when walls are defaced, the Town Council has to spend money to putthe walls right. And that is why police, in fact, had been working with the Town Councils to introduce CCTVs on the ground. This has been announced before. This is being rolled out soon. CCTVs are not just to address the problem of illegal moneylenders but crime in the HDB neighbourhoods, and that will include certainly this phenomenon of illegal moneylending. In the meantime, my suggestion to Singaporeans is thatthe act of your walls being painted in a manner that Mr Khalis addresses is really very odious, something that puts you off, and sometimes they put fear in people and also devalues the value of the neighbourhood. And to some people, italso affects their sense of public safety andlevel of comfort. Perhaps neighbours can take a CSSP-type of approach becauseit will never be able to solve the problem. But I think if neighbours are more watchful, more careful andbeing vigilant, eg, if some neigbhours come back at night, they can also be the eyes and ears.”
“So Iappreciate Mr Ahmad Khalis' welcoming of these tough punishments. Mr Khalis is also correct in saying that illegal moneylending activity is not just a simple crime. It is not, thankfully, a transnational crime, in the sense thatthere aregangs actually supporting one another across borders. But like I have said in my speech, illegal moneylending neverthelesstranscends borders because you do have loan sharks who have operated networks and who have been dealt with. They have been convicted, punished or fined. But we know from intelligence that some of them do continue with their activities. And with the very rich database of debtors' addresses, in fact, they can perpetrate their ill intentions from overseas. And that is why, after careful consideration, MHA has decided that we have to take this further step of cancelling the passports of higher tier loan sharks - people with access to such databases, so that they will not perpetrate their activities overseas. Illegal money lending syndicates have become more organised. They are also using technology. That is why the presumption has been put inthe Act, eg,the payment of the monies. Manytransactions arenow done through ATMs and computer systems. So we have also to watch out for this. The other point I want to make is that, as I have said in my speech earlier on, it is not just a one angle approach, because illegal moneylending involves the Moneylenders Act. The Moneylenders Act, in fact, is under the purview of the Ministry of Law. So the Ministry of Law will continue to work with the various agencies involved - whether it is MAS, HDB or IRAS - to see whether more measures should be introduced to take a more holistic and more comprehensive approach to tackle this problem.”
“Sir, on this note, I support the Bill and hope that the Bill will be very effective in curbing such activities. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, I thank both Mr Ahmad Khalis and Dr Tan Boon Wan for supporting this Bill. Indeed, Sir, our hope is that this Bill will achieve its intended effect, which is to reduce the high number of, in particular, harassment cases. We cannot just wish for it to happen. I think what has been said is that everybody must play a part. And I can assure Members that on the part of the police, they will certainly do their part. As I have said in my speech, the police, in fact, have geared up. In June this year, we formed this task force within CID. As Members know, the CID deals with major crimes. So it is a clear signal that with the formation of this task force, comprising officers not just in CID but also pooling resources from the various land divisions, they will have this focused approach which will then target syndicates. We know that it is very difficult to catch the individual runners, and that is why enforcement has to be rigorous and punishment has to be tough. Because we all know on the ground that the runners come, theycarry outtheir very devious act and then they disappear. So with the dedicated task force and with the targeting of syndicates, I should say that over the next six months to a year, maybe a bit more, hopefully, with the syndicates taken out, the action on the ground will get less hot. Mr Khalis is absolutely correct. Today, this House should send a very strong signal to illegal moneylenders and the runners that we will not condone such actions. And as Dr Tan Boon Wan has said, why should illegal moneylenders harass innocent buyers of HDB flats when it is made known to them that they were not the original borrowers?”
“In this present day and age, it would not be a problem for them to verify with the people that they are harassing are indeed the people who borrowed from them. Some of the innocent victims have even resorted to putting up notices on common corridors and outside their houses to inform that they are new occupants. However, these notices make no difference. The harassment continues. How on earth domoneylenders expect these innocent people to make good the debts that they do not owe?Moneylenders are intelligent people and this question baffles me. The ICA can also do more to come down hard on those who misuse addresses of other people. These people pass off addresses of other people as their own and occupants of these addresses fall victims to harassment. Also, there is a trend for companies to refer bad debtors to debt collection agencies, some of whom have resorted to aggressive tactics to collect the debts rather than to turn to the courts. Some of the methods used are also intimidating and amount to harassment. I am not sure if the provisions of this Bill apply to such activities. I would urge the debt collection companies to be circumspectin their collection methods. Sir, I hope that this Bill will provide the necessary power for our police to go after the perpetrators. On the other hand, if such activities are reduced, then less police time would need to be spent on attending to and investigating these activities. One other party that will welcome this Bill is the Town Council.Town Councils have, over the years, spent considerable amount of money and time to repair walls, to clean up the mess and to repair other physical damages arising from such activities. And I hope that with this Bill,Town Councils will have to spend less money doing such things as well.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. I hope the enhanced punishment of fine, imprisonment and caning would dissuade perpetrators and would-be perpetrators of future mischiefs. I have some sympathy for those who borrowed from illegal moneylenders but they must accept responsibility for their actions. Yes, circumstances could have forced them to resort to illegal moneylenders as a desperate act of last resort, but they know that what they borrowed they have to pay back according to the terms thatwere agreed between them. And if they do not do so, they have consequences to pay. But even then, I agree that there must be limits to what moneylenders can do and the limits should not be excessive, as it is at the moment. However, I am particularly sorry for those who are harassed when they or their family members have not borrowedmoney but harassed and intimidated by the mere fact that they may just live in the premises. In many instances, the family had innocently bought the flat without knowing that the seller had taken loans from illegal moneylenders. Not only were they inconvenienced by the vandalism and embarrassed by the notices on the walls, many were afraid for their own physical well being. Some of these victims resorted to selling their new flats at a great loss while others moved out to stay with relatives, hoping that time would heal and things would abate. Sir, I have encountered many cases during my meet-the-people sessions, but let me say that the number of caseshas reduced in recent times. This is probably due, in large part, to the improved economy when there is less need to borrow. If the illegal moneylenders and their hirelings now feel this increasing heat of the law, they have only themselves to blame.”
“On this issue, both the pro- and anti-sides have their own good reasons for the stands that they took. In deciding the matter, the Government has taken both views and made a decision that takes into account both of them and is in the overall and long-term interest of Singapore. In so doing, both sides have their positions acknowledged, though not entirely addressed, but to the extent possible. Let us accept the decision, close rank as a people, unite and move on to tackle many other issues that still await and confront us.”
“Personally, I am concerned about the anti-social effects of gambling, but given the tremendous benefits that the resorts promised, could we have rejected the IR projects especially when we could take steps to minimise their downside? With the decision to proceed, have those who opposed the integrated resorts lost their arguments? I say not. If you ask them whether they agree with the economic benefits, I am sure that to a man, or woman, the answer is "yes". But they see the social ills as over-riding to their opposition to the projects. I personally do not have interest in gambling and I am aware of the associated social problems. But it is an activity that will not go away. To most, it is merely a form of entertainment. It is not in itself a bad activity as long as participants do not allow themselves to be carried away by it. Like most things, excesses are bad. I am thus happy with the strong measures that the Government has incorporated into the IRs to contain the ill effects. This development has also strengthened my support for the projects. This is where I give credit to those who spoke out against the casino. I am sure that their strong advocacy against the ills of gambling has strengthened the measures and efforts that have been put in place to contain the adverse effects of gambling on our people. For this, the anti-camp has made their presence felt and we should thank them for voicing strongly their concerns. Sir, like my fellow MPs, the response by our people to the IR projects has made me very proud of them. We have shown the world that we are not the docile and passionless people that we were made out to be. We have shown that when it comes to issues and matters that are important to us, we can and will make our voices heard.”
“As an MP, I have been privileged to see the various submissions, and like my fellow MPs, I believe that the infrastructure will be iconic and will transform our skyline and add buzz to the city. The IRs will create many jobs, ones that our less-skilled people can do. On many late MPS nights, many of my residents have waited to see me, to seek my help to find jobs. They are overwhelmed with debts and arrears, worries about where their next meals will come from, embarrassment of being reminded of debts by their relatives, or worse, harassment by loan-sharks, the inconvenience of having the utility supplies disconnected, sadness by their inability to give pocket money to their children, to send their children to school, family quarrels and problems, just to name a few. These social problems, the sense of hopelessness, the desperation, the despair, are probably similar, and as bad as those faced by compulsive gamblers. They said, "Give me financial help, but better still, give me a job." Many were working in factories that had relocated. But output from the manufacturing sector has not shrunk. New manufacturing jobs are being created, but these are out of their reach. Only the well-educated need to apply. I believe that the service sector, especially the tourism sector, will be a good employer for many of our less-skilled. The integrated resort will be an important driver of our tourism sector. A tourist who comes to the resort uses not only the services of the resort but will visit other parts of Singapore, shop, travel, etc. Many jobs will be created for Singaporeans as a result of the integrated resorts. Sir, the social ills associated with gambling are serious and we must not trivialise them.”
“One of the most persuasive arguments is that the projects are supported by renowned international companies that see the tourism potential in the region, and are prepared to invest $4-5 billion of their own money, without any subsidy from the Government. This is a lot of money and reflects the seriousness that they took of the IRs. If Singapore rejects the projects, they will build them somewhere nearby. In a globalised world, with easy low cost travel, more people will travel and Singaporeans who want to gamble will find their way there. Hence, we will still be confronted with the problems associated with gambling, but without the ability to manage the problems and benefiting from the other beneficial aspects of the integrated resorts, such as, with more travellers coming through Changi airport, the latter will consolidate and confirm its hub status and SIA will find further growth. The integrated resorts will add buzz to the city. They will not only do this, but I believe that they will initiate a mindset change among Singaporeans, a renaissance that will arouse and create buzz for the whole of Singapore. It will set up a chain reaction that will permeate the buzz throughout the system. I am confident that it will open up Singapore in both the physical and abstract sense, and will be seen to be so in the eyes of both Singaporeans and the world. I am also confident that Singapore will become a much nicer place to live as a result of this decision. We will have new infrastructure, facilities, events and activities to enjoy, things that we would not have without the integrated resorts. For example, through the involvement of the international companies, we will have quality international shows on our doorsteps.”
“Sir, I support the decision to proceed with the two integrated resorts. We are moving fast into a new and different era. Singapore cannot continue to do what it had been doing. This does not mean that we have to discard what we have, but we must be prepared to review our position, to modify, add and subtract where necessary. In the process, that differences will arise among our people will be inevitable, but we must not allow this to paralyse nor divide us as a nation. We should look at an issue holistically, evaluating its pros and cons, and rationally make the decision based on the overall long-term interests of Singapore. This, I believe, is and should be the basis of the IR decision and all other decisions. Ever since the idea of an integrated resort was recently raised, each group has looked at it from its own perspective. Those against it have focused on the anti-social aspects of the gaming component, while those for it have focused on the economic benefits. On Monday, the Prime Minister had brought the various threads together, providing a holistic picture of the issue and explaining the Government's decision. I am sure that with this exposition, many more Singaporeans are able to reconcile their differences. Sir, I am persuaded by the merits of the projects. Let me recall what resonates most when the Prime Minister spoke on Monday. The world has changed. Our uniqueness has been eroded. We cannot remain as we were without losing our competitiveness. The integrated resort is part of our overall strategy to stay relevant in this new world. It is only a part, but it is an important part. Furthermore, the gaming portion, the casino, though critical to the success of the IR, is itself a very small part physically, not more than 3-5% of the total physical area.”
“Some in trouble are in this plight because they did not prepare themselves to face difficult times or old age. Not only that, they may have even spent their future income by borrowing on credit cards and buying things they do not need or can ill afford on hire purchase. How do we promote and develop financial awareness and resilience among Singaporeans? How can we get our people to prepare for difficult times, such as in an economic downturn or a loss of income when we have to stop work or when we grow old, by saving more when we are young or when times are good? Our people must be encouraged to do this. This is crucial when we are moving into the new global economy where change is rapid and inevitable. Assistance for the Unemployed and Needy”
“But to do this, we must have sufficient social workers and counsellors who are properly trained, whose tasks include seeking holistic solutions, and who are given time and resources to do so. Sir, we also need the support system that empathises with the poor and their problems. I spoke on this matter during the Budget debate. Financial support must be managed with some flexibility. For example, it is not helpful to tell an applicant that he cannot be given financial help because a family member is working when the latter could be earning a few hundred dollars doing odd jobs, an amount hardly enough to support a family. For many needy families, the real answer is jobs that provide a reasonable steady family income for those who can work. They must be helped to find a job to prepare for one, if necessary. Up to now, those who need jobs are matched and told to go for interviews. Each position usually ends up with several applicants, and all but one will go away disappointed, with travel expenses incurred. Some turn up, only to be told that the vacancy has been filled. Others are mismatched. Those who are matched a few times are dropped from the queue and told to re-apply. Some residents told me that they felt as if the Government is merely going through the motion but is not serious in helping them. We know that is not true. So, civil servants must improve in the delivery of their services and show empathy during their contact. At the bottom line, what we need are more than appropriate jobs for those who are looking for work. However, for the old, those who can no longer work and the very young, the Government and society must work together through many-helping-hands to help them. On the other hand, our people must make the efforts to help themselves.”
“Sir, during my meet-the-people sessions, my residents have come to seek financial help. I can put them into three broad groups. First, the poor. They are usually low in education, unskilled and have large families, without jobs, they have no income. If they work, the work is often low skill or odd jobs which pay little. Their children are in school, but with little money, the children face daunting obstacles with education. Second, the elderly. They have no income, little or no savings. They live alone or with their children, who either do not earn enough to help themselves or do not care for them. 4.45 pm Third, the sandwich group. This comprises people who have assets but do not have the cash to live on. They are up to their necks with debts, arrears and mortgage repayments, rental, utility charges, service and conservancy charges, etc. What can be done to help them? Piecemeal solutions are not always suitable. For a resident with problems with his mortgage repayment, we could write to HDB to reduce the monthly repayment or to defer payment for a period. If he needs help with arrears of his utility or service and conservancy charges, we could appeal for affordable instalment repayment plans or to the CDC for help under the Utility and S&CC Assistance Schemes. But if we do not address the underlying causes, the help will be shortlived. This short spell of calm will break when the grace period runs out. When he returns, the situation could be worse. The problems must be solved holistically. We need to pool all these problems together to understand them as a whole. Doing so, we can then determine the real underlying causes and formulate long-term solutions for the resident. The resident is also helped to understand his problem and the solution that is proposed.”
“They felt that the time between the announcement of the change and the implementation is too long. A case in point is the change to the teaching of the Chinese language. The proposed changes will not take effect until 2008. They do not want their children to miss out on the changes. Can the Ministry thus reduce the time lag between the announcement and the implementation of our policy change and hasten the changes already announced? Some employers have also expressed their concern over the perceived fall in young job applicants' mastery of the English language. They asked: how could this be happening when students are getting better grades in the subject? They asked whether the examination grades are suffering from high inflation. Yet another group of the public has expressed concern that our young lack the appreciation of our history and the life experiences of our older generations. They wonder what is happening with National Education in schools. They asked whether National Education is achieving its purpose.”
“Sir, bold changes have been proposed for and made to our education system. In part, due to complaint of excessive stress on our students, adjustments are being made to the syllabi and course content. Yet, it may seem ironical that some people, probably who had also asked for the changes, are now concerned that these changes could undermine its quality. Yet others are concerned that this could be seen as an attack on our work ethics, which could send the wrong signal to our young that their traditional emphasis on hard work and efforts is wrong, and that one only needs to be creative and entrepreneurial to be successful. Yet, we all know that hard work and efforts are important factors of success. These concerns are genuine and not misplaced. There are thus calls from the public to the Ministry to ensure that the changes do not lead to a reduction in the quality of our education system and the erosion of the value of hard work and efforts. There is also the perception that despite the announced changes, things are not really different, and children are working just as hard as before, if not harder. This, they say, is aggravated by the shift to the 5-day week. Schools are perceived to cram the 5 1/2 days' workload into five days. As a result, some parents of secondary school children told me that their children who used to leave school at 3.00 pm now do so at about 6.00 pm. Another told me that his son leaves his school even later, after 7.00 pm. Because of this development, the family now has even less time together. Parents perceive different causes for the problem. But they all have one plea to the Ministry and schools: please look into ways to give time back to the children and the family. Some parents are impatient with the pace of change.”
“Can the Government help to improve the ambience of the neighbourhood shops and centres so that residents will find it equally interesting to shop there instead of going afar?”
“Sir, local small businesses, such as our neighbourhood shops and stores, have many problems. Our SMEs find access to finance limited and difficult. Most use their personal savings and borrowings from relatives and friends to start their businesses. It is extremely difficult to borrow from banks and financial institutions. Many of these businesses will fail when they run out of liquidity, even if there is a good chance that their businesses would have succeeded had their pockets been deeper. Can the Government help to increase their access to finance and let them know of these sources? A bigger problem is the lack of management knowledge and skills. Their accounting is often poor. They often do not know whether they are making or losing until they run out of money. They do not carry out promotion, or often no customer service, which could have been a competitive advantage for them. Their limitations are compounded by competition from bigger retailers like NTUC Fairprice, Shop & Save, regional malls and the likes of Orchard Road. Travel is so convenient today that anyone in any part of Singapore can easily hop on to the buses and then on to the trains to be anywhere in Singapore in no time at all. Unfortunately, for the neighbourhood shops, these mega malls are also very nice places to visit. There should be no surprise that while the neighbourhood shops are deprived of customers, Orchard Road and the malls are teeming with people. If they improved their management skills, their chances of survival and success will increase. How can the Government assist them to do so? What else can be done to assist our small local businesses?”
“Sir, I have four requests to make to the Government with regard to the Lift Upgrading Programme. First, I appeal to the HDB to expedite the LUP. Residents with low mobility, especially the senior citizens and the frail, are crying out for lift access. This is especially so for those older estates like Ang Mo Kio. Second, I would appeal for the inclusion of low-rise flats for the LUP, especially those with many senior citizens. For those with low mobility, every step is one too many, whether you live in a high-rise or a low-rise flat. Third, in order to bring the benefits of LUP to the most number of people, I would like to request that LUP voting be brought down to the shaft level, from the block level that is now being used. If 75% or more of the residents directly benefiting from the building of the lift shaft and eligible to vote, support LUP, then that lift shaft should be upgraded or built. And last, I would like HDB to inform the buyer of a flat of its LUP status during the sale appointments, and require the buyer to sign a statement that he or she had been duly informed. This is to encourage residents offered LUP to think and vote more carefully. Some younger owners told me that they will not vote for LUP as they do not need lift access immediately. They will sell their flats and buy another with lift access when they are old and lose their mobility. They must be made to consider the impact of their decisions on their neighbours and themselves, if not in all aspects, then at least on the price of their flat and its saleability.”
“Thank you, Sir. I am glad to hear that the Minister said that HDB has powers to take action against the difficult neighbours. But it seems that HDB is very reluctant to exercise it. Like the Minister, I sincerely hope that people understand each other and we can solve our problems in a very compromising way. But we are dealing with people who are unreasonable. And if we have the police, grassroots, town councils, all possible agencies, even the Mediation Centres and they still cannot resolve it, I think it is time for something more drastic to be taken. Can I ask whether the Minister will tell HDB to be more forceful and to exercise their power more willingly than to be more reluctant in using their power and give relief to the parties who are suffering?”
“Sir, problems between neighbours appear to be increasing. I wonder if the Minister can share the statistics on the matter for the HDB estates. Many of these cases are intractable, even with strenuous efforts by grassroots leaders to resolve them. This is despite the involvement of the police, town council and other Governmental agencies. In many instances, even the efforts of the Mediation Centres have failed. Perhaps, it is now time to consider the use of legislation to force the quarrelling parties to sit down and resolve the differences in the interest of peace in the community and to provide relief to the aggrieved party. I wonder if HDB would consider reviewing its lease agreements or moving legislation for this purpose for the HDB residents. Sir, a cause of friction between neighbours in HDB flats is ceiling leaks. The generosity of the HDB to absorb half of the repair costs under the Goodwill Repair Scheme has gone a long way to abate the problem. The remaining half of the costs is shared equally between the two flats. Residents agree that this is reasonable if the leakage is due to normal wear and tear as a result of ageing and usage, not the fault of any party. But residents do not think this is a fair arrangement when the ceiling leaks are caused by renovation works of the upper flat, which weakened the water insulation of the floor. They do not think that they should be asked to share the repair costs. The owner who did the renovation should take full responsibility. To be fair to the owner, a reasonable time between the subsequent ceiling leakage and the renovation works should be worked out for the owner to be held responsible. I hope that HDB will seriously consider this suggestion to impose this condition on owners who apply to renovate their flats.”
“We started a project of this type in Woodlands, and I hope that the Minister will consider giving us money to maintain such a site. Sir, I declare my interest at this point. In this context, Sir, I also hope that the Minister and his policy makers would be open-minded and supportive of all forms of creativity. 2.15 pm To make a successful partnership between the arts culture and urban regeneration, we need a more imaginative understanding of arts and culture and the way they work for each other. Policy makers must realise that there is great connectivity between high art, low art, popular art and community art. For instance, each has something to offer the other and together they all offer the population a taste of what art and culture is really about. I do hope that the Ministry would not be too stringent in their qualifying rules on this Creative Town Initiative and that they would be prepared to be open-minded about the types of projects that would be put forward for funding. Sir, there is now widespread acceptance and in the 21st century, it will be creativity and innovativeness that will determine the future success of societies and cities. Cities like Singapore have only one resource, its people. How clever we are, how ingenious, how motivated, how rooted, how imaginative, how creative, we hope that the Minister ---”
“I hope that this will bring excellent results of cooperation with London companies and Singapore companies and artists, so that we can grow our creative industries further. But there must be a greater awareness, in that the creative sector must be recognised as an integrated sector. Theatre, visual arts, music or fashion, film-making, etc, they are all now interconnected. There is great convergence and symbiosis among the creative arts that never existed before. Sir, this means that there is an urgent need to create the conditions necessary, not just the development of our creative industries for the sake of economic growth, but also for the sake of our social growth and for a more gracious and interconnected society. It is in this context that I would like to ask the Minister whether there are plans to implement one of the Economic Review Committee's key recommendations, ie, developing the Creative Town Initiative. I rather prefer to call it Creative Community Initiative or Creative Communities Initiative, but that is only by the way. Firstly, may I ask the Minister, as with Mr Charles Chong, whether the initiative would see the light of day soon? Would there be funds to help launch and promote projects that are within the creative industries as without? Secondly, it is always said that we should promote social entrepreneurship that would connect individuals, enterprises and community groups to enhance community bonding. How does MICA see its role in promoting this social entrepreneurship? What sort of projects would it approve? For example, would there be funds available to help grassroots organisations which have developed projects, such as a web portal, to link businesses, grassroots organisations, schools, grassroots leaders and residents to each other?”
“Furthermore, will we see all the former exhibits displayed again in the restored museum? Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang): Mr Chairman, it is said that the 21st century will be the century of cities as, for the first time in history, over 50% of the world will live in cities. In Singapore, of course, we are a city-state. So, naturally, the percentage is much higher. The challenge in many countries, including Singapore, is to make cities more desirable places to live in. On the one hand, we must recreate elements of the community or kampong spirit, a sense of place and belonging, a degree of collective security and continuity. On the other hand, it is also necessary to achieve urban buzz to connect and maximise the possibilities of trade, of meeting people, absorbing a diversity of lifestyles and cultures and, of course, of just having plain fun. We must have civic creativity and an urbane society, all working for the common good. Only recently has it been recognised that the creative industries can be one of the key drivers of the modern economy, representing as much as an average of 4-5% of GDP in developed economies. In a city like London, for example, nearly 700,000 people work in the creative industries, which comprise 15% of London's economy. It nearly represents 20% of the workforce and has a turnover of between 25 - 30 billion pounds. Over 11,000 companies are classified as being cultural industry companies. I believe that London is really a model to look at. On this note, may I first digress and congratulate the Minister and the Ministry for being involved in the London project to showcase Singapore's creative talents this year in London.”
“Sir, for arts to flourish, depending on foreign visitors is not enough. It needs a local following. It needs the support of our heartlanders. We have to promote arts in the HDB estates. We should introduce arts to our young so that they grow up loving arts. This is especially so for our museums. They are great places to visit. They have improved in practically all aspects, eg, physical environment, display, content, activities and service. I applaud our museums. But how do we get Singaporeans to visit them and enjoy them? First, we have to create the awareness. But awareness is not enough. Many people visit the museums only to take a quick walk-through, a quick glance at the exhibits and to declare they had visited. They have to appreciate what they see. I believe that if visitors already know something about what they are going to see, they will take time to look, read the explanation and enjoy the exhibits. May I therefore suggest to MICA and NHB or the museums to organise talks in the heartlands for our grassroots organisations. They could then arrange for residents to tour the museums. In this way, residents will find the museums more interesting. They can bring their children and share the information with them. The interest shown by the parents will rub off on the children. It will strengthen family bonding, especially the children's respect for their parents. May I also ask the Minister when the museum next to the former National Library will reopen to the public? I hope that it will retain the name "National Museum". This name has a certain ring and familiarity. Singaporeans will still remember fondly of the former museum. The name has been deeply etched on the minds of Singaporeans, and is one that they can associate with.”
“Hence, businesses hope that, in the implementation, civil servants remember the true intent of the incentive schemes and policies and the needs of recipients. If they can do this, then the policies, schemes and incentives will be more effective. In conclusion, Sir, let me reiterate my appeal to the Government. First, to improve communication with the people by making available more information and widely to the public and, second, to be more people-centric in implementing its policies, schemes and incentives. Sir, I support the Budget Statement.”
“If the public understands what the Government is doing, what it intends to achieve, we can help get the desired results. The public has also expressed the hope that the civil servants could be more people-centric in the implementation of its policies. They would like civil servants to understand how the policies affect them from their perspective, not just from the planners' perspective. One area where the public finds civil servants unhelpful is the very rigid adherence to rules, not willing to exercise flexibility. One example is the provision of interim financial assistance. The apparent rule is that if anyone in a family is working and the family thus has an income, interim financial help would not be granted. However, the only working member in a family could just be earning a few hundred dollars a month, certainly not enough to maintain the family. The applicants remarked that the Government does not understand their plight. The business sector would also like the civil servants to understand their needs when they apply for various financial incentives and support schemes. Surely, the intent of these incentives and schemes must be to help companies to achieve some desired goals, such as to venture overseas, or to overcome some problems such as the need for finance, but these schemes and incentives come with conditions. Often times, if these companies can strictly meet all these conditions, then they would most probably not need these incentives and schemes. Businesses thus see civil servants as unhelpful. It thus appears to the businessmen that the incentives and schemes exist for themselves, rather than to help them.”
“They have thus thought they had taken only one loan. They all claimed that they were not told of this otherwise. It may well be that the HDB officer did tell the applicant but this did not register. However, the point I want to make here is that this lack of information has resulted in a subsequent problem. Another instance where the efficacy of a policy could be improved by the availability of information is the Baby Bonus Scheme. Many grassroots leaders told me that their residents do not know much about the scheme, how to apply or where to apply for it. Although mothers-to-be are likely to be given the details when they visit the clinics for their medical checkups, the availability of such information among the public is also important as it can encourage more people to hasten their decisions to have babies. This wide availability of information will most certainly improve the efficacy of our procreation policy. It is also necessary and important to note that there is still a large number of people who are more conversant in their dialects than in English or the other official languages. This was clearly evident during the SARS crisis when information about the virus was more effectively disseminated using dialects. Many of my residents were very happy and grateful to be informed through dialects. They could understand the messages directly without help from others. They said that they felt a sense of inclusion. Hence, where there is a need to reach out to the older and dialect-speaking public, the Government should not shy away from using dialects. I would urge the Government to make greater efforts to share and disseminate more useful information to the public.”
“Sir, I thank you for allowing me to join in the debate. For the past two days, my parliamentary colleagues have dissected and discussed the Budget Statement in-depth. It has been a long session and I will confine my remarks to the efficacy of the Government. A good and capable civil service is crucial to the well-being of a nation, and Singapore is indeed fortunate in this aspect. However, besides being lean and productive, our civil servants must be able to empathise with the feelings, needs and hopes of our people. In this area, the civil service can do better by improving its communication with the public and by being more people-centric in implementation. The people, through experience, have built a great deal of confidence in our civil service. Civil servants were seen as being very thorough in the formulation and implementation of Government policies. Unfortunately, many people also say that they are not well informed of these policies. They say that they would like more information on them. Some even claimed they have learned of policy details under difficult, often unpleasant circumstances. Let me give an example. Two years ago, the HDB opened up the housing loans of its flats to banks and financial institutions. Since then, several people have approached me to appeal to the Board to grant them its housing loans. One such group of people comprises those who have omitted an existing co-owner, included a new co-owner or both to the same flat. When they now apply to buy another flat, the HDB insisted that they get the housing loan from a bank or financial institution as they are deemed to have already taken two subsidised housing loans from the HDB. The appellants said that they thought that it was the same loan but varied to take into account the name changes.”
“48(8) in respect of the Prime Minister's speech. - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS (Debate on the Address) Debate resumed. 4.35 pm”
“But, if we look at our own community, in particular, the relationship among neighbours and the care for common properties, this situation leaves much to be desired. Intolerance and quarrels among neighbours are on the rise. Urination in lifts and corridors, misuse of common corridors, littering at letter box areas, loud karaoke-ing from early morning into the late night in HDB flats, throwing of food and other debris from open balcony and windows, attracting crows, pigeons and birds, vandalism of playground equipment, are some of the few common daily occurrences in our estates. Besides causing unnecessary waste of money, which the Government and the residents themselves have to pay, these inconsiderate acts also greatly inconvenience others in the community. How could we achieve a gracious and harmonious society if Singaporeans do not care for one another and for their environment? The grassroots and community organisations and its leaders would continue to strive to build greater community bonding, but everyone has to do his part. I wish for a future in which Singaporeans care and look out for one another, take ownership of common and public properties and not just properties behind the main doors of their own houses. How do we tap the well of inherent goodwill to achieve this? Sir, I could see and sense hope among our people for the future. If we work in unity, we would achieve the happy vision painted by the President. I wish all fellow Singaporeans a bright and happy future. I support the motion. TIME LIMIT FOR SPEECHES (Suspension of Standing Orders) With the consent of Mr Speaker and the general assent of Members present, Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That the proceedings on the item under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No.”
“If we grow this additional component in the CPF account, it could be used during times of need. This additional saving need not be compulsory, but the Government could encourage it by making a top-up, for example, on the savings. The top-up could only be given to those with low income. The crux is to get people to save for bad times and this would reduce the burden on society as a whole. We need to urgently set up some mechanism to help people deal with disruption to income as this is likely to be a common occurrence in the new economy. We should also design ways to allow our people to live within their means. I hope the utilities company would quickly implement pay-as-you-use meters on premises so that those in need do not incur high arrears in their utility accounts and then have their essential utility supplies disconnected, as described by Dr Tan Cheng Bock just now, to much disconcerted pain for the families involved. I think we should also have to revisit the issue of rental housing offer by HDB. This need is growing as perceived by the increasing number of such rental requests during my meet-the-people sessions. On this note, may I also appeal for the speeding up of the Lift Upgrading Programme. This is one upgrading programme that is much needed and appreciated for many elderly people live in the older blocks where lift access is not universal. Sir, there is a well of inherent goodwill in our people. This is clearly evident by the care, concern and generosity shown by our people for those affected by the recent tsunami. Like my colleagues, and Singaporeans in general, I am very heartened and proud of the response of our nation and our people to the devastation and loss caused by the tsunami.”
“Here, I would also encourage the grassroots organisations to boost their welfare reserves during better economic times. Some others who lost their jobs were fortunate to have their extended family support. But with the family size getting smaller, there would be fewer siblings and relatives to turn to in the future. This is certainly a good reason for larger families and for parents to have more children. However, the best help for those who lost their jobs is self-help. The best answer is to quickly find another job. And here, there is much a person can do to help himself. Another self-help way to tide over the stoppage of income is to have financial resilience, savings that one can draw upon. Everyone should purposely set aside some money from their income each month to build up this reserve. As the era of a one-career life comes to a close, career change would become a way of life and our financial resilience would become more important. We should encourage our people to save for rainy days, to set aside part of the salary during good times so that they could use their savings to tide them over the difficult periods when their incomes cease. This may not be easy, especially for those who do not earn much. But it is easier to squeeze something out from whatever salary one has than to do so from no income at all. Where could we keep this money so as to be out of our reach until difficult times? Minister Lim Boon Heng had also suggested this yesterday - with the savings kept with the trade unions. However, to reach out to more Singaporeans, the CPF could also be considered, as each worker would already have a CPF account. Many in financial plight saw but could not touch their CPF savings.”