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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“Sir, in conclusion, if the relief is intended to be pro-marriage, and to encourage our womenfolk to be economically active, then I urge the Minister to give to both married women and widows equal access to the foreign maid levy relief. A widow who depends on one income to maintain a family has as much, if not, more need for the relief. If the Minister does not think that widows should enjoy the relief, I wonder if the Minister could in his reply afterwards, or at some future opportunity, enlighten the House as to the number of widows not allowed access to the relief and the potential loss of relief to the Government if these widows were given the relief.”
“Sir, I urge the Finance Minister to allow widows the same access to the foreign maid levy relief as available now to married women. At present, widows with young dependent children enjoy the relief but they lose this right if their children are grown up. If their married sisters continue to enjoy this privilege with grown up children, they wonder why they are treated differently. Like their working married sisters, they have a home. Like their married sisters, they have to work outside their homes to enjoy this relief. If the relief is meant to be pro-marriage, they have also fulfilled this role. This is not negated by the death of their husbands. If the requirement is that the claimant should work by choice, as married women are deemed to do so, as they have their husbands to maintain them, and the relief is to entice them back to the workforce, then it follows that a married woman who works out of necessity should be disqualified and widows who have the means to maintain themselves without having to work, but chose to work, should qualify. Surely, this cannot be a condition. Although children have been advanced as the rationale for this relief, this does not appear to be a necessary condition. According to the notes that accompany the income tax return form, as long as the woman is married to her husband and opts to be taxed separately, she can claim the relief whether she has children or not. However, if having a husband is a necessary condition to enjoy the relief without dependent children, then I suppose a widow will just have to find and marry a new husband to enjoy it. This, I am sure, is not one of the purposes of the relief.”
“Technology will make IT increasingly more affordable and accessible, but the problem is how to get people to learn to use IT, to be comfortable with IT and to be confident with using IT. We must not be stingy in our efforts to create an IT savvy society. This is a necessary investment for the future that will pay handsome dividend. The development of this society would be on-going and continuous. Improvements must be made in big and small steps. Many steps would be needed. We must do more. Let me conclude this discussion on a perplexing note. We know that in order to meet the economic imperatives of the KBE future, many values held by society would need to change. But these values also underpin our society. Do we understand how the changes would affect our society? Have we paid enough attention to this matter? On this note, Sir, I end my speech. I congratulate Minister Hu for a well thought-out Budget and express my support for the motion.”
“In the next election, he and the Opposition will accuse the PAP Government of being wasteful, misusing and squandering the hard earned money of the people. However, I believe, for us, the digital divide, if it takes place, will come not from our young but from our adult population. Young Singaporeans readily accept the high-tech life and this ready acceptance will only quicken the divide. We have to act decisively and quickly to help our older adult population to master IT. In a recent survey, more than four in every 10 people felt that they lagged behind in a high-tech world. I was thus pleased to hear Communications and IT Minister announced that $25 million is available to promote IT among the public. I believe this amount is too modest, but it is a good start. Given the importance of the objective, I am sure more money will be made available when and as long as it is needed. I strongly urge the Finance Minister to support this urgent and worthwhile cause to minimise the threat of a digitally divided society. On this issue, we must also pro-act. We do not have the luxury to react. By the time the problem is realised, it would be too late. I would urge IDA to work with PA. PA reaches out to the community through its grassroots organisations and centres. One initiative is to develop community-based IT resource centres to allow the people to have an easy access to learn and use IT. If a person understands the PC and its power, and is confident of using it, the family may acquire one for the home. Access to the Internet and its services should also be affordable and readily available. Many new services like e-commerce, e-learning and e-banking would also become available in the future.”
“Literacy and familiarity with information technology are core skills that all Singaporeans will need. In the globalised arena, salaries and wages will be set globally. IT workers will be paid wages set in the developed countries and the wages of those doing non-IT work will be set by workers in the poor third world. Thus, those who cannot master IT will become the poor of society. This will be the dividing line between the rich and the poor of society in the future. This is often referred to as the digital divide. Is this threat for real? The Americans think so and for good reasons. Our Government has expressed similar concern. What is the answer? The answer is obvious. Make Singapore into an IT-intensive environment. A national information highway is already in place for the people and business. The PC is now ubiquitous in the workplace, in our offices and shops. Next, make our people IT-literate. A few days ago, IDA announced several new bold initiatives under the Infocomm 21 Masterplan to make three in four workers to be IT-literate by the year 2010 and to ensure that we have enough infocomm manpower. I am assured and encouraged by these efforts. The Government is quick to ensure that the needs of our young are met. Billions of dollars will be allocated for education of our young, as much as the Education Ministry needs. Hence, yesterday I heard with disbelief, when the hon. Opposition Member, Mr Chiam See Tong, accused the Government of being stingy in providing for education and proposed that the Ministry of Education be allocated more money. He is being disingenuous. He knows what will happen if more money is provided than is needed.”
“The $500 increase in the tax relief per parent for children who have their aged parents live with them is more significant for the message that the Government recognises their filialness than the actual financial impact on the taxpayer's pocket. The extension of tax relief for CPF top-up to grandparents is also to be welcomed as this extends the recognition of the Government to filial grandchildren. I am very certain that, in the long term, the net benefits of such schemes will far outweigh the financial loss of revenue to the Government. Sir, I agree with the Government that globalisation and increasing competition are realities that we must face. The Singapore economy will technically and technologically structure up. This will create new jobs which will require new and more skills and knowledge. If our workers, especially the older and lower skilled, some 843,000 in number or 42% of our workforce, do not upgrade their skills and knowledge, they will become structurally unemployable and hence unemployed. These older workers must thus be helped to acquire additional skills. Dr Hu did not specify any new initiatives though he said that the Government will press on with the various existing initiatives. Does this mean that the situation now is satisfactory and under control? Would the Minister perhaps share with the House the status of the skills upgrading efforts to-date? Sir, my above concern with our economy is aggravated by information technology which is driving Singapore towards a knowledge-based economy, also called the New Economy. In the New Economy, knowledge and entrepreneurialship will be key ingredients for survival and growth. Jobs will change to become information and knowledge intensive.”
“The US economy must not suddenly and violently convulse, and the Japanese, European and Asian economies must continue on their paths of recovery. Singapore has yet to fully recover its competitive position. In view of these uncertainties, the business community wonders why the Government was so quick to withdraw the support that it deemed necessary just a few months ago. However, I am certain that our businessmen would prefer to make their money from better business in a growing economy than to merely survive on Government handouts in a slow one. We therefore hope to hear the Finance Minister announce this good news when he presents his next report card to Parliament at the same time next year. Sir, the introduction of the Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) to complement the existing CPF scheme is most timely. I note that tax is payable only at the time of withdrawal. It will encourage those who can afford to save. Retirement, however, is a time when a person's means to pay taxes is reduced. I hope that the Government will work out guidelines that if the withdrawals take place after retirement, the taxes payable would be low. If this is done, it will encourage even more people to save for their old age. With one out of every four residents to be over 65 years of age by 2030, the SRS will reduce the burden of the Government in the future. Similarly, by exempting the interest income of CPF savings beyond the Minimum Sum, this will encourage more retirees to keep their money with banks than to expose their funds to risky ventures. I think these are farsighted changes to the CPF scheme. The extensions do not disadvantage anyone, but give everyone more choices where to keep their money for their old age.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank you for this opportunity to join in the debate. I beg the indulgence of the House to hear my views on several issues which have already been discussed by previous speakers. However, the advantage in speaking on the second day is that there is no need to explain the background to these issues. I listened to the Budget Statement with much satisfaction and pride. The economy did much better than expected. The actual growth was 5.4% to the best expected forecast of 1%. Instead of an expected budget deficit of $5.1 billion, the fiscal year ended with a surplus of $3.2 billion. The performance is even more impressive if we recognise that the economy last year actually performed better by $8.3 billion. I welcome the additional contribution of $100 million to the Medifund. I welcome the setting up of the ElderCare Fund and the allocation of $200 million to it. As our population ages, medical expenses become more important. These two funds will help our poor and old. This is forward thinking towards the future. We also appreciate the $250 top-up in our CPF accounts. These gestures reinforce the image of a government that appreciates and cares for its people. While the Government called for sacrifices from the people during difficult times, it also willingly shares the bounty harvest during good times. However, pensioners have expressed the hope that they will be especially remembered for their contributions and sacrifices. The excellent economic performance is the result of the good management by the Government and the support of the people. However, much credit must go to the Finance Minister for his handling of the national purse string. The Finance Minister sees a stronger economy this year, but not without caveats.”
“Some issues already exist. In any case, I hope the concerns can be looked into and addressed, or disposed of. In an uncertain future which increasingly portends a paradigm shift, we must take risk. But we must also not abandon caution to the wind. We should calculate our risk. Moderation and balance may still be relevant words, especially in the midst of euphoria and earnesty.”
“Each is better suited and appropriately equipped for his tasks. The use of academic staff for non-academic related functions not only misallocates resources but the practice also demoralises professional and administrative staff who see their promotional prospects curtailed. The good ones may choose to leave. This will set in a destructive cycle. Sir, research is all important to top universities in the developed countries. We would also like to emphasise research in our universities, but we must not go overboard and inadvertently run down the importance of teaching. Our universities are unlike top overseas ones. With many universities in the country, the top ones take in only the best and can afford to focus on research. This is a luxury that our universities do not have. For our universities, producing manpower across the board will remain a major role. We neglect this role to our national and long-term detriment. Sir, we are also moving towards using the market to price the value of academic staff. This approach has its merits, but the question is the extent to which we should allow the market to dictate prices. The market is an ideal mechanism of a rational and perfectly competitive environment. But the real world seldom fits this description. A small market also has its own constraints. There are academic disciplines with less apparent or immediate market value, but the nation may have need of such expertise at some later time, perhaps unexpectedly. How do we ensure that we have such expertise at our call? Will we be able to do so by relying on the market? Some of the issues that I have just raised may appear to contradict. They may be so over the long-term, or if the market is perfect. But the short-term effects are real, and a market is seldom perfect.”
“Sir, the development of the university sector has increased in pace. Explosion is perhaps a more apt description. Besides NUS, NTU, we now have OUDP, SMU, INSEAD, Chicago Graduate Business School, John Hopkins, etc, and other long distance learning outfits. All these institutions would increase the demand for academic manpower. Do we have enough of such manpower to go round? Will the demand for such manpower raise the spectre of job hopping whose attending ills are well known from experience in other sectors? Sir, the quality of an academic institution depends much on its staff. In fact, a large proportion of the recurrent expenditure of a university goes to staff pays. Human beings work best when they are committed to what they are doing. Since the capability of an academic lies in his brain, his commitment will reflect the efforts that he will put in to make available the potential of its upstairs grey matter. Therefore, how can we ensure that committed spirits rather than mercenary bodies roam the corridors of our universities, or for that matter, our educational institutions? To get the best out from the academic staff and researchers, universities should put more efforts in this area of human resource management. We must also ensure the proper use of staff. We should avoid the use of academic staff for administrative duties that are not related to academic matters. If academic staff are so used, this is surely a case of misuse of manpower resources and funds, especially with regard to senior academic staff. Academic staff are promoted and rewarded on the basis of their teaching and research, as professional and administrative staff are trained, promoted and rewarded based on their professional and administrative duties.”
“How can we ensure that the needed changes are made? We know where we want to go, but how to get there is less easy. Sir, concerns have been expressed regarding the quality of degrees to be conferred by the new university. This concern has arisen especially in the wake of the discussion in the Forum page of the Straits Times on the acceptance of the OUDP degree by the Ministry of Education for a teaching career. Questions have been asked if the Public Service Commission would state openly the acceptance of SMU degrees for a civil service career. Regardless of how you call SMU, that it is a private institution as opposed to NUS and NTU as State institutions, like the OUDP, the public sees the SMU as a Government institution. If the SMU degree runs into any problem, the Government will be blamed. The new university will raise the competition for students, especially for the good ones. As GPC Education Chairman has stated, ideally the new institution should raise national academic standards. Good students would want to go to better institutions. But studying is hard work. Even good students can be persuaded by promises of a quality degree with less effort. Eventually, institutions that use such tactics will be found out, but the damage would have been done and would endure. This would be compounded by the fact that talents, especially for a small nation, are a scarce yet crucial resource. Furthermore, our needs are varied and wide. We must also ensure that in the competition, we also do not end up producing more graduates in any areas with corresponding scarcity in other areas. If the tertiary education market should develop into a highly competitive one, we must pro-act to minimise this undesirable fallout.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for permitting me to join in this debate. First, let me declare that I teach at the National University of Singapore. Sir, I support this Bill. Our future is a world of information and knowledge. To be relevant in this new world, our people must be even better educated and trained. The new university will provide more opportunities, as mentioned by the Minister, for our young to be educated. Many who now have to go abroad at great expenses to study may no longer need to do so. The new university will also make the market for academics more vibrant. However, Sir, I would like to raise some issues and concerns. In future Singapore, our people have not only to be just trained and educated, but they need to develop qualities, values and skills that are now not yet emphasised, things like creativity, innovativeness, being entrepreneurial, being thinking and problem-solving oriented, a willingness to take risks and adapting to lifelong self-learning. Our existing education system has strengths much admired by the world, but it must change to develop the future Singaporeans we need. The Prime Minister has identified that this is one of the crucial and critical tasks for the nation. The Ministry of Education has embarked on this difficult and crucial task. Many changes have been made in the education system - in the curriculum, governance, testing and measurement, teachers' training, etc. The changes have taken place throughout the education system, from the pre-primary level to ITE and polytechnics. Our universities must also change. Since the future represents a paradigm shift, significant changes would be needed in our universities. Can our universities meet the challenges? Can they change? How should they change?”
“The economic consideration is obviously true. But does it mean that the people, who are poorer and who can only afford the small cars, do not deserve to have a say in buying a car?”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether, in view of the fact that there is an economic crisis, there will be a delay in achieving the Bogor time limit of 2010/2020 for the liberalisation of tariffs. BG George Yong-Boon Yeo: Mr Speaker, Sir, two weeks ago, I chaired the ASEAN meeting in Singapore. Before the meeting, I did not have very high expectations because we are just coming out of the economic crisis and I thought that many other member countries would rather concentrate on their own domestic problems first before looking at regional issues. But to my pleasant surprise, the mood was very positive and there was strong determination to carry forward with initiatives like the ASEAN Free Trade Area and the ASEAN Investment Area, and which was why it was possible for us to talk about something which we had not talked about before, which was the possibility of establishing an FTA between ASEAN and the CER.”
“If we do not help them when they are young, wayward youths can become a lifelong liability for society and the nation. Help our youths before they go astray. It costs less this way. Mr Speaker, Sir, I welcome the focus on our people. I endorse the call to our people to develop themselves and to be more involved in the community. But we must not lose sight of the importance of the economy. We must also not inadvertently dilute the values that girdle the nation. Excellence and hard work are essential to success. There is no easy path. While we welcome foreign talent, we must encourage our people to strive to be the best they can be. Hence, the Singapore 21 journey will neither be easy nor quick, though the sooner we start, the earlier we will get there. Sir, I support the motion.”
“Today, we still have difficulty getting some of them to remove their old bicycles, pots, shoe racks and other belongings from the common corridors. Some residents give scant respect to common properties. Hence, junk mails litter the void deck. Playgrounds with equipment are vandalised. Lifts become convenient toilets. Thus, in spite of over 30 years of nationhood, over 30 years of living in high rise flats, over 30 years of campaigns and other forms of exhortation, old habits persist. Mindsets are firm anchors of behaviour. It will take more than just a few years to achieve the goals of Singapore 21. Sir, our youths are our future. We must help them to reach their best. For many families, both parents work. After school, some youths hang around shopping malls and game arcades. The number of delinquents among secondary school students is increasing. Quite a few of them are involved in more serious offences. I would like the Government to give more support to our youths. They need facilities to occupy themselves in purposeful and worthwhile pursuits. One thing that we can do is to set up more youth centres. Here, they will have their peers for company. Here, they can join in meaningful activities. Here, they can find help when they need it. Youth is an age when they seek independence and their identity. This is also the time where parents show more concern for them. If youths, who have the urge to spend time away from home, have youth centres to hang out, parents may not need to cross examine them when they reach home. This will remove a cause of friction between youths and parents. Rectifying an error usually cost more than preventing it from occurring in the first place.”
“Education and skills provide the means for growth and development of nations and individuals. But it can also divide the people, for those who are educated and skilful advance faster and further than those who are not. Over the last few decades, we have been able to keep this divide from widening. With the addition of creativity and innovation to education and skills, our drive into the knowledge-based economy will accentuate this divisive pressure. As the economy becomes global and high-tech, Singaporeans with low education and skill will find it harder to get work at low level jobs, as low level jobs move out of Singapore. Besides the able reaching out to help the less able, it behoves upon Singaporeans to understand and appreciate the future - what is meant by a high-tech knowledge-based economy - and to seize the opportunities for education and the opportunities to upgrade their skills and acquire new skills. Not only would there be more educational opportunities for our young, the school of lifelong learning and other schemes like the Skills Redevelopment Programme will provide ample opportunities for our adult population. If all who can make it do so, then it will be easier for society to take care of those who, despite their efforts, fail. I urge our people to seize these opportunities to upgrade and improve themselves. A major difficulty working with people is the mindset. This is a set of personal principles and values that a person uses to live life. To get a person to do something different, the mindset first has to be changed. This is not easy and takes time. We have plenty of this experience. Many public housing residents once lived in villages, in houses with their own compounds.”
“We must not fear hard work. There are no easy and painless paths to success, and we should not look for one. But as we develop as a nation, it is understandable that our people want a less stressful life for their children and themselves. But that should not be at the expense of excellence and hard work. In making changes to meet a globalised, knowledge and information-based world, we should not inadvertently cause the people to discard those values that girdle the nation. A change made on a firm foundation creates growth. Otherwise, it is just becoming different. We have to send a clear and consistent message to the people. Sir, talents are necessary for a nation to compete and grow. In the future globalised knowledge-based economy, talent will become even more critical. If the United States, the leading economy in the world, hungrily soaks up talents that it finds from around the world, how much more important this strategy of attracting talent must be for a small country like Singapore. However, the foreign talents and workers can strain national cohesion for they bring with them different cultures and value systems. We need to develop and strengthen our own symbols, institutions and value system to anchor Singaporeans to Singapore - to permit us to identify ourselves and to enable us to be unique. But this can be a dilemma for we also want to conform to international standards to enable Singapore to link to the world and to exploit the opportunities. We must be mindful that this conflict exists. The balance will not be easy to find. Perhaps, in some instances, we may need to allow two systems to develop in parallel: one for our link to the world, and the other for our national identity and unity.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for this opportunity to join in the debate. The people welcome the Speech by the President. They appreciate its people oriented focus. This time the economy took a back seat. By this, Singaporeans should not assume that the economic battle is won and, from now on, the economy will hum along. The economic battle is endless. We need a strong economy to survive and progress. We must never lose sight of its importance. Over the years, we have made great progress on the economic front. We have now reached a level of economic development that the country can put the development of our people on the forefront. Nevertheless, the Speech by the President is not devoid of economic considerations, but only that it considers the economic effects through the people. We have to develop our people as it is they who drive the economic engine and growth. People and the economy are sides of a coin. We need both for a strong nation. Developing an economy is demanding. But developing a people is even more difficult. Developing our people will take not just a matter of years but perhaps a lifetime and longer. But the sooner we start, the faster we will get there. The country has started developing our people for years, since 1965 and even earlier, not just now. Over the years, we have developed an education system that the world admires. But the emergence of a knowledge-based economy dictates that we change our education system to encourage more creativity and an innovative spirit among our children. But in making these changes, we must ensure that the quest for excellence and the capacity for hard work are not displaced. Excellence is the centre piece of a great nation. Without excellence, achievement and success is shallow. Excellence comes from hard work.”
“This must continue. Singapore is a young country. Singapore will face yet many new and demanding challenges. As Singapore evolves, so has Parliament to do likewise. We must seek not only to maintain the progress and good work done and the high standards set by those before us, but wherever and whenever possible, to improve them further. We have to ensure that we remain relevant and useful to the lives and needs of our nation and our people that the decorum and respect of Parliament is maintained. We must bravely do what we believe is good for our country and our people. This is a demanding responsibility that we, as parliamentarians, must persevere to fulfil, never let go off or forget.”
“They would prefer our institutions and systems to be like theirs. But we cannot do what they wish. At the end of the day, we must decide for ourselves and do things the way that fits our circumstances and meets our needs. Many things that the larger and older nations have, we may eventually also have. But we would have them in good time and at our pace if these are good for us and we, as a society, are ready for them. We must not allow ourselves to be pressed to change, to conform or to be misled into believing that we must have them. As a society, we must decide for ourselves what is good for us and to stand firm in the belief that we are the best judges of this. The role of Parliament is to help manage the country for the good of its people. Its Members represent the citizens. The success of the Members of Parliament is a collective one, reflected in the development and growth of the country, the well-being of its people and the respect that the people accord to Parliament as an institution and the MPs as their representatives. If this is the criterion, then I believe we have done well. I am therefore happy and proud that our people understand and appreciate what Parliament has achieved. To be in Parliament is a serious matter. The development of a nation and the well-being of the people depend on its deliberation and decisions. Members of Parliament see it as a forum to input their knowledge, skills and experience to rationally and effectively debate the issues of the nation so as to arrive at decisions that are in the best interest of the nation and the people. As a result, the proceedings in Parliament are carried out efficiently and effectively with the earnest and decorum that the august Chamber deserves and the people expect of the representatives.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for this opportunity to join in the debate. I rise to support the motion by the Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong. Parliament had just sat for the very last time in the old Chamber before it moved here to its new home a very short while ago. It has much to be proud of during its stay there since 22nd April 1955. Much has been achieved in that august Chamber. As a country and a people, we have much to be grateful for. Its occupants have risen to the many challenges and their decisions had led to the impressive development of our nation and the good living that we, its citizens, enjoy today. We must continue with the good work here in this new Chamber. Our parliamentary system is based on the Westminster model as with other Commonwealth countries. However, over time, each Parliament has evolved in its own way in response to the characteristics and needs of the country and its people. We do likewise. The major factors that dictate our actions are the short history of our country, our small size and the multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious aspects of our society. These are some constraints that we have to manage. Many countries with such constraints have found out at great cost how potent they can be if not handled carefully, sensitively and appropriately. We have therefore evolved, for example, the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) to take care of the multi-racial nature of our society and the Non-Constituency MP and the Nominated MP to allow for a wider range of views to be reflected in its debates. But, unfortunately, not everyone, especially critics in the developed countries, understands, appreciates, agrees or is convinced of what we have done or our objectives for doing so.”
“I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister that when the scholars are being exposed to the private sector, is there a concern that they might be attracted to private sector and never come back to the Civil Service, and what is the experience of the Government so far with this attachment. BG Lee Hsien Loong: It is a concern. There had been previous occasions where we had seconded people and, at the end of the secondment, they said, "I am not coming back." And the person to whom he was seconded said, "I am not letting him go." This had happened in the past. Normally, there is an understanding that when we second somebody out or somebody is seconded to us there is a "no poaching" rule. You cannot at the end of the period say, "I am keeping this person." So I do not think we have any recent problems. But we have to continue to monitor this. Basically, we have to make sure that the public sector is competitive, the terms are good, the prospects and challenges are there and the people are willing to stay and come back to you. Otherwise, even if you do not second them, they will resign and be off. PRIMARY 1 COHORTS (Number of students who did not attend kindergarten classes) The following question stood in the name of Mr Shriniwas Rai - 2. To ask the Minister for Education how many students in primary 1 cohorts for the year 1996, 1997 and 1998 did not attend kindergarten classes.”
“However, Sir, I support the inclusion of SAT1 as a requirement for foreign students who have not taken their `A' level examination. The inclusion of SAT1 for the admission of polytechnic and mature students who have also not taken the `A' level examination is also meaningful. To conclude, I think the efforts by the universities to review the admission framework is timely and necessary. A new framework will make the admission more comprehensive. However, I am not convinced of the necessity to require our students to take SAT1 in addition to the `A' level examination.”
“Thirdly, if we are using SAT1 to signal to our students to change how they should study, then it is a blunt tool. I do not see how SAT1 by itself is going to change the mindset of our school students. It will be more effective to make the necessary changes to our education system from Primary 1. We have 12 good years to nurture our students. Fourthly, SAT1 is adopted by the US universities because the US does not have a common national examination, like our GCE `A' level examination. The SAT test is a common measure to gauge their students from various high schools using different syllabi. The SAT results are used with the high school results for university admission. In fact, SAT1 and 2 together can be said to take the place of the `A' level examination. Finally, SAT1 is not cheap to take. It currently costs each student US$38 to take the test. Assuming an annual `A' level cohort of 12,000 students, it will cost a total of US$456,000. At the exchange rate of S$1.75 to US$1, this will work out to some $798,000. This assumes that each student takes one test each. What about preparatory classes and tuition for the tests? Knowing Singapore parents, they will want their children to be very prepared, especially now that it is a requirement for university admission. If, say, conservatively, a quarter of the students take tuition or preparatory classes, with each paying $500, this will work out annually to $1.5 million. In total, the SAT1 test would cost parents an additional $2.3 million if SAT1 is made a requirement for admission to the local universities. This is only a very conservative estimate of the total expenditure by parents on SAT tests if SAT1 becomes compulsory.”
“Sir, first, let me declare my interest in this amendment. I am a lecturer at the National University of Singapore. The recent review to improve the university education is timely. We are living in a rapidly changing world. Singapore is moving fast into the knowledge-based era. We have to prepare our young to operate in such a future. A new university admission framework was proposed in the review. It widens the admission system making it more comprehensive. The admission framework includes three additional requirements: the Scholastic Achievement Test 1 (SAT1), project work and extracurricular activities for our students who have taken the GCE `A' level examination. This signals that in the future more than just academic excellence is needed to be a university student. I welcome the inclusion of project work and extracurricular activities in the new admission framework. Working on and learning from these projects, our students can broaden their mindset. The projects will enhance their creativity and encourage innovation. But I do not see the need to include SAT1 for our students who have taken the GCE `A' level examination. Firstly, SAT1 purports to test reasoning skills, something that the `A' level examination is said not to do as well. Before we ask the students to do these additional tests, do we know how the results of these two tests correlate? Although it has been argued that these two tests measure different capabilities, what happens if these sets of capabilities are strongly correlated for most of our students? Would it then not be a waste of effort to force all our students to take SAT1? Secondly, SAT1 is time-consuming to take. It is an additional activity. It will take time to prepare. It will put more pressure on our students and parents.”
“Many good suggestions surface during the conference and these ideas have moved forward the grassroots organisations and their effectiveness. The conference made the grassroots leaders felt recognised, motivated and wanted. I believe that such a conference could bring together parents, community leaders and educators and will similarly motivate everyone involved to do more for the school to the ultimate benefit of the students, school and the community.”
“What training and help have been provided to our principals, especially those newly promoted ones, to better manage their schools? Recently, there were a few mishaps in our schools. I wonder if the Minister could share with us the findings of his Ministry on some of them. Let me hasten to add that, on the whole, our principals and teachers are coping well with the changes. But any effort to help them to better adapt to the changes required will benefit them and the children under their care even more. The school also needs the involvement of parents and the community to achieve the Desired Outcomes. The school needs the home and society to endorse and reinforce good behaviour and values imparted by the school to the child. To get the children to be more involved in the community, the Ministry started the Community Involvement Scheme. To foster the support of parents and the community for the schools, the Minister late last year set up an Advisory Council of the Committee and Parents Support System. It is a far-reaching idea. The school is a part of the community. Their children study there. The community and parents are interested in how the schools in the community operate. Could the Minister update us on the progress made with these efforts to involve the community and parents? 2.00 pm I have one suggestion which I would like the Minister to consider. At the moment, there is no national forum for interested parents, community leaders, school principals and teachers to discuss common issues. I would like the Minister to consider organising such a national forum. We can consider the model of the triennial conference of grassroots leaders the PA uses to bring together grassroots leaders across Singapore and PA staff.”
“The Ministry has done much to work with the teachers but I am still getting feedback from teachers that they feel a lot of stress. They feel that they are still largely assessed on the academic performance of their students. Meanwhile, the emphasis on non-academic aspects has increased. New initiatives, like school clusters and autonomy, add to the pressure. These create new administrative duties such as attending meetings, taking and writing of minutes and coordination of activities. They also need to go for training as a result of new technologies like IT. To cope with the work, they often stay back late in school and come back on Saturdays. They find the life of a teacher very stressful. How many teachers, especially those with long services, have resigned in the last few years as a result of stress? What further help can we give to teachers to ease their stress and keep them in the service? Should we also not be making changes to the way we train our teachers for a role that has changed? Principals play an important role in introducing and managing change. A principal who is a good manager, who understands the difficulties and constraints faced by staff, can help to ease in the change. A principal who is a poor manager adds pressure on his or her staff. In a rapidly changing environment, a principal may become over-enthusiastic and may take on more than he can comfortably handle. He may then overlook details and fail to anticipate potential problems. An overload of activities initiated by a principal can also put stress on the teachers. We are more aware of the efforts put in by the Ministry to help our teachers than those to help our principals.”
“Sir, the Desired Outcomes of Education articulate explicitly what the education system intends to develop in our children at each stage of their education. Mr Wee Heng Tin, Director-General of Education, has succinctly described the end result as a whole child, who apart from skills and knowledge, possesses sound morals, strength of character, healthy habits, team spirit and an aesthetic appreciation for the world around him. Each child grows into a responsible and committed citizen. These are indeed desirable qualities and values for our young to possess. These are also the qualities and values that our young must possess to fit into the challenging future. To achieve the Desired Outcomes, our education system has to change. It is important that we manage this change properly. Our education system has served us well. Our students have performed superbly in international tests. They have competed well in foreign universities. Many countries want to copy us. Hence, the need to change may not be clear to the people. But if they know and understand the rationale for the changes, their support will be stronger and more forthcoming. The Ministry needs to continue with its efforts to explain to the people the reasons for change. Our principals and teachers are major players, helping our children to achieve the Desired Outcomes. Principals and teachers are major change agents in the process and must themselves first adapt to the changes. They must be comfortable with the changes if they are to help the children. But how are they coping with the changes? Could the Minister give us a review of the current situation in respect to our teachers and principals?”
“In the last two days, much has been said in this House about our knowledge-based future, the importance of creativity and innovation to such a future and the need for a mindset change. We tell our parents that we are preparing for such a future by making changes to our schools to encourage more creativity and innovative spirit. Some parents are sceptical, pointing to the mismatch between this over-emphasis on academic excellence in the scholarship and the call to our children to be more creative and innovative. Since the Government scholarships have such a strong influence on the mindsets of our young, may I urge the PSC to review our scholarship policies to reflect the growing importance of creativity and innovation.”
“Sir, the Public Service Commission administers the stable of Government scholarships. To get a feel of the requirements of these scholarships let me read out, that of the most prestigious, the President's Scholarship: "Be Singapore citizens or children of Singapore citizens; Have offered four `A' level subjects and two `S' papers, if they are in the Science/Commerce Stream; and at least three `A' level subjects, an `AO' subject and one `S' paper, if they are in the Arts Stream, at the GCE `A' level examination; Have outstanding GCE `O' level and `A' level results with at least three `A' level distinctions or equivalent qualification; Have taken SAT1; Have very good extra-curricular activities record; and Have strong leadership qualities and impeccable character." There is very strong emphasis on academic excellence and this is how the public perceives PSC to award the scholarships. You will find the same emphasis in the requirements of the other scholarships in the stable. The difference lies in the required number of subjects, papers or distinctions. Many scholarships offered by the statutory boards and companies use these Government scholarships as the base to formulate their own. These scholarships are very much sought after. Parents glamorise the scholarships to interest and motivate their children to strive for them. Each year, I believe, thousands of students, especially the brightest in the land, apply for them. Many more thousands aspire for the scholarships but do not do well enough to apply. These students prepare themselves for years to meet these requirements, their attitude rubbing off on their fellow students in schools. These scholarship requirements thus profoundly affect what and how our children, especially our brightest, learn in school.”
“The Minister also recognised that this economic crisis has bitten deeper into society when he extended service and conservancy rebates to the 5-room flats. I thank the Minister for this extension. I had asked for it last November when this House debated the report of the Committee on Singapore's Competitiveness. Unfortunately, most people will not see the money given to them. The transactions will be carried out electronically. It is, however, important that our people know, understand and feel for what the Government has provided. The Budget does not fully describe the care and concern that the Government has for the people. Government has set up and generously funded many grassroots organisations such as the CDCs, CCCs, CCMCs, RCs, NCs and NGWOs to reach out to and care for the people. Last year, as in years past, these organisations have done a good job in bonding the community and giving help and hope to many people in need. Many Singaporeans from all walks of life have volunteered their time to serve and some have even contributed resources. They are the unsung heroes. We cannot and must not take our national unity and cohesion for granted. We must strive to maintain and strengthen the ties among our people, especially during difficult times. We can see in the neighbouring countries how quickly social order and stability can unravel and how devastating the effects can be. Sir, as long as Singaporeans continue to stand together, we will be able to face the storms and emerge intact from them. Let me conclude by saying that I share the Minister's confidence that Singaporeans will rise to the occasion, and we will emerge from the crisis stronger and leaner.”
“The current crisis has also exposed the danger to organisations of straying from their areas of core competence. It is clear that organisations must consider more carefully before diversifying from their areas of core competence. This is most clearly illustrated by organisations that rushed into property developments for quick gains during better times. Not only does it sap limited management talents, but the market is capricious and what seemed like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow quickly becomes an albatross around the neck when there are not enough management talents to handle the changing circumstances. An organisation must also use its manpower resources, especially its expensive expertise, appropriately. For example, we should avoid using professional manpower for administration. Not only is this misuse of manpower resources costly, but it can demoralise administration staff who find their career paths blocked. This does not mean that there can be no cross-over of talents, but such cross-overs must be done through an explicit re-designation of post and duties. While the concern applies also to organisations in the private sector, I am addressing this concern in particular to our Government and statutory board organisations. Mr Speaker, Sir, the individual and family felt left out in the two off-budget exercises last year. The Minister had taken this opportunity to rectify this neglect. The Minister had taken a step further to spread the benefits. To the better off, he increased the tax rebates. To the less well off, he gave generous rebates and grants on HDB flat rental, service and conservancy charges and public utilities bills, calibrated to give more benefits to those who needed them more. In this trying time, the benefits are most helpful.”
“I am therefore glad that the Minister also supports the upgrading of our executives and professionals. I would in fact ask the Minister to do more to help them to upgrade. With the lengthening of our working life, there will be much wastage of our manpower resources if we fail to upgrade our older workers. This can lead to other problems, which will be costly for society. There are lessons that our people, especially our young, can learn from the current crisis. First, we must appreciate the vicissitudes of the market. When we rejoice in good times, we must not assume that it will last forever. During good times, we should prepare and set aside something for difficult times. The Government has shown that this approach works. Second, our people must understand the growing intensity of global competition. In the long term, our competitive edge will depend on our productivity and our ability to function in a knowledge-based world. This means that we have to become a better educated and a more creative and innovative society, and to work even harder. Let us not look for an easier life, but a balanced and fulfilling one. A Singapore that can compete with the world but does not need to work hard is an illusion. Let us aim for a life where we need to work hard, but where there are sufficient time and opportunities for relaxation and enjoyment. Third, our people must take this opportunity to appreciate the importance of good government. There are many reasons why we are doing better than many other economies during this crisis, but the most important is good government. To ensure a good future for our children and us, we must demand good government. There is no better insurance than this.”
“There are others who may want to cow us, to alter the status quo of our relationship. With a strong security capability we can respond with calm and composure to such provocation. But national security is not just about money and infrastructure. It is about love of country, about a spirit of and willingness to sacrifice, about commitment to defend and to protect what one holds dear. We must therefore be steadfast in our resolve and action to show the world that we are prepared to defend our national sovereignty and protect our right to live as equals among nations. Developing our security capability is a long-term process, and we should not slacken just because of a temporary glitch. The development and harnessing of our human capital is important. We cannot afford to miss developing our young, even in a crisis, for to do so is to lose an entire generation, which being less educated and skilled has impact on future generations. As we move into the knowledge-based era, the development of our human capital becomes even more important. Besides educating our young, we must also help our workers to advance with technology if we want to avoid structural unemployment, which can become a permanent societal problem. I commend the trade unions for recognising the problem and undertaking the difficult task to encourage and help our workers to upgrade, retool and re-skill. The Government responded by setting up several training initiatives and generously funding them. Now it is up to our people and workers to seize the opportunities made available. I realise that it is not easy for our older workers to learn new skills and knowledge, but we must persevere to encourage, convince and support them. Skills obsolescence can also occur among executives and professionals.”
“Thus, let not others belittle the noble sacrifices of our people and workers. This is our competitive strength and I am proud of it. I am particularly happy that the Minister has now agreed that it is important, necessary and possible to seek out new markets overseas. In June last year, when the Minister presented his first off-budget measures, I had asked the Minister about expanding into new markets overseas and the Minister was not very positive in his response. I am therefore glad that the prospects of new markets overseas have improved in the meantime. This is timely. During trying times, there are more incentives to experiment and explore. Our companies will be motivated to find new markets for their goods and services. I am encouraged at the speed with which efforts have been made to tap into new markets. A comprehensive programme has been put in place and implemented with generous support. The Minister is also right to remind our companies not to forsake our existing markets while we look for new ones. We must nurture our existing markets while we foray into new ones, developing both together. This confidence in overseas markets is also timely to counteract the disillusionment felt by our businessmen about venturing overseas as a result of an increase in the number of overseas ventures that have floundered because of the crisis. Business has its risks. We cannot just withdraw to and isolate ourselves in Singapore. We must continue to engage the world, for this is our destiny. I support the spending on our security. The relevance of security becomes sharper in times of crisis. Our past decisions to build up our security capability have proven right. Being a small nation, we become an easy and convenient scapegoat for things that have gone awry elsewhere.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, capable hands crafted this Budget to meet the exigencies of the time. The nation and the market received the Budget with confidence. I commend the Minister for an excellent effort and extend my strong support for the Budget. The relative appreciation of the Singapore dollar to the currencies of the competing economies is one among several factors that has eroded our national competitiveness. The Government resisted the temptation of relying on the depreciation of the Singapore dollar as a means to restore competitiveness. Instead, we embarked on the more difficult option of cutting costs. Our people and businesses support this option. Investors too have reacted positively. Cutting workers' pay is key to this option. That we have been able to do so, credit must go to our people, our workers, our unions and the Government. When the Government realised that cutting workers' pay could be necessary, it took great efforts to prepare the ground for it. The Government worked hard to explain the issues to the people, the labour union leaders and the workers. The union leaders, on understanding the issue, worked hard to help their members to understand them. The people and the workers, on understanding the issues, made a free and informed choice to sacrifice for the nation. There was thus a lot of hard work, a lot of learning and sharing, a willingness to choose the better solution for the country. Hence, contrary to the mistaken belief, Singapore was able to cut workers' pay not because the Government had dictated it. Singapore was able to cut workers' pay because the Government worked with our people to help them understand that this was the better way. And Singaporeans gave their support, even though it was painful.”
“If necessary, we should consider campaigns to remind and encourage people to use water and electricity more carefully, to be more productive in our work, to help keep our environment clean, to protect our facilities so that less maintenance and repair expenses are needed. This is an element of enduring competitiveness. To conclude, I call upon our people to stand united during this time of crisis, to make painful sacrifices for the nation. We must support the cost cutting measures to help our companies and hence ourselves to ride out the storm. This is in the interest of the nation and for the collective good. Meanwhile, the Government and employers must show understanding of the pains incurred and provide unstinting help to alleviate them. On a longer term, we must remember that vicissitudes are part and parcel of the economic life of a nation. We must remember this when the good times return. We must never take the good times for granted. We must always prepare for lean times in times of plenty. Our existing strategy has done us proud as we have braced the current crisis much better than our neighbours. We must forge an even more robust strategy and a national cohesiveness that will anchor the country against future uncertainties. On this note, Sir, I support the motion.”
“We must not be lulled into complacency. We must be better motivated and committed to our work and companies. Several employers told me that they have difficulties hiring people, or if they do manage to hire, some workers do not stay on long, even during this difficult period. Our workers are fussy. If the work is demanding, they do not stay long. They hop from one job to another for pay increases, even small amounts. They do not like to go for training. If they accept training, they are not happy with their bonds. Those who are trained often do not stay long, lured away by higher salary elsewhere, feeling no obligations to the companies which train them. I have personally encountered others who during this crisis would rather stay unemployed at home than to take up a lower paid job, or a job that is "too far" away from their home. We are indeed lucky to have painstakingly cultivated tripartism. We had shared both the bounty in good times and the privation during bad times. This has built trust, consensus and understanding among the Government, employers and employees. Many foreigners have expressed disbelief that our workers agreed to have their salaries cut. In some countries, the very suggestion itself will already cause an uproar. For this, we must indeed be proud as a nation. This is an element of long term strength and competitiveness. We must ensure that tripartism endures. While the present cost cutting proposals cut down the value of the resources, the actual resources used do not decrease. In view of the scarcity of many resources, we should make an effort to use less of them. We should call upon our people and companies to cut down waste by using these resources more efficiently. They must be constantly aware of the importance of conserving resources.”
“While we seek to develop new strategies, it is important not to forget, but to renew and revitalise existing core strengths. Let me share the following: We have enjoyed rapid growth for over 30 years. Parents who had gone through hard times try to make sure that their children are never in want of anything. This is understandable. But we also run the risk of our young not understanding poverty and what it means to be resilient. We need to always compete with the world for our existence. This requires hard work, commitment, a fighting spirit and constantly to remind our young of the need to be competitive. If we lack this motivation, we are doomed. After having it so good for so long, is our mental and physical capability still strong? We must stress national values and priorities. The regional countries have been ravaged by the economic storm. They are chastened. Their systems will now be leaner. We must take this opportunity to learn and emerge wiser from the crisis. We must remind our people that they cannot take things for granted, that our rosy future is not preordained. While we enjoy during the good times, we must also prepare for and set aside something for bad times. The future of Singapore is in our hands. We decide and make the future. If we learn this lesson and emerge from the crisis stronger as a people and a nation, the pains will not be in vain. Here, I would like to add a word of caution. As we plan for the future, we must not give the impression to the people that this will guarantee us against future economic difficulties. We must remind the people that whatever we do difficult moments can surface. There are too many factors and imponderables in the real world. What we can do and must do is to constantly anticipate and prepare for them.”
“We should not be lulled into complacency by this development. It is necessary to set in place schemes to help with the housing loan repayment. Maid Levy The levy should be reduced. This will bring much relief to families who desperately need the assistance of maids such as families with very young children and old parents to look after and both spouses are working. Cut in Fees and Charges During this period, every bit of cut to the cost of living is a help to the people. There were calls for reduction in fees and charges and for increase in rebates: School fees at all levels from kindergarten to university be reduced. Utility charges including telephone charges be reduced. Transport charges like bus and taxi fares be reduced. Service and conservancy charges by Town Councils be reduced. Government should also give more service and conservancy rebates, especially to the lower income group. In this period of crisis, the rebate should be extended to 5-room and Executive flats. Government should give more income tax rebates. Medical charges should be reduced. The number of Class C beds should be increased. Companies and hawkers should reduce prices. Particular concerns were expressed for the low income group. Questions were asked if this group of people could be spared the cuts, or alternatively be provided with additional reliefs. Keen interests were expressed on the restoration of the wage and CPF cuts. Residents were keen to know when the cuts will be restored. They would like the NWC to review the situation regularly so that the cuts can be quickly restored when the crisis blows over. Now let me turn to the long-term measures to Singapore's competitiveness.”
“It is also difficult and expensive to obtain the use of such land. There were also calls for the following: Training Subsidies To encourage companies to train their workers, the subsidies given should be increased. This will encourage and make it easier for companies to retain the workers for retraining. Training fees should also be kept low. These fees have been escalating much too quickly. Medisave Rate for the Self-Employed To assist the self-employed, the increase in the Medisave contribution planned for next year should be deferred. In fact, the Government should consider reducing it during this period of crisis. Parking Charges Parking charges for commercial and heavy vehicles should be reduced. Banking Charges The various banking charges like the opening of letters of credit should be reduced. Let me now turn to the workers. As wages form a large part of the cost to companies, cost cutting means cutting wages. This is painful for the people. Hence, at the same time, efforts must be made to provide relief to the people. Some of the reliefs that were sought include: Housing Loans Repayment Help should be given for the repayment of housing loans. A major concern with the CPF cut is the worker's ability to finance the monthly repayment of his housing loan. As most people own HDB flats, I hope the Government will announce schemes to help owners of HDB flats. HDB has constantly assured flat owners that they will be assisted. They must continue to reassure the people. I am happy that several banks are also offering alternative repayment schemes to lower the monthly repayment. The recent decline in interest rates has helped to reduce the monthly instalments of housing loans substantially. But interest rates are capricious.”
“A major reason for this loss of competitiveness is the relative appreciation of the Singapore dollar to the currencies of our competitors. Some hence feel that allowing the Singapore dollar to depreciate is a less painful answer to cutting cost. It would be helpful for the Government to make more efforts to explain why cutting cost is the better alternative. Let me look at the short-term measures from both the company's viewpoint and the worker's viewpoint. I will start with the company. The cut in business cost is not only for external competition, but also internally to help our companies survive. There is thus strong support for the specific measures proposed by the Committee, particularly the following: Foreign Worker Levy The foreign worker levy should be reduced. This will bring much relief to those companies with high dependence on such workers. These workers do not pay CPF and a cut in the latter does not lighten the cost burden. Affected sectors include the food and beverage, and construction. The amount of cut in the levy should provide as good a relief as the CPF cut. Cut in Land/Factory Rent The rent of industrial land, factory and commercial properties should be further reduced. The proposal to return to the 1990 rent level is much welcomed. HDB and JTC, being the largest landlords of such properties, should take the lead. Private owners will follow. The short-term help is obvious. There is also a long-term impact as companies can remain in Singapore. Singapore will also be more attractive to foreign investors. HDB and JTC should also be more willing to rent out vacant land on TOL. I have been told that Singaporeans have been forced to go overseas to grow turf grass for import to Singapore even though vacant lands are available for this purpose here.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, exceptional times require boldness of vision and action. It calls for a common understanding and purpose by the people to collectively meet the challenges. These are exceptional times. Since the release of the Report by the Committee on Singapore's Competitiveness and the reconvened National Wages Council, I had met up with my grassroots leaders and residents. They expressed understanding and support of the two Reports. Let me make two general remarks before I comment on the measures proposed. In a crisis, we are pressured to find quick answers. Yet, in our evolving history, the present crisis will only be a blip. We must be careful not to pursue quick solutions inconsistent with sound principles, which underpin our long-term interests and survival. Short-term solutions must by its definition be exceptions that can be dismantled after the crisis. These solutions cannot and should not be allowed to adversely change the long-term course of the nation. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is one thing to accept the rationality and relevance of the recommendations themselves, and yet another the pains faced upon implementation. The people want and expect the Government and employers to convince and show openly that they understand and appreciate the pains suffered and sacrifices made by the people. I call upon our employers to declare that they will share fairly the profits in good times as they now desire workers to make sacrifices for the company. When the good times return, the cuts should not only be restored but profits be shared through bonus and other benefits. Let me now turn to the short-term specific measures to deal with the crisis. The need for short-term specific measures arises from our sudden loss of competitiveness.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to ask the Minister of State whether it is fair for the employer to be held responsible when the maid is in the custody of the employment agency. The agency would say, "Yes, I will take back the maid and find you a new one." In this case, the employer would say to the maid agency, "I have already passed back this maid to you and she is under your custody." In this instance, would the Ministry consider passing legislation to hold the maid agency responsible? Because to say that the employer is responsible, I think it is not fair. The indifference of the maid agency could really frustrate the employer.”
“I am sorry. I just want to say this. Will the Ministry reconsider its decision? The Ministry can help in resolving the issue of helplessness of the employer?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the prevailing difficult economic situation, may I ask the Minister if he would ask the HDB to consider deferring the collection of the principal element in the payment and require the house owner to only pay for the interest element, in the case of families facing financial hardship? In other words, of all the alternatives that the Minister has proposed just now, can I ask that this alternative be also considered?”
“I would like to ask the Minister how can the Government and people of Singapore repudiate the untruth brandished callously by Malaysian political and government leaders about what we are doing in Singapore, about our port and that we are stealing business from them. How can we remonstrate with our neighbours that such preposterous accusation, untruth, foolishness will further delay the restoration of international confidence in the regional economies and hurt our regional economic recovery? The world has eyes and ears and the world can think.”