Tan Cheng Bock
Singapore
“As I said, we have not done much. We must not be captured by our old style of managing the old. The new old, as I said before, are better educated and travelled, and are very knowledgeable. So we must quickly explore new ways and methods to meet the expectations of the new old.”
“If we only have such a small pool of talents in Singapore because of our population size, we should spare no effort in seeking every such talent.”
“Thank you. I accepted the Minister's reply on the different pricing in the outpatient polyclinics and the hospitals. My point is that the patient's problem has still not been solved. Whenever a doctor refers a patient from a hospital to an outpatient clinic, he still has to pay more.”
“Six out of the nine items were much more expensive. Sir, I am asking why is there such a difference. Is this a one-off incident or is it going to be a norm? How can doctors in the hospital then refer patients back to the outpatient clinic if the patient is going to pay more?”
“I move this amendment to ask the Minister what is the Ministry's stand on seat belts to be made compulsory for primary and kindergarten buses. I heard over the radio that the Ministry is reviewing the case. There are two issues here, question of cost and question of safety. I think safety has a higher weightage over cost.”
“I also want to commend the NTUC for working with the Government to put this package together. I believe that without the NTUC's representation in putting forward the workers' case, the workers would not be able to benefit so substantially this year from this package.”
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“Given that a substantial part of these deletions arises from the privatisation of some of its functions, it will be interesting to see if there has been a rise in the productivity of those functions which remain with the Ministry, and whether this can be reconciled with the increase in manpower cost. The processing cost per development application seems to have increased substantially over the past five years. It rose by 605% from $157 per application in FY 87 to $1,008 last year. On a more encouraging note, however, it is projected to rise by only 1.4% to $1,023 in FY 92. Has the planning processing operation become more complicated over this period of time? Is there a prolongation in the processing time? I shall now move to Public Works Programme. In the workload and performance indicators for the Public Works Programme, there is a projected 13.3% drop in the construction cost per lane-metre of roads. Is this a result of the improvements in the efficiency of the Public Works Department, or is this derived from economies of scale afforded by a higher volume of road construction in the coming year? Did the indicator, which shows development expenditure per dollar spent on manpower, take into account development expenditure attributable to projects undertaken by private sector consultants or projects undertaken on a turnkey basis? While the Department may supervise the work of these consultants or turnkey contractors, clearly the amount of consultancy and technical inputs is not of the same order as those required for projects designed by the Department itself.”
“But for plastering work and indoor works like electric, air-conditioning and so on, you need skilled labour. Therefore, a flat rate application of 1:3 for the industry as a whole will affect our construction programme. We agree that over the long term, a policy of lesser reliance on foreign labour in all industries is desirable. To achieve this, we suggest the Ministry look at other issues beyond the labour levy mechanism and the labour control ratio. We see the thirst for foreign labour as a constant problem each time the national construction activities are stepped up. The problem of attracting more from the limited pool of Singaporean workers for the construction programme must be addressed by taking into consideration the following in addition to any pricing mechanism: (a) The demanding nature of construction site works; (b) The aging local construction workforce and the comparatively better attractions offered by other industries to the new and better educated Singaporeans; and (c) The design-led construction methods and systems. CIDB, in its reports, has pointed out the example of foreign countries who have managed to sustain large construction programmes with high productivity through a skilful balance of modular designs, standardisation and prefabrication of building components. The Ministry, through HDB as the largest local developer and contractor, must take the lead to influence and guide the industry. I shall look at the budgetary allocation to the Ministry as a whole. There is a 13% increase in the estimated expenditure on manpower. This is despite the reduction of 119 posts, or 2.8% of the 4,150 posts in FY 91.”
“There is no question that, on the whole, the Ministry will be a lot busier in the coming year with the infrastructure expansion and the housing refurbishment programme, but several issues may have to be clarified. In order to give support to the anticipated increase in national construction activities, the Ministry (together with the Ministry of Labour) recently announced a new foreign labour recruitment ratio of 1:3. The declared intention of the Ministry is to assist in loosening the anticipated tight labour situation. Our feedback from the industry is that the ratio, because of a change in the definition of its base component, may not be an improvement over the previous scheme. Let me explain further. Currently, construction companies are allowed to employ two unskilled foreign workers for every local or skilled foreign worker that they have. As the construction industry is experiencing an upsurge of activities, the Government has decided to relax this dependency ratio. Construction companies will, from 1st April this year, be allowed to employ three foreign workers, including skilled foreign workers, for every local worker, ie, Singaporean or permanent resident, they employ. However, skilled workers who possess a 3-year work permit will not be included in the calculation of the dependency ratio. This was in the previous scheme. A flat rated application of 1:3 on the whole industry will not give consideration to the various requirements of the recruiters of labour for different trades. Why is this so? This is because the construction industry's labour requirements for different stages of construction differ. For excavation work you need low skill or no skill at all.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head U of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Mr Speaker, Sir, my GPC will approach the Committee of Supply debate on the Ministry of National Development from two fronts. I will deal primarily on issues pertaining to the general policy matters of the Ministry of National Development, particularly its budget allocation and its implications, while my colleagues, Dr Wong Kwei Cheong and Dr Koh Lip Lin, and later on myself, will deal with matters at the ground level. I would expect my other colleagues not in my GPC to help out. The Ministry obviously has to be geared up for the workload occasioned by a massive 31% rise in development expenditure. The basic message to the Ministry, especially the regulatory organisations, is that we would like to see productivity improvements translated in terms of not only lower processing costs, but a shortening of processing times for planning and building control applications. We should also look seriously at the volume of construction work which the various Government Ministries will be undertaking and ensure that we do not forgo these opportunities to build up a more efficient construction industry. The Ministry has provided increasing opportunities for the participation of private sector architects and design engineering firms in certain categories of planning, housing and other building works. It is useful to evaluate whether this approach has yielded any significant improvements in the quality and efficiency of our buildings, and whether we should modify or expand this approach.”
“However, it will be useful for the privatised Telecom to provide Parliament annually with a comparison of telecommunication charges in the country and of those countries, eg, Hong Kong, which have an approximately similar level of economic development. Secondly, from the business vantage, the budget could adopt a more encouraging stance, in terms of supporting the export of our services. This can be done without necessarily eroding the export, the amount collected as tax revenue. We might consider providing a tax incentive only on the amount by which export revenue in that particular year exceeds that of the previous year. For example, if a consultant's fee for projects or assignments undertaken overseas during the preceding year is $5 million, and the amount for this year is $6 million, a special tax incentive could apply to the $1 million increment. In the following year, the export incentive will only be applicable if revenues from overseas operations exceed the new base of $6 million and so on. Such a mechanism will encourage our firms to stay competitive in global terms, and Treasury can afford to be generous in granting incentives on such terms. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would take up details on the various Ministries during the debate in the Committee of Supply. 5.28 pm [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair]”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I shall be very brief. I would just make general comments on the Budget as a whole. I feel that this is a sound Budget for two reasons. Firstly, given the economic uncertainties which lie ahead, it is better to err on the side of caution, and not to attempt too much fine-tuning of the economy to fiscal policy. The flip-flopping of the tax positions in the US over the past 18 months has made it difficult, or more difficult than ever, for both companies and individuals in that country to plan ahead. There is much to be said, therefore, in support of constancy of purpose and resolve in our fiscal and economic policies. Secondly, it is right that the Budget emphasises the upgrading and improvement of our infrastructure. The efficiency of our infrastructure is a critical pillar of our competitiveness as a nation, in relation to both the attraction of investments and a generation of exports. It is not endowed naturally and it must be mindful that just as we can overtake other locations, in terms of the quality of our port, airport and other infrastructure facilities, there are other countries who are looking over our shoulders, attempting to do the same to us. However, I would like to raise two issues in connection with the Statement which may require further examination. Firstly, while it is right to subject the allocation of our scarce resources to the discipline of free market as far as possible, it is not possible to recognise that there are sectors where free market conditions may not exist. An instance of this will be telecommunications. There may be many important commercial and, indeed, strategic reasons why Telecom, when privatised, should continue to enjoy a monopoly in the provision of most categories of telecommunication services in this country.”
“Let us continue to go regional and international and work hard to help build up our reserves for future prosperity and stability. Sir, I support the motion.”
“Its boundaries are harder and harder to define. But I see Europe as a potential growth area, especially after 1992 when Europe becomes one big economic entity. We must quickly plug ourselves into their network of trade and communications. In this respect, we must consider first setting up a Singapore-UK Business Association in the United Kingdom to help pave the way for Singaporeans going to do business in UK and Europe and vice-versa. This Association should have the support of EDB, TDB and MTI. Sir, we must continue to build our reserves. To me, it is the best way to maintain our position as a financial centre and serves as a cushion against bad times. Apart from our manpower as an asset, this is our other asset. This reserve is what other better endowed countries have in terms of natural resources, like gold, tin and oil. We must continue to build this, and avoid the temptation to dig into this saving as a way out of some of the policies we want to embark upon. The Deputy Prime Minister has very eloquently explained this in his address yesterday and Singaporeans should listen to his arguments very carefully. However, the Government must make special effort to try and convince the people that our reserves are invested very carefully to earn good money for Singapore's benefit. This, together with continued good economic growth, will enable us to spend more on education and infrastructure and to fund projects like the MRT Woodland's line which is going to cost $1 billion, upgrading of HDB flats costing about $5 billion spread over a period, the Edusave fund and Medifund. In summary, Sir, let us better our style and improve on our image. Let there be fairer choices in our hospitals and schools.”
“But because her name has been captured by the computer, she was, for all intents and purpose, considered a work permit holder, and the poor Singaporean cannot marry her because she has contravened our Work Permit regulations. This creates anger and frustration because you are breaking up an emotional attachment of two people. While we promote the family concept of togetherness, the care of our old and the need to support the family, Singaporeans find it difficult to understand and accept these policies when their married children are not allowed some priority for flat allocation close by to their own. This is particularly glaring when new flats are built in an old housing estate like Teban. Married children of families staying in the older sector have to leave the estate and stay somewhere else far away from their parents because our present HDB ruling has no provision for priority for such married children to purchase the flats nearby. It is like giving priority to schooling to those living one kilometre from the school, or having their brother or sister in the school. Sir, I do not want to bring up such matters at the debate on the Presidential Address. It should rightly be discussed at the Committee of Supply and I intend to do so. But these examples are used to highlight some of the effects of our fast changing Singapore and why some Singaporeans are restless and cannot accept the contradictions and rigidity of some of our policies. Sir, I shall now move away from the local scene. The world is also changing very fast. We must look beyond our shores, go regional and international. We must keep a close watch at events in the Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe. Europe, in particular, is experiencing a tremendous change.”
“Sir, HDB flat prices have increased significantly over the last four years. With such steep increases, there is a danger that public housing will be priced beyond the reach of the average worker. How do increases in HDB flat prices compare with increases in (1) wages; (2) private property prices; and (3) prices of resale HDB flats on the secondary market over the past 10 to 20 years? Sir, I will go into more detail during the Budget and Committee of Supply debate. But this is one question that the younger Singaporeans worry about now. How can they adjust to the fast increase of prices of their potential homes? I come to my third point - the problem of acceptance. There are numerous examples. But the most glaring one is the latest TAS time-based charges. Why is it that many Singaporeans responded very negatively to this which, in my opinion, is a fairer way of payment, that is, based on usage? The question is how do you expect the average Singaporean to accept such a change when an announcement of $1.12 billion profit was made just prior to its implementation. It boggles their minds and it will take a magician to explain this. Similarly, it will become increasingly difficult to convince Singaporeans that they will have to pay more for certain items of consumption, if the consumption tax comes into operation, and especially when we have reserves of $74 billion. I hope the Deputy Prime Minister's address yesterday has provided some answers. Sir, acceptance can come only with understanding and perhaps a relaxation of some of our rigid rules. Let me give you two examples. A male Singaporean falls in love with a female foreigner, usually a Malaysian, but he cannot marry her because she once applied and registered to work here but, for some reasons, did not.”
“Because Raffles Institution had always held out hope for many parents who wanted their children to be educated at that great institution. What then is the answer, Mr Speaker, to this adjustment problem? The Government must encourage some of the good Government schools to remain non-independent and give these schools the same subvention grants given to independent schools. These schools must be given some degree of independence so that they can function like the independent schools, but the fees are lower. These so-called Government independent schools can then provide another good choice for the parents. I am therefore happy that the Government has decided to allow some of the funds from Edusave to be channelled to the neighbourhood schools to allow these schools to upgrade facilities. Similarly, when the Government decided to restructure the Government hospitals, the people were again faced in a difficult choice situation and this is made more so by the emphasis of these restructured hospitals as being one class better. Therefore, many shun Alexandra Hospital. So again, Mr Speaker, Sir, what is the answer to this? My answer is to provide more and fairer choices to the people by providing the remaining unrestructured hospitals the same subvention grants as you would have given to a restructured hospital of a similar size, and keep some hospitals as secondary hospitals. The provision of secondary based hospitals, as elaborated by my colleague, Dr Michael Lim, would complement the present restructured tertiary level hospitals very well. It helps to keep health cost lower. At the end, people want to feel that there is equal opportunity of choice and not just choice between the various restructured hospitals or the few independent schools.”
“Many GLCs have strayed away from the original purpose of their business. To me, I quite understand why they have to venture out. There is the manpower cost to be met, the capital cost to recover and the recurring cost to stay afloat. But to the local Singaporean, he cannot understand and, as far as he is concerned, this is an unnecessary move. And no amount of explanation, even by the Deputy Prime Minister, in his response to GLCs competing with local companies, has succeeded in convincing. Perhaps in our drive to privatisation, we should look into how we can avoid treading into areas that locals have already been established. Mr Speaker, Sir, there are certain ways of earning a living. They may not be the best in our eyes, but let us live and let live. Allow certain, not all, such practices to go on as before. Wet markets, for example, may not look so neat and tidy, but if the people are comfortable to market in such surroundings, let it be. It has become part of our social fabric. It does us no harm. It is not Swiss, but it is local, and we should let it stay. But we make improvements to design, to drainage, waste disposal and we check pollution. Let me come to the problem of adjustment. Mr Speaker, Sir, when certain good schools went independent, parents found something was amiss. Parents were suddenly faced with a difficult choice. Cost consideration suddenly was an important factor for the choice of a good school. This was not so in the past because all schools shared the same school fees. This narrowed their choice. Either you pay more to enter a good independent school or you opt for a non-independent school of lesser stature. This, I believe, is compounded by RI going independent.”
“These recurring questions show that there are indeed problems of understanding, adjustments and acceptance of our policies. We must try to contain these through better preparation, better presentation and better PR. To a large extent, this boils down to style of government. Those who always insist that substance is more important than style are correct to a certain extent. But to adhere to it like the Holy Bible is deluding themselves. The truth is that television brings you to the living room of the Singapore family. How they perceive you is an impression that stays in the minds for a long time. As you might know, Mr Speaker, Sir, nowadays it appears that people judge you more by perceptions rather than by what you are worth. The personal style of the policy presenter and his choice of words, the way he counters views, may win or lose the audience. I am not saying that we should suddenly become actors, but what I am saying is, let us not just win arguments, let us also win audience acceptance. A good PR goes a long way, and even if the policies are tough ones, people may be more understanding. Let me come back to this problem of understanding. Mr Speaker, Sir, recently, I met a friend and his opening remarks were, "What the heck are you all doing -- going into the hawker business?" I was puzzled and asked him what he meant. He said that one of our Government-linked companies (GLCs) had gone into the roast duck business, competing with other hawkers. "Soon", he said, "your paus, your dumplings, your sui mais, your roti pratas will also be mass produced." He said he did not want to eat roast duck of one taste, but of many different tastes and styles of roasting. You see, Mr Speaker, Sir, people fail to understand the purpose of our Government-linked companies.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the motion standing in the name of Dr John Chen. Sir, Dr Wang Kai Yuen mentioned about change. But change is inevitable, and Singapore has undergone tremendous changes in the last two decades and is continuing to make more changes. It is these fast changes that have created problems of understanding, problems of adjustment and problems of acceptance of these changes. It does not mean that changes have brought only problems. On the contrary, the changes happening in the last two decades have put Singapore on the world map as one of the countries enjoying one of the highest standards of living. The people are well fed, well housed, well schooled and well clothed. There is practically no unemployment. Mr Speaker, Sir, I think at the macro level, we have projected ourselves well, as a hard-working, disciplined, people, full of vigour and energy, ready to take on new challenges of the world. And true to form, we did well. However, at the micro level, the local scene, I can see Singaporeans trying to catch up with understanding the various changes made, trying to make adjustments to the changes and, finally, accepting the changes. Thus, the three problems I said earlier, namely, the problem of understanding policies, the problem of adjustment to policies and the problem of acceptance of policies. At my meet-the-people sessions and especially my Sunday morning breakfast with my constituents, not just grassroots leaders, I hear now and then questions related to the issues of the day, like COE, health cost, restructured hospitals, maid levy, independent schools. And now and then, a statement like this: is there a quota for Malays getting into our universities?”
“TRADE UNIONS (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Trade Unions Act (Chapter 333 of the 1985 Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Labour (Dr Lee Boon Yang); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Central Provident Fund Act (Chapter 36 of the 1991 Revised Edition)", presented by Dr Lee Boon Yang; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS Debate on the Address (First Allotted Day) 12.36 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I second the proposal. Mr Speaker: There being only one proposal, I declare Mr Abdullah Tarmugi to have been duly elected as Deputy Speaker of this Parliament. [Applause]. BILLS INTRODUCED SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research Act (Chapter 301 of the 1985 Revised Edition)", presented by the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Lim Boon Heng); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. LEGAL PROFESSION (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Legal Profession Act (Chapter 161 of the 1990 Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Law (Prof. S. Jayakumar); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES BILL "to establish and regulate the Government Securities Fund and to provide for borrowing of moneys by the issue of Government securities in Singapore", recommendation of President signified; presented by the Minister for Finance (Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. INSTITUTE OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION BILL "to establish the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore and for matters connected therewith and to repeal the Vocational and Industrial Training Board Act (Chapter 345 of the 1985 Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Education (Mr Lee Yock Suan); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I hope and I believe that in the new session you will continue to be fair in maintaining the dignity, order and proper proceedings of this House, and that you will also help to conduct the substantial debate in this House. Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I sincerely congratulate you on being elected as Speaker of the Eighth Parliament. I understand that you have been very fair at the last Parliament and I hope that you will be as fair as you have been and will not close ranks with PAP Members, as our Prime Minister has urged.”
“Mr Speaker, I rise to support your nomination and to congratulate you on being re-elected as Speaker. For the new Members of Parliament in this House, I can assure them that the Speaker, who now has little time to speak and, in fact, he cannot speak much in this House, did a very fine job when he was a Backbencher. We looked towards him when we were new in this House for guidance and if you go back and look through the Hansard, you will find that some of his speeches were very witty and humorous. And I am sure the Front Bench in this House were at times disturbed by some of the remarks that he made. We, on the Backbench, although we miss him, are also proud that he has been elevated to the Chair of Speaker. Congratulations. Mr Goh Choon Kang (Braddell Heights)( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to join the Leader of the House and the other Members to congratulate you on your re-election as the Speaker of this House for another term. Sir, you have a very long experience as a Backbencher in the past years and you know that the Backbenchers have a responsibility to reflect the views of the members of the public and their electorate. Therefore, from my own experience over the past few years and in cooperating with you, I am quite sure that in the new session you will also give us a lot of opportunities to reflect our views. I also believe that you will be discharging your duties very fairly and impartially irrespective of whether he is a Government Backbencher or an Opposition Member. You will give every one of them equal opportunity to speak. And if a Member does not wish to speak, that is his own responsibility.”
“It is all in the Report and even, at one stage, the Minister was quoted as saying: "I do not think we can resolve this problem." As the Select Committee has finally made this amendment, may I beg your indulgence, Mr Speaker, Sir, to request the Minister, in the interest of unsophisticated clients, why the Select Committee finally recommended that the Architects Bill be amended to allow licensed corporations to provide architectural services only under the control and management of an executive shareholding director who is a practising architect resident in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Bill. Mr Speaker, in the Select Committee hearings, a number of professional groups and individuals were concerned over the provisions relating to the control and management of the multi-discipline corporate firms. Under the original Architects Bill, a licensed corporation whose shareholders and directors consisting entirely of non-architects could provide architectural services. In the Select Committee deliberations, the architects held a very strong view that such multi-discipline corporate practice must, therefore, project to the public a clear picture of the character of the practice. In other words, the practice must make clear to the unsophisticated clients that it offers primarily architectural services, or engineering services, or land surveying services. Thus, if the corporation is architectural-biased and offering engineering and land surveying services secondarily, it should be made known of its architectural bias. Similarly, for the engineers and land surveyors. Therefore, they suggested an amendment to clause 20(1)(d) to require registered architects to hold a minimum of 51% shares in the corporation in a multi-discipline corporate practice with architectural bias. They want this minimum safeguard to ensure that the architect will play a significant and influential role in the control of the supply of architectural services with no dilution of professional standards. Similarly, engineers should hold 51% of the shares in the corporation that is more engineering-biased, and likewise for the land surveyors. In the Select Committee hearings, there were a lot of exchanges between the Singapore Institute of Architects' representors and the Select Committee Members.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would just like to ask the Minister that in this road widening scheme of Hill Street - I am looking at the road directory and I notice that there are so many buildings along this stretch of road - can I take it from the Minister that some of these buildings, like the St Joseph's Church, Ramada Hotel, St Anthony's Convent, US Embassy, Masonic Hall, and so on, would also have to go?”
“No, I am not. I am going to ask more questions. Mr Speaker: Ask your question.”
“Sir, do I take it from the Minister that between February 1984 when Eu Court was acquired and September 1990 when it was upgraded at a cost of $1 million, ie, a period of six years, the Ministry of National Development did not consider conserving Eu Court, like the way they have conserved Stamford House? Can I take it that the Ministry was looking at the issue purely from the transport angle and that conservation came into the picture as an after-thought? Is it really necessary to widen Hill Street and were other options explored? If Hill Street was to be widened, why not demolish Stamford House rather than Eu Court? How will demolishing Eu Court improve the traffic congestion in that area? We have already taken measures to contain traffic into the city ---”
“Sir, I have submitted the proposal through the National University Hospital. I am going along with the National University Hospital on this project.”
“Finally, Mr Speaker, let me make it clear that these general hospitals are not to compete, but to complement the restructured hospitals and, above all, to offer our citizens another choice of hospital care.”
“It is this level of care that a section of the people are now looking for, an affordable general hospital. As this middle-level type of hospital care does not involve expensive modality of treatment, the whole set-up will be more cost effective for Singaporeans. And we as the Government must ensure that this basic choice is available. My observation is that at the rate and manner our present hospitals are being restructured, we may end up over-providing high-end hospital care. I therefore would like to suggest that there should be a rethink on this exercise. Further, I would like to propose to the Ministry of Health that any new hospital to be built, be it in Jurong or Simei, or any more hospital in the pipeline for restructuring, be it Tan Tock Seng Hospital or Alexandra Hospital, must be middle-level care general hospitals. Moreover, these hospitals must be organised to complement the already restructured high-end hospitals. At the end of all this, there should be a three-tier level of health care: (1) a high-end, high-tech sub-specialty hospital care; (2) a middle-level general hospital care; and (3) a community-level of care comprising community hospitals, polyclinics, private practice clinics. Mr Speaker, Sir, one or two of these middle-level general hospitals should be linked to a restructured high-end hospital, and each middle-level general hospital be linked to the community health care institutions by the community hospitals and polyclinics. The general hospital and the community and allied health facilities could then reach out into homes and residential communities of the community health care team concept that I proposed some time ago in this House.”
“These hospitals serve what I would call the high-end needs of the medical market place. However, the bulk of the patients would rather have good basic care at affordable prices. But when they go to the restructured hospital, they are worried about the add-on costs which can be quite substantial, in addition to their basic charges advertised, that is the ward charges. There is therefore that uncertainty. Mr Speaker, Sir, to alleviate this fear, I propose that the Ministry of Health re-look at the concept of hospital care delivery system in Singapore. At the moment, the Ministry of Health's plan is to restructure most, if not all, hospitals into high-end care hospitals with emphasis on sub-specialties or disease centre hospitals, like Skin Centre, Eye Centre, Cardiac Centre and Kidney Centre. These are impressive set-ups but cannot be cheap. At the low-end care are the community hospitals, the polyclinics and the private clinics. Thus, we can see that there is a gap in our hospital care delivery system. This gap can be filled by middle-level care type of general hospitals. These hospitals which will link the high-end care hospitals and the community-level care are important. We should have this linkage. These hospitals can then serve the bulk of patients having common hospital illnesses. And these types of hospitals in fact should be the cornerstone of any good hospital care system. For example, patients with chest pains can be treated in such hospitals with limited intensive care unit facilities. The majority of such cases can go home within two weeks. The minority or small percentage who needs specialty treatment, such as pace-makers, can be referred to the high-end hospitals. The same applies to the basic surgical, medical, gynaecological cases.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as we restructure our hospitals, we are going to see a shift in emphasis in hospital health care. This is because the philosophy of hospital care has changed. Restructuring has made such hospitals treat each other as competitors. And in such circumstances, there is a tendency for each hospital to emphasise the glamorous and exciting areas of medical and surgical sub-specialties, like transplant surgery, neurosurgery, IVF programmes, plastic and reconstructive surgery. There is yet another tendency, and this is to invest in expensive high-tech equipment, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which costs $8 million. Mr Speaker, Sir, high-tech equipment and sub-specialties are two means which should give these hospitals a boost to their image. But such practices substantially increase the total cost of running a hospital and benefit only a small percentage of hospital patients. The bulk of hospital patients are those seeking treatment for common illnesses, acute and non-acute. But because of this shift in emphasis to the high-tech equipment and sub-specialties, the base cost for treatment for these types of common illnesses must invariably increase. There is now a very perceptible fear of going to hospitals. Twenty years ago when I started practice, patients feared to go to hospital because they were afraid of surgery and there was also a genuine fear of hospitalisation. But now the fear to go to hospital is because they worry that they may not be able to afford the new hospital charges. Let me state clearly. The high-tech and sub-specialties do have a place in medical care provided the public is well informed of their merits. There are many who want it and can pay for it. Our restructured hospitals fill this need.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Moreover, such a programme can be put to test some of the questions raised earlier in my speech. Sir, the Minister for National Development has taken two bold steps with private sector involvement in the Civic Centre and the Kallang Basin projects and the Simpang and Kampong Bugis projects. To me, these involvements are superficial. The real test is making basic changes to the public housing programme. That is the next lap for the Ministry of National Development. Sir, I do not expect the Minister to give me an answer now. He could advise his administrators to study this proposal and my GPC members are prepared to discuss with him. Sir, on the second amendment, I am asking the Minister to give an update of the Public Works Road Programme and whether there is a coordinating committee overseeing road excavation. If there is, then why is it that some roads are still being dug out and paved so many times over?”
“I am merely taking his point further, in response to his call for some planning parameters to be reviewed so that new forms of housing designs and layout can be tried. Sir, nearly 87% of our people live in public housing. As our economy progresses, we need our people to be more creative and innovative. They in turn need to be stimulated by the environment. However, HDB architects monopolise the entire environment of public housing, including HDB town centres, shopping centres, food centres, markets, etc. The monopoly of public housing in its entirety inhibits the development of new forms of public housing and planning, by excluding contributions from the entrepreneur private sector. The HDB has been constrained for a long time by a formula that works. Public housing used to be monotonous and labelled pigeon-hole flats. In recent years, there have been some attempts to give a little individualism to each neighbourhood, by a triangle here and a curve there. But this is not enough. Thus, if some public housing projects can be privatized, basic rather than superficial differences in the layout and unit types can be achieved. Thus, I am proposing that an experimental housing programme be carried out in one HDB township development. Let it be farmed out partially to the private sector. Sir, if each neighbourhood is planned and developed by different architectural teams, some from the private sector and some from HDB, it would be a town rich in character and colour. Sir, it is through such a programme that different sets of guidelines, rules and regulations relevant to quality construction be evolved, and outdated rules relevant to the days when we were talking about quantity rather than quality be modified or discarded.”
“From just making comments and suggestions, the Ministry of National Development took a step further by inviting private planners and architects to prepare the development guide plans for two areas, ie, Simpang, 900 hectaren new town by the sea and an 80-hectare site at Kampong Bugis where new forms of high density living were tried. My GPC would be watching to see whether the private sector ideas in the two projects will be accepted, or at least some of the ideas incorporated. Sir, unless some experimental housing programme is tried, we will not be able to get some of the ideas proposed in the new housing forms in our public housing. An experimental housing programme is the only way to demonstrate a new housing environment. For example, how can spontaneous neighbourliness be speeded up in the design of the social spaces in a community? Do we really know the priorities and how internal spaces in households of different needs are established, if flexibility in internal planning is not available for the testing? And what will be the effects of having smaller but better planned flats on the quality of social life in the community? Will the use of community spaces be better? Is it true that smaller flats will make for more lively community life? If so, for what segment of society? What will be the effect of introducing a different ratio of mix between residential and retail, commercial or offices, including other mixes, on the vitality of an area, and on the quality of life to the rest of it? What kind of town centres can increase the potential scope of commercial and social transactions? Sir, I have asked a lot of questions. I am not expecting the Minister to answer each and every one.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head U of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. In moving this amendment, my GPC hopes to sell the idea of private participation in public housing estates. Sir, on 27th July 1989, the Minister for National Development at the opening of the Second International Convention on Urban Planning, Housing and Design, said the following when he touched on the subject of private sector participation, and I quote him, in case he has forgotten: 'Another area where we hope the private sector can provide new ideas is in the architectural design of housing forms. The present planning guidelines have served us well, but the strict enforcement of boundary requirements and other parameters have left little room for architects to be creative. We would like to see whether some planning parameters could be reviewed so that new forms of housing design and layout can be tried.' Sir, nowadays administrators are more often required to judge the qualities of housing plans and to evaluate untried areas. This call by the Minister for change in our appraisal of housing plans is timely. However, the question is whether our administrators are prepared to accommodate this new development, as the old system is extremely effective, at least during the earlier quantitative phase of our construction. To be fair to the Ministry of National Development, I see steps being taken with the introduction of the Development Guide Plans. Initially, the public were invited to give their comments and to make suggestions to the two plans, ie, the Civic Centre and the Kallang Basin projects.”
“Sir, I have two amendments here. Can I take them altogether?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, many of us in this House are not familiar with the Sultan Hussain Ordinance. Perhaps the Minister could give us more historical background on this particular Ordinance. We also want to know what does the Ordinance say.”
“This Government has always reiterated that for the lower income group it will provide the safety net for housing, education and health costs. But as costs escalate, so the level at which help is given must be regularly reviewed and adjusted. Our attempt to increase our talent pool by selective immigration will inevitably bring problems. One problem is the cultural gap that exists between overseas and local people, even within the same ethnic background. Another often voiced complaint is that young immigrants have no obligation to do national service. This should be partially redressed by encouraging immigrants to volunteer in part-time paramilitary service, eg, our civil defence. This will also bond them closer to the local community. Those who want to take advantage of our excellent national service training and want to volunteer should be made most welcome. Indeed, as the numbers of immigrants increase, their impact on our local population would be felt most acutely, especially in terms of the young competing for quality jobs, housing, schools and other services. We need to minimise any such tendencies towards resentment. The education of our young is the key to our future prosperity. Thus the Edusave Scheme, revamping of the education system and plans for the new university and polytechnic are exciting developments. These opportunities are open to all races. In particular, I would urge Malay Singaporeans through the help of MENDAKI to grasp these opportunities fully in order to improve their economic position. Being a small community, their human resources are limited. It will be better for them to sink their personal differences, curb their tendencies to form rival organisations and work wholeheartedly through MENDAKI for the overall benefit of their community.”
“These could be families who have to choose between a larger house or better education for their children. Or they could be families in sudden financial distress. And the public amenities and environment of these homes should be even better provided, as the disadvantaged residents need them more than ever. Similarly, Government needs to maintain well-run and well-equipped state schools and hospitals. While the Ministry of Health has assured that all hospitals will have B2 and C class beds, I would like the Ministry of Health to study whether the total number of these beds is commensurate with the percentage of the population which needs them. Taken all together, the total cost of living has greatly increased for the middle class, if only because the Government's ambitious schemes have raised expectations so high. Every parent now wants the best for his children. In the end, it could undermine our efforts to increase population growth. The Government's stated aim is more children for those who can afford it. But the increase in the number of children from the higher income sector may not be enough. This can be seen by the fact that the auspicious Dragon year plus all the tax incentives failed to achieve the 2.1% growth we targeted. If the broad middle class feel they cannot give that quality of living to more than one or two children, they might decide still to limit their families. Increasingly, when asked if they would consider having a third child, young couples reply, "We can't afford it." The total cost of having a child in terms of birth expenses, child care, housing and education may be the prohibitive factor in the population equation and this needs looking into.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the motion standing in the name of the Member for Toa Payoh GRC and to congratulate the President on his Address which gives a very detailed analysis of the state of the nation and directions for the future. The transition of office to Mr Goh Chok Tong has been smooth and due in no small way to the confidence that the people of Singapore had in him. The many channels that he had established for the people to communicate their views to the Government is, I think, one of his significant achievements. The GPCs, the Feedback Unit, the many committees on population, health, education and economy are all structured to draw widely on the views of private citizens, be they experts or men in the street. The intention of the GPCs and Select Committees to broaden their roles will enhance this consultative process. This clearly shows that consultation is not detrimental to the process of effective government. We can and should debate on the major issues. But at the end of the day, we must take appropriate decisions and get on with implementation. Singaporeans want to be heard. They want to know how they will fit in with the goals in the next lap that the Government has set out to achieve. They are worried that the cost of gracious living, restructured and privatised hospitals and schools may be out of the reach of their pockets. While the aim of upgrading should go on, Government must continue to provide choices in the basic services of housing, education and health, especially to households with total incomes of less than $2,000. For example, while Government aims for the majority of homes to be 4-room flats or better, it must continue to have 3-room flats for those who prefer to have smaller living spaces.”
“I call for a more cautious approach in the implementation of these values because these values impinge on the individual, the family, the community, race and religion. The interpretation and translation of these values into respective languages must be carried out carefully, bearing in mind the sensitive nature. Even yesterday's Straits Times carried a report headlined, "Something lost in translations of Shared Values". In this article it was reported that participants detected different nuances and interpretations when the values were rendered in English and in the other languages. The example quoted referred to the first value in English, that is, "Nation before community and society above self". The Chinese translation, "Nation above all, Society comes first", leaves out the element of self or the individual. To many, nation above self is open to abuse by anyone in power. So with different translations resulting in different interpretations, we can get into serious problems. I would therefore agree with Mr Chandra Das and Mr Chew Heng Ching that there should be a total approach to this, with a special team of writers and, in particular, historians, to bring out these values in simple stories and anecdotes. Although the Deputy Prime Minister and Dr Seet think otherwise, I would still want to propose a Shared Values Committee comprising officials from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Community Development and some private sector representation. It should be formed to provide guidance, advice and strategy in carrying out this task. Finally, there should be a review panel separate from this to yearly or twice-yearly to review the progress made.”
“But now it is more accommodating. You can see the changes happening. Compare the first few Select Committees which were held and those held recently, there is a change happening. Our leaders learn fast from feedback received. They know that people are emotional creatures. You may have the substance but you still need the style. However, this new style of consultative process is winning, as our leaders become more personable. Mr Speaker, Sir, contention implies a competition of ideas and ideology. If not contained or moderated, it may end in conflicts resulting in a cleavage of our society. In other words, put contention to the extreme, and you breed violence and conflict. I therefore support the amendment by Dr Arthur Beng that we rephrase the fourth value as mentioned in the amendment. This clearly implies that we do not want to end up fighting, but there will be free exchange of views, contentious ones too. But at the end of the day, good sense must prevail. An agreement is reached, even on the disagreements. I go along with the other amendment. I think the word "respect" is a better choice than "regard". I have no strong feelings on this. The other four values proposed, "Nation before community and society above self; Family as the basic unit of society; Regard and community support for the individual; Racial and religious harmony", are universal values with an Asian emphasis and I am in agreement with these values. The question is how to get these values internalised in us, as Dr Tay Eng Soon puts it. Should we go around the usual way with campaign slogans? I suggest we better not. I am not against campaigns. But these campaigns sometimes get carried too far by over enthusiastic bureaucrats. Let us have some sophisticated and subtle way of imparting these values.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to give support to this amendment. I remember the first time the issue was mooted in October 1988 by the then First Deputy Prime Minister, many questions were asked, amongst which was whether this was an attempt by the Government to come up with a set of rules for all to abide. There were also fears by the minority and a section of the educated elite that Confucianistic values will be imposed so that Singaporeans will be more obedient. Therefore, it was not surprising to read in the Straits Times of 9th January 1991 that the value "Consensus instead of contention" emerges as the most controversial issue. This, according to some Singaporeans including the hon. Opposition Member, Mr Chiam, can be used to put the Opposition down. It was also interpreted as Government's intolerance of dissent and their perception is based on historical reasons. How do we get Singaporeans to understand our true intention? The new style government of Prime Minister Goh is one of consultation and persuasion and this has made Singaporeans more and more intolerant of sledgehammer politics. They like the process of deriving a common ground through discussions, debates and general consensus. And they also want to see those who advocate this style demonstrate this virtue. Many have criticised the manner in which we conducted our Select Committee hearings. The style is predictable, as complained by some Singaporeans. They accused us of being contentious and interrogative. So what is all this talk about consensus seeking, they want to know. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not easy to handle these open discussions. You have to contend with strangers who want to take you on. So how do you react? In the beginning, it was combative. Then it became more interrogative.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support this Bill and I would just like to ask the Minister two questions. The first question is: what are the reasons for introducing the use of practising certificates for the registered architects and professional engineers? The second question is: what are the reasons for including clause 11(3)(b) of the Professional Engineers Bill to permit only a professional engineer to use as a title before his or her name the word "Engineer" or its abbreviation "Er." or "Engr."?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Bill. This Bill is important because it affects the work of the architects. In fact, this Bill is linked, as the Minister has rightly pointed out, to the Professional Engineers Bill. I would just like to ask the Minister a few questions. Some of the questions do cover the Professional Engineers Bill which the Minister will be moving later. So I hope he does not mind if I ask questions that cover both Bills. The first question I would like to ask is how do the existing Architects Act and the Professional Engineers Act presently restrict architects and professional engineers to practise only as sole proprietors or in partnerships consisting only of members of the same profession. The next question is: what are the advantages for architects to practise in the form of companies? The profession of architecture, like all other professions, requires the qualified person to be professionally responsible for his work. Thus, the new Act in allowing the practice to be incorporated into a company negates his professional responsibility. Will the responsibility of an architect be reduced as allied professionals become his partners of an architectural practice?”
“Sir, I suspect that many who criticise along this line of argument also harbour a secret wish that the Prime Minister continues to serve Singapore as the first Elected President. They know that this is good for our country. I support the proposal.”
“Recently, there have been suggestions of the Ombudsman or the Parliamentary Commissioner to check on the civil service. Therefore, changes to our system have been going on or have been put in place. Now, we are examining the role of the President and whether he should be given more powers to cover three more important areas - control of reserves, appointments of key personnel and check corruption. Like the other changes that were made, we must expect and accept certain changes, certain roles that go along with it. I am not sure whether these changes will be good or bad. But we have moved in this direction, we must be prepared for eventualities. For example, with the establishment of a new political base in the Presidency, because he has the powers to check spending and to make appointments, there will be inevitable conflict between the President and the Prime Minister, if not in the present, in the years to come. Is this bad? It could plunge us into aconstitutional crisis. However, conflicts need not necessarily be bad, because institutions must undergo the test for it to strengthen. Even in France, the Prime Minister and the President had conflicts, and these constitutional conflicts caused, I am sure, many problems, but could have brought about a strengthening, a better working, and a better understanding of the system. Mr Speaker, Sir, at dialogue sessions that I had with my grassroots on the Elected Presidency, some had made this comment that the Elected President was mooted by the Prime Minister to suit him with the sole purpose of ensuring his continuity in office. It was as if it was wrong or not proper to have the Prime Minister as our President.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to speak. I rise to support the First Deputy Prime Minister's proposal. I have spoken at length on this subject at the last debate and I do not wish to go into all the points I have raised. Sir, many Singaporeans prefer an apolitical President. This is because an apolitical President helps to jell our people of different races and political affiliations. He is seen as a neutral person and acceptance of him is easier. We have had this arrangement since independence. The idea or even the thought of changing the ceremonial role of the President to an "Executive" role begs a lot of questions. These questions were asked by many of my fellow MPs who spoke yesterday and today and I need not dwell on them. People do not like to see change, especially when everything seems all right. This is more so if we have a kind fatherly figure of our present President, Mr Wee Kim Wee, as Head of State. Singaporean Chinese, Indians, Malays love his warm, friendly nature. He has indeed been a unifying force for all Singaporeans. It is therefore understandable why a fair number of Singaporeans do not want to see the Presidency change. But times change, views also change. Mr Speaker, Sir, our country is getting wealthier, financial matters more complicated, legislations are also getting more complicated; people's expectations are more, demand to spend on our accumulated wealth is also tempting. How do we cope with all these competing needs and expectations? We have indeed gone about putting in place certain institutions, as informed by Prof. Jayakumar this morning, like the GRC, the Town Councils, the NCMP, the NMP, Maintenance of Religious Harmony Bill, to cover but some of the areas of concern.”
“Generally, I am glad to know the Minister's commitment to make as many schools as possible, and in particular the popular schools, to offer all second languages, or at least the three major second languages. As a matter of implementation though, one point has to be noted. Many good schools now in theory offer all three second languages. But in practice, what happens is that they say they will only offer all three languages provided there are sufficient numbers of students. Popular schools will have a large number of applicants and by the system of selection, students of any particular race may fall below the required minimum in order for the school to opt for the particular second language within their curriculum time. I can see that it would be illogical to require every school to employ a Tamil or Malay teacher, regardless of how small the number of students is. But I think there are ways around it. Perhaps a few such schools could come together and employ one teacher who could move round the schools. But there may be some administrative problems about time tables and so on. Henry Park School is an example of a school which, for some years, in theory, offered Tamil, but in practice did not, because there were never enough Tamil students to take it. If our education system is moving towards the Japanese system, then what we have is that you need to get to a good primary school in order to get to a good secondary school, and you need to get to a good secondary school in order to get to university. And if we accept meritocracy as the only principle, then regardless of race, all children of all races should have theoretical as well as practical access to all good schools. That is the point I wish to make, Sir.”
“These two elements are at the heart of our national objectives and I would appreciate it if the Minister could take them into consideration. Mr K. Shanmugam (Sembawang GRC): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to make two short points on the Hon. Minister's statement. First, on the SAP school and the second, a more general point, on the offering of second language by schools generally. Sir, on the SAP scheme, I think there is a concern, and I would say a legitimate concern, that a proportion of the brightest children in Singapore may go through 10 formative years without the close interaction with the children of other races. I hear what the Minister says, but I think it has to be accepted that the more time children spend with children of other races or the more time children spend in a multi-racial environment, the greater the empathy will be towards multi-racialism. The empathy factor may be directly proportional to the time spent and, in the context of Singapore, that is an important point. Such close interaction is available in all schools generally. The concern is that it may not be as easily available in the SAP schools. While I support the SAP scheme, perhaps we could consider one idea. I do not think that it is necessary to set up a separate SAP school for children of other races, but perhaps a multi-racial environment could be created in the existing SAP schools with ML1 and TL1 being offered by the same schools. This would provide a physical environment where children of all races come together but they study the different languages at a higher degree. Perhaps this is just one thought. The second point that I wish to make is the offering of second language in schools.”
“Mr Speaker, I am not sure that Malays face the same problem, that is, the rapid erosion of cultural values and the need to build a single community speaking one language and not different dialects, as is faced by Singaporeans of Chinese descent. Mr Speaker, the Malays have overcome the dialect problem and Malay is now universally used within the community. I do not know about future generations, of course. Secondly, the performance of Malay students in Malay language is satisfactory. This is partly owing to the strong environment that exists for the study of Malay at home. Thirdly, the number of Malay students taking Malay as a first language, or ML1, is stable. From a total of 322 students taking ML1, 90 of them are in Secondary 1, 81 in Secondary 2, 84 in Secondary 3 and 67 are now in Secondary 4. These figures are the result of a conscious choice made by parents. The problem actually faced by Malay students is in attaining a high level of performance in English, Mathematics and Science. Creating a SAP school specially for Malay students might strengthen the Malay language and enhance awareness of Malay culture but I am not sure if it would not jeorpadize their performance in English. Parents would rather see their bright children studying and succeeding in good schools than in some special school. And for this reason, I welcome the Government's move to introduce ML2 in schools which hitherto did not offer the subject. Mr Speaker, another no less important aspect is the desire of the Malays to enter the national mainstream and to be a part of our multi-racial society. The right climate for this exists in schools with a multi-racial student population.”
“If there is any difficulty in ensuring the students' exposure to the ideal multi-racial climate in the development of their social attitudes, it does not mean we ought to maintain the status quo regardless of the views of the other communities. Thus, I would like today to suggest two possibilities. If the Member for Ayer Rajah wants the twinning of SAP schools, I would ask that the Minister consider the possibility of placing SAP schools under a "one school three wings" or "one school three branches" concept if the Malays and Indians want such school. This idea would mean our students are exposed to an environment with three components. During curriculum hours, they would take lessons meant to impart cultural elements and values but, in the afternoon, during ECA, pupils of all ethnic backgrounds would play and interact with one another. If this is not possible, I would still urge that special subjects dealing with social views and attitudes be offered to SAP students, with emphasis on multi-racialism. As I make this proposal, I would like to take the opportunity to comment on the points made by an academic who said, inter alia, when he wrote about the SAP schools, and I quote: ' . . non-Chinese parents in general are made to feel deprived [ie, of their right] in not being able to send their bright children to schools similar to such schools [ie, SAP schools].' I am not clear what Dr Hussin Mutalib meant when he made this statement, published in the Straits Times of 23rd June. If what he meant to say by "deprived" is that there is a plea for the same opportunity to be provided to Malay students, that is to establish SAP schools specially for Malay students, he should first of all ask whether Malays face the same problems as the Chinese and want the same solution.”