Tan Wu Meng
Singapore
“So, if I may just recall briefly what I said five years ago during the debate on the President's Address. Healthcare is about all our people's lives, your life and mine, the lives of our loved ones, the life of every Singaporean. And with that, let us all hope for healthier and happier lives together.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank all who contributed to this debate. Our MOH leadership and MPs of all persuasions. Also want to express deepest thanks to our entire healthcare family, our front liners, the support team and our public officers. If I may briefly seek the indulgence of Speaker —”
“I thank the Ministry of Transport (MOT) for sharing that there are plans to introduce regulations to address the issue of online shops selling AMDs that are in breach and unsafe.”
“The online Community Justice and Tribunals System brings convenience to those who can go online. What happens to seniors who are less digitally-savvy, less literate or who may not be so familiar with the English language?”
“Mr Speaker, I thank MOE for this move. On the topic of social capital and social network diversity, can I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary that for these studies, will MOE look at it much further into the future?”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister of State for her answer. My Clementi residents shared with me that they discovered their child was vaping. Because they did not know what to do, they brought their child to the nearest Police station. The Police referred the case to HSA and the child was issued with a $300 fine for vaping.”
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“Mr Deputy Speaker, with your permission, I would like to ask three supplementary questions. As background, if a prominent company, especially one linked to the Government, fails to uphold the law and proper standards of conduct wherever they are, it hurts our national reputation. As my residents have told me, it is not enough just to win or get the job done. My first question is: even if the Government or Temasek Holdings do not manage the day-to-day operations of GLCs, what measures are there to send a clear signal that Singaporeans and Singapore companies overseas must not engage in corrupt behaviour, whether directly or through proxy agents? My second question is: does the Government have a view on whether KOM should conduct a claw-back of bonuses paid out to ex-employees implicated in illegal behaviour? Even if KOM has no legal means of claw-back, should such bonuses be subject to forfeit by law under the Penal Code or the PCA, if not so already? Thirdly, for Government tenders, what incentives are there to shape the behaviour of proxies and agents to minimise the risks of illegal activity? For example, should there be punitive liquidated damages written into a tender in the event that a contractor is found to have breached the law either in Singapore or overseas?”
“I, once again, want to thank the Minister, the team at LTA and also the SMRT new chairmanship for their efforts. There has been talk about the regulator-operator relationship. The relationship between the people and how they work together. I think we also have to think a lot about the relationships within the operator, how people at different levels in an organisation, especially one going through a tough time like this, relate to one another. So, if I may just share a personal view, as part of clarification, I think it would be very important that staff always feel comfortable highlighting problems upwards to management, especially if the problem cannot be solved at their own level, and that management continues to want to know what the problems are, to try and fix them. Rather than engage in a culture of shaming and blaming, which we know does not work in aviation, neither does it work in healthcare. Secondly, also a culture where the KPI or the checkbox is not the meaning in and of itself. It is what the KPI and checkbox represent, the work that is actually done. That, again, is the message in aviation as well as in healthcare. Lastly, also, in addition to condition monitoring and technology for infrastructure and hardware, also using technology to strengthen the "heartware" and help people. So, just as we use technology today to improve audit of corporate finance or of whether tenders are being awarded appropriately in line with appropriate corporate governance, we see this in the corporate sector, likewise using technology to help HR and help workers look for blind spots in their work processes.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for her answer and explanations. I have two supplementary questions. Firstly, how can the Ministry improve public understanding of the importance of attending Court and having representations made, including in family justice cases? I say this because I have met residents in Clementi, some of whom did not attend these hearings and were subsequently distressed when the outcome went against them. Secondly, I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State if she could elaborate further on how individual lawyers can play a role in helping to build a better and stronger family justice system.”
“It is why we have GRCs, to guarantee that minorities will always have representation in Parliament, guarding against failure in political markets, socio-political markets, so that every political party, as Mr Murali had said, if they want to mount a serious campaign nationally, they have to be multiracial and cannot play only to one race. Because the reality around the world is that, even when the finish line is the same, some have had to walk further and longer just to get to the start. Recognising our human imperfections, we can understand why there is a hiatus-triggered reserved Presidential election, so that children from every race have a fair chance to see a President from their own community, at least once in a generation. The earliest date another reserved election may be triggered would be in the year 2041. By then, my children will be all grown up. I am sure they will have kids of their own by then − my grandchildren. And I hope that by then, we would have elected a minority candidate as President in an open election.”
“It is a sense of trust and closeness. During my walkabouts in Clementi, I met Mdm Esah, one of our Clementi makciks. She had a young toddler with her, a young Chinese boy, one year old. Puan Esah shared that she was helping babysit her neighbour's child during the day because the parents were busy. I was deeply moved by this story, because it is a message of trust and harmony where neighbours of different races trust one another with their children. It is a message that this is your life and mine. I trust you with my flesh and blood. I trust you with my future. But this closeness and friendship and trust, they do not happen spontaneously. It requires a whole of Government effort. It needs a whole of society. Because we know that, in other countries which have taken a free market, laissez-faire, hands-off approach to racial harmony, the outcomes have been very, very unhappy. We saw that in the banlieues in France. We saw that in Ferguson, Charlottesville, in the US. And that is why I am very glad that the Member speaking before also agrees that it is possible for social markets to fail, that we must never give in to the approach of free-market fundamentalism in social markets. It is for similar reasons that in Singapore, we have our EIP, so that children of different races grow up as neighbours and friends from young. It is why we have the PCMR to scrutinise Parliament's legislation so that the majority does not discriminate against the minority.”
“Mr Speaker, I am glad to hear there is actually a lot of common ground in this House today – both sides of the House, Members of the Government bench, the non-Government bench, the Nominated Members, the Non-Constituency Members. Because we do agree that the threat of terrorism is a very real one and that our defences have to go beyond prevention and rescue. Not just the day before. Not just the day when the attack happens. We also have to strengthen our social fabric for afterwards. For the day after. And that is why I am glad to hear there are lots of agreement that we need to deepen and strengthen our multiracialism in Singapore. Some see it as a socio-weapon, a steel that helps us stand against those who would divide us. Some see it as defence against globalised forces that would corrupt and poison our society. I see it, first and foremost, as a strength and aspiration. A strength born out of love. Love that Singaporeans share for the dream of a multiracial society. A dream that was audacious 50 years ago in the early days of Singapore's existence. A dream that in many countries seems further and further away. A dream that recognises that we are all not perfect, we are all imperfect but that we still believe that we can grow closer to a more perfect union of our people. It is also the love that a child feels for their friends and playmates of different races, religions and cultures. Children meeting in the void decks of our HDB estates, playing, dancing, learning together. Seeing diversity as something interesting and fulfilling to learn from, without seeing it as a difference. It is also the love that neighbours feel for one another, when they grow closer over the years. That sense of friendship, wanting to grow the shared common space. Giving, rather than taking.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answer. If I may also ask: will the Ministry explore involving our primary care practitioners in the community as well? So, the Family Medicine physicians, the general practitioners, the intermediate and long-term care sector as well as the nursing homes, as part of this data sharing, so that all stakeholders can have a better overview of each patient's journey so that caregivers and patients can have a smoother, more seamless experience.”
“On the Member's second question as to whether or not we conduct table-top exercises, what IMDA does is they work with the operators to ensure that, first, their own network must be resilient; and, secondly, the overall connectivity, and the possible systemic effects of one network over the other are also addressed. So, IMDA works very closely, firstly, to make sure that they implement the code that I mentioned earlier. Secondly, we ask them to do regular audits and IMDA will then take a global view across the entire sector to ascertain any risk at the network level. So, we continue to explore this because we know that the systems will be getting more complex and a fourth operator is about to come in. So, we have to make sure that connectivity remains resilient.”
“I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. I have two supplementary questions, please. Firstly, I recall, in 2006, an earthquake near Taiwan damaged regional undersea cables and, for some time, Singapore Internet users had difficulty with overseas telephony and even broadband Internet access. Does our current planning consider potential major natural disasters, besides typhoons, for example? Secondly, I was wondering whether at the national level there are ongoing table-top exercises to look at the impact of disruptions to Internet infrastructure that extends beyond just a single Internet service provider so that we can explore for potential systemic factors that individual service providers on their own might not have considered? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, on the first question, as I have said earlier, we will continue to learn. In fact, we have learnt from the previous incidents so that we can enhance the resilience of our network. Following the Taiwan earthquake in December 2006, our operators have ensured that not all cable systems pass through the same earthquake-prone areas near Taiwan and Japan. Secondly, some of our operators have made their cable network design more resilient to cable cuts by connecting the Southeast and East Asian countries in a ring manner which allows traffic to be rerouted via the unaffected part of the cable system when one part is cut. In other words, we learn, study and see where the points of systemic risks are and how we can overcome them.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answers. I have two supplementary questions which I would like to set in context as well. Firstly, would the Senior Minister of State explore rolling out best practices across the different agencies in Government, such that residents, especially senior citizens, are aware of this opportunity to still have a human interaction encounter, even as we transition to Smart Nation? By illustration, I mention an anecdote where my resident showed me a letter from an agency, written in English, saying that e-services would replace manual forms and asking the residents to get ready with their SingPass and two-factor authentication. But some of these residents were elderly, not quite familiar, and sadly, became quite concerned. Secondly, I was also wondering whether there would be a deliberate effort to look at ease of use of the Smart Nation's systems, even tracking small details, such as the number of clicks, the number of movements needed. The reason for this is, again, to make it easy enough that people transition without the solution being imposed on them. Because, if I may say, as part of a Smart Nation, we need smart design, inclusive design, with Singaporeans, for Singaporeans, for Singapore.”
“May I also congratulate Speaker on your appointment and thank you for your indulgence. I have got two supplementary questions for the Senior Minister of State for Transport. Firstly, regarding consultation for changes to a cashless public transport system, can the Senior Minister of State reassure us that there will continue to be a significant face-to-face component of such consultations so that elderly residents, who cannot always advocate for themselves, will still be involved in the consultation process? Secondly, will the Ministry of Transport (MOT) consider applying some of the cost savings and manpower savings towards hiring and deploying more staff who are fluent in dialects and the vernacular, so that our seniors can remain included and able to be guided on this journey towards a cashless transport system?”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answer and I would like to raise a few supplementary questions. Firstly, the Senior Minister of State mentioned that of the approximately 69 bid submissions over the past three years from contractors with a history of serious safety lapses, he mentioned two were successful. Would the Senior Minister of State happen to have information on whether of these two successful bids from such contractors with such a safety lapse history, were there any subsequent serious safety lapses on these projects after the contractor won the bid in these two cases? My second supplementary question is: in the event of a serious safety lapse, such as a fatality, to what extent would that shift the quality assessment of the contractor's subsequent bids? The background to this, Mdm Speaker, is I am wondering whether there is a risk that some contractors may already be pricing in the impact of safety compliance and whether this may shape contractor behaviour.”
“I believe the Hansard will reflect that my understanding of Mr Png's speech was that he was alluding to a certain point of view. That seems to be quite a possibly natural conclusion to draw from the points he was making. Will Mr Png reply to my clarification as well, please?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, from my understanding of Mr Png Eng Huat's speech, he seems to adopt a particular view that the value of the house was confined to just one family in a very narrow way, and I wonder if that meant he was suggesting the house had no heritage value for the rest of Singapore. If I may ask, what is Mr Png's position on whether the house should be demolished, and whether he thinks it should be demolished now?”
“Each of us, in our own way, can shape the future for the sons and daughters of tomorrow. We cannot change the past. But we must always ask ourselves how we can make things better, so that our grandchildren's generation never find themselves wishing they could turn back the clock and start all over again. Yesterday is already written. But tomorrow is still ours to shape, our days of present futures. [Deputy Speaker (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) in the Chair] So, I hope with all my heart that today's divisions can somehow be reconciled, that the pain and sadness felt throughout so much of Singapore can and will be healed, and that whatever happens, our Singapore, our country, will come through this stronger and better than before. [Applause.]”
“Mdm Speaker, I am Advisor to the Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees' Union (SMEEU). I have met Singaporeans − brothers and sisters − in the Offshore and Marine sector. We know what the recent oil prices have done to that sector. Husbands, fathers, mothers, breadwinners are wondering if they will still have a job next month. Have the recent events helped our brothers and sisters who are worrying about work? At our Inclusive Job Fair in Clementi and during my home visits as a constituency MP, I have met middle-aged workers wondering if there will be new jobs available if they lose their existing jobs. Has what happened online, has all that helped our workers? We see terrorism and extremism around the world. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) wanting to set up a province, a wilayat in Southeast Asia, trying to brainwash people through social media from halfway around the world. Has this public dispute, this poison, has it made us safer? We see world events shaping our environment, shifting the stage that Singapore balances on. Does all this strengthen our place in the sun? Does it help our small and medium enterprises (SMEs) stand tall and proud overseas? Does it help our citizens when they seek opportunities elsewhere and engage with overseas counterparts? Or has it cast a long shadow on our little red dot? Mdm Speaker, this dispute may be between the flesh and blood of our Founding father Mr Lee. But all of us are sons and daughters of Singapore, the Singapore that Mr Lee and his Pioneer generation built. Not just the country of our birth. Our country, our home, our Singapore. And our Singapore deserves a lot better than what happened at 2.00 am on 14 June this year. Mdm Speaker, the wheel of history will always turn. It keeps on turning.”
“So, we should not rush, especially when emotions are high and feelings are raw. We should take our time. Do not rush to decide. Do not rush to tear down what cannot be rebuilt. Do not rush to unmake what can never be made whole again. The same principle has to apply to the greater house that Mr Lee and the Founders built. A greater house − the home that is Singapore. Our cohesion as one people, our togetherness, our system of rule of law, that fairness and our stature as a shining red dot, hoping to light the way to a better future. A country where citizens can stand tall in the world, proud of what our country stands for. All this is the greater house that is Singapore. Our founding leaders, our Pioneer generation spent their whole lives building this up. Let us not allow it to be knocked down on a whim. Singapore is not perfect. In Singapore, the story is always about getting the country better and making the country even better. So, if there is a problem, it matters whether there is evidence, because the evidence helps us find out where we can do better. But likewise, if there is no evidence, let it be known as well that there is no evidence. If I may say to those who have been alleging abuse of power, those who have been making online allegations: show us the evidence, bring it all out. There is the whole night tonight to post on Facebook. I am sure WP will appreciate it. I am sure our PAP MPs will appreciate it. I am sure our NMPs will appreciate it. I am sure the people of Singapore will appreciate it. If there is evidence, let it all come out before this debate is over. Do not come back later and say there was no chance to have the issue heard, because there are many other things that Singapore needs to deal with − big, big challenges ahead for Singapore.”
“It is going to be very important to find out why exactly was this Ministerial Committee looking at the will, given what has been said online and given the concerns that many of my residents have raised. Like me, my residents are not legally trained. People ask, how does the Ministerial Committee fit in with a layperson's understanding of due process? This needs to be explained thoroughly because the rule of law is not just about due process. It is about public confidence in that process, confidence that the rule of law applies and is applied equally, the confidence that allows people from all walks of life to believe in the system and continue living in it. Madam, our Government also has a duty to both current and future generations. Mr Lee Kuan Yew had written about Dr Lee Wei Ling continuing to stay at 38 Oxley Road. This could be for many years more. As long as she wants. Indeed, for as long as she lives. Right now, there does not seem to be a need to rush to decide. So, some of my residents asked: what exactly is being asked of the Government in this dispute? They are perplexed. I am perplexed. Indeed, if 38 Oxley Road were demolished in haste, as Mr Png Eng Huat seems to allude to, it may well mean fewer choices for future governments and later generations of Singaporeans. There is an issue of intergenerational equity here. Just as we have thought very carefully about our fiscal Reserves and how choices made by one generation should not over-commit the next generation, likewise, there is an issue of intergenerational heritage equity that we have to think about as well. Because once the house is smashed and gone, it is lost forever. In SG100, two generations from now, SG100 Singaporeans might want it to stand again − the house or the basement.”
“Because while Mr Lee Hsien Loong has his family duty as the eldest son, Prime Minister Lee has a duty to Singapore. And Singapore must always come first. Putting Singapore first means a duty to uphold the rule of law. Because in a fair and just society, the system and laws have to be bigger than any one person or family because no one comes into this world choosing who their parents are, where they will be born, which postal code they will be born in. That is why the law must apply equally, regardless of your background. And the law of land acquisition does apply equally to the wealthy and famous, as much as to the farmer in a kampung. This equality of land law is still something very, very rare throughout the world. If we look all around us, across the arc of human history, dispossession, being disadvantaged in the system, is often what happens to the powerless elsewhere. In other countries, curbs on private property rights very rarely hit those with power, or those who can influence people in power. That is what happens elsewhere. But not in Singapore. And that is why we have to preserve this Singapore principle of the rule of law. Let me talk about the Ministerial Committee. The rule of law is also about due process. And there are questions to be asked, that my residents have asked, about the Ministerial Committee looking at 38 Oxley Road. My residents, many are not lawyers; they are lay persons. They are wondering, could this task not have been assigned to the Founders Memorial Committee, which was already looking at how to remember our Founders? Could the question have been put to the Founders Memorial Committee earlier? Some of my residents have also asked, why should this Ministerial Committee be studying Mr Lee Kuan Yew's will?”
“Mdm Speaker, hearing the stories of families, listening to stories of families from residents, I wanted to share a short story of my own. I remember one of my last conversations with my late father. He was ill with cancer, not getting better. I was at his bedside visiting him at home. By then, he could not stand up for long. Sitting up was hard. Breathing was a challenge. But he could still talk. We talked for a while. And then he reminded me not to take up too much time with him. Because there were other cancer patients who needed me more as their doctor. But this story is not unique. It is a story that every Singaporean family relates to in their own way, in their own journey, whether it is other doctors or nurses in our hospitals working to cure illness, to comfort patients, even if it means less time with loved ones who are sick. It is a story that is lived by our teachers in our schools who uplift the lives of young Singaporeans, even though every extra hour at home with their own children would mean one less hour at school with the students they are looking after. It is a story that will be understood by our Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) servicemen who know that operational readiness and commitment to defence, making that sacrifice is how we deter external threats from intimidating Singapore. And it is a story that will be known by our Home Team officers who leave their children behind when they go on duty − firefighters running towards danger rather than running away as we saw on videos on social media some months back; Police Officers stepping into harm's way so that other parents' children can live and sleep safe at night. Yet, I am sure many Singaporeans, and many of my residents have told me, they can only imagine how much harder it is for our Prime Minister.”
“Just one more question to the Senior Minister of State. I thank the Senior Minister of State for her explanation about the training process and how it is continually being improved. If not already done so, could the training also involve descriptions and updates of case studies of previous outbreaks so as to both build awareness and vigilance among trainees to avoid repeating the same mistakes?”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for her answer. I have got two supplementary questions. Firstly, would NEA consider arranging some form of compulsory training for stallholders and eatery operators to help improve the overall compliance with public health standards? Secondly, given the role of the supporting staff in an eatery, would NEA consider making it mandatory for all workers in an eatery to have basic public health training? So, including the cleaning crew and those collecting the plates so that they understand the very key role that each team member has in protecting public health.”
“Madam, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answer. It is an issue that many of my Clementi residents worry about as well. I have two supplementary questions. Firstly, does the current consumer price index (CPI) include infant milk formula in the basket of goods to assess cost of living? As background, I note the recent CPI report mentioned milk, cheese and eggs under food, but not specifically infant formula. Secondly, will MTI consider studying a cost-of-living index, specifically for parents with young children, so that the Government can understand better how to support young families, especially families starting with less?”
“Again, disadvantaged by drugs; drugs promoting inequality, poisoning families, damaging the next generation. So, even as we take a tough stand to prevent drug peddlers poisoning our fellow Singaporeans and their families, we also need to look very carefully at how we can help these families recover, ensure their children still have a fair start in life. So that even as we protect our borders from the scourge of drugs, even as we protect our fellow Singaporeans, those hurt by drugs and their families still can find their way to a better future. I stand in support of this Motion. 7.00 pm”
“What we decide today shapes the course of a generation to come. It means a bad choice, an unwise choice, if it cannot be rolled back, will cast a very long shadow for what comes after, for our children and our grandchildren. We need to care and that means we need to be careful when people call upon Singapore to be tolerant of drugs, to condone drugs. We need to care and we need to be careful when certain propagandists, when certain lobbyists put forward what they claim to be scientific evidence, we need to ask ourselves to evaluate these reports critically, ask ourselves who is funding the research, who stands to benefit from the so-called research. Is there a certain narrative or a certain conflict of interest when these lobbyists claim that drugs are safer; when they claim that harm should be reduced; when they take a stance that it is soft on drugs rather than hard on the dangers that they pose to our people and our children? Because tolerating drugs also means tolerating the harm that drugs do to Singaporeans' lives. It means tolerating the damage to families − husbands and wives, sons and daughters. So, we have to be careful. And it also means we have to care. Mr Deputy Speaker, for Singaporeans whose lives have already been damaged by drugs, we have to bring hope, in particular, the hope of a future, especially for the children of parents whose lives have been damaged by drug abuse. At my Meet-the-People Sessions, I have met young mothers, trying to find work − very difficult. Juggling looking after their children, trying to find a job, husband in prison because of drugs. I have met middle-aged men, released from prison. Because their lives were blighted by drugs. Looking for employment, trying to rebuild their lives and families.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I stand in support of this Motion. I remember, many years ago, as a young junior doctor, looking after a young mother, whose life had been ruined by drugs. She had been abusing her drugs, injecting herself. Germs got into her blood. Germs went to her heart, eating away one of her heart valves, so her heart could not pump properly. The germs from the injection continued to spread, to her lungs and the rest of her body. That is what drug abuse did to her. A young mother, young children, their future taken away. That is what drugs did to them. Mr Deputy Speaker, she had no second chance. The drugs did not give her a chance. The person who introduced her to drug abuse, he did not give her a chance. Every person who continued to sell her illegal drugs for abuse, they never gave her a chance. She had no second chance. And we can also look to other countries like America, to see the extent of the problem. If we look at the statistics from the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, in the year 2015, there were over 50,000 deaths from drug overdose in America. It has been getting worse over time. In America, the death rate from overdose has more than doubled from 2002 to 2015. This does not even count the rate of drug-related crime: gang violence, robbery, murder, crimes under the influence. If we look at countries that have taken a soft approach, there is no straightforward way for these countries to roll back the situation because drugs have become so entrenched. You can see it in the United States. You can see it in parts of the West. You can see it in many countries around the world. And this has deep lessons for us in Singapore because policy choices at the beginning can set the tone for decades afterwards.”
“Mdm Speaker, just one clarification. I listened to Mr Faisal Manap's heartfelt speech. As a fellow Singaporean, I would like to understand his views better and learn more. I was wondering whether Mr Faisal Manap feels that the tudung issue is the most important issue faced by women in the Muslim community today, in particular, whether it is a very significant and most important issue. Secondly, I am also wondering what the Workers' Party's collective view on the tudung issue might be. I am hoping I could learn more about the Workers' Party's views and Mr Faisal Manap's views as well.”
“Madam, I just have three short clarifications for Minister of State Dr Lam Pin Min. Firstly, would the Minister of State join me in saluting the efforts of the nurses, doctors, healthcare workers of diverse backgrounds throughout Singapore who work so hard and with so much heart to serve our patients in primary care and our hospitals? Secondly, when a polyclinic expands, not in reference to any specific location, but generally, what kind of additional services may be provided? And does the Ministry take into account the demographics of the area? Thirdly, when we expand our polyclinics, will the layout be flexible so that there is adaptability to address future changes in demography and clinical needs?”
“Data-driven healthcare creates a tremendous potential to make every care environment a data-driven learning environment. How are we doing in Singapore? How is MOH utilising data-driven healthcare to help formulate guidelines and policies and set new relevant key performance indicators (KPIs)? I strongly feel that across the continuum from primary to tertiary care, there is, indeed, room for a concerted effort to revamp, relook, review, reconnect and reinvent. At the end of the day, it is really about the smart balance of technology, both the digital and the human touch.”
“Madam, a Swiss study quoted on Channel NewsAsia looked at how doctors spent their time at work. In this overseas study by Wenger and colleagues, no relation to the football manager, Swiss doctors spent less than one-third of their time on direct patient care. The rest was used up by paperwork and administrative duties. Madam, I think we can do much better than the Swiss. What measures is MOH taking to reduce paperwork and administration for doctors, nurses and healthcare workers? Furthermore, in the design of hospital wards and clinics, is MOH looking at economy of movement, making sure that staff do not have to move around more than necessary, making sure computer systems simplify rather than complicate? This can help our healthcare workers spend more time, and more quality time, with patients in better communication, better engagement, better care. Innovation and Productivity in Healthcare Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef: Madam, the healthcare industry is very labour-intensive. It is also a people- and patient-centric one, utilising the encounter-based delivery model. However, just doing our best and working very hard may not be good enough. As healthcare organisations face unprecedented challenges to enhance quality, productivity, reduce harm, improve access and efficiency, eliminate waste and lower cost, innovation and technology have to become a focus. It may require some shift in mindsets to implement new organisational models, service delivery and customer relations. The Harvard Business Review states that 65% of healthcare interactions will be mobile by 2018. Investments in consumer-facing mobile apps, wearable technology, remote monitoring devices, virtual care and big data analytics will become common practices.”
“This is why it is all the more important that MOH ensures that every child with a life-limiting illness, every such child and their parents, have adequate access to subsidised care in the community so that on this most heartbreaking of journeys, parent and child can be supported as best as possible. Palliative Care”
“Madam, my residents tell me that the Clementi Polyclinic is very, very crowded. While the CHAS scheme helps bring some of the patients to nearby GPs, many Clementi residents are concerned whether the polyclinic will get more crowded in the years ahead, especially with new HDB developments, an ageing population, more chronic diseases and senior residents with mobility needs needing more space in the waiting room of the polyclinic as they move around. Can MOH consider expanding the Clementi Polyclinic and other polyclinics nationwide in a similar situation? This will help MOH stay ahead of future demand and provide better care to keep our residents in better health. Primary Care Networks Next, more broadly, primary care has to be the bedrock of a healthcare system, especially with an ageing population. Can MOH tell us how it plans to strengthen primary care nationwide so that more patients can be managed in the community more effectively? Will these networks link up with nursing homes, VWOs and other agencies like MSF's Social Service Offices, to provide more holistic care across the patient's journey in the community? Palliative Care for Sick Children Next, on palliative care. As a doctor and as the son of a cancer patient, I have seen first-hand how important palliative care can be for adult patients. That need is even more crucial when the patient on palliative care is a child, a child with life-limiting illness. The child may not understand what is going on and the parents will need that extra support. For the parents, the journey is heartbreaking when the child has a life-limiting illness. No parent wants to outlive their child. No parent wants to see their child suffering or in pain.”
“For example, one person I met, who after speaking to him for a while, told me, "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Another one I met, who was very concerned about needy Singaporeans, shared with me and said that, "Fortunately, I met you this morning. I have a better perspective about the issue now. But you must help needy Singaporeans." And another one shared with me that he has read this post which shows that the water price will increase by more than 30%. He said, "The social media is a dangerous place. I got all my facts and figures wrong." So, I feel that without our efforts and clarifications, I fear that many Singaporeans will get the wrong information and may be misguided. Still, there are residents whom I met who were concerned about the increase in water tariffs. I would like to ask the Minister: with the price hike in water, is water still affordable to Singaporeans, especially to the low- and middle-income households? Increase in Cost of Water”
“Madam, household size matters. Each person in a household may be trying their best, saving water, reducing their water consumption. But it adds up if you have many people at home in a big household. Progressive water taxation calculated at a per-household level does not distinguish between big or small families. This may end up having a regressive effect on large families living in the same home at the same address, some of whom may be lower-income families. Has the Ministry studied the possibility of per capita consumption as a new measure, if not for now, then for the future, as our technology improves? Some other agencies already consider per capita measures for forms of financial assistance and subsidy. Water Tariffs Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Nee Soon): Mdm Chairman, Singaporeans were informed that water tariffs will go up by about 30% by 2018 in two steps − one in July this year and, the second, on 1 July 2018. As a Singaporean, I am grateful for the efforts made by Minister Masagos and other Ministers and Members of Parliament, agencies and fellow Singaporeans as well, helping to clarify and give a clearer picture about this move. These clarifications, via parliamentary debates, media coverage and ground engagement, have given some Singaporeans an accurate picture on issues relating to water and the recent proposed initiatives to increase water tariffs. I, myself, have attended and carried out my own engagement with my residents and fellow Singaporeans. I realised that we need a lot of explanation, sometimes argument, and, finally, most importantly, many get the accurate picture. And there were a few comments made by them after the engagement.”
“They came to see only when they − if I may put it in their language − "buay tahan liao, diam diam dio". In January 2016, the Senior Minister of State said that MND is looking into ways to help heavy vehicle owners and workers to find more convenient parking lots. Can the Minister update us on the progress and how many applicants are on the waitlist in general, and Nee Soon South in particular. How long is this wait? The last time I heard, it was six months to a year, now is it better?”
“Sir, I have met residents who wanted to take up overseas work deployments, but they had only recently purchased their flat, being a young couple, and HDB would not allow subletting of the home during the Minimum Occupation Period. So, they were paying off the loan on the flat, without the benefit of rental income, and being overseas working and paying for their own upkeep overseas as well. Would MND and HDB be able to look into how we can better support our young Singaporeans, as we regionalise our economy? Heavy Vehicle Park Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: I would like to share with this House an issue faced by my residents. On 19 December 2016, a resident came to my MPS. He told me that he had a season parking lot for his lorry along Yishun Avenue 1. However, some parking lots had been removed recently and by the time he came back late at night, there were no parking lots available. Hence, when he continues to park along Yishun Avenue 1, he received summonses from LTA. I sent an email to URA asking them to quickly look into this issue. I told URA that for those who have valid season parking, URA should arrange alternative parking before the lots are removed. They told me that they will do a quick check. About a month later, on 16 January 2017, another resident came to see me, telling me the same problem. Again, I emailed to URA asking them what is the status of my previous email. This time, they replied quite fast, two days later, explaining the reason why the parking lots were removed and they said that they had earlier informed LTA to adopt a light touch on enforcement. Poor LTA officer. Is he expected to remember which area to light-touch and which area not to light-touch? Some of my poor residents had paid up the fines.”
“Madam, value for money matters. But there are positive externalities to building a resilient local SME ecosystem like jobs, opportunities and skills for Singaporeans at home. What measures is MOF taking in procurement so that smaller players like SMEs have a chance to participate? Can larger projects be split into smaller tenders – right size, bite size? Best Sourcing and Human Resource Standards Next, contractors in major Government tenders can have a certain signature. They receive substantial public funds. They shape labour market norms. When evaluating tenders, does MOF consider the human resource (HR) and tripartism record of tendering companies, especially if the company may have a history of significant HR bad practices? After all, Madam, awarding a contract is a form of endorsement to the market and society. Towards a Fairer Procurement Policy”
“Madam, corporate regulations are necessary, but too much can hurt innovation and be regressive because it is the big players who can hire an entire team of compliance officers. Does MOF track the amount of corporate regulation, for example, how long it takes to fill up a form, how many forms or steps are needed to attain a specific administrative objective? And is there an active effort to minimise and streamline red tape? 2.45 pm SMEs and Government Procurement”
“I have met residents whose families spent a small fortune on a degree from a private institution. In some cases, the parents withdrew CPF savings, retirement savings to support their children on the course. It is important to know whether they got value for money. How detailed is MOE's tracking of educational outcomes for private degrees as well as skills upgrading? Does MOE look at skills upgrading outcomes and whether the skills learnt are actually being used at work later on? We must distinguish between providers who are only selling hope rather than skills and opportunities. This will help us better support students, parents and responsible constructive education providers. Roles of Publicly Funded Universities”
“Sir, would MOE consider establishing more Overseas Singapore Schools in key overseas cities with many Singaporean families working there? This would make it easier for Singaporean families to go overseas and regionalise and easier to integrate the children back into our school system upon their return. And given our education branding, perhaps non-Singaporeans could even be charged premiums high enough to help cross-subsidise our own overseas Singaporeans students.”
“Parents have shared with me about word problems in primary school mathematics, which can be very complicated. I worry that such word problems are not just a test of numeracy and mathematics, they test English comprehension as well. This could be a double hurdle, maybe even a regressive effect, for children with limited language skills, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Does MOE have any plans to study this further and review this in the curriculum? Tuition”
“To help young Singaporeans plug into business networks regionally, it takes language skills, region-specific knowledge, things which are not in the textbooks. What steps are we taking to help bring our people up to speed? Are we planning courses in regional languages, regional cultural nuances, even courses on how to interact persuasively in a regional business setting so as to shorten the learning curve and maximise opportunities? 7.45 pm Tackling International Markets”
“Sir, in recent years, we have seen the emergence of biosimilar drugs in the biologics landscape. Biosimilars are engineered to have the same therapeutic effect as an existing drug − they call it a "reference product" − with no clinically meaningful differences in safety and effectiveness. They work within existing intellectual property frameworks, so have the potential market impact of what would have been called a generic drug, especially if clinical trials show equivalence. These are a potential disruptive innovation to traditional pharma markets as well as pharma producers in the first-world as well as in Asia. How do we position Singapore's own biologics and drug development sector amidst this changing landscape? What are the challenges and opportunities for our Singapore workers and Singapore industries?”
“Let me declare that I am on the Council of Advisers for the Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees' Union (SMEEU). Our workers ‒ our brothers and sisters − are concerned about the Marine and Offshore Engineering sector. Oil prices are not what they used to be. There is a sense of uncertainty in the industry. Any job losses will affect workers, breadwinners, families. Retrenchments would also hurt the industry as well. When a worker is let go, skills are lost, institutional memory is lost. It makes it harder for the industry to pick up again when the economy and the sector improve, so it is all the more important that we help our workers, that we help our brothers and sisters. So, can the Ministry advise whether the Government's measures to support the sector have been successful? What measures does the Government use to determine success? And what more is the Government planning to do? Regionalisation and Shared Standards For some sectors like e-commerce and e-payments, platform interoperability matters. But more generally in other sectors, too, a shared operating system benefits all the participants − less back-office paperwork for vendors, ease of use for customers and a scalability of the user base and opportunities. So, I would like to ask: how is the Ministry working with regional partners and collaborators to build shared industry standards − almost a shared operating system − to deepen regional cooperation to benefit the different regional partners and our local businesses as well? Globalisation Strategy”
“In my constituency work, I have met residents who found themselves on the wrong side of the law in either civil or criminal cases. They made a mistake, but the problem is compounded because they do not know how to navigate the legal system. In some cases, it happened upstream where my residents do not know whom to approach or where to seek guidance from, before signing a contract that may prove disadvantageous to them. What measures is MinLaw looking at to enhance access to justice and also to build basic legal awareness among the public? Legal Hub and Cross-disciplinary Skills Next, on legal hub, I would like to suggest the idea of "an academia of industry" ‒ a living ecosystem of cross-disciplinary deep skills and expertise; deep industry skills and knowledge to complement our internationally recognised law schools. Imagine having more legal firms with in-house expertise in FinTech, Blockchain and even the evolving impact of Blockchain-mediated "smart contracts". Imagine legal teams with deep knowledge of biotech and the legal issues surrounding genomics or personalised medicine that straddle multiple jurisdictions. Combining expertise across subject domains, this creates value and competitive advantage. And this can help us to provide skills and services in Singapore which no other legal hub can do. Development of Small and Medium Singapore Law Practices”
“When a drug offender is incarcerated, it is a double tragedy − one life poisoned by drugs and drug culture; the family affected, too, especially the children. I would like to ask whether the Ministry is studying the socio-economic outcomes of the children of drug offenders? Is there a higher risk of intergenerational offending or becoming incarcerated, too, all things being equal? And how can we prevent a cycle of tragedy? Protecting Our Young from Drugs Going upstream, we see that, in the West, there is an emerging movement to sugar-coat the drug problem. And with globalisation, the drug culture can easily spread, including to our shores. How do we inoculate our young Singaporeans at an earlier age so that they do not pick up the habit, so that they resist peer pressure and "fake news"? Among offenders, what is the average age of starting getting younger? And how can we prevent the problem from taking root in our schools and educate our young? New Security Challenges”
“Many drug offenders are already disadvantaged socio-economically − troubled backgrounds, disrupted lives. I have met some at my Meet-the-People Sessions in my constituency and what they tell me is that it is not just a stigma that gets in the way of returning to society meaningfully but also the skills gaps, especially when industry and job practices change during the years of incarceration. So, this is why, in prison, rehabilitation must continue to include skills training to help employability upon release. I would like to ask if MHA is studying the skills background of incarcerated Singaporeans. In particular, what efforts are being made to improve the skills of our fellow Singaporeans who are in prison, so that they can have better odds of finding a job and reintegrating into society upon release? Training for Prison Inmates”
“The terrorism threat remains alive and real. We need to be vigilant so that, as a society, we are ready for whatever comes our way ‒ leaders, public servants, citizens standing together as one. Can the Ministry update us on the threat situation internationally, regionally, domestically? We also need to actively study the new and innovative terror tactics that we are reading about around the world, so that we can learn how best to counter them. Tactics that are using household items, such as knives, tactics that use easily available equipment and vehicles as weapons. Likewise, we also need to protect our society from self-radicalisation, especially with the proliferation of online recruitment, extremist propaganda and social media tactics. Counter-terrorism and SGSecure Looking to our landscape, we are densely populated. Many population centres happen to be soft targets for those seeking to do us harm, such as schools with young children, shopping centres with members of the public, Mass Rapid Transit and bus stations which, if shut down, could affect a wide transport network and even our hospitals, with the sick and elderly who cannot be evacuated as easily as the able-bodied. Many of these population centres are in our Housing and Development Board (HDB) heartlands. All these pose unique challenges for rapid responses against a terrorist attack. Can MHA update us on how we are upgrading our counterterror efforts and how we are enhancing Home Team capabilities and SGSecure so that, as a whole of society, we are equipped to deter and, if needed, respond? SGSecure”
“It gives us the resolve and courage needed to overcome uncertainty, instead of waiting and seeing, and stepping forward, moving ahead, making a difference, moving faster than the competition. A strong society also gives us the social consensus for fiscal redistribution, for broad centrist policies, for a fair and equitable society. It binds us as one in times of challenge and creative destruction, so that we can pull together and renew and be stronger after that. So, Madam, even as we create the future economy, we must also ready our social policies for the future, strengthening our social cohesion with a whole-of-Government ethos, strengthening our social compact to stay ahead of disruptive innovation and strengthening our labour markets so that every worker can find their full potential throughout life. Mdm Speaker, may we always continue growing, growing stronger and growing stronger together.”
“This can also help us understand how underemployment arises and how to prevent it. Our Ministries can also pull big data to have better sensing of market trends. Are people from some backgrounds having more difficulty than others? Are there areas which need to be looked into through deep dives, drilling down to understand where and how best to intervene? Better data, Mdm Speaker, also opens the door to new policy responses. I would like to suggest, Madam, that we testbed new ways to assess the CPF contribution responsibilities for an employer. This could be done on a testbed basis in sandboxed sectors of the gig economy where you can clearly define the nature of the firm and how the workers are being contracted. We could have a formula that looks at the total wages from the gig employer or the number of hours spent on gig jobs. We could find new ways to measure a unit of labour. The same online platforms that create an Uber, Deliveroo, Foodpanda, all these can provide new ways to measure and ensure that workers have the same protection and benefits they did in the traditional economy. Together, the Ministries could develop an operating system to specify employers' responsibilities. For example, a minimum CPF contribution might be pegged per hour, task or unit of labour. Or even risk pooling among the gig employers so that the worker has insurance coverage for health benefits or sick leave, rather than falling between the cracks. Mdm Speaker, every national economy exists within the fabric of that nation's society. Singapore is the same. A strong society is a prerequisite for sustainable economic development.”