Teo Chee Hean
Singapore
“The second point first, Mr Speaker. Certainly, it could have been a factor. But to the Panel which reviewed the thing, it was not an acceptable excuse or reason. The agencies still have to be responsible for what they are doing, whatever season of the year it is.”
“On the balance in ACRA, I would not say it is a conflict, but you have to strike the right balance between the functions that ACRA is meant to provide, which is to have a registry which promotes corporate transparency, and you have to balance that against how you protect personal data.”
“That means, if you do find a bug or you do find a way in which you can penetrate a Government system, you let us know, and there is a bounty for it. And this is evergreen. But we also do, from time to time, have a hunting season. So, for certain of our systems, we invite white hatters to attack those systems.”
“Then, he asked when the political office holders got involved in the public communications on the Bizfile portal issue. They got involved, I think, almost as soon as it became apparent that there was public anxiety. Next question about paragraph 40 and the email to senior officers, yes, the July 2024 CM was emailed to officers.”
“In fact, we monitor the dark web for a variety of things, including this, and we have not seen any sale of NRIC numbers as such. On the question of collection and use of NRIC numbers, actually, in the communication with the Government agencies, I think it is important to know who you are communicating with.”
“So, you actually make your email address available to others. But for authentication purposes, it is quite different. You do not tell your password to others. That is something which you keep for yourself and your email service provider knows. So, there is a difference between an identifier and an authentication.”
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“All in, Sir, I agree with this strategy – that we must maximise our potential and not rely on the availability of surplus labour from outside to sustain economic activity in our country. But we must never lose sight of the root cause of our predicament, and that is, why are we suffering sustained low fertility? Therefore, as policy makers, we must continue to make investment in family attractive and a primary life goal. And wherever possible, we have to minimise personal costs and opportunity costs when Singaporeans choose to place family first. Given that we are still recovering from a recession, I understand and appreciate why Budget 2010 did not prescribe more fiscal aids for growing families. The last enhancement to the pro-family policies was done in 2008, and they were a generous and expansive package. In my own research on the Singapore family, a key barrier to early marriage and having children that surfaced is the perceived lack of time. It takes time – to find the right life partner, to learn how to love, and to nurture children. It seems that Singaporeans have very little time, especially our younger Singaporeans. Why is that so? Singaporeans work very hard. I looked at the Singapore Yearbook of manpower statistics published in 2009. On average, we clocked 47.1 hours per week in 2008, and these are paid hours. The hours registered in construction, manufacturing and administration and support services were the highest – 52.5 per week; 50.4 per week and 49.7 per week respectively. So what does this translate to in real terms? On average, we clock nine hours of paid work. There are 24 hours in a day. So nine hours, we take away two hours for transportation, that is 11 hours.”
“As a family sociologist, I am acutely aware that while the Budget highlights the issues of a limited and fast-ageing workforce, it does not address directly the root cause of this predicament and that is sustained ultra-low fertility and delayed marriages among younger Singaporeans. When the economy performs poorly, as it has done in the past year, the effects are easily quantifiable through indicators like the negative GDP, budget deficit and unemployment statistics. The reaction from state is also swift and focused – as detailed in the recommendations of the Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) and the subsequent endorsement of the ESC’s key thrusts in Budget 2010. But as a nation, we must be cognisant that the Singapore family may also be in crisis. The key indicators of this are clearly illustrated in population trends: increase in age at first marriage, sustained ultra-low fertility, increase in the proportion of singles and a fast ageing population. While these indicators may not be measured in fiscal terms, the consequences on the sustainability of Singapore society is just as critical. [Mdm Deputy Speaker (Ms Indranee Rajah) in the Chair] 5.28 pm If we had not opened our doors to contributions from our foreign friends, the Singapore population would have shrunk – just as it has in Japan and South Korea. But augmenting our numbers through immigration has also resulted in social tensions, which has dominated much of the discourse in both the print and new media in the past year. So now, we have decided that we need to slow down the inflow of foreigners and learn to level up on productivity of the workers we have.”
“They have taken it upon themselves to lead the labour movement in meeting this productivity challenge. They know that this is for the long term good of our workers; in fact, they have already started work. Minister Lim Swee Say, Secretary-General of NTUC, is leading the "Cheaper, Better, Faster" movement to rally the unions and the workers behind this national productivity drive. We have heard Mdm Halimah Yacob, Mrs Josephine Teo, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang and other of our labour MPs, speaking passionately about this in this House. I would like to commend their efforts and encourage them to continue in this effort as we need to bring everyone on board, and the workers especially. There is no easy road to success. This is an effort for the long haul. Results will not come in months or even within the year but, through this journey, we will build a resilient economy that will give us sustained inclusive growth, nurture highly competitive sectors and enterprises and workers who take pride in maximising their potential through a passion for lifelong learning and upgrading. Working together steadily, steadfastly and, in a practical way, drawing on the collective knowledge and energy of all our partners, we will be able to achieve our goals and build a better future for Singapore and Singaporeans. [Applause. ] Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan (Nominated Member): Thank you, Sir, for this opportunity to share my views. The key thrust of Budget 2010 is to build up capabilities needed to transform the Singapore economy over the next 10 years. Fundamentally, the message is: we need to level up on productivity for each worker as we learn to maximise the potential from every available Singaporean while we wean ourselves from the dependency on surplus foreign labour.”
“Second, is a lady who has made a mid-career switch after CET. Miss Siaw Ruifan, 25, graduated with a diploma in chemical engineering from a local polytechnic and was working as a sales coordinator in an export company. In 2006, she took up a professional conversion programme for registered nurses – a two-year nursing diploma course. She is now working as a nurse in SGH, and I am pleased to learn that she finds the job helping patients a very rewarding one. The third is a professional who has made a diagonal move, across and up through CET. The first was moving vertically in the same company, the second was moving horizontally. Miss Fatimah Moideen Kutty rose through the ranks to become Head of Pharmacy from 2000 to 2008. With establishment of the new Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, she was asked to help drive the transition as a Deputy Director of Human Resources. She took the WSQ Chief People Officer programme at Human Capital (Singapore). The training has equipped her with the HR skills to progress and succeed in a new role. We need to work together to make the productivity drive a sustained effort at every level. We will face challenges but there are also plenty of opportunities. Each sector, each enterprise and each individual must take collective responsibility for sustaining productivity efforts and proactively take the initiative to improve in their respective spheres. I have confidence that Singapore will rise up to meet the challenge as we have always done. The strength of our unique tripartite partnership will be a critical success factor as we continue on this journey. In other countries, the call to raise productivity and transform the workplace may have caused unions to rise up in alarm, but our unions are different. We have risen up already.”
“In 2007, about a third (32%) of the workforce in Singapore underwent training. Not bad. But when compared with Denmark when nearly half (45%) of the workforce underwent training, we have some way to go. And 45% need not be our ultimate target either. In Denmark, they also have a high degree of job mobility, whether it is to take on jobs that require more or higher skills in the same or a different field. As our enterprises and sectors move towards higher productivity, the skill-sets and skill levels of our workers will need to move up in tandem. Developing this world-class CET system will help our workers create greater value in their current companies and enable them to cross over into new, higher value work areas and industries as these come on stream in Singapore. Already many of our workers and companies recognise the value of CET in increasing their mobility and have benefited from it. Let me illustrate with three examples. The first shows how a company's strong culture and support for training has enabled its workers to move up the ranks. Thirty-one year old Mr Gerald Tan started working as a driver at Toh Kim Bock CE Contractor Pte Ltd in 2001, earning $1,300 a month. He was promoted to foreman two years later with his good work attitude. Recognising his interest and talent for landscaping, his company sent him for WSQ landscaping courses with the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology and a safety supervisor course with BCA Academy. He got another promotion, becoming a landscape supervisor in 2006, earning $2,000 a month. In 2009, Mr Tan completed the International Society of Arboriculture's certified arborist programme and is now a certified arborist who supervises 30 workers from five sites. He now earns $2,600, twice his starting salary several years ago.”
“This includes the older, low-wage worker who wants to gain basic literacy and numeracy skills, a technician who is mastering new areas of technology, an executive who is looking to develop cross-functional skills and the professional acquiring specialised expertise in his field. The Council will identify and develop new focus areas of growth for the CET system in line with the skills needed to support the productivity drive. We have a variety of training providers and qualification systems today. We must leverage on this diversity; yet, also build stronger linkages between different qualifications and institutions. We will study models from various countries and learn from their best elements, at the same time, retaining the strong linkage between our CET and economic strategies that has always been a hallmark of our system. Ultimately, developing a world-class CET system is not just about putting in more resources or setting up more institutions or programmes. What drives the success of CET is whether our employers and workers have a strong culture of life-long learning. The Government can develop the system but employers must recognise that investing in their people is a key competitive advantage for their business. And workers need to keep an open mind about different job opportunities and must have the desire to improve their skills to meet new trends at work. Training must be a way of life, not a burden nor an imposition. Lifelong learning is a means to an end and that end is to add value. The ability to add value will bring about better employability and better income for workers. In this regard, we can learn from the Scandinavian countries where CET is a long established tradition and there is a very strong culture of lifelong learning.”
“Agencies like NParks can come to the Council to seek funding for their sectoral initiatives. Business associations can also take the initiatives and work with their members in coming up with sectoral strategies and initiatives for the Council to consider. The Council will also review existing programmes and consider introducing new ones to support sector-specific strategies. The Council will also direct funds towards developing infrastructure and tools that enterprises can use to support their productivity efforts. These will include setting up sector-focused resource centres to do applied research into productivity, identify international best practices and develop productivity benchmarks. Over the past few decades, we have built up a world-class education system starting with mass basic education through the 1960s and 1970s in primary and secondary schools to high-quality mass further and higher education from the 1980s onwards, including our network of ITEs, polytechnics and universities. The vast majority of our students today come through a solid basic education and go through further and higher education. We are now embarking on a similar journey in building our continuing education and training system to give our adult workers a comprehensive slate of opportunities to develop their potential, raise their competitiveness and spur their mobility throughout their working lives. This is a key prong of our strategy. As highlighted by Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, we can enable workers to be more productive only if we provide the training and the systems for them to be trained to do so. The Council will oversee the development of a world-class national CET system that caters to everyone and is customised to the needs of different workers and companies.”
“Together, they will study the nature of their sector, develop customised productivity strategies and propose new initiatives to complement existing ones, especially to complement the broad-based ones. I will illustrate an example of how this could be done. NParks has been working on the productivity issue since 2007. They began by conducting a five-month labour productivity benchmark study for seven landscaping companies and developed a matrix of performance and process indicators customised for the landscaping industry. So we have taken a broad productivity indicator and tried to customise it to something that is meaningful for that sector and the companies in that sector. This was accompanied by a work trip to Australia to learn more about best practices in productivity in the landscaping industry. The study not only allowed companies to gain awareness of how their own productivity compared with group average, it also gave them insights on implementing new projects to improve their companies' management and work processes. NParks also obtained a clearer understanding of the productivity gaps within the industry and NParks is now working with the industry on other initiatives to bring their capabilities and productivity to another level. For example, they are conducting an analysis of the value chain to identify room for synergies, developing a training framework for the industry and conducting industry dialogue sessions to bring industry players on board for benchmarking initiative and to share and promote best practices. To support the national productivity drive, the Minister for Finance announced the setting up of a $2 billion National Productivity Fund to complement existing industry development programmes.”
“So businesses which invest in making themselves more productive and innovative will get to enjoy an unprecedented 250% tax deduction benefit of up to $300,000 per activity. The PIC is capped at $300,000 for each approved activity. So the benefits accrue mainly to SMEs. Also, recognising the SMEs often are cash-tight or have not yet generated sufficient profits to benefit fully from a tax credit, the PIC can be converted to a cash grant of up to $21,000. Beyond this broad-based approach, the Council will focus on selected sectors that employ a significant proportion of the workforce and have the most potential for productivity improvements. This is to ensure that our efforts make the greatest impact at the outset. One sector clearly is construction. We have spoken about that a lot these last two days. The sector has great potential for productivity increases and also employs many workers, including foreign workers, but we will look at other sectors as well, and other key sectors we will look at include retail, food and beverage, hospitality, transport and logistics, general manufacturing, precision engineering and business services industries. Mrs Josephine Teo highlighted the need to go beyond the broad 2%-3% productivity target, and Mr Teo Siong Seng also said that the Council needed to have an understanding of what is happening on the ground for effective implementation. So to facilitate this, the Council will take a sector-specific approach. The Council will identify Government agencies that will work with industry partners, such as business associations and/or the more progressive leading companies and industries and, of course, the unions in that sector, to develop strategies and solutions to raise productivity in their respective sectors.”
“Enterprises can already leverage on the suite of capability development programmes at SPRING – be it technology improvements, human resource capabilities or even design and branding. SPRING will work together with enterprises to assess their needs and support them in addressing these capability gaps in an integrated and holistic manner. We will see how SPRING can streamline its processes in order to make the various schemes more accessible to SMEs in particular. Enterprises can also draw on centres of innovation at our polytechnics and research institutes for technology consultancy and advice. I am keen for the Council to study how our companies, especially our SMEs, can work more closely, in particular with our polytechnics and ITEs but also with our universities to come up with product and process innovations and associated worker training. The Minister for Finance has announced an additional boost in the form of the productivity and innovation credit. In the past, companies have felt that only those who are involved in the very high tech esoteric sectors can benefit from schemes to encourage R&D and capital investments. The small and medium enterprises also felt that only big companies can qualify for such benefits and schemes. The new Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) is different, in that it is a broad-based scheme that is open to all enterprises across all sectors. It does not merely cover investments in equipment to automate processes. It also incentivises investments and innovation, such as R&D, design and acquisition of intellectual property such as patents and trademarks, to revamp its processes, products or business model.”
“Enterprises must take the lead to invest in improving processes, like Vac-Tech Engineering, enhancing the value of their products, like Hyflux, and across sectors like our container trucking industry. Workers, with the support of our unions, must take ownership for upgrading. They must want to upgrade themselves. The public sector too must play its part to be more productive and innovative in itself, across the whole of Government, as well as to facilitate the National Productivity drive. And in this, I agree with Members, including Ms Jessica Tan, Ms Ellen Lee, Mr Seah Kian Peng and Er Lee Bee Wah, and the public sector will do its part. Overall, the Government is not in a position to pick and choose winners and neither do we have all the answers but we can certainly help those who want to help themselves. Bring all the parties together and do the facilitation. The Government, working with companies and workers through the Council, will facilitate the transition from the current level to the next level of productivity in a company or a sector. To enable broad-based and sustained improvements in productivity, we need to go beyond driving productivity. As many MPs have pointed out, we need to nurture a productivity culture. It is about building productivity into a deeply ingrained mindset that permeates the entire business process and model and the workers' outlook and the whole nation. We will have to build capability and develop tools to help both employers and workers at all levels to constantly look for opportunities for productivity improvement. This means that we will need to train them on productivity-related skills in addition to job-related skills. The Council will have various tools and schemes that it will use in driving the productivity movement.”
“This new system enabled trucking companies to share their prime movers – going in and out of the port, minimise the number of empty trips, optimise the use of the prime movers and reduce the congestion in the port. It looks like an obvious solution but it requires companies in the sector to come together, to work together in order to make it happen. At last count, more than 1,400 prime movers from 66 companies have benefited from the new system. There are three broader points that I want to draw from these examples which will inform the Council's approach. First, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, as Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed noted. The context for each enterprise and sector may differ significantly and require different customised strategies. Second, to achieve sustained improvements, strategies and solutions must be integrated and supported by a culture of constant innovation and improvement. And I agree with Assoc. Prof. Koo that we have to look at productivity improvements on a system-wide level. There is no point in investing in new technology, for example, if you do not train up your workforce to exploit it at the same time. And as several Members have pointed out, there is no point in sending workers for training if they come back and the company continues to work in the same way as before and the training just goes to waste. It is about applying creativity and imagination to improve even the smallest thing that you do. Third, as Mr Zaqy Mohamad shared, this effort can be sustained only if we see enterprises gaining from higher efficiency and effectiveness and workers gaining from higher skills and higher wages. In short, our productivity drive will require concerted tripartite effort involving enterprises, workers and the Government.”
“Today, Hyflux's products are installed in more than 1,000 plants in over 300 locations globally, providing water solutions in markets ranging from Southeast Asia, China, India, the Middle East and North Africa. So that was improving the top line. I will highlight another example from an SME again. This time, in process innovation. Mr Sam Ho is the Managing Director of Vac-Tech Engineering. It is a local, industrial cleaning and environmental company. Mr Ho is passionate about innovation and he is constantly looking out for new and better ways to work smart. For example, he had this idea that instead of removing waste sludge from the oil storage tanks manually, they could raise productivity by mechanising the process. He hired a consultant to help design the automated conveyor system and bring the concept to realisation. With this innovation in place, they are now able to complete the job four times faster. Mr Ho has also put in place a pay structure that rewards learning and upgrading among his workers. So a sharing of the gains. For example, those working as drivers are able to get an increment when they learn to operate the machines and double up as machine operators when necessary. There is also great potential for productivity improvements at the cluster level. So it is not just individual companies or individual workers but at a cluster level. A good example of a cluster level project is when the Container Depot Association of Singapore, Singapore Logistics Association and Singapore Transport Association came together to undertake a project to set up a computerised tracking system for containers and prime movers. Before the system was in place, prime movers brought containers in but came out empty-handed or they went in empty to bring out containers.”
“While workers can upskill themselves, the systems, processes and technology that they work within, sets the context within which they can apply these skills to generate higher value and these are put in place by the enterprise. Likewise, workers can offer suggestions about new products or markets to expand into, but enterprises must have in place a culture and a system that can nurture and harness such creativity. We have many progressive enterprises that have already taken the initiative to improve their productivity. Over the past week, Members have read many examples in the newspapers of companies, both here and abroad, that have done well on the productivity front and created better and more rewarding jobs for their workers. So it can be done and we hope that through their exemplary conduct and practice that other companies and other CEOs and leaders will follow them and do so as well. We need more enterprises to do the same. I would like to highlight three examples here just to add to the list. Hyflux's story is one of generating value by growing the top line through constant innovation to come up with new products and new uses for their products, and internationalisation to capture opportunities in new markets beyond Singapore. Hyflux is a homegrown company that was founded just over 20 years ago with a start-up capital of $20,000 and just three staff. Today, it is one of the world's fastest growing water solutions companies with $1.87 billion in market capitalisation. At the heart of their business strategy is an innovation team responsible for the R&D of new products and applications and the commercialisation of technology. They operate the largest commercial R&D centre for membranes and materials technology in Asia outside of Japan.”
“We are pursuing productivity to raise value added per worker, because this ultimately determines whether our workers can receive higher wages. Higher productivity enables us to generate the additional value that then can be shared between companies and workers, provide good jobs and higher incomes for workers and generate higher profits for companies. Ultimately, productivity is the basis for our future economic competitiveness. I would like to reassure Mr Heng Chee How, Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Laurence Wee that we are not about to let the pursuit of productivity blindside us to the over-arching objective of inclusive growth. Even as we move forward in this productivity drive, we must provide the support for all, including and especially the lower-skilled and the older workers to move together with us in this journey. Our existing skill upgrading and training programmes, especially those at e2i, are targeted at precisely these workers, and in our review of the continuing education framework, we will continue to see how to assist these workers upgrade themselves. Several members, such as Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Ms Jessica Tan, Mr Sin Boon Ann, Mr Michael Palmer, Mr Calvin Cheng and Er Lee Bee Wah, have highlighted concerns regarding the impact on the foreign worker levy changes and its impact on businesses and living costs. The Minister for Manpower will address this issue in greater detail in the debate on the Manpower Ministry's estimates. Enterprises must take the lead in this next phase of our productivity efforts. Enterprises, ultimately, make the decision about what value they want to create and how they would go about doing so.”
“At this point, it is worth clarifying what we mean by productivity as it could mean different things to different people. Productivity is essentially a measure of how much output we can get for our inputs. Positive productivity growth means that we are able to grow our outputs faster than we grow our inputs. As Mr Ong Ah Heng, Mr Christopher de Souza and others mentioned, raising productivity does not necessarily mean cutting the number of workers but could also come from raising the output which I think is much better. Labour productivity is the most common measure of productivity used internationally. But this does not also mean that the responsibility for productivity improvement lies with the worker alone. It is not working harder or longer at the expense of families and other aspects of life, as emphasised by Mr Seng Han Thong, Ms Irene Ng, Dr Amy Khor, Assoc. Prof. Straughan, Mr Ong Kian Min and Er Lee Bee Wah. It is also not just about automating existing processes. There are many factors working together to determine productivity. These include the quality of the systems, processes, technology, organisation and workforce within enterprises, as Mr Christopher de Souza pointed out. It is also about the attractiveness of the products and services to their markets, as pointed out by Mr Lim Swee Say in his usual graphic style, and moving to higher value activities. Finally, as Mr Seah Kian Peng and Ms Irene Ng stressed, leadership and management are crucial to bringing all these factors together. As Mdm Ho Geok Choo points out, even as we focus on productivity, we need to keep in mind that we should not pursue productivity as an end in itself. Er Lee Bee Wah asked about the relationship between productivity and wage growth.”
“I will not try and repeat his performance. We formed Work Improvement Teams to come up with process improvements. We had Teamy the Bee which embodied the virtues of diligence and teamwork. The result of this concerted effort was productivity growth of 4.7% per year over the 10-year period of 1981 to 1990. Productivity was a key driver of growth contributing to 65% of GDP growth during that period. We can do this again. Three decades on, productivity remains an enduring imperative. While the objective of productivity growth is the same, the means to achieve it will change. We are now a more developed country, further up the productivity curve. The competitive environment has also changed. We have made progress but those ahead of us have also progressed and moved up as well, and those behind us have made rapid advances and are catching up with us. New strategies and methods will be needed for this steeper climb. In the 1980s, the focus was on raising the basic levels of training and education to support our developing industries. Today, we need to equip ourselves with more specialised expertise in specific fields to tap on new growth opportunities, eg, in areas like bio-medical sciences and clean technology. Today, many countries, such as China, have mastered efficient low-cost production systems and they can do so more effectively given their scale. Hence, it is no longer sufficient to focus on optimising or reducing production costs to improve the bottomline. In addition, we must also look at new ways of improving the top line, looking harder at new and innovative ways of creating new products and services and going into new markets to capture greater value.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government has accepted the Economic Strategies Committee's recommendation to set a target of 2%-3% productivity growth per year over the next decade and to make skills, innovation and productivity the basis for economic growth moving forward. While this is much higher than our average productivity growth of 1% per year over the last decade, it is an achievable goal so long as we put in a sustained national effort. We have done it before and we can do so again. The Prime Minister has asked me to chair the National Productivity and Continuing Education Council to drive this national effort to boost skills and productivity. The Council will focus on two main areas. First, it will drive efforts to raise productivity at the individual, enterprise and sector level. Second, it will oversee efforts to develop a world-class National Continuing Education and Training System and entrench a culture of continuous learning and upgrading in our people. I will announce the exact composition of the Council later but it will be an inclusive one, reflecting the comprehensive nature of the productivity drive. This will allow us to tap the knowledge and energy of all the partners in this effort. The Council will comprise private sector representatives across a range of industries, big and small companies, both local and foreign. There will also be representatives from the unions who are a key partner in this effort. It will include Ministers and Ministers of State in charge of the key Government Ministries and agencies involved in this effort. What does productivity mean to us? Of course, productivity is not a new idea for Singapore. Many of us, like Dr Ahmad Magad who recalled the rallying call of the 1980s' productivity movement to be "good, better, best".”
“Mr Teo Siong Seng asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is his Ministry's response to the recent findings of falling customer satisfaction levels in the retail and food and beverage sectors; and (b) whether there are measures put in place to ensure that our tourism industry delivers the best customer service and maintains its competitiveness in the region.”
“The remainder would be for the Monetary Authority of Singapore to grow the issuance of Singapore Government Securities so as to continue to enhance the efficiency and liquidity of Singapore’s debt capital markets. I propose, therefore, that the ceiling for borrowing by Government securities of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$250,000,000,000) be raised by another Seventy Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$70,000,000,000) to a total of Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$320,000,000,000). As before, this ceiling will apply to the outstanding amount of Government securities. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That this Parliament, in accordance with Article 144(1)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore and section 11(1) of the Government Securities Act (Chapter 121A of the 2002 Revised Edition), resolves that the Minister for Finance be authorised to borrow, by the issue of Government securities in Singapore under that Act, a further sum not exceeding Seventy Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$70,000,000,000), thereby in total a sum not exceeding Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$320,000,000,000). Column No : 1758 ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed." – [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. Adjourned accordingly at Twenty-five Minutes to Five o'clock pm to a date to be fixed. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER NOT ANSWERED BY 3.00 PM Column No : 1759 RETAIL AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE SECTORS (Falling customer satisfaction levels) 16.”
“Column No : 1755 Column No : 1755 GOVERNMENT SECURITIES The Second Minister for Finance (Mrs Lim Hwee Hua): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That this Parliament, in accordance with Article 144(1)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore and section 11(1) of the Government Securities Act (Chapter 121A of the 2002 Revised Edition), resolves that the Minister for Finance be authorised to borrow, by the issue of Government securities in Singapore under that Act, a further sum not exceeding Seventy Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$70,000,000,000), thereby in total a sum not exceeding Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$320,000,000,000). Sir, on 21st September 2004, Parliament resolved that the Minister for Finance be authorised to borrow, by the issue of Government securities in Singapore an outstanding sum not exceeding Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$ 250,000,000,000). As at 31st October 2009, there are about Two Hundred and Thirty Five Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$ 234,700,000,000) worth of securities outstanding. The outstanding securities are estimated to reach about Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$ 320,000,000,000) within the next five years. This is due to the expected increase in CPF Board members’ balances as a result of policy changes, such as CPF LIFE and the increase in Minimum Sum, to build up members’ retirement savings, as well as higher CPF interest payments and the corresponding interest compounding effect. Three quarters of the outstanding Government securities are expected to be used to absorb these higher members’ balances.”
“The enhancements to the Officers and Warrant Officers scheme and new Military Domain Experts Scheme will be implemented on the 1st April 2010, as I indicated earlier. The Commanders in the SAF have conducted extensive dialogues and communication sessions with our servicemen to explain enhancements and address their concerns on the changes. These have been going on for the past year or so, and in fact before the schemes were developed and the changes to the various schemes were made. There was comprehensive consultation with our servicemen. The things that were announced did not come as a surprise to them. Servicemen, whose jobs are transferred to the new MDES scheme, are given the choice to opt for the new scheme or to remain in their current scheme. This exercise is currently ongoing and has been well-received by the vast majority of servicemen. More than 90% of them have indicated that they would accept such an option when they are so offered. Of course, some servicemen who are close to their original retirement ages and have already made alternative career plans, have understandably not seen much benefit or much point in transferring to a new scheme when they are just about to retire and leave the service. Some proportion of them have decided that that is what they want to do. I think that is fair enough. Once again, Sir, I would like to thank Members for their support and their care and concern for our soldiers. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Teo Chee Hean]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.”
“Dr Lam Pin Min also asked about the Saver and Premium schemes, whether with the extension of service particularly for the officers, whether this will continue beyond the original retirement age. We are not changing the length of service for Warrant Officers. In fact, there is no change in the Premium scheme for Warrant Officers. Warrant Officers retire at age 55, and it will remain so. We have extended the retirement age of the officers to age 50, to allow for more time for professional training and grounding without losing the dynamism which is critical to the SAF. But the Saver scheme will not continue beyond the original Saver end date, which is typically in the early to mid-40s. Officers can choose not to extend their service to age 50, in which case, they can leave at the original retirement age and take along with them all that they could have from the retirement account, as is currently the case. For those who choose to have their careers extended, there will be no further contribution to the retirement account beyond their original retirement age. But instead, they will be given service bonuses for their extended service till their new retirement age of 50. In this way, our officers would be fairly compensated for the lengthened service that they have, while at the same time, they will not receive double windfall or have further retirement benefits being paid to their saver account, plus longer service, plus bonuses and so on. We will keep the two separate. This also gives them the flexibility of leaving at an earlier age if they want to, to pursue a second career. Dr Fatimah Lateef asked for an update on the implementation of the new and enhanced schemes.”
“But after careful analysis, we find that the field leadership of the medical corps needs to be closer to that of the military officers in the SAF. Dr Fatimah Lateef expressed her hope that lifelong learning and core leadership competency will be inculcated in our Military Experts and Dr Lam Pin Min asked if the retirement age of 60 will pose a career transition issue. Well, we will continue to encourage continuous learning and lifelong education, and this is in fact one of the key features that we are strengthening in all three schemes. We are encouraging Warrant Officers who can, who have the background and qualifications and pre-requisites, to go to university and to prepare themselves. The officers will have schemes with universities in Singapore for them to go on and take their degrees (if they do not have them already), and to go on to do their Masters degree, and prepare themselves to be able to serve the SAF better and subsequently when they do leave the service. We would provide ample opportunities to groom and train our Military Experts as well as our Officers and Warrant Officers, to grow as individuals and to grow in their ability to serve in the SAF. For the MDES, they will deepen their expertise, and develop their full potential to better contribute to the SAF in their domain areas. When our military experts leave the SAF at age 60, they would have had a fulfilling, rewarding and full career. But should they desire to continue working after their career with the SAF, they would also have acquired relevant qualifications and considerable experience to allow them to transit to a related professional field quite confidently.”
“The Military Domain Expert Scheme will likewise need to be different, because it targets a different group of servicemen with different career aspirations and capabilities, and who can serve the SAF in a different way. So we will recognise the Military Experts for their fields of specialisation, skills and expertise, and we will ensure that their remuneration is market competitive, as we will ensure market competitive and fair remuneration for the other schemes of service as well. Dr Lam highlighted the job scope of our doctors in the SAF, and that this is more aligned to the Military Domain Experts Scheme due to their specialised nature. This was one particular vocation that we studied carefully and we consulted with people in our medical corps. We have come to the conclusion that the needs of the SAF and the aspirations of those who wish to join the SAF as regular medical officers, are best met through the Officers' scheme. Our medical officers form the leadership core of our military medical community and this requires them to go out to the field to be dynamic and vigorous, lead medical contingents overseas and innovate and come up with new ideas for operational medical support. But there are a number of niche medical specialties, in which the SAF would like to develop deep expertise in. These include medical psychiatry, ophthalmology and sports medicine. Selected medical officers who wish to and have the deep professional expertise, experience and seniority in these fields, may be appointed as Military Experts, sort of like doyens under the Military Domain Experts Scheme, who provide that kind of deep expertise needed in the medical corps in those specific areas.”
“Straughan asked if other armed forces have a similar domain experts structure and she was also concerned about how the different remuneration, employment package and retirement age would be viewed by our Officers and Warrant Officers. Like us, other armed forces do have different vocations and schemes of service. We try and learn from other armed forces how they deal with similar situations, missions and structures. However, the SAF has reached the level of maturity where we cannot always find ready-made solutions elsewhere, and we must develop innovative solutions on our own to face our unique circumstances and be ready for the future. We do not know of a similar scheme in any other armed forces. But we do know that they do face the same problems, and they are not able to resolve them, many of them, with the same structure that they have. So many of them are looking at what we are doing, with considerable interest. So we design these three schemes, including the MDES, based on an analysis of what our HR environment is going to be. We consulted closely with the people who are in-service. We also asked the people who are going to join us, what their aspirations are; and we have designed it to try and meet those aspirations, and at the same time, meet the needs of the Third Generation SAF as best as we can. Today, the retirement ages of Officers and Warrant Officers are already different. The remuneration package is also structured differently for Officers and Warrant Officers. Therefore, different retirement ages and remuneration packages for our military personnel are not new and already exist.”
“I should stress that the MDES people will be in uniform and serve together with the Officers, Warrant Officers onboard ships, in airbases and in the field as well. Military Experts will be accorded – in status, in regimentation – practices similar to their Officer and Warrant Officer counterparts. And as military personnel, their status and salutation will be commensurate with their rank and appointment. It is important to recognise that Military Experts wearing the new and distinctive ranks are uniformed professionals who will be serving the same mission, sharing the same mission and value system as the other uniformed personnel in the SAF. Those in position of responsibility will be expected to manifest leadership and care for their people. And for those with deep expertise in their respective domains, whether they are soldiers, sailors or airmen, must continue to demonstrate strong commitment to the defence of our nation along with applying their professional expertise. And in any particular unit, the command structure of the unit will be determined by who holds those appointments. So if you are the Commanding Officer, or if you are in-charge of a particular section or division, then you hold the responsibility and have the powers that come with that appointment. This is provided for in the amendments that we are making to the SAF Act. So the command structure, the cohesion of the unit, the clear lines will still remain. While there may be different schemes of service, Officers and Warrant Officers and Military Experts therefore operate still as members of a cohesive unit with a common mission. They work in partnership and leverage on our collective strengths to achieve the desired mission outcomes together. Assoc. Prof.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank Dr Lam Pin Min, Dr Fatimah Lateef, Mr Christopher de Souza and Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan who have spoken in support of this Bill. I would like to thank them for that and for their concern and support for our men in uniform, serving in MINDEF. Let me try and address the questions that they have raised. Dr Lam Pin Min and Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan asked if a parallel Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES) would impact teamwork and social cohesion in the SAF and whether our military experts would be accorded the same military status and professional respect and be accepted as part of the team by their colleagues. We have already different vocations, based on different qualifications, training regimes, pay scales, and schemes of service in the SAF. These three schemes of service and what now, in particular the MDES do for us, is give us a wider scope to bring in and develop different types of people with different abilities, qualifications and aptitudes, and to meet their aspirations better as well as the needs of the Third Generation SAF better. If we were to try and fit everybody into the same mould – same progression rates, same types of training and pace, and same retirement ages – then, we would be sub-optimising our people. These new schemes of service allow us to achieve an optimal balance between the need for dynamism and the demand for deeper knowledge and expertise in certain fields. With these enhancements, the three schemes are complementary. We have the Officers, Warrant Officers and Military Experts, who will provide the SAF with the range of people that we need – leadership, and personnel and expertise to operate as an effective and credible fighting force.”
“The enhancements to the SAF's military schemes of service enable us to continue to do so. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“First, a Senior Military Expert might resign or be released from regular service before he completes the prescribed minimum term of service. This minimum term of service is a period of regular service needed before he is deemed to have fulfilled his full-time National Service liability. He might then have to be transferred to the Warrant Officer scheme with an appropriate rank to serve out his remaining term of fulltime National Service. Second, a Military Expert, who has served the minimum term of service and who resigns or is released from the SAF, may have to be assigned to a suitable post to serve his operationally-ready National Service. The amendments in section 205(d) provide for the transfer of these operationally-ready National Servicemen to the Warrant Officer Corps at the appropriate rank to serve their operationally-ready National Service if there are no suitable MDES appointments. Those who have been commissioned as officers will return to the Officer Corps in their operationally-ready National Service. This will be done taking into account their background and experience. In view of the changes made to the SAF Act, there will also be a consequential amendment to the Enlistment Act which is required to subject Senior Military Experts to the statutory age of 50 for operationally-ready National Service. The statutory age is the same as that stipulated for officers in operationally-ready National Service under the same Act. Sir, the SAF is the guarantor of our national security and peace. The SAF has developed into a strong, credible and highly capable Armed Forces today because of the quality, character and professionalism of its people. We need to continue to attract able and committed people to the Third Generation SAF.”
“The Officer Corps will continue to provide the senior military leadership; the Warrant Officer Corps will provide leadership to the rank and file and take on greater responsibilities in tactical training; the Military Experts will anchor deep professional expertise for key military domain areas for the SAF. Each of these three schemes of service will offer opportunities for personal and professional development, job growth and advancement, so that our servicemen can fulfil their aspirations and the SAF can benefit fully from their potential. The changes to the SAF's military schemes of service will be implemented on 1st April 2010. Key provisions of the Bill Mr Speaker, Sir, the SAF (Amendment) Bill will provide the proper legal framework to effect the key changes to the military schemes of service for the SAF. Please allow me to highlight some aspects of this Bill. For the new Military Expert, Third Warrant Officer and Senior Lieutenant-Colonel ranks, the Bill proposes to amend the various provisions within the SAF Act to fit these new ranks into the current military law and discipline structures, and accord them the relevant disciplinary powers. A new section 10C has been introduced to provide for the appointment and cancellation of appointment of Senior Military Experts by the President or the proper authority. Amendments are also made to section 118 to reflect the appropriate scale of punishment that such personnel can be awarded by the sentence of a subordinate military court. A new section 205D has been proposed to allow for the change of ranks when servicemen are transferred from the Military Domain Experts Scheme to the Officer or Warrant Officer schemes. This is intended to cater to two situations.”
“Enhanced Officers' career scheme Third, are the changes being made to the Military Officers' scheme. The current Officer career which is compact, fast-paced and challenging, with the retirement age in the mid-40s, has enabled the SAF to retain a dynamic and forward-looking Officer Corps. Officers receive a lump sum payment at the end of their career with the SAF. They then transit to a second career in another path of public service or the private sector. The Third Generation SAF will continue to require dynamic and vigorous leadership. We will thus keep the Officer's career compact, fast-paced and challenging. At the same time, however, Officers in the Third Generation SAF need more time serving ground tours and would also need time for more in-depth professional development in military leadership and advanced operational and technological capabilities. Hence, instead of retiring in their mid-40s, SAF Officers will have their career extended till age 50. This extension is provided for all existing Officers, but they have the choice of retiring at the current retirement age with their current retirement benefits. In other words, the option to stay on till age 50 is with the Officers, so long as they continue to perform their duties diligently and well. In addition, the SAF will introduce a new Senior Lieutenant-Colonel rank next year. This new rank will recognise the larger responsibilities and supervisory roles of certain Lieutenant-Colonel appointments in the SAF, for example, the Brigade 2IC appointment. In summary, we will have three military schemes that have distinct roles and functions.”
“Their jobs will be redesigned and restructured to focus on combat leadership roles, and to anchor the key SAF competencies in leadership, tactical war-fighting expertise and training supervision. They will continue to work in support of and in partnership with the Officers. We will introduce a new Third Warrant Officer rank. This will allow those with the potential to reach the Warrant Officer rank to be promoted to a Warrant Officer rank earlier. Under the enhanced scheme, the best can become a Warrant Officer as early as the end of their sixth year in service compared to 12 years under the current scheme. This new Third Warrant Officer rank will be an important milestone to signal to a serviceman that he has the potential to rise up through the Warrant Officer ranks and hold greater responsibilities. Those who do not attain the Third Warrant Officer (3WO) rank can continue in their jobs until their retirement age, at age 50, so long as they are able to contribute. The retirement age for the Warrant Officers will remain unchanged at age 55. To meet the aspirations of our servicemen to upgrade themselves academically early in their career, we will offer early degree sponsorships to promising servicemen with the potential to become Warrant Officers. Currently, they may be sponsored for degree studies only from their sixth year of service. Under the enhanced scheme, we will provide opportunities for them to embark on their studies as early as the end of their second or third year of service. We target diploma holders with strong leadership qualities to serve as Warrant Officers of the Third Generation SAF. These changes will enhance the career proposition and make it more attractive to join the Warrant Officer Corps.”
“Personnel who join the new scheme will be known as Military Experts. Military Experts will enjoy a longer career with the SAF on full CPF up to the age of 60. The longer career will allow them to develop specialisation and deep expertise as well as the necessary experience on the job required for key military domain areas. They will advance along an eight-rank structure – Military Expert 1 to Military Expert 8, with the pinnacle rank being Military Expert 8 (ME8). ME8 will be equivalent to a Brigadier General in terms of job size. The entry rank for degree holders is ME4. Servicemen who hold the rank of ME4 or above will be known as Senior Military Experts. Military Experts will be given opportunities to upgrade themselves academically and professionally. They will be offered attractive market-based remuneration. Progression will be based on the individual's level of professional expertise and the ability to take on higher professional responsibilities in their expertise domains. On the other hand, in the Officer and Warrant Officer Corps, progression depends significantly on command ability. Our servicemen who are currently in vocations under the military domain areas identified for the Military Domain Experts Scheme will be given the option to convert to the new scheme of service. They will be offered a fair package to transit to the new scheme of service. Enhanced Warrant Officer scheme Second, we will enhance the Warrant Officer scheme of service. Our Warrant Officers form the backbone of the SAF. They set high standards in tactical war-fighting and training, and are the repositories of the values and knowledge in the SAF. With the creation of the Military Domain Experts Scheme, the Warrant Officer Corps will be leaner and more focused.”
“Second, the SAF is transforming into a leaner and more potent Third Generation SAF that leverages on advanced technology and sophisticated systems. We still need people with leadership ability, dynamism and high levels of physical and mental energy. But, in addition, we need people with deeper specialisation, broader knowledge and more experience to fully exploit these advanced technologies, and to operate our more complex military systems. Our HR policies and schemes of service must therefore evolve to address these strategic challenges. Strategic response by MINDEF Over the last two years, MINDEF and the SAF conducted a fundamental review of our military schemes of service in order to better match the aspirations of our people and potential recruits with the evolving HR needs of the Third Generation SAF. We will be making significant changes in three key areas. New military domain experts scheme First, we will introduce a new military uniformed scheme of service in the SAF called the Military Domain Experts Scheme. This new scheme will complement the existing Officer and Warrant Officer schemes. The Military Domain Experts Scheme will allow us to build and retain deep professional expertise and experience in critical military domain areas such as technical, engineering and intelligence. It will also allow us to fully develop our current servicemen who are in these lines of work. It will also attract the more technologically savvy polytechnic and degree graduates who want to work with cutting-edge systems and advanced technologies but are not so inclined to join the traditional Officer or Warrant Officer schemes. It will also facilitate mid-career professionals with the relevant expertise to join the SAF.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, before I commence my speech on the Bill, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family of the late Lieutenant Chee Zhi Hao and the family of the late Lance Corporal Mar Teng Fong, two servicemen who are being laid to rest this week. Sir, the Bill before this House seeks to amend the Singapore Armed Forces Act to effect key enhancements to the military schemes of service for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). These enhancements will ensure that the SAF can continue to offer an attractive career proposition to bring in and retain capable, committed and competent people for the defence of Singapore. Strategic imperatives The last major review of the SAF career schemes was conducted over a decade ago. The manpower landscape and the needs of the SAF have shifted significantly since then, in particular, we face two strategic human resource (HR) challenges. First, the demographic and educational profile of our population is changing. The number of Singaporeans aged 17 to 25 entering the workforce each year will start to decline from the year 2015 onwards. Also, young Singaporeans entering the workforce today are better educated and aspire for more challenging and responsible jobs commensurate with their qualifications. Today, 25% of each cohort graduate with degrees while 42% graduate with diplomas. In addition, 50% of diploma holders expect to subsequently go on to obtain degrees. This provides the imperative as well as the opportunity for the SAF to restructure its careers for good diploma level entrants to provide them with better opportunities for self-development, job growth and advancement. This will also allow the SAF to make full use of the potential of these servicemen.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer is yes. HAZE SITUATION (Action Plan) 6. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in view of the recent remarks made by Indonesia’s Forestry Minister on the haze issue (a) what is his Ministry’s position on the haze situation; (b) whether his Ministry has taken any action with Indonesia to address the worsening haze situation; (c) why is ASEAN unable to work as a cohesive bloc to tackle this issue of indiscriminate forest burning in Indonesia; and (d) what is his Ministry’s assessment on the commitment of the Indonesian Government and the state of our bilateral efforts to prevent forest fires from burning uncontrollably. 7. Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what is his assessment of the efficacy of efforts thus far to tackle transboundary haze pollution, both generally and in particular with respect to Singapore’s efforts in Jambi Province.”
“First, Sir, I did not quite understand the question – what did the Member mean by "the spread"?”
“Sir, I think the Member has got the logic upside down. The President's Scholarship is awarded to the top students in Singapore who choose to devote their lives to serve in the Public Service and this can come from any discipline in Singapore. The numbers awarded each year are few and it depends on the quality of the candidates.”
“Officers who have performed well above the requirements of their grade would be recognised and rewarded through the Performance Bonus framework. Column No : 1397 CARE FOR AGED PARENTS (Higher tax relief) 21. Ms Ellen Lee asked the Minister for Finance whether an even higher amount of tax relief or incentive can be granted to children who look after their aged parents so as to incentivise and encourage children to look after their elderly parents.”
“Public sector agencies, like any organisation, would need to actively manage staffing issues when their officers are away for long periods of time. This involves early planning and discussions between the officer and the organisation so that the organisation has sufficient time to make alternative staffing arrangements. These arrangements would vary, depending on each agency. It could include employing temporary staff or having other officers cover the duties of the officer who is away. Let me share what the Ministry of Education does. MOE has a large proportion of teachers who are female. To help schools manage their staffing needs, MOE provides additional teacher headcounts as well as manpower grants for schools to purchase additional manpower services where necessary. This ensures that there are no disruptions when teachers need to be away from work, whether for maternity leave or other reasons, such as training or professional development leave. Schools would also tap on their pool of experienced Adjunct Teachers (who were former teachers or retired teachers) to fill in when teachers need to be away. Public sector agencies would know in advance when an officer is to go on maternity leave and would therefore have sufficient time to make the necessary prior arrangements. Subject to mutual agreement between the officer and the agency, the maternity leave framework also allows the flexibility to spread out the last eight weeks of the 16-week maternity leave, to be taken over a period of 12 months. This can also be taken on a part-time basis. On the issue of recognition for officers who have to cover duties for their colleagues, all contributions made by an officer during the year are taken into account during the year-end performance appraisal exercise.”
“Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) participate regularly in SAF overseas training and exercises which are required for their vocational training and the operational build up of their units. Before departure, NSFs are advised to inform their next-of-kin of their overseas deployment and pass them the unit’s contact numbers which their next-of-kin can use to contact them in case of urgent family matters. The unit’s Headquarters also maintains the contact information of the servicemen’s next-of-kin, so that they can be contacted should there be a need. Should National Servicemen be required to participate in overseas missions they will also be advised to inform their next-of-kin before their departure. In addition, as part of a home-support system, the unit appoints liaison officers to engage the next-of-kin of the servicemen when they are overseas. These liaison officers also serve as a point of contact should the next-of-kin request for more information and wish to contact the serviceman in case of urgent family matters. MEDICAL DOCTORS (Maintaining public confidence) 24. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Health how does his Ministry ensure that medical doctors uphold a high standard of medical ethics as well as a sense of professional responsibility, so as to maintain public confidence in the medical profession.”
“The Arrangement between Singapore and New Zealand Concerning Defence Cooperation reaffirms the close and longstanding bilateral defence relationship, which is based on shared strategic perspectives and common security interests. The two armed forces have been cooperating closely in several areas, including the current multinational reconstruction efforts in Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan, and also interact regularly as members of the Five Power Defence Arrangements. New Zealand also provides training access to the Singapore Armed Forces, which we are grateful for. The Arrangement also serves as a framework to expand and deepen the existing defence links between Singapore and New Zealand, in areas such as policy dialogues, military cooperation, operations and training. These interactions and cooperation help to enhance the SAF’s capabilities and professionalism, as well as to strengthen the interoperability and people-to-people links between both armed forces. FUNDING TO PRIMARY SCHOOLS 6. Mr Hri Kumar Nair asked the Minister for Education whether the amount of funding given by the Ministry to all primary schools is identical and, if not, how does the Ministry determine the level of funding given to each primary school.”
“Ms Ellen Lee asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence how the recently-signed Arrangement between Singapore and New Zealand Concerning Defence Cooperation can improve the capability of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and boost ties between the New Zealand Armed Forces and SAF.”
“This answer is in response to Question Nos 3 and 4. Realistic military training has been an integral part of our efforts to build up and maintain a strong and credible Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Given our limited local training areas and airspace, the SAF needs to train overseas and has been doing so since the 1970s. Singapore is grateful to the many countries around the world, including Australia, Brunei, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand and the US, that have allowed the SAF to train in their territories. These overseas training opportunities for the SAF have contributed to the building of friendly and mutually beneficial relations between the SAF and the armed forces of these countries. It also allows the SAF to benchmark itself against other professional armed forces. In Australia, the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) is a key training area for the SAF. Singapore is deeply appreciative of Australia’s continued support for the SAF’s training and in particular, the extension of the use of SWBTA by the SAF. The renewal of the SWBTA Memorandum of Agreement with Australia has not had any impact on our defence relations with our neighbours. They are well aware of Singapore’s longstanding need for overseas training areas. As local training space will remain a premium in Singapore, MINDEF and the SAF will continue to explore new overseas training opportunities in accordance with the SAF’s operational needs. DEFENCE COOPERATION BETWEEN SINGAPORE AND NEW ZEALAND 5.”
“Finally, at the third level, ASEAN countries have achieved a healthy level of security cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels. Operational cooperative mechanisms, such as the Malacca Strait Patrols (MSP), have also had a positive impact on regional security and enhanced trust between the participating states. Singapore regularly and publicly articulates our defence policy positions on a variety of issues at various forums. In addition, we share our strategic perspective with other countries in ASEAN through our contribution to the ARF Annual Security Outlook and voluntary briefings at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meetings (ADMM). MILITARY TRAINING LOCATIONS 3. Ms Ellen Lee asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence in light of Australia's extension of the use of Shoalwater Bay for our military training, how has that impacted on Singapore’s military/ defence relations/ arrangements with our neighbouring countries. 4. Ms Ellen Lee asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence whether Singapore is actively looking for more military training locations regionally and internationally to strengthen our military’s exposure to varied training terrain and conditions (land, sea and air) and, if so, where are the exact locations and countries.”
“Military transparency is not an end in itself, but serves a larger objective of building trust and cooperation for mutual benefit in the region. Within ASEAN, and in the larger Asia Pacific region, there are three levels of military transparency that the region can work together on to further enhance regional peace and stability. At the first level, military transparency means disclosing information about one’s armaments and military programmes. At the second level, states must go beyond "bean-counting" to articulate their security concerns and strategic intent in a way that can reassure others. This can be done through the publication of White Papers, government statements or interviews, and dialogues between states. At the third level, military transparency involves cooperative action that contributes more directly to regional security. This encompasses practical cooperation, joint exercises and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. ASEAN has been working to advance these three levels of military transparency within the region. At the first level of disclosing one’s armaments and military programmes, efforts include the ASEAN Regional Forum’s (ARF) support for the UN Register on Conventional Arms since 1994, and the publication of the ARF Annual Security Outlook reports. At the second level, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea are good examples of how ASEAN has sought to express our peaceful and cooperative intent. Security dialogues like the ARF and the Shangri-La Dialogue also contribute to this second level of military transparency.”
“Mr Ong Ah Heng asked the Minister for Manpower (a) if he will give an update on the problem of phantom workers; (b) how many companies have been investigated for having phantom local workers and how many foreign workers are brought in as a result of it; (c) how many foreign workers have been repatriated and how many have alternative jobs; and (d) whether the Ministry has identified the loopholes in the system to prevent further unscrupulous practices by employers.”
“Therefore, not only are we fostering greater collaboration across Government agencies, we also want to encourage a healthy and constructive engagement and partnership between the Public Service and the public we serve. *For a very long time, rock bunds were used to prevent reclaimed land from being washed away. But when JTC adopted a sensible practice of reclaiming land just in time to meet demand, companies moving in often removed the rock bunds soon after they had been built. The companies replaced them with other types of shore protection customised to suit their special requirements, such as to allow ships to dock. Clearly, it was a waste to build the rock bunds only to have them removed soon after. The joint team from JTC and SLA therefore came up with a risk management approach. This meant analysing the wave impact on different stretches of the reclaimed land and putting in minimum shore protection that is just sufficient to prevent soil erosion before the reclaimed land is sold. Every year, for every kilometre of land reclaimed under this new approach, the Government and the companies save a total of $16 million and reduce construction time by 7.7 months. FOREIGN WORKERS 27. Mr Ong Ah Heng asked the Minister for Manpower if he will give an update on the enforcement actions taken against work-permit holders in the construction and marine industries for being deployed as drivers to transport workers. 28.”
“Officers from the Singapore Land Authority and JTC came together to work on shore protection for reclaimed land*, creating a new method that takes less time and costs less. Officers from various maritime agencies and organisations such as the Singapore Armed Forces, Police Coast Guard, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and Singapore Customs have formed a Maritime Security Task Force to ensure tighter security for our maritime borders. And the Committee headed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to deal with the current H1N1 situation is supported strongly by officers from many public agencies, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, the Ministry of National Development, and the Public Service Division. But there is always room for improvement. Public officers are encouraged to be open and receptive to new ideas and suggestions. Today, there is a healthy flow and exchange of ideas and suggestions, within each agency and also across them. The Public Service also actively solicits ideas from the public. We may not accept every idea, but we study each idea carefully, weighing the merits against broader community, public, and national interests. Every year, during Public Service Week, we recognise public officers who have gone the extra mile to serve the public or who made good suggestions for improving service levels. This year, for the first time, we recognised three members of the public for making very useful and constructive suggestions that improved the services provided by the Ministry of Manpower, the Accountant-General’s Department and the CPF Board.”