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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“Even after the extension, officers will leave with the necessary experience and expertise and young enough to embark on their second careers. The total remuneration package will put them in a strong financial position when they leave the SAF. Second, we will put in additional mid-term retention bonuses. Officers tend to review their career options when they approach their early 30s. To encourage officers to complete a full career with us, we will increase the incentive amounts for those who stay till the end of the first 10 years. Officers also have the option of making withdrawals in advance. Third, wage structures will be adjusted to be more responsive to market conditions. We have added a new Variable Market Bonus for officers, and this is pegged to GDP growth. It will be paid out over two tranches in years of good economic growth. The first tranche will be paid in October of that year, based on GDP growth projections announced by the Government in the third quarter of that year. The second tranche will be paid the following April, after the actual GDP growth for that year has been determined. This mode of payment in two tranches enables us to respond more swiftly to wage movements. Fourth, we recently introduced part-time degree sponsorships for non-graduate officers to upgrade themselves. This is in addition to the many existing schemes for our officers to further their academic qualifications and professional development. Over the years, many officers have benefited from these opportunities. Let me just cite one example. LTC Li Lit Siew, Commanding Officer of 191 Squadron in the Navy, is a naval officer with more than 20 years of service. He has been Honourary Aide-de-Camp to the President and has commanded a Task Group for peace support in Iraq.”
“Some Members may not be familiar with the present schemes. To familiarise Members, let me first talk about the SAVER scheme for officers and then the recent enhancements introduced. The SAVER scheme, first and foremost, helps the SAF to attract capable leaders that keep the SAF dynamic and forward-looking to deal with the wide spectrum of scenarios and corresponding threats. A career in the SAF is physically demanding and this is why we retire our officers young, as some Members have pointed out, at about age 45. This age allows for a career length that is enough for our officers to be developed professionally and to make significant contributions to the SAF before they embark on their next career. To help in the transition, the scheme provides an attractive package which includes a substantial lump sum when they retire. As a result, their earnings from a career with the SAF up till the age of 45, compares well with the typical earnings from a full career in the private sector. Our experience has shown that most are able to transit successfully to their second careers, with more than 75% finding jobs within three months of leaving, and 85% after six months of leaving the SAF. We have made a number of enhancements to the SAVER scheme. First, we have extended career lengths by up to three years, as proposed by Dr Ong Chit Chung and Mr Ang Mong Seng. With extensions, Colonels will leave service at 47 years of age, while Majors and Lieutenant-Colonels leave service at age 45. But let me say that the extension was necessary for operational reasons because it catered to new demands for more foundational and integrated training in a 3rd Generation SAF.”
“15 pm Dr Ong pointed out that the labour market has indeed tightened and opportunities have increased. MINDEF recognises that it must compete, with other organisations, to attract people with the requisite attributes and aptitude. As part of our value proposition, MINDEF offers exciting careers which encompass extensive opportunities for development and growth as well as competitive remuneration packages. We have the SAVER scheme for regular Officers and the Premium Plan for regular Warrant Officers and Specialists, or WOSpecs in short. While these schemes have served us well, we have recently embarked on a strategic review to take into account new market realities as well as the operational demands of a 3rd Generation SAF. The operational demands of the 3rd Generation SAF require that we attract and groom people who can leverage on technology, operate sophisticated systems and adapt rapidly. Arising from our strategic review to recruit and retain the right type of people, MINDEF has recently made several refinements to strengthen our career proposition. But before I go into specifics, it is important to put into proper perspective the role of incentive structures. We will always seek to attract those who have the right values, motivations and capabilities to lead and serve in the SAF. And I certainly hope that, for many, it is more than a vocation and it is a calling. But MINDEF also recognises that good people will be attracted to a progressive organisation that values its employees and helps them in their development. Remuneration is important, but employees also want to be developed to their full potential to be able to give their best to the organisation. This basically is the philosophy underpinning our incentive schemes.”
“On its part, the SAF ensures that our NSmen are well-trained, well-equipped and well-led, so that should our soldiers ever be called to fight and defend Singapore, they will win and come home safely to their loved ones. Our investments through the defence budget, and the investment of the time, energy and dedication of each of our NSmen, as well as the support of their families, employers and our wider society ensure that Singaporeans can continue to live in peace and prosper, while enjoying our right to determine our own future. I will now ask Dr Ng to speak on how we are addressing the human resource challenges in the SAF as well as camp security, and Prof. Koo to speak on National Service, Total Defence and Commitment to Defence. The Second Minister for Defence (Dr Ng Eng Hen): Sir, let me thank Dr Ong Chit Chung, Mr Arthur Fong and Mr Ang Mong Seng for asking how MINDEF or SAF continues to attract good people into the SAF. I am indeed gratified by the question because it shows that they and others like them recognise that it will always be the quality of its people that will determine whether the SAF can fulfil its mission to defend our nation. We will always need to maximise our limited human resources and leverage on better systems to be an effective deterrent. We will need to be smarter in the use of technology to be more efficient so that every defence dollar is stretched to the limit. But above all, in that moment of reckoning, it will be our soldiers and people, their passion, resolve and commitment that will ultimately determine if we can protect and preserve what we have built and hold precious. MINDEF is committed to offer compelling careers to attract the right sort of people to join and stay with us. 4.”
“The Government believes that the best way to provide for our defence is to continue to make steady investments every year, rather than to take a feast and famine approach, where the budget fluctuates widely from year to year. With a steady pattern of spending, we can develop our forces - our hardware and our people - more cost-effectively, and maintain a high level of operational readiness at all times. Our investment in the SAF remains the foundation for peace and stability that is necessary for the economic growth and prosperity of Singapore and our freedom to forge our own future. Fundamental to this are the strong public commitment to defence and the strong support of this House. I welcome Ms Indranee Rajah taking the IPPT with our NSmen. And although she has not done NS, I notice that she has learnt how to volunteer others already. While setting aside sufficient budget each year for defence is important, the most important investment in defence is made by every male Singaporean through National Service (NS). Last year, we commemorated the 40th year of NS. I am sure this House joins me in recognising the active commitment and sacrifices made by our citizens, especially our Operationally Ready NSmen, to the defence of Singapore. Our society's broad-based commitment to defence underpins our concept of Total Defence, where every sector of society and every citizen contribute to Singapore's defence in their own ways. As long as Singapore is cohesive and our citizens are willing to play their part, potential adversaries will think twice before taking us on.”
“Nonetheless, let me assure this House that the SAF will continue to review its systems and equipment to ensure that robust systems are in place to manage the risks from technology. Mr Michael Palmer also asked about the total amount expended to transit to a 3rd Generation SAF. Let me provide an order of magnitude, a sense, of how much we allocate. The SAF is projected to invest an estimated 50% of its capital budget on the 3rd Generation SAF, which represents investments in areas such as IKC2, precision weapons and unmanned systems. If I may draw Members' attention to the folder that has been placed on their seats, it contains a January 2008 Pioneer magazine, which gives a flavour of what the SAF has been doing as well as some IKC2 things. There is also a video inside which will be shown tonight at 7.00 pm on TV, and it will be shown five times in the coming month. It is quite a nice video. So I encourage Members to watch it in their free time and perhaps play it during their MPS sessions so that their constituents have something interesting to see. Developing the 3rd Generation SAF requires a long period of steady investment in our people - to nurture qualified and confident operators who can work on new systems and develop new concepts. The SAF also places a priority on engaging our servicemen to ensure that they are imbued with a strong fighting spirit and are firmly committed to the defence of Singapore. The Government is prepared to spend up to 6% of GDP on Defence. In practice, over the past five years, MINDEF has found it adequate to spend about 4.5% to 5% of GDP on defence. MINDEF maintains a very rigorous system of controls in our budget process to ensure that we use the money that has been allocated wisely and prudently.”
“This structure and organisation have enabled us to work very well and very smoothly with the Home Team agencies. The Island Defence Headquarters and the Police Divisions basically know each other every well and shake hands operationally, regularly in exercises, and this was most useful in the recent case of the escape of Mas Selamat Kastari when the Police requested for assistance. The SAF was able to fit in seamlessly to support the Police. While the Ops Hub focuses on current operations, the SAF Capability Development Hub looks at the future needs of the SAF by coordinating the SAF's development strategy across all three services. Mr Michael Palmer asked about the SAF's back-up plans in case equipment stops working in the 3rd Generation SAF. This is an important question. Critical systems have multiple layers of redundancy at both the system and equipment levels. Robustness and resilience are accorded a high priority. This applies not only to IT systems, databases and communications, but also to power supply and infrastructure. For example, we have multiple routings to connect our communication nodes including land lines, microwave and wireless networks. To make sure that recovery from any equipment failure is swift, the SAF has developed comprehensive contingency plans, which we test regularly. Finally, the SAF is trained to function even without some of the new technologies. This is done by continuing to emphasise basic skills and competencies. So, for instance, while our soldiers are trained to operate with GPS and a digital map, they continue to be well-trained in basic map reading and navigation skills. In other words, even if the technology fails, the SAF will not.”
“Our investment in building up expertise in aerodynamics and guided systems has allowed us to design and develop Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs, that can meet our unique user requirements for surveillance, reconnaissance and communications. In fact, Mr Zainudin himself was involved in one of MINDEF's collaborations with Nanyang Polytechnic on advanced integrated circuits that have been used on our UAVs. Another area is chemical and biological defence which enabled us to draw upon our years of investment in verification, protection and decontamination capabilities to contribute, at short notice, to the national fight against SARS in 2003. This capability in R&D in this area forms the foundation upon which our national chemical and biological defence systems are based. Dr Ong Chit Chung asked about changes in the SAF's command and control structure. Let me speak about two new organisational changes in 2007 - the creation of the SAF Operations Hub and the SAF Capability Development Hub. The SAF Ops Hub is led by the new Director of Joint Operations. The DJO is the senior-most operations staff officer in the SAF responsible for linking together Army, Navy, and Air Force operations to maintain a high level of operational readiness against all threats, including terrorist and other unconventional attacks. The DJO reports to the Chief of Defence Force. Recently, when a civilian Cessna aircraft intruded into our airspace under suspicious circumstances, the SAF responded swiftly by scrambling two of our F-16s to intercept it. Although I will not go into the details, let me assure Dr Ong that MINDEF and the SAF do have a decision making process and are prepared to deal with such contingencies and take the necessary action to defend Singapore's security.”
“The Gulfstream G550 Airborne Early Warning aircraft will significantly improve the SAF's networked air defence and early warning capabilities. It will replace our E2C. The new Formidable Class stealth frigates and the Sikorsky S-70B naval helicopters will allow us to better secure our sea lines of communication. The planned acquisition of the High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems, along with the Leopard 2A4 Main Battle Tanks upgraded with the latest battlefield systems, will enhance the capability of our Army. These new capabilities will be integrated together with our Digitised Division Command Post, the Frigate's Combat Management System, and the networked air defence system, connecting together the key IKC2 components of the 3rd Generation SAF. Mr Zainudin Nordin asked about MINDEF's efforts in defence R&D and why these are critical to our defence strategy. Our defence research and technology capability enables us to create cutting-edge systems that we cannot get off-the-shelf. This capability has been built up over a long period of time and the SAF today is supported by some 5,000 technology professionals both within MINDEF and in the wider defence eco-system. Over the years, we have focused our research and development investments in areas such as electronic warfare, command, control, communications and computers (C4), sensors and guided systems. We are open to such technology being marketed in other applications. Singapore Technologies has been successful in selling such technology in civilian security applications, such as in Police and fire service systems and mobile command posts. We invest about 4% of our budget on R&D. Let me cite two examples where our investments are indeed paying off.”
“Sir, we are aware that such deployments do involve risks to our servicemen, which can be significant. However, where there is real and important work of this nature to be done, there will be attendant risks. Therefore, our personnel are well trained and well prepared for their role in their assigned deployment, and to deal with any contingencies. This includes psychological preparation and follow-up. The soldiers being deployed to Oruzgan will undergo a comprehensive three-week pre-deployment training package conducted in Singapore, followed by a two-week preparation programme in Australia with their Australian counterparts to ensure that they can operate seamlessly with each other. Just prior to their deployment into Afghanistan, they will also receive further integration training with the Australian forces, where they will be comprehensively brought up to date on the ground situation and trained how to handle the various threats. I have confidence in them, and I am sure that the Honourable Members of this House will join me in supporting their challenging work ahead. Sir, even as we contribute to international reconstruction and stabilisation efforts, the primary mission of the SAF will still be to deter any threats and defend Singapore. Our security remains our top priority. In 2007, the SAF focused on realising the 3rd Generation SAF through the introduction of advanced platforms and capabilities, new organisational structures and processes, and people development. We have further developed the SAF's Integrated Knowledge-based Command and Control (IKC2) systems. The Hermes 450 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle will enhance battlefield surveillance for the SAF. This is a UAV that can fly for about 14 hours.”
“This will consist of two rotations of medical teams for about three months each to the Field Hospital in Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital of Oruzgan. Comprising about 20 medical and nursing officers for each rotation, the deployments will begin in the second half of this year. These teams will provide primary healthcare and ward capabilities in support of the medical facility run by the Dutch and Australian forces in the Dutch-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Oruzgan. Sir, it is important that Singaporeans understand why we are doing this. Afghanistan is at the frontline in the global fight against terrorism. Extremists have made use of an unstable Afghanistan as a safe haven to train terrorists, and to export violence and terror to other countries, including Singapore. A number of JI detainees who had planned attacks in Singapore had trained in Afghanistan; and, more recently, a self-radicalised Singaporean was detained on the way to join the Taliban in Afghanistan. The international community recognises that the stabilisation and reconstruction of Afghanistan is critical in the global fight against terrorism. That is why the UN Security Council recently renewed the mandate of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan for another year to October 2008. 4.00 pm As a responsible member of the international community, Singapore supports the efforts of the UN in facilitating international peace and security. We take our international responsibilities and commitments seriously. Given our limited resources, we participate where we are able to make a useful and meaningful contribution. We do so because our contributions enhance Singapore's overall security.”
“SAF personnel are currently serving in the UN Integrated Mission in Timor Leste and the UN Mission in Nepal. Since 2003, we have been supporting the multinational efforts in Iraq with our deployments of Landing Ships Tank, and C-130 transport and KC-135 tanker aircraft. In 2007, Singapore deployed a five-man dental team and a five-man construction engineering team to Bamiyan in Afghanistan in support of the multinational reconstruction effort there. Each team spent three months deployed with the New Zealand-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamiyan Province. Our dental team treated nearly 1,000 patients. The Governor of Bamiyan told us that the dental clinic greatly boosted local health care, as dental care was previously non-existent in the province. The construction of bridges has helped the local population in the villages of Chapdara and Monara. We currently have two SAF officers deployed in Bamiyan to coordinate the distribution of medical aid, and provide continuity for the dental project that we started there. We have completed a review of our contributions to the multinational effort in Afghanistan and decided that for this year, we will deploy two construction engineering teams to Bamiyan with the New Zealand PRT for about three months each, similar to the engineering team that we deployed last year. As part of the review, an SAF survey team was recently deployed to Afghanistan to better understand what additional contributions the SAF can make to the ongoing stabilisation and reconstruction efforts. In addition to our deployments to Bamiyan, we have also decided to deploy a SAF medical detachment to Oruzgan province.”
“The agreement also includes new areas of cooperation such as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. The inaugural China-Singapore Defence Policy Dialogue was held in January this year. With India, since signing a Defence Cooperation Agreement in 2003, we have steadily expanded our interactions. We recently concluded a Bilateral Agreement for joint training and exercises in India between the RSAF and Indian Air Force in October last year. We also continue to welcome the Indian Airforce and Navy to this part of the world for visits and exercises. Our ties with Australia and New Zealand remain particularly close and strong. We have many exercises and exchanges with the armed forces of both these countries and appreciate the opportunities for training that are provided by both countries to the SAF. This has enabled us to develop a level of understanding that enables the SAF to deploy with the ADF and the New Zealand Defence Force when needed. On Japan, we have encouraged the Japanese Self-Defence Force's engagement with our region by supporting their participation in exercises and offering our facilities for their ships and aircraft transits when they deploy through this region. In fact, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force is the second largest foreign user of Changi Naval Base, after the US. Ms Rajah also asked about Vietnam. We have good relations with Vietnam which are developing and going stronger, and the Defence Minister of Vietnam and myself visited each other over the last five months. Singapore has also been contributing to peace support operations and international reconstruction efforts. Dr Maliki and Mr Arthur Fong asked about our current contributions, and our reasons for doing so. About 2,000 SAF servicemen have served on international missions.”
“Both Singapore and Indonesia have therefore agreed that the best option for both countries is to put the DCA and the ET aside for now. The leaderships of both the TNI and the SAF share the common view that the defence relationship between Singapore and Indonesia is an important one, and mutually beneficial. I met the new Indonesian Navy and Air Force Chiefs in Singapore very recently, and both emphasised this point. Both sides remain committed to working closely together to strengthen bilateral defence relations. Recent exercises conducted with the TNI include the bilateral navy exercise, Exercise Eagle, in January 2008. This was the 20th in the series, the first being conducted 34 years ago in 1974, which I remember fondly. Last December, our two Armies carried out the annual brigade-level exercise, called Safkar Indopura. This is the 19th in the series, and it included a live-firing exercise conducted by Indonesian troops in Singapore, with their SAF counterparts. Besides our immediate neighbours, we are also strengthening defence relations with key players in the Asia-Pacific. The Strategic Framework Agreement, signed with the US in 2005, established Singapore as a Major Security Co-operation Partner. Bilateral cooperation continues to move ahead at a high tempo. Our F-16, Apache and Chinook detachments conduct high-end training in the US. More recently, our pilots have begun naval helicopter training in San Diego, while our F-15 training in Mountain Home, Idaho, will start next year. With China, we recently signed the Agreement on Defence Exchanges and Security Cooperation. This Agreement formalises on-going activities between MINDEF and the PLA, such as the exchange of visits, attendance at courses and seminars, and port calls.”
“I recently made a working visit to Malaysia in January. I met Dato’ Seri Najib Razak, and we reaffirmed the longstanding defence ties between Singapore and Malaysia. I was very happy that Mr Palmer and Dr Maliki came along for this visit. I also had the opportunity to give a talk to senior Malaysian officers attending the Malaysian Armed Forces Defence College on bilateral relations, and how Malaysia and Singapore can work together to strengthen regional security. I am glad that we had an open, frank and honest discussion during this dialogue. Overall, both countries see the importance of developing good defence relations. We also continue to cooperate through the Five Power Defence Arrangements, and on regional security issues like the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting, and the successful Malacca Straits Patrol. Mr Palmer asked about airspace restrictions. Certain agreements were terminated, which I hope will be reinstated eventually. Similarly, I hope that restrictions imposed on RSAF aircraft in FPDA exercises will eventually be lifted. Let me now turn to Indonesia. Mr Palmer and others asked about our defence relations and the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA). Singapore and Indonesia have worked closely together for over 40 years to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia. As part of the package with the Extradition Treaty (ET), both countries signed the DCA in order to strengthen our defence relations. Singapore stands ready to honour this package of agreements. Unfortunately, this package has run into difficulties. We recognise that the domestic conditions in Indonesia may not allow for the package of agreements to be ratified at this time.”
“We are pleased that Thailand has announced its intention to join the Malacca Straits Patrols. The littoral states agree that user states can also contribute to the security of the Malacca Straits. Other functional groupings like the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia or, in short, ReCAAP, which currently has 14 members, have also contributed to improving the maritime security situation. The Singapore-based ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (or ISC) facilitates the sharing of best practices amongst countries. The ISC recently hosted a Capacity Building Workshop in Singapore last October, in which almost all the ReCAAP member countries, as well as Indonesia and Malaysia which are not yet members of ReCAAP, participated. Finally, to complement the various multilateral and functional groupings, an extensive web of bilateral defence relations between the countries of the Asia-Pacific provides a strong base for the regional security architecture. Singapore will continue to deepen our network of bilateral defence relationships. Let me begin with our closest neighbours. Mr Michael Palmer and others asked about our defence relations with Malaysia. Singapore and Malaysia share a long history of bilateral defence relations. The deep and broad-based nature of our defence linkages, from bilateral exercises to other professional interactions, has kept our lines of communication open. All three services have now instituted what are called “Top Ten” interactions. Besides enabling senior military leaders to get to know each other, these occasions also allow for informal discussions on issues of mutual interest. Such linkages build confidence and will help us weather the occasional political storm.”
“This plan has been adopted by the ASEAN CDFs, and will foster practical cooperation in areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter-terrorism and maritime security. Importantly, we also agreed on the principles for what is called the ‘ADMM-Plus’. The ADMM-Plus is part of an evolving, open and inclusive regional security framework that allows the ASEAN defence track to engage countries beyond Southeast Asia. Security issues in Southeast Asia such as maritime security, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, or combating international terrorism, cannot be solved only by countries within our region. Extra-regional countries that have a stake in the region can bring expertise, perspectives and resources to bear on such shared transnational security challenges in Southeast Asia. It is also important that we engage the major powers and facilitate constructive and cooperative norms of behaviour in our region. Complementing this web of security forums is the development of a collection of operational arrangements and functional groupings which address specific challenges, such as maritime security. Dr Ong Chit Chung and Mr Hawazi asked about the security of the Malacca Straits. Operational arrangements like the Malacca Straits Patrol, where the three littoral states, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, conduct coordinated sea and maritime air patrols, enhance the security of the Straits of Malacca. According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), the number of piracy attacks in the Straits of Malacca has declined, with only seven incidents in 2007, down from a recent peak of 38 in 2004. The IMB attributed this to the vigilant efforts of the littoral states. The commitment and political will of the littoral states remain strong.”
“At the broadest level, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) brings together both foreign and defence officials from 27 countries from the Pacific to South West Asia. With its wide membership, the ARF provides an important forum for strategic dialogue and confidence building. Also providing a forum at the broadest level, but in a more informal format, is the Shangri-La Dialogue held annually in Singapore, which is a key multilateral event for defence and security dialogue in the region. Today, it is the only forum where Defence Ministers from the region and beyond gather, along with senior officials and academics. The informal setting of the Shangri-La Dialogue has facilitated a frank exchange of views, and allows new concepts and ideas to be floated and discussed. Last year, 23 countries, including 20 Ministers, took part. At the regional level, we have the East Asia Summit (EAS), with the 10 ASEAN countries at its core, as well as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea. The EAS' priority is currently mainly economic. But with its focused membership, the EAS has the potential to address complex and multi-faceted security challenges in the region, such as energy security, trade security and maritime security. 3.45 pm Ms Indranee Rajah asked about the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting, or ADMM. The ADMM is an important step towards building an ASEAN Security Community. Singapore had the honour of hosting the second ADMM last November. At that meeting, we made significant progress. Chief of Defence Force LG Desmond Kuek updated the ASEAN Defence Ministers on the two-year activity workplan.”
“Although the US is currently preoccupied by Iraq and Afghanistan, it is vital for the US to be actively and constructively engaged in Asia. Mr Chairman, Sir, all countries tied to the global economy are becoming increasingly interdependent and have a common interest in peace and stability. However, friction and strategic competition between the major powers pose risks that need to be managed in the on-going shift in power relationships. Potential flashpoints in regional security remain, such as the situation across the Taiwan Strait; and transnational threats like terrorism must also be managed in a globalised world. MINDEF's response to this complex and fluid regional security environment is to strengthen both diplomacy and deterrence. First, defence diplomacy. Ms Indranee Rajah and Mr Hawazi Daipi asked about the regional security architecture, and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting. Multilateral cooperation is required to counter transnational threats as well as to create a culture of constructive engagement, and peaceful dispute avoidance and resolution. Singapore seeks to facilitate the development of a regional security architecture, which provides a robust and flexible framework for peace and stability in Asia. A multi-layered and overlapping security architecture is developing – made up of both formal and informal forums – at the strategic as well as the functional levels. ASEAN lies at the heart of many multi-lateral groupings, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, the East Asia Summit and the Shangri-La Dialogue. We want an open and inclusive architecture, with ASEAN facilitating and shaping this architecture and its agenda.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to thank the hon. Members for their comments and questions, and for their strong commitment to Singapore's defence and security. Ms Indranee Rajah and Mr Hawazi Daipi asked about the trends in our regional security environment. I will begin by sharing MINDEF's perspective on this. While the US remains the pre-eminent power in the Asia-Pacific, the rise of China and India is transforming Asia's strategic landscape. China has become the largest trading partner of many countries in the region, including Japan, South Korea and, most recently, Australia. China is also India's second-largest trading partner. In addition to trade, China and India are also becoming important sources of foreign direct investment (FDI). Since 2004, their share of the total outflows of FDI from Asia has risen from 10% to 25%. The expansion of China and India's economic space and linkages means that they will seek to secure their interests beyond their immediate neighbourhood. Their growing economic might allows them to progressively develop the military capabilities and diplomatic influence to do so. As a consequence, Japan too is feeling the need to exert greater geo-political influence as a "normal" country. Japan has sought a permanent seat at the UN Security Council, and in January last year made their Defence Agency a cabinet level Ministry of Defence. Russia will also grow increasingly assertive in our region, just as it has in Europe. While Russia and Europe have their own security concerns mainly on their peripheries, it is only a matter of time before both Russia and the EU embark on a more coherent strategy to engage our region given Asia's economic dynamism and strategic potential. The US remains a key player in the security and stability of our region.”
“Some have a large number of older workers, some have a large number of younger workers, some have workers who are professionals, some have workers who are doing jobs at a technical or simpler level. So there are different requirements in each organisation. 5.00 pm”
“Sir, I would say that work-life balance in a Ministry or any organisation is about as much as creating the right environment and the right approach and attitude as it is about programmes and specific activities. You can organise a lot of activities in a work setting but actually you may be taking away employees from their families, which is exactly what they want to do. We may organise a lot of training and again, you may be taking the employees away from the families and the other things that they want to do. That may not necessarily be contributing to a good work-life balance. So I think awareness is probably the single most important thing amongst the supervisors as well as the employees themselves, that they strike a balance. We see four quadrants in a work-life framework that guides all these initiatives - self, work, family and friends, and community. Self is about achieving personal well-being, encompassing body, mind and spirit. Work is about having purpose, meaning and challenge of work, a career that provides recognition, reward, professional development and continuous learning. Family and friends are about developing and strengthening significant relationships that include family, friends and significant others. And community is about developing a whole person through corporate and personal contributions to society. So we see this on a multiple dimension. Different organisations have different work tempos and work rhythms. What we are doing now is that we are asking the Ambassadors and the Advocates to see how best they can fit this in with the employees that they have. They also have different employee profiles.”
“Sir, if I may say, that is quite a completely different argument. There is no good reason why the public service should be providing scholarships, especially for wealthy people who do not have an interest in serving the public service, to go away to study, come back and work in the private sector. That does not seem to be meeting our objective. What we do need is to ensure that we have a continual flow of dedicated young people who are prepared to come into the public service, so that there is a constant flow of people who come in and can maintain the very high quality Civil Service that we have, which really provides the undergirding and foundation upon which the private sector in Singapore can function in the way that it does, and enable Singapore to remain as competitive as it is. Mdm Halimah Yacob: Sir, the Minister gave a description for the Work-Life Ambassador and Work-Life Advocate. I was hoping that the Minister could go beyond that and actually give us an insight as to what really has changed, in terms of providing greater work-life balance in the Civil Service as a result of the appointment of these Work-Life Ambassadors and Advocates. Obviously, the appointment of the Ambassadors and Advocates is meant to be reflective of certain changes – value systems, training of supervisors, managers, and other areas. I am afraid that I do not get a sense of that other than the description of what the scheme is about. I would appreciate an elaboration on that.”
“I have some difficulties, I must admit, Sir, understanding Dr Loo's suggestions. If a young person comes from a family of wealth and he wishes to go away and study at a top university somewhere else, and he has not quite decided whether he wants to join the public service, then really he is not a very strong candidate for a scholarship, and he can go on his own. So shortening the bond overall for everyone, just because there may be a few people from wealthy families who want to go away and study and want a scholarship, but do not want the bond, does not seem to me to be addressing the key issue that we have here. What we want are young people who are committed to the public service, prepared to come in and do something with their lives which are useful. They feel that what they want to commit their lives to is not necessarily the bottom line of a particular company, or to enrich the shareholders of a particular company, but to enrich the lives of Singaporeans as a whole, to contribute something to Singapore. These are the people that PSC interviews very carefully and brings them in. These are the people who have no difficulty in committing themselves to a bond - bright, able, young Singaporeans. These are the ones we are looking for.”
“That is a good suggestion which we will certainly see how we can take up.”
“Teachers are a very good example and they already constitute one-third of the civil service. When we talk about teachers, it is not an inconsequential number. There are teachers and the others. But that is one-third of the civil service. So, that is quite a lot of people who we re-employ. I know that some of the statutory boards, even with workers at the lower levels, they have redesigned jobs and were able to re-absorb them into other kinds of work, for example, technicians and those who are doing various kinds of maintenance work. I believe the NParks Board and the National Environment Agency have also been quite successful in re-employing many of the older workers and redeploying them in other jobs.”
“The public service recognises that enhancing employees' work-life harmony would lead to better individual and organisational performance. Every public agency now has a Work-Life Advocate and a Work-Life Ambassador. The Work-Life Advocate is a champion who takes steps to ensure that good work-life practices are in place in the agency. In a Ministry, this appointment is held by the Deputy Secretary and in the statutory board, typically by the Deputy CEO. The Work-Life Ambassador is an officer whose main job responsibility is to promote and facilitate the day-to-day work-life programmes in his agency. Such programmes could be as basic as helping officers to improve their communications with their staff so that there are less misunderstood instructions, less stress and thereby easing their workload. Centrally, PSD will also set up communities of practice to share best practices across Ministries. Today, civil servants can already opt for several forms of flexible work arrangements like part-time work and tele-commuting. We will explore how we can fully utilise such flexibility. Our employees also have to play their part. Supervisors need to learn how to build a supportive work environment. We have also introduced training programmes to help our officers prioritise work and personal demands. There will also be programmes to help enhance individual resilience in meeting life challenges as well as to build the supportive work environment with co-workers. And we will welcome suggestions from Mdm Halimah and also from those who have experience in the private sector on the issues of employing older workers and getting a better work-life balance.”
“PSD has worked with the Civil Service College and NTUC to provide pre-retirement planning courses to help public officers think ahead and plan for their lives after retirement, and the first batch of participants from the pilot sites attended the pre-retirement planning course in November and December last year. Thus far, the results of our efforts to hire older workers have been modest but it is still early days. In 2007, 368 officers in their 40s were recruited into the civil service. This is an increase from the average number of 270 per year from 2004 to 2006. Similarly, 360 officers above 50 years old were recruited in 2007, which is an increase from the average number of 207 per year from 2004 to 2006. So we are recruiting officers in their 40s and 50s and, if you add the two numbers together, that is 728 last year. Not insignificant. Overall, the recruitment of older workers aged 40 years and above comprised about 13% of the Civil Service’s total recruitment in 2007, which is higher compared with 10% in 2006. We have also made some progress in re-employment in the Civil Service. 4.45 pm In 2007, the number of officers who were re-employed at age 62 years was about 57% of the number of officers who retired at age 62. This is a 4%-point increase compared with 53% in 2006. In addition, many retired officers are engaged on short-term assignments on a contract-for-service basis. So this is beyond the 57%. More than 1,100 retired officers were hired on this mode in 2007. PSD will continue to push ahead with our efforts, taking guidance from the Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers. Mdm Halimah also asked for an update on work-life initiatives in the Public Service.”
“For instance, there are jobs where the industry experience of mid-career recruits or institutional knowledge of retired staff can be an asset. The Ministry of Manpower is one good example. It is tapping extensively on the experience of mid-career recruits for jobs related to occupational safety. It has also re-employed retired staff with specialist skills to mentor and guide young officers dealing with labour relations. Public sector agencies which are involved in exporting their capability in areas, such as civil service reforms, financial budgeting and urban planning, are also increasingly tapping on their retired personnel. As Mdm Halimah has noted, PSD is also currently working with three pilot agencies – the Ministry of Education, the Singapore Police Force and the Ministry of Manpower – to establish the processes needed to ensure a smooth implementation of the civil service re-employment policy by 2010. Together with the unions, we have carried out focus group discussions with the three pilot sites to engage and better understand the concerns of our workers about re-employment. Many are open to being re-employed. A number would like less demanding jobs upon re-employment. Many also expressed a preference for more flexible working arrangements, such as part-time work. The larger Ministries, like the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Education, have organised pre-retirement planning seminars for their retiring officers and teachers for some years now. This is a good practice which we are extending to the rest of the civil service.”
“To achieve this, the Public Service Division has been working closely with our partners in the unions along two broad fronts. First, we encourage public sector agencies to view older workers as a strategic manpower resource. Given our ageing population, there will be an increasing pool of older workers and retired public officers with a wealth of experience which we can tap on. We are studying how we can better attract and retain older workers, for example, by identifying jobs that can be performed more effectively by older workers or by introducing work arrangements that are more attractive to such workers, to enjoy themselves, as Ms Jessica Tan said. Second, we are preparing managers, supervisors and the officers themselves for re-employment. There is a need to engage and equip older workers to manage their careers at different life stages. We need to encourage these officers to continually upgrade and equip themselves with relevant skills to remain employable. In this regard, the civil service has introduced the Employability Skills System as a core training programme for junior officers, and we reward them through the Training Incentive Scheme when they attain national-level certification. We are also redesigning jobs and providing training for our Corporate and Operations Support officers to make best use of their full potential. We want these officers, many of whom are older workers, to have skills that are relevant to the public service and the marketplace of the future. PSD has, therefore, worked closely with the unions to identify possible improvements and changes in our Ministries and statutory boards to enhance the employability and employment of older workers.”
“Sir, we have a public service that we can be proud of but, as in any organisation, there are always areas for improvement. I thank Members who have raised various suggestions on how we can improve our service delivery or adopt good practices in the public service. A number of Members have spoken about this during the main Budget debate. The public service has, over the years, placed strong emphasis on its people. Some Members have touched on Government scholarships and the need for current public sector leaders to keep in touch with the ground. Our scholarship schemes have worked well to provide a steady inflow of able and committed young persons into the civil service. We also have programmes to ensure that our officers, including those who have been on scholarships, better appreciate the issues and needs of ordinary Singaporeans. This has enabled us over the years to maintain the high quality of our people, of the civil service as a whole, and to develop effective and forward-looking policies for Singapore. As a responsible employer, the public service has, over the years, placed strong emphasis on equipping our people with the skills not only for their current jobs but, wherever possible, for future challenges as well. This includes looking at ways to enhance the employability of our officers. This is of particular importance and relevance for older workers. Mdm Halimah and Ms Jessica Tan have both asked for an update on the hiring and re-hiring of older workers. The public service recognises the value of older workers. National re- employment legislation will come into effect in 2012. As a large employer, the public service will be at the forefront and be ready for this two years in advance, by 2010.”
“The recycling of aluminium and other metals can reduce energy consumption by as much as 95%, while the recycling of glass, paper, steel and plastics can reduce energy consumption by 30% to 70%. Singapore's overall recycling rate has increased over the years, to about 54% today. In spite of these achievements, there is a need for more concerted long-term energy efficiency policies. We do not expect further significant energy intensity improvements through increased power generation efficiency or a major shift of our economy towards service industries. Market signals are sometimes too weak to promote energy saving practices even though the latter may be cost-effective over the project life cycle. This may be due to misaligned incentives and higher upfront costs. In addition, many do not realise the potential of energy efficiency and conservation. Practices such as overcooling and poorly-designed industrial facilities are still common. As part of the E2 Singapore plan, my Ministry, together with E2 PO, will implement new measures to address these gaps. More details will be given at the coming Committee of Supply. [2] Reduction in CO2 emissions in 2006, compared to if the fuel mix remained at the 2000 levels. Column No : 433 ARREARS INCURRED BY RESTRUCTURED HOSPITALS 6. Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the average total arrears incurred by restructured hospitals annually over the last two years; and (b) on average, how much of these does the Ministry have to write-off, and whether they are usually related to financial difficulties, regular attendees with social problems or other causes.”
“The Energy Efficiency Programme Office (E2 PO), chaired by NEA and comprising members from EMA, EDB, LTA, BCA and A*STAR, will continue to develop and refine the E2 Singapore plan. Some measures are already in place. The proportion of electricity generated by natural gas-fired combined cycle generation technology, the most energy efficient technology currently available, grew from 19% in 2000 to 78% in 2006, leading to an estimated CO2 emission reduction of 4,700 kt [2]. As of 28th January 2008, some 87 companies have obtained grants under the Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme which co-funds energy audits. When implemented, the recommended energy efficiency measures could lead to annual energy savings of almost 300,000 MWh (or about $23 million), and a CO2 emission reduction of 150 kt per year. In the transport sector, the Green Vehicle Rebate (GVR) promotes cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. Since the GVR was revised in December 2005, the number of hybrid and compressed natural gas vehicles registered in Singapore has increased from about 140 to more than 1,500 by end 2007. In the buildings sector, BCA introduced the Green Mark scheme in 2005 to encourage more energy efficient and environmentally friendly buildings. NEA has also introduced the Energy Smart scheme for office buildings and hotels. To promote energy efficiency among households, mandatory energy labelling was introduced this year for household refrigerators and air-conditioners. The energy labels allow consumers to factor in the potential energy cost savings they will enjoy by buying more energy efficient appliances. Recycling can also reduce energy consumption, CO2 emissions and landfill space needed.”
“As at 10th January 2008, there were 827 Civil Service resident pensioners receiving gross monthly pensions of below $300. Civil Service pensioners also receive post-retirement medical benefits. Eligible dependants of Civil Service pensioners, such as the wife of a male pensioner and children below 18 years of age, also receive medical benefits. Column No : 429 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (Carbon emissions/recycling) 5. Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what is our total carbon emissions for the last three years; and (b) have our national efforts such as the promotion of recycling and energy efficient products, useful harnessing of natural gas and regular energy audits made any difference in reducing our carbon footprint. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Singapore's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2004, 2005 and 2006 were 39.6 megatonnes (Mt), 40.4Mt and 41.6Mt respectively. This accounts for less than 0.2% of global CO2 emissions. The relatively low CO2 emission growth (5% from 2004 to 2006) compared to our economic growth (15% from 2004 to 2006) came about through a conscious effort to improve our energy efficiency and switch to less carbon-intensive energy sources. As a result, our carbon intensity (CO2 emissions per dollar GDP) has improved from 0.28 kt/$m in 1990, to 0.22 kt/$m in 2004 and to 0.20 kt/$m in 2006, a 30% improvement from the 1990 level. Energy efficiency reduces our CO2 emissions, improves our economic competitiveness and enhances our energy security. NEA has launched the "Energy Efficient Singapore" (E2 Singapore) plan to improve the energy efficiency in five key sectors: power generation, industry, buildings, transport and households.”
“Sir, the issue of finding the best approach to try to measure and pay according to performance for public servants, including Ministers, was debated extensively in this House in April last year. And it is not easy to find a very good measure, a precise measure, and I have explained that the GDP Bonus is a good proxy for most things in the economy. I do not know of any measure which strips out the components in the way that Mr Siew has suggested, which is reliable and well understood by Singaporeans as a whole. So I would still suggest that for ease and simplicity of understanding and implementation, as a broad measure of how the economy has been doing, the real GDP growth rate is a good proxy. Mr Siew should understand what benchmarks are. Benchmark is a typical salary for a typical grade. If you take an employee in a company and you say, this is his salary grade, there will be some variations within that. Some will get more, some will get less. And this is indeed what we do want to achieve because, if we want to link performance to pay or pay to performance, then there must be some variability within that. So the benchmark rate is in fact the typical rate which an average Minister or employee in that grade will be paid. Some may get less, some may get more. MEDISHIELD (Review of exclusion of mental illness) 16. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Health as one out of six Singaporeans are reported to suffer from some form of mental illness, whether the Ministry will consider reviewing the current exclusion of mental illness from MediShield's list of treatments and medical expenses.”
“Both the US and Singapore have also agreed to enhance cooperation in the areas of reducing or preventing illegal discharge of oil at sea by ships and on reducing air emissions from ships, as well as on watershed management and water safety. These will be conducted through workshops and technical exchanges. Under the second POA, both countries also hope to increase our participation in regional environmental initiatives. Among others, Singapore, as previous Chair of the ASEAN Working Group on Environmentally Sustainable Cities, will continue to facilitate partnerships between US states and ASEAN cities to work together in the areas of clean water, clean air, and clean land under this Working Group. Regional workshops and dialogues will continue to be conducted in the second POA to train port inspectors and custom authorities in the region to identify CITES-listed endangered species. PUBLIC HOSPITALS (Settlement of bills) 5. Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Health (a) how many persons are currently in arrears of bills from public hospitals, segmented by the size of the bills in arrears, in $3,000 intervals; and (b) for those paying bills by instalments, what is the maximum period for the instalment plans allowed to date.”
“Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Singapore and the US signed a Memorandum of Intent (MOI) on Cooperation in Environmental Matters on 13th June 2003. This was done under the auspices of the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USSFTA). The MOI provides a formal framework for co-operation between the two countries in environmental protection and management. The recent meeting held on 30th October 2007 took stock of the several joint activities that have been successfully undertaken during this first Plan of Action (POA) for 2005-2007. These joint activities included sharing of experiences in building environmentally sustainable cities, learning visits on energy conservation, and co-hosting of a regional CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) workshop. With the successful implementation of the first POA for 2005-2007, both countries are satisfied with the current operating mechanism and remain committed to ensuring environmental sustainability in tandem with enhancing bilateral trade and investment ties. In this regard, more areas for collaboration to be undertaken have been identified in the recent meeting under the second POA covering the period 2008-2010. These activities aim to promote greater use of climate-friendly and other innovative environmental technologies through sharing of technical expertise and experiences in implementation. The areas cover air quality management (focusing on cleaner fuels and technologies for industries and vehicles), terrain decontamination (following a chemical, biological or radiological incident) and energy efficient technology.”
“As at 10th January 2008, there were 18,181 civil service pensioners receiving monthly pensions. We do not usually capture pension data by interval segments, and have extracted the data by intervals of $1,000. If data is required in finer interval segments for a specific purpose, we will consider putting in the resources to extract and provide the data. The distribution of pensioners by monthly pension, in $1,000 intervals, is as follows: Gross Monthly Pension Number of Pensioners Up to $1,000 8,494 > $1,000 to $2,000 6,515 > $2,000 3,172 Total 18,181 ===== A dependant refers to the wife of a male pensioner and to children below 18 years of age for a male pensioner. Children below 18 years of age of female pensioners who are sole breadwinners, such as widows and divorcees, are also deemed as dependants. Dependants of pensioners are eligible for medical benefits only, based on the medical benefits scheme of the pensioner. Dependants do not receive separate pension payments or other benefits from the Government. Of the 18,181 pensioners, 9,092 currently have dependants who are receiving medical benefits. The medical benefits for dependants cease when the pensioner passes away. It does not survive the death of the pensioner. US-SINGAPORE MEMORANDUM OF INTENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION 4. Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what are the nationwide programmes to be implemented over the next two years following the recent review of the US-Singapore Memorandum of Intent on Environmental Cooperation; (b) whether there will be new areas of focus and collaboration; and (c) whether there will also be strategic plans to help mobilise our neighbours in the region onto the "green path". Assoc. Prof.”
“This incident happened during a ground trial of a stationary aircraft to improve the quality of the red smoke used to enhance the visual effects of the Black Knights aerobatics display. On 23rd November 2007, the day of the incident, prevailing strong winds carried the residual red smoke beyond the confines of the trial area in Tengah Air Base. As a result, some of the residual red dye settled onto certain areas in the vicinity south-east of Tengah Air Base. MINDEF acted quickly to address the concerns of those affected. The total compensation paid out for the incident was about $370,000, of which $332,000 was to compensate the six farm owners for the vegetables they had to destroy as a precautionary measure taken by the AVA as the red dye is not an approved dye for use in food. The compensation to the farm owners was worked out in consultation with AVA. MEDISAVE BALANCE (Adequacy for health treatment) 26. Ms Eunice Elizabeth Olsen asked the Minister for Health whether the current Medisave balance of $33,000 is enough to pay for eight years of treatment, given a recent MOH survey that says Singaporeans suffer eight years of poor health.”
“Sir, there are a number of flexible work employment schemes. The Member asked specifically about Part-time Employment Scheme. So my answer has been based on the Part-time Employment Scheme. But we have other flexible work arrangements as well, for example, we have the No Pay Leave Scheme for childcare, and we have some 3,600 civil servants who take no pay leave each year for various reasons. So that is quite a large number. We also have flexible work arrangements which allow civil servants to adjust the office start and end times so that they can come at times which are more congenial for, say, their family arrangement. So there are some of these other schemes at work as well, apart from the Part-time Employment Scheme. TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT NEIGHBOURING HOUSING ESTATES (Regulation of timings) 10. Ms Ellen Lee asked the Minister for Transport whether Land Transport Authority regulates the timings of all traffic lights, in particular those situated at neighbourhood housing estates to allow the elderly, disabled, wheelchair-bound and those less mobile to have sufficient time to safely cross or negotiate the pedestrian crossings.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not have the specific information to break down all the re-employment into the various categories that Mr de Souza has asked. But, again, I must stress that there has to be a balance between what the employee would like and what the employer is able to offer. The employee's assessment of his own performance may not be the same as the employer's assessment of his performance and his capability. It is also possible that the employee himself may want a change of pace at the age of 65. In the Ministry of Education, for example, you may have a person who has been a head of department in a school and he is offered re-employment as a teacher rather than as a head of department. Some employees on retirement would be delighted with that prospect but others might be disappointed. So, it does depend also on the mindset and the orientation and inclination of the employee. I think the purpose is to try and get as close a matching as possible, but we may not be able to get a 100% matching in expectations. JOB MATCHING SERVICES BY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS (Success rate) 10. Dr Ahmad Mohd Magad asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the success rate of the Community Development Councils' (CDCs) job matching services in percentage terms; (b) how have the CDCs fared in terms of improving the waiting time for job seekers; (c) do all five CDCs have relatively similar success rates; and (d) if there are some CDCs with higher success rates, will the Ministry consider sharing their best practices with other CDCs.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do agree with Mdm Halimah that the practice across the Ministries and the agencies is not consistent. It is not uniform. There are some agencies and Ministries which are more active and provide more opportunities. The National Environment Agency, for example, is re-employing many of its employees who have reached the age of 62 and keeping them in employment not only for social reasons but because they feel that they need these employees, and these employees can continue to contribute in an effective way to NEA. I would be happy to have the PSD work together with Mdm Halimah and the unions to see how we can improve this process. But I think it is also a two-way process. Because we also want our employees to actively make themselves more employable and to also perform well and not just sit back in the expectation that at the age of 62, they must be offered re-employment, then there is really not a lot of motivation on their own part to make themselves employable and to perform well. So, it requires a matching from both ends as well. We will be happy to work with Mdm Halimah and the unions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I said, we are currently studying the matter to see how we can move towards compliance with the new re-employment regulations when they come into place in 2012. So, I would not want to commit myself to setting a target for this. But, certainly, by 2012, we will be fully in compliance with the new re-employment regulations. As regards the employment of new civil servants in the 40's age band and 50's age band, we must not forget that we also have civil servants who are in their 30s and 40s who grow older every year and become 40s and 50s. So, it is not as though we only have 6% in the 40's age band and 4% in the 50's age band, amounting to only 10% of our civil servants. But, in fact, we do have other civil servants who have not just recently been recruited who are in their 40s and 50s. So, we do have a good population of civil servants who are in their 40's and 50's age band in employment, though not necessarily recently recruited. But I think the Member will also realise that whether or not the civil service is able to recruit such people and actually get them to come in depends on the economic situation, the market situation and what other opportunities are available to these people in the 40's and 50's age band as well. So, it is not something which the civil service itself can decide upon, but it is also dependent on market conditions as well as the inclinations of those individuals.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Nos. 7, 8 and 9 together?”
“The investigations in this particular case are still continuing and I would not want to make any presumption on how that might have happened. UNITED STATES SUB-PRIME MORTGAGE CRISIS (Impact on Singapore's economy) 3. Dr Lily Neo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) to what extent, if any, will the lingering United States sub-prime mortgage crisis negatively impact Singapore's economy; and (b) what are the short and long term measures in place to ensure that Singapore will not be negatively impacted.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the requirement to report immediately to the Army's General Staff Operations Centre is stated in the procedures and the camp should do so once it has realised that an incident that requires reporting has taken place. Of course, that requires an assessment of the person on the ground. I would not want to speculate specifically on this case but, in general, if you say that you find a person who is missing, it could be that the person has fallen ill or something has happened to him and, therefore, you initiate a search for him in the first place, rather than presume that he has run away. These are possible things which, on the ground, the individual Commanders have to make an assessment and whether or not they should make a report of each of these things immediately. My own assessment is that, in this case, because it did involve arms and ammunition, the Commanders should have reported earlier, and as soon as they felt that there might have been some chance of him having gone out of the camp. In the case of ammunition, I have described the procedures in place for accounting of ammunition during live firing. These procedures are very strict and very strictly adhered to. But I cannot say that it is impossible for a determined person to secrete one or two rounds of ammunition but it will be very difficult for him to do so. He will be taking a very high risk and also it will be very difficult for him to take a large quantity of ammunition with him. There are very clear procedures in place. I think every serviceman who has been to the ranges for live firings will know these procedures are very strictly followed and that physical searches are also conducted, so that it is very difficult to do so and the chances of any of these things happening are very low.”
“Mr Speaker, concrete action has been taken to rectify the three lapses identified by the HBOI. Personnel found to have been negligent in their conduct of duties in this case will also be disciplinarily dealt with. Sir, I wish to reiterate that MINDEF and the SAF take the matter of control of arms and ammunition very seriously. The HBOI has assessed that the systems and procedures for the control of arms and ammunition in the SAF are adequate and clearly spelt out. But for systems and procedures to work properly, they rely on people for effective implementation. The SAF will continue to focus on effective training and supervision to ensure that servicemen at all levels know the procedures and how to implement them. The SAF will also be increasing the frequency of security audits in the camps to ensure compliance with orders. MINDEF and the SAF continue to work closely with the Singapore Police in their ongoing investigations into CPL Teo's case.”
“Investigations have shown that CPL Teo absconded by jumping off the far corner of the second floor parapet of the Guard Room onto the car park outside the Camp premises, out of the visual scope of the other Guards. Before doing so, he had dismantled his rifle and concealed it in his field pack. That he managed to do so, revealed a weakness in the physical security of the camp - which was designed to prevent unauthorised entry, rather than unauthorised exit - a weakness which has since been rectified at Mandai Hill Camp. Since this incident, we have done a thorough audit of the physical security of all SAF camps and guard rooms. Most of them fully meet the physical security requirements. A few require some improvements. We are in the process of implementing these improvements and have tightened our camp physical security standards. For serious security incidents such as those involving missing arms and ammunition, the unit's Duty Operations Officer is required to report the incident to the Army's General Staff Operations Centre, within 30 minutes. In this case, CPL Teo, together with his firearm and ammunition, was discovered missing by the Guard Commander at 2359 hours on 2nd September, but the Army's General Staff Operations Centre was only informed of the incident at 0300 hours. The Military Police were alerted at 0330 hours. When preliminary investigations by the Military Police indicated that the missing firearm and ammunition were no longer on the camp premises, the Police were contacted at 0545 hours. This is a significant breach of reporting standards. The criticality of swift reporting of incidents, in particular those involving missing arms and ammunition, has been impressed upon all SAF units.”
“Thirdly, in terms of post-incident management, there was non-compliance with reporting procedures which require the quick reporting of all serious incidents, such as those involving missing arms and ammunition. There are clear procedures, laid out in detail, for all activities under the purview of the Guard Room. Guard duties involve sentry and patrolling duties. CPL Teo was assigned patrolling duties on the night of the incident. Procedures require patrolling duties to be conducted on two-hour shifts and in pairs, to ensure mutual support and responsibility while on duty. Guards on patrol duties are also required to make situational reports to the Guard Room at half-hourly intervals. These procedures were not carried out properly on the night that CPL Teo was on duty. If they had been properly enforced, it would have been extremely difficult for him to have left the camp undetected, and even if he had managed to slip out, his absence would probably have been detected and reported earlier. Following this incident, the SAF has audited and reviewed the camp guard security of all SAF camps to determine whether such non-compliance of orders and procedures exists in other camps. The audit found that SAF camps comply with the relevant orders and procedures, and that this is a problem localised to this unit. Nonetheless, all SAF units have reiterated the importance of adhering to orders and procedures, and the SAF has stepped up the frequency of security audits of all SAF camps to ensure compliance with stipulated camp guard procedures. Investigations based on video footage from the security cameras show that CPL Teo did not leave camp by the Camp gates.”
“56 mm ammunition at the start of his shift at 2000 hours. His Guard Commander realised that he was absent from his place of duty at 2359 hours, when he did not return his firearm and ammunition at the end of his shift. A search was immediately initiated for the missing serviceman as well as for his firearm and ammunition. When preliminary investigations by the Military Police indicated that the missing firearm and ammunition were no longer on the camp premises, the Singapore Police were contacted at 0545 hours. The SAF worked closely with the Police and at about 2000 hours on 3rd September 2007, CPL Teo was apprehended at Orchard Cineleisure. I must commend the Police on a job well done in apprehending CPL Teo and in recovering his weapon and the ammunition. When CPL Teo was arrested, his firearm and eight rounds of ammunition were recovered. All five rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition which were issued to him for guard duty on 2nd September were recovered. Investigations have traced the additional three 5.56 mm tracer rounds to a batch of ammunition that was used during a section live firing exercise that CPL Teo participated in two weeks earlier, in August 2007. The Police and the SAF are still investigating exactly how he acquired these three tracer rounds. Sir, the HBOI concluded that although the SAF's systems and procedures are generally adequate, this incident involved three lapses specific to this situation. Firstly, there were weaknesses in the implementation and supervision of Guard Room procedures at Mandai Hill Camp that night. Secondly, weaknesses in the physical construction of Mandai Hill Camp also enabled CPL Teo to slip out without being detected.”