Teo Ho Pin
Singapore
“Mr Chairman, Sir, when Total Defence was first introduced in 1984, it was recognised that threats will not simply affect our military but potentially Singaporeans, combatants and non-combatants alike. Thus, we must continue to build resilience in our people and community.”
“Chairman, over the past year, we have witnessed an increase in the number of cybersecurity breaches. As a response to these incidents, many countries are stepping up efforts to strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities.”
“Sir, I wish to seek an update from the Minister on the skills upgrading and development of public officers as well as aspiring public officers, especially in the three areas which I have mentioned. Can the Government also consider giving out scholarships to nurture and attract talent in these fields? Role of PMO”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we should empower the community to come up with innovative solutions like North West 911 and build capabilities in our people to cope better during emergencies.”
“The French Government passed a law in 2016 mandating that large supermarkets have to donate excess food to food banks and charitable organisations. If we had a similar initiative in Singapore, we can not only reduce the amount of food waste, but we can also help those in need.”
“Sir, I have three clarifications for the Senior Minister of State. First, will the Ministry consider licensing PMDs so as to manage the growth of PMDs in Singapore and also to make it compulsory for the PMD riders to attend a safe riding course?”
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“Madam, the URA Masterplan has laid out the development of the Downtown at Marina Bay. As Singapore is presently facing an over-supply of office spaces, I am concerned that the Marina Bay development may turn out to be a white elephant. Madam, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What is the status of development of the Downtown at Marina Bay? (2) What are the key planning considerations to achieve "live, work and play" balance in the Downtown? (3) What would be the impact of the Downtown development on Raffles Place offices? Underpass Construction Madam, in the URA sale of land tender, it is normally specified that, "The successful tenderer shall, at his own cost and expense, be responsible for the construction of pedestrian underpass" to connect the proposed development to its surrounding buildings. This requirement has posed undue financial burden and constraints on developers as the construction of underpass is costly. Furthermore, as the underpass is underground, it faces high uncertainty due to different soil conditions. Thus, it is unfair for developers to bear such risk when tendering for a land parcel. In some instances, the developer is unable to obtain a Certificate for Statutory Completion due to difficulties encountered with the construction of the underpass. Underpass provides a means to connect buildings for pedestrian traffic, but many Singaporeans do not prefer to use the underpass when moving between buildings. They usually choose to use surface road pedestrian crossing instead. As such, underpass is usually under-utilised, thus wasting resources. We should provide more flexibility for developers to consider other alternatives to connect buildings, such as covered-linkways.”
“Madam, in Singapore, more than 50% of our buildings are over 15 years old. As buildings get older they require more maintenance. The maintenance of buildings requires a holistic approach where both maintenance organisations and its building owners or users take responsibility to upkeep their buildings in an acceptable condition. At present, there is no maintenance guide or standard to assist both maintenance organisations and owners to exercise their duties to maintain their buildings properly. Very much is left to the maintenance organisations and contractors to carry out these activities. This is not desirable as our buildings get older and may be less safe to its users. Madam, there is a need to emphasise the importance of building maintenance to building owners. The recent window falling incidents clearly show a lack of understanding of responsibility of various stakeholders in the installation of windows. I hope the Ministry could do more to increase awareness of building owners on maintenance. Madam, I wish to ask the Ministry the following questions: (1) What are the plans to educate all stakeholders of buildings to take responsibility in maintaining their buildings? (2) Can BCA provide a centralised database to provide information on life-cycle cost of building components? (3) Can BCA review the safety standards for maintenance such as periodic inspection of key building components and services?”
“Madam, the HDB Upgrading Programme is funded by our budget surpluses. It has benefited many HDB residents over the years. But the cost of upgrading has posed some financial strains on some residents, especially during very difficult times. The upgrading work has also caused much disruption and inconvenience to residents, such as noise and dust pollution. Furthermore, town councils are facing an increase in maintenance costs to upkeep the additional facilities provided by the upgrading programme. Madam, while I support the HDB upgrading programme, there is a need to review the scope of works for upgrading, especially the addition of new facilities and features. Some of these features do not provide much benefit to the residents. One example is the architectural features for facade treatment which make it difficult for town councils to access and maintain the facade of buildings. This has increased the cost of maintenance drastically. I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What are the future plans for the HDB upgrading programme, if there are no budget surpluses? (2) How can we prioritise the needs of the residents for upgrading? (3) Will the Ministry review the scope of work for the HDB upgrading programme?”
“Sir, with an ageing population and changing patterns in Singapore households, the demand for public housing will change. Some older Singaporeans prefer to move to smaller flats near their children and cash out their savings for retirement. Some younger Singaporeans will prefer to live near their parents or in-laws to provide care for one another. First-timers also have different aspirations when choosing their first HDB flats. With a more matured built-up environment, we need to develop a long-term plan to rejuvenate older housing estates, develop in-field developments, and build new towns. The key solution in fulfilling the housing aspirations of Singaporeans is to provide more flexibility and choices. HDB must study the housing mix of all its estates and analyse the population movements over the years. Understanding the housing needs of people is crucial in ensuring that Singaporeans live in harmony and enjoy a good quality of life. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) How does HDB project housing demand? (2) Are there plans to facilitate Singaporeans ageing within the community? (3) What more can be done to further encourage families to stay near one another?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head T of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, the introduction of a flexible wage system and the increasing uncertain job security will affect the affordability of Singaporeans to purchase HDB flats in future. I understand that our Government is fully committed to help Singaporeans own their flats. That is why new HDB flats are priced at a level based on certain percentages, namely, 90% and 75%, of Singaporeans that can afford a 3- or 4-room flat respectively. With increasing volatility in household income, HDB must revise its formula for pricing new HDB flats. Since HDB flats are transacted in the resale market at market prices, we should be consistent and price new HDB flats according to the market conditions too. But, the Government must continue to provide the necessary subsidy for first-timers and upgraders to purchase these new flats. In this way, the prices of HDB flats will be more stable and will move in tandem with market conditions. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) Will HDB revise the pricing formula for new HDB flats? (2) What will be the impact of flexible wage system on the affordability of flat buyers? (3) How can we reduce the construction cost of new HDB flats to make them more affordable to Singaporeans?”
“Sir, the arts and culture industry is a relatively new industry in Singapore. As such, not many Singaporeans are aware of its employment opportunities. Many young Singaporeans also do not have ambitions to pursue a full-time career in this industry. This situation is further worsened due to the relatively small market size in Singapore which does not provide much opportunity and jobs for our people. I am pleased to learn that the Ministry is planning to develop a creative industry where exciting jobs will be created for Singaporeans. I support this initiative, and believe there are lots of potential in venturing into the creative arena. Sir, before we embark on plans to develop the creative industry, we must identify strategic or niche areas where Singaporeans can support a sustainable cultural ecosystem. If arts and culture are still regarded as a liability, their potential to provide employment opportunities will be severely curtailed. Thus, we need to expand the market size of our arts and culture industry. First, we should have more extensive outreach to increase the level of participation of arts and culture activities in Singapore. Second, we should step up our marketing efforts to profile our arts and cultural groups to the world market. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) How can the arts and culture industry create jobs for Singaporeans? (2) What are the plans to expand the market size of our arts and culture industry? (3) How can we encourage younger Singaporeans to pursue a career in the arts and culture industry? Esplanade”
“Sir, as Singapore strives to be a global city, it is crucial that we encourage our firms to exercise corporate social responsibility (CSR). In July 2000, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan, launched the Global Compact to advance responsible corporate citizenship to promote a more sustainable and inclusive global economy. To date, hundreds of companies are voluntarily engaged in the Compact. However, there is yet to be any Singapore company participating in this cause. The lack of awareness and exercise of CSR among Singapore firms is of concern. Besides making profit, companies must understand their social responsibility, especially towards the community. Areas where companies can exercise CSR include environmental issues, community issues or best business practices. We must remake our business organisations to be active corporate citizens who can not only create value for shareholders but also social value. To achieve this, we need a network of institutions, businesses and organisations to promote good corporate citizenry. I urge the Government to play a more active role to promote CSR in Singapore. Sir, may I ask the Minister the following questions: (1) Are there plans by the Ministry to promote CSR in Singapore? (2) Will the Ministry consider developing a CSR index for firms in Singapore?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my questions to the Minister are: 1) Will the Ministry be putting up legislation to make it compulsory for all home owners to inspect their windows? 2) Of the 43,000 flat units which are affected by falling windows, the replacement cost is 50-50 sharing and there is a cost involved in the inspection of these affected windows. As they need to be replaced, there is no need to inspect them to have them replaced. They just have to replace the aluminium rivets to stainless steel ones and make sure that they are safe. So, there is no need to pay for inspection. It is part of the work of the replacement. Can the Minister consider that? 3) For rental flats, can I just clarify that the HDB will pay 100% of the cost of replacing all the affected casement windows? 4) I understand that the HDB has called for tenders to replace the aluminium rivets and that the rate of replacement is about 60 units per day, which means it will take about nine months to replace all the rivets for the 43,000 flats. Can the Minister consider expediting this programme for safety reasons?”
“Sir, I have three questions for the Minister. So far, those who have died from Avian flu are mainly children. May I ask the Minister why are children more susceptible to this disease and what is his advice for children in Singapore? The second question is: is the Ministry prepared to provide resources to the grassroots organisations or CDCs and work out an emergency plan to cope with any disease outbreak? Third, can the Ministry consider broadcasting the key messages of the Ministerial Statement in the various media in four languages so that we can have a maximum outreach, in terms of conveying the messages to the public?”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether the mosquito trap called Ovitrap is effective in killing mosquitoes and, if it is effective, whether the Ministry has any plans to encourage more residents to install these Ovitraps so as to control the population of mosquitoes in Singapore.”
“Sir, just now, the Minister of State mentioned that the reason why we import frozen pork is that we need time to test the pork. So how does AVA test the 1,000 pigs coming to Singapore every day?”
“Sir, may I just clarify with the Minister of State. He said that Malaysia is not recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health as foot-and-mouth disease free. Does it mean that it is not safe to consume pork in Malaysia? So, what is the advice to Singaporeans who travel to Malaysia? Secondly, the prices of lean pork actually have increased quite a lot since 1999. It could be due to the demand of Singaporeans to consume lean pork. By increasing the supply, the demand is more for fresh pork, not frozen pork. So maybe the Minister can clarify on that. The third point is that there is a difference between frozen pork and fresh pork. I think we need to increase the sources of fresh pork, so that at least that will bring the prices down for fresh pork.”
“The new requirement may also cause inconvenience to the users of these developments. I wish to seek clarifications from the Minister to explain the rationale for amending section 3. I would like to suggest that certain capping or quota system, such as 20% of built up area, could be allocated to these developments instead to allow them to provide for such facilities. May I ask the Minister how many existing developments are affected by this amendment and what are the costs involved in obtaining such planning approvals? I support the Bill. Mr Speaker: Order. I propose to take the break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair again at 4.30 pm. Sitting accordingly suspended at 4.08 pm until 4.30 pm. Sitting resumed at 4.30 pm [Mr Speaker in the Chair] PLANNING (AMENDMENT) BILL Debate resumed.”
“The granting of temporary permission may encourage unfair competition, thus affecting businesses. As the time-based enhancement levy for temporary permission is lower, it may impose unfair competition to existing businesses, which have paid full Development Charge for permanent permission. While it is important that we keep our business cost competitive, we should also be mindful not to cause any closure of businesses due to the approval of such temporary permission. Sir, I would like to suggest that the Minister should only approve temporary permission for developments, which will complement their surrounding developments. The land use mix in any area is a key attribute to the success of the development in that area. The temporary permission should also increase activities in the area, thus bringing more benefits to its building owners and users. Clause 3 of the Bill amends section 3 of the Planning Act and makes it explicit that leasing out of certain developments to two or more operators will require planning permission. Sir, I am concerned with this amendment as it affects the viability of this group of "one single entity" developments, such as hotel, service apartment, workers' dormitory, boarding house, student hostel and place of worship. Very often, these developments have various ancillary facilities, such as kiosks, clinics, retail shops and laundry, to provide convenience to its users. With the amendment, there is now a requirement for planning permission for every single operator of these ancillary facilities. The need for planning permission will increase business costs and slow down the process to commence business. It will also provide hindrance to the subletting of these developments, and thus affecting the range of services provided.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. The Bill will provide more flexibility and allow more opportunities for alternative use of land in Singapore. In today's fast changing business environment, we need to inject more adaptability capabilities in our land use planning system so that we can better respond to changing business needs. The Master Plan provides comprehensive land use planning of our limited land resource. But it has certain rigidities, which sometimes do not facilitate change of land use to meet business demands or changing market conditions. It also increases business costs drastically when permission to change of use is approved. Clause 6 of the Bill provides that the Minister can grant temporary permission to a particular application or a class of application non-conforming to the Master Plan for up to 10 years. This provision will facilitate the setting up of businesses or business expansion for firms. This flexibility will also hopefully add more vibrancy to our living and working environment. But it is not clear in the Bill that what are the likely changes of use which the Minister would approve. As the change of use of any land parcel or building has an impact on the property value and business activities of the surrounding area, I hope the Minister can provide more details on the types of change of use that are likely to be granted approval. I also wish to ask the Minister whether there are measures in place to make sure that fair practices are adopted to protect the interests of other existing users surrounding the designated change of use land parcel or building. In a competitive business environment, like Singapore, the planning authorities must ensure that there is fair competition among businesses when allocating land use.”
“Although the Bill states that the starting date may be postponed till the earliest date when the consumer might reasonably have knowledge that the supplier had engaged in unfair practice, I feel the onus should rest on the supplier to provide evidence that he has made correct and transparent representation of his product to the consumer during the business transaction. Otherwise, the protection of consumers will be reduced by this limitation period. Sir, finally, I would like to urge the Ministry to seriously consider setting up a Fair Trading Office to enforce this Act. Without a Fair Trading Office, it is like having traffic rules without traffic police. Experiences from many countries with Fair Trading Act have shown that it is vital to have an enforcement body, which is empowered to take action against unconscionable traders. The presence of a Fair Trading Office serves as a good deterrence against unfair trade practices. It also keeps a close watch on potential "cowboys" in the marketplace. The Act must be more proactive to avoid disputes in our marketplace instead of focusing on consumer protection and redress. To make Singapore a fair trading marketplace, we must have a comprehensive set of fair trading legislation, an effective enforcement agency, good business practices and a well-informed consumer base. While the Bill further enhances consumer protection in Singapore, I am concerned that vulnerable consumers, such as the elderly, illiterate and children, may need further protection. The Ministry must provide more resources to constantly educate and update consumers to make more informed choices and avoid scams. Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Clause 8 of the Bill empowers any specified body (to be appointed by notification in the Gazette by the Minister) to enter into a voluntary compliance agreement, as it has reasonable grounds of unfair trade practices. May I ask the Minister what are the criteria for appointing this specified body and whether the specified body will be a neutral and independent body that will help resolve the unfair practices between consumers and businesses? Is there any cost involved in entering into such an agreement? Furthermore, is the specified body empowered to take any further action against the unfair trader who refuses to enter into the voluntary compliance agreement? Sir, in practice, this arrangement is not effective in weeding out unfair practices. Very often, traders who engage in unfair practices would not enter into such an agreement. Based on CASE's experience in mediating consumer disputes, it is often the good businesses that will respond to such calls to resolve disputes. "Cowboys" often disregard CASE's call to seek redress or resolve the disputes. Thus, I hope the Minister can assure the House that this "voluntary compliance agreement" can weed out unfair trade practices in Singapore. Clause 12 of the Bill also specifies limitation periods for actions under the Act. Although one year may seem to be a reasonable period, there are many instances where the quality of a product can only be tested through usage and time. For example, water-proofing for toilets, material used for sofa infills, car parts in concealed locations of car engines. The majority of consumers will have little knowledge till the failure of these components and thus suffer consequential losses.”
“Consumers no longer lament that there is a lack of teeth for them to bring unconscionable traders to the book. For businesses, it would mean that they can now be assured that there will be a more level playing field to conduct their businesses in Singapore. This may further encourage more bona fide businesses to enter the marketplace and add more vibrancy and diversity in Singapore. Sir, while the Act has given teeth to consumers, I am not sure whether consumers will be able to bite and seek justice against unfair trade practices. I understand that the Ministry will continue to encourage greater consumer responsibility through the principle of caveat emptor. But, we must always understand that unconscionable traders are increasingly using more sophisticated means to con consumers. Sir, let me cite two examples of scams from this book Little Black Book of Scams, published by the working group for the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs, Australia. Example 1, I quote: "Hello, this is Jim from ABC bank. We have had trouble with the bank's computer systems, so to protect your funds we are going to transfer all your money to a special bond account. In order to transfer the money I will need to get your bank account details and a verbal authorisation to transfer the funds." Example 2, I quote: "Hello, this is Bonnie from Smatercard. In order to make your credit card compliant with our new system we are going to send all our customers a sticker that you will need to affix to your card. So can I just have your credit card number for verification?" Sir, unfortunately, these common scams are not covered in this Bill and consumers will have difficulty obtaining redress under such circumstances.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. The proposed Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Bill marks a significant step forward for both consumers and businesses as it protects both consumers and businesses against unconscionable conduct. It will promote fair trading in our marketplace where consumer transactions can take place fairly between consumers and businesses. The Bill will provide added protection to vulnerable consumers who, in the past, had little protection against unfair business practices. Many consumers, especially the elderly, illiterate and children, had fallen prey to various scams in Singapore resulting in much financial loss. Some had lost their life savings to investment scams or other unconscionable practices of businesses. At the same time, good businesses are also losing out to the "cowboys" who are undercutting them, as these cowboys often do not have proper business infrastructure or marketing costs. As such, some good businesses also suffer an "image problem" when grouped under the same industry as these cowboys. For example, industries which receive many complaints of unfair practices include pyramid selling, time-share, renovation, telecommunications, door-to-door sales, travel, furniture, motor vehicle, electrical, investment schemes and many Internet scams. All these are set to change with this win-win piece of legislation which, it is believed, will bring in a third win to the Government, as the legislation aims to weed out "cowboys" and tackle unconscionable behaviour head on resulting in the creation of a fair trading marketplace in Singapore. The Act will also boost confidence among consumers, especially tourists, who come from countries where Fair Trading Act exists such as the UK, US, Australia or New Zealand.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister of State why there is really a need to build basement car parks, especially for HDB estates which are normally not on prime land because we can maximise land use by building multi-storey car parks. A lot of the soil condition in Singapore is marine clay and it is very expensive to build basement car parks, especially during temporary work construction and maintenance. The cost can be easily 2-3 times more than the normal multi-storey car parks without basement. By avoiding basement car parks we can actually save millions of dollars in the construction of car parks.”
“In addition, there would be more intense competition among martial arts schools for students and businesses. This may inadvertently cause unhealthy tensions or rivalry among martial arts organisations. Furthermore, the repeal would facilitate the break-up of martial arts groups or instructors into various factions. This could spark off gang fights and public disorder. May I ask the Minister what measures are taken to prevent this from happening. Madam, I support the Bill.”
“These are good signs of confidence which parents have shown towards the learning of martial arts. I understand that the promotion of martial arts does not come under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs. But the confidence which the Martial Arts Instruction Act had given to the community has a direct impact on the development of martial arts in Singapore. Although wushu has not been recognised as a core sports by the Singapore Sports Council, it has good potential to win more medals for Singapore in world-class sports events. The repeal of the Act may cause a setback to the promotion of martial arts in Singapore. I hope the Minister can enlighten the House on measures in place, which can maintain the confidence of parents in sending their children to learn martial arts. Third, loss of jobs. Madam, the repeal of the Act would result in some job losses. First, there would be no appointments for the Controller and Assistant Controllers of Martial Arts. The present team of administrators for the Act would also be made redundant. Furthermore, as there is no legislative compliance required, existing martial arts associations may cut their administrative staff, resulting in retrenchment. To-date, there are over 300 martial arts associations in Singapore employing many administrative and support staff. The repeal of the Act would affect the jobs of these staff. If any association, firm or individual can give martial arts instructions, there would be many "SME" martial arts associations, including some "OMO" or one man show martial arts schools. The growth of these small set-ups may affect the student intake of some existing martial arts associations, thus affecting their businesses.”
“Madam, there are three areas of concern which I would like to highlight regarding the repeal of the Act. First, protection of public interest. There is always this possibility that martial arts practitioners may abuse their skills to perform unlawful activities. This is especially so if they have bad records or conduct. This risk is higher if the martial arts practitioner has ill intentions to exploit his or her martial arts skills to abuse or bully the general public. With the repeal of the Act, there is a need to further increase public awareness on the penalty for abusing martial arts skills, and more crime prevention public education programmes must be conducted to safeguard the interest of the general public. Madam, section 19 of the Martial Arts Instruction Act empowers the Controller of Martial Arts to prohibit persons to be officers of a martial arts association by reasons of a conviction of an offence or otherwise. With the repeal, any person can now set up a martial arts organisation irrespective of his or her background or records. May I ask the Minister, what measures are taken by the Ministry to ensure that persons with bad records do not set up a martial arts school or association in Singapore. May I also ask the Minister whether persons who are classified as "unfit" in the Act would now be allowed to set up a martial arts association or recruit trainees. Second, promotion of martial arts. In Singapore, martial arts have been receiving more recognition as a form of sports for healthy lifestyle. Due to the control, triad activities have reduced drastically. As a result, more parents are willing to encourage their children to learn martial arts. Some schools have also set up martial arts groups as part of their co-curricular activities.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I wish to declare my interest as the Vice-President of the Singapore National Wushu Federation. Madam, I rise in support of the Bill. The Martial Arts Instruction Act was implemented in 1974 to provide a system of control of martial arts associations, instructors and trainees who provide or receive instruction in martial arts. Over the years, the Act has served its purpose to ensure that martial arts is practised in an open and transparent environment, taking care of the interests of both the martial arts practitioners and the general public. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also worked closely with like-minded organisations, such as the Singapore National Wushu Federation, People's Association and Singapore Sports Council, to oversee the developments of martial arts organisations and activities in Singapore. This partnership has indeed ensured that martial arts are practised as a form of self-defence and health exercise instead of being abused for other unlawful purposes. While I understand that there are existing legislation, such as the Penal Code, Companies or Societies Acts which can control the activities of martial arts organisations and activities, there are concerns that the repeal of the Act will encourage a proliferation of unregistered martial arts groups in Singapore. I hope the Senior Minister of State can give assurance to this House that the repeal will not result in an uncontrollable increase of unregistered martial arts groups engaging in unlawful activities. Can the Minister also update the House on the number of unlawful martial arts associations, instructors or trainees who have been penalised under the Act over the last 29 years?”
“Therefore, we must adopt an integrated approach to encourage joint responsibility among the parties involved in the project. Instead of appointing a qualified person who is either the architect or engineer, we should appoint qualified or licensed corporations which have a team of architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and builders to provide design and construction services. Thus, I would urge the Government to take the lead in promoting Design and Build construction in Singapore. Powers of Commissioner of Building Control Clause 13 of the Bill provides that the Commissioner of Building Control can recover the cost of engaging an expert to investigate and advise on rectification works from the developer or owner if the Commissioner is of the opinion that the on-going construction works are, or are likely to lead to instability or collapse of the building. Madam, section 23 of the Building Control Act clearly states that the Commissioner of Building Control may make an order to require building owners to take the necessary measures for dangerous buildings, and penalise the owner accordingly for non-compliance. As such, I do not see why the Commissioner needs additional power to engage an expert for investigations and tests. What are the liabilities of the Commissioner, if the expert whom he commissions makes omissions or acts of negligence in the investigations or tests? Can the owner challenge the findings of the expert engaged by the Commissioner? Are the findings final? Madam, I do not think it is the responsibility of the Commissioner to investigate and conduct tests for dangerous buildings. This should be the responsibility of the developers or owners. I hope the Minister could clarify on the need for the Commissioner to have such powers.”
“Experience in New Zealand has shown that one of the key reasons that led to the slow embracement of performance culture is that the benchmark of skills is too low. Thus, we need to conduct a thorough evaluation to ensure that we have the expertise to support a performance-based system in Singapore. Design and Build procurement arrangements Madam, I support the amendments to facilitate the Design and Build procurement arrangements in the construction industry. This arrangement will facilitate teamwork among the designers and builders in the project. One of the perennial problems faced by the construction industry is the separation of the design and construction processes, which are undertaken by different parties, namely, the designers and builders. This has led to the development of an "adversarial culture" among the design and building teams, which often results in much unproductive and abortive work. To aggravate the situation, standard contract forms for building projects are usually not drafted with fair contract terms to allocate the risks and responsibilities among contractual parties. Under such an operating environment, building projects usually encounter lots of problems, thus affecting productivity and quality. Madam, we need to address this undesirable state of the construction industry and make changes to facilitate a "teamwork" approach in carrying out building projects. The adoption of Design and Build procurement arrangements is one way in which we can "house" the design and construction teams under one roof. It provides a single point responsibility, and facilitates teamwork among designers and builders. The successful completion of a building project depends on many parties, namely, the architect, engineer, quantity surveyor and the builder.”
“In Singapore, the building booms in the 80s and 90s had resulted in an influx of a wide range of building materials and systems in our built environment. Today, town councils, management corporations and building owners are faced with a host of maintenance problems, such as high maintenance, operation and replacement costs of all these materials and systems. While some of these innovative solutions have worked, others have failed, due to various reasons, such as poor design, poor selection of materials, poor workmanship or wrong usage. For example, town councils have to maintain so many different types of lighting systems in our estates due to innovative designs. This has increased maintenance cost drastically. Madam, I am indeed concerned about the repercussions of a performance-based system in our "immature" construction industry. I would like to seek some clarifications from the Minister on the following: 1) How will the performance-based system change the industry? 2) What are the key benefits of the system? 3) How will it affect the laws? 4) How will it impact upon our building standards, ie, Singapore Standards, and Codes of Practice? 5) What are the liabilities and risk transfers between the authorities and building practitioners? 6) Are the authorities and practitioners equipped with the expertise to implement the system? Madam, we need to adopt a holistic approach to ensure that the performance-based regulatory system is complemented by expertise, accountability and responsible allocation of risks. We must clearly set quantitative performance measures to facilitate the fulfilment of contractual obligations.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill. Let me highlight three key areas of the Bill, which I hope the Minister will clarify. Performance-based regulatory system Many countries have implemented performance-based building regulations but found that most designers still follow the prescriptive solutions. In fact, many designers have developed a strong dependence on test methods that do not clearly demonstrate real world performance. This situation occurs because many designers are not familiar with performance-based regulatory system. Some do not have the expertise to implement the system. Madam, I support the initiative to move towards a performance-based regulatory system in Singapore. But I wish to seek clarifications from the Minister concerning the desired outcomes of such a proposal, and what is the state of readiness of our construction industry to implement the system. In my opinion, a performance-based regulatory system should achieve three desired outcomes, as follows: 1) It should provide more flexibility in design and construction solutions; 2) It should encourage more innovation in the industry; and 3) It should reduce the total life cycle costs of a building. Madam, we must clearly define these desired outcomes and quantify them to monitor the success of the performance-based system. With the performance-based approach, designers and builders will now have more flexibility to propose more innovative solutions to their clients. This will encourage the use of more building materials and systems, thus facilitating more trades. While this may be good to give a boost to the economy, we must make sure that the industry has the necessary expertise to evaluate the performance of these building materials and systems.”
“They are: (1) Singaporeans who are medically unfit or require regular medical treatment, such as kidney dialysis treatment; (2) those suffering from mental illness; and (3) those with criminal records. I would urge the Government to do more to help these people to make a decent living. The Work Assistance Programme may not help these Singaporeans to secure jobs as employers are not keen to employ them. I hope the Government can consider creating some jobs to help these Singaporeans. One area which the Government can create jobs, and at the same time improve its customer services, is to remove the automated telephone system for all public agencies and the Ministries. These automated telephone systems are often inaccessible or engaged at all times. To promote excellence in public services, the Government should consider training Singaporeans to be customer service officers, manning these frontline operations, at least during office hours. This would not only create jobs but also improve the image of Government agencies. It will also enable many people to make enquiries through the phone instead of wasting time to come down to the various Government agencies. Sir, I support the CPF changes. Mr Deputy Speaker: I intend to stop here. Mr Wong. ADJOURNMENT OF DEBATE Resolved, "That the Debate be now adjourned." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng].”
“We need to keep medical costs affordable and encourage more Singaporeans to save for their medical needs, as they grow older. Sir, I support the adjustment of the Medisave Minimum Sum of $25,000 to cope with the inflation of health costs. I would suggest that the Government should develop an inflation index to measure and monitor health costs and healthcare expenditures of Singaporeans closely. The Health Ministry should also adopt a holistic approach to promote healthy lifestyle among Singaporeans more aggressively. We should provide more facilities or avenues for Singaporeans to keep fit. In this regard, I hope the Government would accelerate the development of park connectors, upgrading of sports complexes and provide more support to encourage grassroots organisations to organise more keep fit activities, such as brisk walking, tai-chi, qigong or silat for Singaporeans. Third, CPF for retirement. To many working class Singaporeans, the CPF saving is probably their only saving for retirement. Singaporeans earning less than $2,000 will not be able to save much if they need to pay for their housing, medical care and support their children. As such, the Government should help Singaporeans to increase the returns of their CPF savings. The CPF Board should adopt clear performance benchmarks and invest in a wider portfolio of investments to maximise the returns of its funds. The returns to CPF savings should also be based on a formula, which is regularly updated, so that CPF members can benefit more from their savings. Sir, based on the CDC's experience in helping Singaporeans to find jobs, we find that three groups of job-seekers have much difficulty in finding jobs.”
“Thereafter, the net sale price shall be determined after deducting the market price with a prescribed Government subsidy for 4-room flats. This would better reflect the Government subsidy and the market value of new HDB flats. With a growing ageing population, it is crucial for the Government to plan and provide more housing options for the elderly. Elderly couples with grown-up children prefer to live near their children, but may not be able to purchase a 4- or 5-room flat based on market prices. Today, the 4- and 5-room housing mix, especially in our new towns, does not facilitate elderly couples to stay near their children. Thus, I would urge the Government to consider developing a better housing mix of different flat types (1, 2 or 3 bedroom flats) as in private condominiums to offer more housing options for Singaporeans. To help retirees to liquidate their assets, HDB should explore reverse mortgage schemes. It should also provide more rental housing flats for the elderly. With lesser CPF savings, young couples may take a longer time to save for their HDB flats, especially if they face certain periods of unemployment. In order to encourage more young Singaporeans to form families earlier, HDB should reduce the downpayment for new flats for first-time applicants. This is especially so for 4-room flats which are within the means of the working class Singaporeans. Second, CPF for healthcare. Sir, I fully support the efforts by the Health Minister to lower health costs in Singapore. Many Singaporeans, especially the heartlanders, are indeed concerned about healthcare costs. The risk of individuals or family members depleting their Medisave accounts is high if one of their family members falls critically ill. The safety net for medical expenses is presently inadequate.”
“Sir, to overcome the situation of Singaporeans being "asset rich but cash poor" upon retirement, we need to review the HDB housing policies. These include the development policy for different flat types, pricing formula for new flats, debarment periods for those who sold their flats, and also the rental flat policy. We must provide more housing options for retirees to liquidate their assets and cash out their savings for retirement. We must give retirees more options to either own a smaller flat or rent a flat at affordable prices upon retirement. The relaxation of HDB rental policy to allow those who own their flats for 15 years to rent their flats is a welcome move. But with the present string of restrictions by HDB, it may not be easy for these flat owners to find cheaper alternative accommodation if they were to rent their flats. As such, only a small fraction of the 250,000 flat owners will be able to benefit from this relief measure. Sir, we must also review the affordability criteria and pricing formula of HDB flats. The pricing of HDB flats should not be on the basis that 90% of Singaporeans could afford a 3-room flat. HDB has stopped building 3-room flats since the 1980s. As such, I do not know what is the price of a 3-room flat, which the formula adopts to work out the affordability index. Since HDB flats are liberalised, we should adopt a market pricing mechanism whereby HDB flats are priced not according to affordability, but on market prices with Government subsidy. For example, a new 100 square metre 4-room HDB flat with a 99-year lease can be priced close to a private apartment without condominium facilities of the same size based on its location, design and floor height.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the CPF changes as proposed by the Prime Minister. These changes are indeed drastic, but are necessary to prepare Singapore for its future challenges. Faced with increased competition and a fast ageing population, the proposed CPF changes will provide an impetus to sustain economic growth in Singapore. The CPF changes and relief measures sent out three clear signals to boost the confidence of our potential investors, our existing businesses and our people. To the potential investors, it shows that our Government is always prepared to take tough measures to keep our business costs competitive. This will attract more investments, thus creating more jobs for Singaporeans. To the existing businesses, the three-point CPF cut will provide an essential lifeline for businesses to improve their capabilities to sustain their businesses. This will save jobs and allow businesses to source for more business opportunities. As for Singaporeans, the changes will boost their confidence in terms of better job security and more job opportunities. At the same time, it sends a clear signal to all Singaporeans that we must save more for our retirement, and be more prudent in our financial planning. Sir, Singaporeans understand and support these CPF changes, although it means a reduction of their CPF savings. These are painful measures which affect their quality of life. But Singaporeans are confident that the Government will lead them out of the present unemployment situation. With lesser CPF savings, I hope the Government can do more to help Singaporeans "stretch the dollar value of their CPF savings". In this regard, I would like to suggest three areas where the Government can help Singaporeans. First, CPF for housing.”
“Subsidised rentals. Mr Mah Bow Tan: In other words, it is an extension of the rental scheme. We are looking at some arrangement along these lines. If he could be patient, we will give him the answer.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether he will consider converting some of the unsold new flats, for example, in Jurong West area, as temporary rental flats for those Singaporeans who need to rent the flats?”
“Faced with various constraints, such as work and family commitments, adult learners often cannot find time to self-learn new skills or knowledge. There is a need to set up a network of physical and virtual training or learning institutions. The use of IT will provide an excellent platform for self-learning. More interactive on-line learning should be introduced so that adult learners can expand their knowledge and expertise. Madam, we must provide more opportunities for our workers to learn creative and self-improvement skills early, especially when they are young and energetic. This will enable them to apply these skills in their work earlier and gain more experience to add value to their companies. In conclusion, I support the Bill, and I hope that the Singapore Workforce Development Agency will provide an integrated solution to nurture the development of our human resource.”
“Both employers and employees must constantly identify new skills to learn, so as to keep pace with developments in their respective industries. Continuing skills development should be encouraged among workers so as to keep our workforce equipped with the relevant skills for competition and employability purposes. But, how do we facilitate the continuing skills development efforts of our workers? And how can we incentivise employers to continually train and upgrade the skills of their employees? Madam, we need to allow more flexibility for workers to learn new skills, both within and outside their work environment. One key motivation of any adult learner is the recognition of the skills they learn. We must review our National Skills Recognition System to increase its acceptance among employers. At the same time, we must also have better quality control of the training service providers and the respective testing bodies to ensure that high standards are attained. Companies must also make efforts to adopt best practices and document their work processes to facilitate training and retraining of their staff. In addition, they should be encouraged to continually redesign their work processes so as to enhance the value of work of their workers. Third, self-learning for potential entrants to workforce. To be a world-class workforce, we need to widen the scope of learning of our workforce, especially new entrants to the industry. Lateral thinking, creative learning and various self-improvement skills should be introduced to adult learners more comprehensively. These learning opportunities must be readily available and flexible enough to allow adult learners to seize.”
“At the same time, we must help them overcome the various constraints they face and facilitate their learning processes. I would like to suggest three strategies in training and nurturing a world-class workforce. First, Place and Train schemes for unemployed job seekers. We should place more emphasis to encourage more companies to adopt Place and Train schemes, such as the People-on-the-Job Traineeship scheme (PJTP). This will help our unemployed job seekers to return to the workforce as quickly as possible. I understand that more than 5,000 firms have participated in the PJTP scheme, benefiting over 12,000 Singaporeans. We can further expand this scheme to all strategic industries to encourage more Singaporeans to upgrade their skills. More support and incentives should be given to firms which are providing on-the-job training. Such schemes will provide better opportunities for job seekers to learn new skills faster and apply them immediately in their respective jobs. It will also enable the job seekers to earn an income while undergoing skills training. This will provide better incentives for them to make changes and adjustments in their work environment. Besides providing incentives for firms, we should also render support to job seekers who take up Place and Train jobs. I would like to propose giving a special or start-up allowance to encourage more Singaporeans to join those strategic industries with Place and Train schemes. In addition, the Government can support firms to recognise their long service contribution of their workers Second, Continuing Skills Development for the employed, ie, existing workers. In order to avoid structural unemployment, we need to develop a passion for lifelong learning among our workers.”
“Based on the experience of the Community Development Councils in job assistance services, we find that many job seekers, especially those aged 45 years and above, do not have the relevant skills or appropriate mindset for many jobs in the manufacturing and services industries. This is a real concern. Employers also find these older workers to be slow in learning and some are unwilling to work in certain work environments, such as shift work or clean rooms. This situation will worsen if companies continue to improve their business operations with higher technology, and our older workers remain slow in learning the relevant skills. At present, we are faced with such skills and mindset mismatch problems. With rapid globalisation, industries and companies will change more rapidly in the future. Our workers will face structural unemployment more frequently, if we do not plan the skills development of our workforce properly. Therefore, we need to adopt a flexible and sustainable approach towards developing our human capital in Singapore. We must develop a quality workforce which is of world-class standard. The desired outcome of a world-class workforce should be one that is diligent, positive and flexible. Our workforce must have the ability to respond quickly to the changing needs of the marketplace. With an agile workforce, we will be able to seize more opportunities in the global economy. Madam, how do we enhance the employability of Singaporeans? We need to adopt three different strategies for three categories of adult learners/workers, namely: 1) The employed, ie, the existing workers; 2) The unemployed job seekers; and 3) The potential entrants to our workforce. To be effective, we must understand the needs and aspirations of these three groups of adult learners.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill. The formation of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency is indeed timely as Singapore restructures its economy to cope with globalisation. With increasing competition, there is an urgent need for Singapore to develop new niches in its only key strategic resource, ie, human resource. The formation of the SWDA will provide a one-stop agency to help Singaporeans to develop their skills to enhance their employability. The integration of the Skills Development Fund, Critical Enabling Skills Training (CREST) and National Skills Recognition System (NSRS) as proposed by the Bill, will further facilitate skills development among Singaporeans. The Agency will have more flexibility and be able to respond much faster to global market changes which affect our economy and our workforce. In the global economy, speed of change is of the essence to maintain competitive advantage and increase business profitability. In Singapore, we have to continually strive to keep our business cost competitive and, at the same time, focus our efforts to enhance the value of our human capital. Otherwise, our workers will not be able to command a reasonable salary to sustain a good quality of life. Madam, Singapore is faced with an aging workforce and increased competition from many countries. To sustain its long-term economic growth, we must identify niche areas in both our local market and the global market. As identified by the Government, we will develop the manufacturing and services industries as the twin engines for our economic growth. But is our present workforce ready to support and drive these two industries to world-class standards?”
“Sir, may I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary how does the Ministry define rough usage in HDB's context, and whether SS341 defines rough usage? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Sir, SS341 defines three methods for testing the safety of tempered glass. SS341 specifies that the glass should go through three tests. The first one is called the impact test, ie, you break the glass upon a certain impact. The second test is known as the fragmentation test. It is to pierce the glass to see how many pieces it breaks into over a small area. The third test is the surface compression test which sends a light ray through the glass and measures the angle of bending of the glass. Rough usage, unfortunately, is quite common in many of the instances that we have inspected. In fact, in the incident in Block 130 Edgedale Plains, HDB suspected that the glass broke because of rough usage. But, having said that, once a shower screen has broken into pieces, it is difficult to ascertain whether it is truly rough usage or any other cause. But based on the inspection on a sample size of about 30,000 shower screens last year, we have come to the conclusion that rough usage is the principal cause of many of the accidents that have happened in the HDB flats.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary whether the HDB has a code of practice on the use of tempered glass and whether it is suitable to use tempered glass in our public housing estates, especially in those public areas? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Sir, there is a standard for the use of glass in Singapore and that standard is called Singapore Standard 341 (SS341). The latest standard is SS341-2001. I have a copy here, and the standard specifies the kind of glass that can be used. Is tempered glass a suitable glass for use in HDB homes? Sir, tempered glass is a standard building material. It is used in offices, hotels, in Parliament here, and it is therefore suitable to be used in HDB flats.”
“Sir, I have two supplementary questions for the Minister. First, may I ask the Minister, over the last two years, how many HDB contracts were not completed according to the stipulated completion time and how much liquidated damages were imposed on those contractors who failed to complete the project on time? Secondly, will the Ministry consider reviewing the public sector standard contract form so that the interests of the third parties, especially consumers, sub-contractors and suppliers, are better protected?”
“I have three questions for the Deputy Prime Minister. First, can DPM provide an update on the vegetable supply situation and the steps taken to bring the supply back to normal? Second, what are the steps taken to safeguard the safety of workers and buyers in other food supply centres? And, third, may I ask DPM to request Power Supply to suspend the disconnection of power and water supply during this difficult time?”
“Sir, the Infocomm Plan 21 aims to develop Singapore into a dynamic and vibrant global infocomm capital with a thriving and prosperous e-economy and an infocomm-savvy e-society. One of its six strategies is e-powering the people sector which entails improving accessibility of infocomm technology to all, bridging the digital divide and encouraging the adoption of e-lifestyle. Sir, in support of the Infocomm Plan 21, North West CDC has set up 24 IT training centres with 24 schools in our district. Last year, we trained 300 students to be e-ambassadors to assist in our IT training programmes for residents. We have also trained 1,300 residents in the National IT Literacy course. I wish to thank the IDA for its support given to the CDC. To further encourage e-lifestyle, we hope to organise more IT outreach programmes for our residents in the district. In this regard, I wish to ask the Minister whether the Ministry can provide more resources to support the CDC's efforts in e-powering our residents. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (a) What is the status of development of the Infocomm Plan 21? (b) Are there specific programmes to support CDCs in e-powering our people? (c) What are the plans to promote e-Government services to Singaporeans, especially the heartlanders?”
“Sir, last year, the North West CDC set up five cultural focus points to provide monthly arts and cultural performances in the community. A total of 53 performances were organised attracting about 35,000 residents. The CDC has worked with partners, such as the National Arts Council, grassroots organisations, schools and various performing groups, to bring arts and culture to the community. The community outreach programme has enhanced the quality of life of our residents. Many residents have given positive feedback to these various performances. Sir, I wish to thank the Ministry and the National Arts Council for the support they have given to the CDC in bringing these performances to the heartlands. We hope that more can be done to increase the collaboration between the CDC and the Ministry and the National Arts Council. May I ask the Minister two questions? What are the resources allocated by the Ministry for the community arts and culture outreach programme? And what public education efforts are in place to increase the level of appreciation of arts and culture among Singaporeans?”
“While the Government encourages training, retraining and lifelong learning and going for higher qualification to become more skilled and professional, I am surprised that the NUS' admission criteria for higher degree courses restrict the number of Singaporeans who are allowed to participate in each course. When I, as a graduate of the university and a former students' union President and now an NCMP, was rejected for admission to the NUS MBA programme, I was told that it was because there were too many qualified student applicants from the region with higher GMAT scores. If the university seems to favour foreign students over our local citizens, where does it place our local citizen population with regard to self-improvement and upgrading of their professional qualification in the name of lifelong learning? Do they need to go overseas to get such preferential treatment and admission? I hope the Minister can clarify on this issue.”
“Madam, the lack of professional recognition of the NUS Building degree, and the adoption of the modular system in NUS have made the Bachelor of Science (Building) course redundant. NUS must not confuse the public by stating in its prospectus that the Bachelor of Science (Building) course has "National and International Accreditation". The qualification is not recognised as a professional degree in Singapore. For example, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has refused to include the qualification under its approved contractor registration system. The Ministry of Manpower does not recognise the degree to be a qualified site safety officer. There is no Act in Singapore to govern the professional conduct of building graduates. Thus, we should not conduct the Building degree course and waste our limited resources. Instead, I would propose that we convert the Bachelor of Science (Building) course into an engineering course in facilities management. Madam, as buildings become more complex, we need professionals who are trained in facilities management to manage our building development and management. In the US, facilities management is a growing industry and has indeed added much value in the development of buildings and facilities. May I ask the Ministry whether it will consider converting the Bachelor of Science (Building) course into a Bachelor of Engineering (Facilities Management) course? Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong (Non-Constituency Member): Madam, I spoke quoting my personal experience last year concerning the admission criteria for the NUS MBA programme, not for my own interest but for that of the public in general.”
“Sir, I would like to thank the Minister and the Minister of State for their sustainable answers which, I believe, will be recyclable in the future. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, it is a nuisance to attend to bird nuisance in Singapore. First, you must identify the bird that is causing nuisance. Then, you need to know at which location is the bird causing nuisance. If it is a crow, the Environment Ministry will attend to it. If it is not a crow, then it is under the jurisdiction of the National Development Ministry. But if the nuisance happens at a HDB common property, the town council will have to attend to it. If it is along the ENV drains, ENV will solve the problem. But if the bird is creating nuisance on the trees along the road divider, LTA is responsible for the nuisance. Of course, if the bird is causing nuisance in your house, then that is your problem! Sir, we need a one-stop agency to resolve all the bird nuisance in Singapore. May I ask the Minister what is the Ministry doing to resolve this birdie problem?”