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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“Sir, hawker centres play a significant part in the lives of many Singaporeans. Today, hawker centres continue to provide cheap and good food, which helps to lower the cost of living for many Singaporeans. The concept of hawker centres has been a great success. Many Singaporeans, rich or poor, frequent hawker centres to enjoy a wide range of food. Thus, I hope the Government can place more emphasis and support on hawker centres in Singapore. We should allocate more resources to upgrade existing hawker centres that are easily accessible to Singaporeans. I hope that the Ministry will develop a master plan for the development of hawker centres in Singapore. There are many advantages to have more hawker centres. Firstly, they provide cheap and good food to Singaporeans at convenient locations. Secondly, they provide opportunities for Singaporeans to set up businesses and, thirdly, they attract tourists to Singapore. But we must not increase the cost of business for hawkers, especially their rental and utility charges. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister the following questions: 1) What is the status of merging the hawker departments of HDB and ENV? 2) Is there a master plan to rationalise the development and upgrading of hawker centres? 3) What are the measures to keep rental of hawker centres low, so as to reduce business costs? 4) Can the Ministry consider a tenant mix policy for hawker centres to provide more choices for consumers?”
“We should continue to encourage such efforts among Singaporeans and let them take ownership of the environment. In North West CDC, we will be setting up a "Green Community" to support the key thrusts of our Green Plan 2012. Forty-four schools have agreed to set up green clubs and work closely with the CDC, our grassroots organisations and the business community on environmental projects. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: 1) Are there plans to build green communities within our living environment? 2) How can the Ministry support "Green Community" groups to take on more creative and innovative projects for the environment? 3) Are there specific plans to help heartlanders to be more environmentally friendly?”
“Sir, 3P partnership. Many countries have recognised the need to involve all stakeholders of the environment to achieve better success in achieving a sustainable environment. But this is easier said than done. To achieve concerted efforts of the 3Ps, viz, the public, private and people sectors, requires strong will-power from the Government, the business community and our people. I am pleased to learn that the Ministry of the Environment has implemented the Innovation on Environmental Sustainability Scheme. I hope this incentive will spur both the Government agencies and private firms to exercise more corporate social responsibility towards the environment. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: 1) What are the policies or incentives for encouraging 3P partnership on sustainable development? 2) What is the take-up rate for the Innovation on Environmental Sustainability Scheme? 3) How can we encourage corporate social responsibility among firms in Singapore on environmental sustainability? 4) What measures are taken to educate the 3Ps on the 3P partnership scheme? Sir, to achieve environmental sustainability in Singapore, we must develop a green community among our people. Singaporeans must feel passionate about the environment and take initiatives to protect our environment. Many sceptics have said that Singapore is able to maintain a clean and green environment because it is a "fine" city, where people are fined for littering. Based on my experience in managing the town council, this is not true. In fact, we have noticed that many Singaporeans are becoming more conscious about keeping their living environment clean. Some residents have even taken the initiative to sweep and clean their common corridor outside their HDB flats.”
“Sir, in support of the UN Agenda 21 on sustainable development, Singapore has developed our Green Plan 2012. The three key thrusts in the Green Plan are, namely, (a) quality living environment through innovative and effective use of technology and efficient use of resources to minimise the impact of human activities on the environment; (b) active participation of all sectors of population; and (c) doing our part for the global environment. Despite the launch of the Green Plan 2012, many Singaporeans are still not aware of it. Many are apathetic and do not know what roles they can play in the Green Plan. In addition, not many Singaporeans understand the concept of sustainable development. 12.30 pm Sir, environmental sustainability is not just about keeping the environment sustainable. It has many other implications affecting the livelihood of our people. The environmental management industry is a growing industry, and can create many jobs for Singaporeans. It can spin off many economic benefits and contributions to our GDP. Thus, I would urge the Government to place more emphasis to seize the opportunities of this sunrise industry. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: 1) What is the progress of Singapore's efforts in supporting the UN Agenda 21 on Sustainable Development? 2) What is the public education programme to increase awareness among Singaporeans on the concept of sustainable development? 3) Are there plans to expand the scope of our environmental sustainability efforts?”
“Sir, there is a lack of legislation to regulate energy conservation in Singapore. While I can understand the Government's approach to adopt self-regulation, the poor energy efficiency of buildings and energy consumption appliances, and the high-energy wastage experienced in Singapore clearly show that our energy conservation efforts are not making any significant progress. In Japan, energy conservation laws are implemented in three key areas, namely, factories, buildings and equipment. There are many laws, policies, guidelines and energy conservation measures adopted to provide a holistic approach to energy conservation. Sir, in Singapore, our commitment to energy conservation is still not very high. We have only managed to form an Energy Efficiency Committee and not many key programmes are implemented to conserve energy. We need to develop an energy conservation culture among businesses, consumers and the authorities in Singapore. As energy prices are likely to continue to rise, we must conserve and explore alternative sources of energy. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What are the key policies and strategies to encourage energy conservation in Singapore? (2) Will the Ministry consider legislating an energy conservation law? (3) How can we encourage developers, building consultants and contractors to build "energy conservation" buildings? (4) What are the measures or incentives taken to encourage energy conservation by building owners, businessmen and consumers?”
“In addition, "Rentak Sihat" a 13-part health programme was also telecast on Suria and focused on how Malays can keep fit and stay healthy through simple exercises. HPB also works closely with Berita Harian to publish stories on a variety of health promotion activities. With regard to the Tamil media, a 13-part health programme addressing health issues such as diabetes and hypertension, prevention and proper treatment to prevent complications was produced in Tamil for telecast on Vasantham Central. We will continue to focus our attention on high-risk groups and provide more publicity on health promotion activities in the Malay and Tamil media. Members are correct that prevention is better than cure. To achieve a healthy lifestyle, we need to change the mindset of Singaporeans. To do this, we need to incorporate the help of the community, CDCs, grassroots to bring this message to the ordinary Singaporeans.”
“The national health surveys conducted regularly by MOH provide information on the prevalence of these risk factors by age, sex and ethnic groups. The 1998 survey showed that the prevalence of these risk factors is higher among the Malays and Indians, compared with the general population. For example, the smoking habit is most prevalent among Malay men, 43%, compared with Indian men, 30%, and Chinese men, 24%. Smoking rate among Malay women aged 18-24 years is 13%, compared with 5% among Chinese women, and 2% among Indian women. Diabetes is more prevalent among Indians (16%) than Malays (11%) or Chinese (8%). Health promotion programmes are planned based on the results of the national health surveys. Special programmes targeted at the high-risk groups have been implemented. For example, a special programme known as the Ramandan programme has been implemented to address the high smoking rate among the Malay community. The programme is a collaboration between HPB, MUIS and other Malay-Muslim organisations. Mr Arthur Fong had asked about health promotion activities aimed at minority groups. In general, health promotion programmes, such as the National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign, National Smoking Control Campaign, National Myopia Prevention Programme, Breast Screen Singapore and the Osteoporosis Prevention Programme target all ethnic groups and media campaigns are carried in the four official languages through television, radio and the newspapers. In view of the higher prevalence of risk factors for chronic diseases among Malays and Indians, special media programmes have been produced. A 20-part cooking programme was aired on Suria to educate the Malay community on cooking tasty and healthy traditional dishes.”
“A booklet and a video CD targeted at CEOs have been developed and distributed to CEOs to facilitate their understanding of workplace health concepts. A matching WHP grant of up to $5,000 for each workplace was made available from 2001 to encourage workplaces to implement WHP programmes. To-date, about 200 workplaces have been awarded the grant. For a more holistic approach to workplace health, HPB has integrated occupational health and safety, productivity and worklife balance in the WHP programmes. HPB conducts training courses to equip facilitators of workplaces with skills to organise, plan and implement WHP programmes. A guidebook and a video CD on WHP for facilitators have been developed to help them plan and start WHP programmes. One of the components of a WHP programme is basic health screening. HPB, in its consultancy and training programmes for workplaces, emphasises the importance of conducting basic health screening for their workers. Workplaces are encouraged to include screening for hypertension, diabetes, high blood cholesterol and for obesity in their health screening packages. They are advised to monitor the results of screening of their workers and to organise intervention programmes for them based on the results of screening. Mr Ahmad Khalis wanted to know whether MOH has a profile of persons suffering from various diseases. He suggested that health promotion programmes be targeted at high-risk groups. The major causes of ill health and death among Singaporeans are coronary heart disease, cancer and stroke. The risk factors for coronary heart disease are smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, obesity, physical inactivity and diabetes.”
“However, we need to reduce the prevalence of cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke, the major causes of ill health and deaths among Singaporeans. Other diseases of public health concern include myopia and osteoporosis. The Health Promotion Board was established two years ago to spearhead national health education, promotion and disease prevention programmes. The main thrusts of the Health Promotion Board (HPB) are: First, to educate the public on healthy living. The four pillars of a healthy lifestyle are regular exercise, healthy eating, no smoking and managing stress. I am glad to note that many Members mentioned all these. Second, where it is cost-effective, screen children, adults and elderly for common illnesses to detect and treat these conditions early for better outcomes. Third, collaborate with voluntary and community organisations, including CDCs, professional organisations to ensure a wide reach. Fourth, create a supportive environment for healthy living. Dr Lily Neo and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang brought up issues on workplace health promotion. HPB has been encouraging companies to implement a comprehensive workplace health promotion programme. Several strategies are used to secure management support, for example, chief executive officers and senior management are invited to sign the HEALTH charter, ie, Helping Employees Achieve Lifetime Health. And through this charter, pledge their commitment to implement Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) programmes in their workplace. There are also breakfast and lunch meetings which are organised for CEOs and senior management to inform them of the benefits of implementing WHP programmes.”
“Sir, the promotion of healthy living, such as having a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly and not smoking, is essential to maintain a population of healthy citizens. Many diseases can be prevented by maintaining healthy lifestyles. This means that the Health Promotion Board should not just be persistent but also accelerate such promotion. The hallmark of success of such promotion is to be able to reach as many people in the community as possible. Sir, the publication of information booklets, organising of health talks and health screening may increase the level of awareness among Singaporeans on health matters but it does not make Singaporeans healthy if they do not act on this information or advice. We need to adopt a more structured approach to ensure that health promotion messages are disseminated to Singaporeans, especially the heartlanders and they adopt healthy lifestyles. Sir, in North-West CDC, we have formed the largest network of brisk walking clubs in Singapore. To-date, we have 75 clubs, comprising over 8,000 members who exercise regularly to keep healthy. I hope that the Health Promotion Board can be more proactive, to work closely with the CDCs to have more effective outreach in the community. May I ask the Minister what kind of promotion has been done to achieve the healthy lifestyle message? Has this programme been successful in reaching the community at large? Are there plans to partner with the CDCs and what are the key performance targets of the Health Promotion Board? Dr Balaji Sadasivan: Sir, I want to thank Members for their interest in health promotion. We have made good progress in improving the health of Singaporeans.”
“Sir, I wish to thank the Minister, the Minister of State and the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for their comprehensive answers. There is still one building in China Square that is tilting today. I hope BCA can make it safe. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, the Land Titles (Strata) Act governs the management of strata title developments in Singapore. However, many purchasers of strata title developments do not understand the Act and also the concept of communal living. As a result, many disputes have arisen over the years among subsidiary proprietors concerning the management of strata title developments. This problem is further compounded when there is a mixed development comprising commercial and residential developments. The limitations of the Act have also led to a lack of transparency and poor management, thus causing many subsidiary proprietors to be unhappy. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) Will the Act be amended to cater to the needs of different subsidiary proprietors in strata title developments? (2) How can we ensure good corporate governance of management corporations? (3) Are there plans to improve the professional management of strata title developments?”
“What is the output of the R&D efforts of BCA? Are there plans to corporatise BCA, and what are the key performance indicators of BCA? Sir, my next cut is on CoreNet. I have three questions to ask. First, what is the status of development of the CoreNet system and how much has been spent on CoreNet? Second, what percentage of construction related firms, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and contractors have adopted CoreNet? Third, has CoreNet increased the cost of business?”
“Sir, I would like to ask three questions about farming. First, what are the key policies supporting the farming industry in Singapore? Second, what are the key incentives available to attract investors in the farming industry? Third, can URA allow more flexibility to allow integrated uses of agricultural land? My second cut is on the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). The BCA was formed to spearhead the construction industry in Singapore. Its mission is to develop an advanced and competitive construction industry. Sir, today, the construction industry still faces many problems and suffers from an image problem. It is flooded with problems of poor quality work, unfair business practices, unprofessional conduct and lack of innovation. Despite all the quality schemes and awards, we have failed to develop a quality culture among building practitioners. We need to restructure BCA to focus its efforts to upgrade the construction industry. Self-regulation will never work in the construction industry. We need rules and regulations to provide a total approach to improve business practices and increase the quality of our buildings. We need a top down approach where authorities would guide developers, consultants and contractors to work jointly as a team to produce quality buildings for users. Without strong commitment from the Government, the construction industry will remain a dirty and dangerous industry. In the last Committee of Supply, the Minister mentioned about forming an international advisory committee for the construction industry. I hope the Minister can update the House on the progress of this committee. Sir, I wish to ask three questions on this cut. What are the key achievements of BCA in upgrading our building industry?”
“Sir, AVA aims to provide a resilient supply of safe food to Singaporeans. With an ageing population and the vulnerability of food-borne diseases, we need to develop a more water-tight system to control the hygiene of food in Singapore. Today there are many reports on certain food compounds, such as Thalidomide claiming to cause cancer. Many consumers are confused by such reports and may not know how to take safety precautions to protect their health. Sir, I hope that AVA can work closely with various Government agencies to keep Singaporeans more informed on food safety. Singapore imports 90% of our food supply. As such, we are heavily dependent on overseas food supply. This food may sometimes come from farms which use pesticides, growth hormones or antibiotics harmful to human beings. Besides the control of food safety, we must also have a sufficient supply of food to overcome any food shortage crisis. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: What are the key policies in ensuring that Singapore has a resilient supply of food to cope with any food shortage situations? What are the anti-bio threats to our food supply? What are the measures taken to safeguard our food supply? And, how can we reduce food prices in Singapore?”
“Sir, as a multi-religious society, we must provide necessary places of worship to fulfill the spiritual needs of Singaporeans. The present open tendering system of allocating land for our religious activities does not provide a satisfactory means to ensure that places of worship are conveniently located to serve the needs of Singaporeans. In fact, some places of worship are located on remote industrial sites where public access is difficult. Others are located in areas where there is no carpark available, resulting in serious traffic congestion during religious occasions. Sir, we need to develop a master plan for places of worship in Singapore. Based on the proportion of different religious groups, we should adopt a religion quota system to allocate land to the respective religious organisations. At the same time, efforts must be made to encourage religious harmony through land use allocation. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: 1) What is the basis of allocating for places of worship? 2) What are the measures adopted by URA to promote religious harmony in Singapore through land use planning? and 3) How can URA ensure that places of worship are easily accessible to worshippers by public and private transport?”
“Sir, the Master Plan provides short to medium term planning of land use and the intensity of individual land parcels. The Master Plan 2003 aims to make Singapore a great city to live, work and play. But, how do we measure the achievement of our Master Plan? We need to define key performance indicators to monitor the progress of our Master Plan. To date, we have not defined any quality of life indicators for Singaporeans. Sir, we need to determine quantifiable indicators which Singaporeans can understand. In this way, we will all know whether we have planned successfully to maximise our land use to provide a quality living environment. Sir, I must commend the URA for adopting an open and consultative approach to solicit public feedback for the Master Plans of different regions. In order to develop a better sense of belonging among Singaporeans, we should reach out to more Singaporeans, especially the HDB heartlanders to participate in land use planning of Singapore. More outreach efforts are required to encourage active citizen participation in our land use planning. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (a) How much has been achieved in the Master Plan 1998? (b) What percentage of State land has its plot ratio increased as compared to private land? (c) What measures have been taken to improve the jobs and home accessibility for Singaporeans? (d) What are the key performance targets of Master Plan 2003?”
“Madam, in order to encourage home ownership, HDB should review the resale levy, especially for 3-room flats. Many 3-room flat dwellers are working class families and need more space as their families grow. Today, some are living in congested flats and are unable or cannot afford to upgrade to a 4-room flat. With grown up children, some of their children have to sleep in the kitchen or living room, as there is not enough bedroom for them. The crowded living conditions are also not conducive for their children to study at home. The 10 years time bar imposed by HDB for upgraders has further aggravated this problem, resulting in more families staying in congested 3-room flats. I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) can HDB consider reducing the resale levy for 3-room flat owners who wish to upgrade to a 4-room flat? (2) can HDB waive the resale levy for those who sold their flats below their purchase price?”
“In this way, there will be no abortive BTO sites, resulting in disappointment among flat applicants and wastage of resources. Like private developers, HDB must be prepared to reduce the sale price of unsold flats for those with less desirable attributes, such as facing bin centres or poor view. Madam, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) does BTO provide better matching of demand and supply of HDB flats? (2) can HDB consider providing a better mix of flats for each BTO project?”
“Madam, on HDB branch office. With the delegation of the maintenance of HDB estates to the Town Councils, the functions of the HDB branch offices have been reduced drastically. In the past, the HDB had adopted a decentralised approach to build area offices all over Singapore to better serve Singaporeans. To date, these branch offices are providing a range of services, such as purchase of season car park coupons, and lease and tenancy management matters. With the formation of the five Community Development Councils, there is a need to review whether the HDB branch offices can be better synchronised to provide a one-stop service to residents. Many of the CDCs are located at convenient and accessible locations to residents. As such, a rationalisation of these branch offices may be necessary to ensure better outreach of the branch office services to residents. Sir, I wish to ask the Ministry the following questions: first, are there plans to rationalise the branch offices to better support and advise CDC? Second, will the HDB carpark services be corporatised? Third, can the URA and HDB carpark sections be merged into a single entity? My next cut is on Build to Order (BTO). The BTO scheme was introduced to replace the Registration of Flats system for HDB flats last year. The main purpose is to ensure a better match of demand and supply of HDB flats. What is more important is that it allows flat applicants to choose specific locations when applying for HDB flats. However, to achieve this, HDB must allocate more sites for BTO and provide a wider mix of flats, maybe from studio to 5-room flats, for each BTO site. If demand for a particular mix of flats is below 75%, HDB must readjust the mix of flat types so as to attract new demand.”
“Madam, with a more mature public housing market, building of new flats will gradually slow down. Thus, there is a need to restructure HDB, especially the Building and Development Division (BDD). The announcement of the corporatisation of HDB's BDD has raised concerns both within HDB and the industry. Those affected will have to consider whether they will be compensated or re-employed by the new HDB Corporation. This has generally affected morale, especially during this uncertain market situation. Madam, with HDB Corporation, many practitioners are concerned about losing market share in the future. Many private building consultants who are presently working on public projects have put in investments to satisfy the requirements of various Government agencies. If the workload for public projects declines, they will suffer much loss. Madam, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What is the cost of corporatising HDB? (2) What are the principal business activities of HDB Corp? (3) What is the estimated value of HDB contracts to be allocated to HDB Corp for the next five years?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head T of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. With the fast ageing population and higher aspirations of Singaporeans, there is a need to review the role of HDB. Over the last 30 years, HDB has fulfilled its role to provide affordable and quality homes to Singaporeans. Today, 85% of Singaporeans own HDB flats. If we were to achieve the long-term goal of having a 25:75 ratio of private and public home ownership, we need to restructure the HDB housing programme. At the same time, we must allow more flexibility and options for some Singaporeans to rent HDB flats. Sir, although the HDB upgrading programmes have rejuvenated some older estates, there are some setbacks. Residents were inconvenienced for two or three years during the upgrading process and there are limitations to improve the design of the upgraded precinct. There is also less intensive use of the land to provide more housing units in these well-located precincts. Sir, I wish to seek the following clarifications from the Ministry: (1) What is the rationale for restructuring HDB? (2) What are the new roles of HDB? (3) How can HDB continue to provide quality and affordable homes for Singaporeans? (4) Will HDB review its Main and Interim Upgrading Programmes? [Mdm Deputy Speaker (Mrs Lim Hwee Hua) in the Chair] 3.46 pm”
“Sir, in Singapore, consumers are expected to exercise caveat emptor when purchasing goods or procuring services. As such, there is no one single all-embracing Consumer Protection Act in Singapore to protect consumers from unfair and unscrupulous practices of businesses. However, based on the thousands of consumer complaints received by CASE, Singapore Tourism Board and the media, we can see that we need a Consumer Protection Act to protect some consumers in Singapore. Sir, three groups of consumers are vulnerable to unfair and unscrupulous business practices, namely, the elderly, the illiterate and young children. We have heard of many hard selling door-to-door salesmen, who have conned many elderly and housewives. This is still prevalent in Singapore today. In fact, I have received feedback from my grassroots leaders that some people even posed as "God of Fortune" to do house-to-house visits during Chinese New Year to demand ang pows from our residents. Sir, I wish to seek clarifications from the Ministry concerning the proposed Consumer Protection Act. One, how can the Act protect the elderly, illiterate and young consumers? Two, how can the Act be enforced without a Fair Trading Office? And, three, will the Act cover all industries?”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister of State whether the HDB will consider reducing the resale levy for 3-room flats so as to encourage growing families staying in 3-room flats to upgrade to a 4-room flat?”
“The key support needed is funding for business ventures into the global market. For a start, the Government can provide incentives for local banks to reduce their stringent requirements for credit facilities. Many banks require personal guarantees or collaterals for business loans. As such, limited funding is available for local firms to expand their businesses overseas. In addition, the Government can also facilitate public listed companies to raise funds through share issues for business expansion programmes. With adequate capital, Singapore firms will be able to better position and compete in the global market. Sir, this year's Budget is a fair and balanced budget. It has the ingredients to prepare Singapore for the future. What is needed is a mindset change among Singaporeans to be more flexible, more hardworking and more resourceful. With the strong support from our Government, Singapore will continue to prosper in the future.”
“Singapore is in a good position to capitalise on our trustworthiness to produce good quality and reliable products and services. We need to establish key benchmarks or performance indicators to measure the acceptance of our services and products in the global market. More resources should be allocated to brand Singapore's products and services. I fully support the setting up of a Ministerial Committee on Services. To be a global player and tourism hub, we must adopt a total approach to provide world-class customer service. In business, customer service is the key to retaining loyal customers and attracting new customers. We must make every effort to ensure that all customers have good experience with Singapore's products and services. One role model whom we can all follow is Singapore Airlines. [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Chew Heng Ching) in the Chair] 4.10 pm (ii) Resilient and Multi-skilled Workforce To cope with the fast changing global market conditions, we must have a resilient and multi-skilled workforce. As businessmen are always very versatile to react to market forces, workers are often caught off-guard to adapt to these changes. Therefore, we must instil an "entrepreneurial mindset" among our workers. Our workers must be capable to move in tandem with the market forces and be prepared to take challenges constantly. As such, we should encourage firms to adopt job rotation practices and provide opportunities for their employees to start businesses such as forming subsidiaries or business start-ups. (iii) World-class companies It is not practical to groom all Singapore companies to be world-class. We have to be selective and channel our limited resources to nurture a few companies, which are promising.”
“Sir, we need to address this visitor's transit problem and encourage more visitors to stay longer in Singapore. The Singapore Tourism Board should provide more incentives for organisations or firms to hold longer duration international conventions or exhibitions in Singapore. We should also commission event promoters to bring in world-class shows, exhibitions or meetings to Singapore. As a safe haven, Singapore should capitalise on its secure environment to attract family visitors, especially children, to have fun in Singapore. But to achieve this, we need to have better tourist attractions for children and families. The Government should seriously consider building a world-class theme park, maybe a "Wonderland" or "Dreamland for Children". We must invest and build a world-class tourism infrastructure to attract new tourists to Singapore. The proposed theme park should be supported by the Government and be competitively priced to attract visitors. The Singapore Tourism Board should be tasked to operate the park so as to achieve better accountability. Sir, the outsourcing of theme parks to the private sector has failed many times in Singapore. We should not repeat these mistakes but should instead have only one world-class theme park in Singapore. Spearheading tourism will provide more business opportunities for our companies in Singapore. Globalising Singapore Sir, I wish to propose three strategies to globalise Singapore: (1) We have to focus on the quality and reliability of our products and services; (2) We must build a resilient and multi-skilled workforce; and (1) We must nurture a few world-class companies to serve the global market. (i) Quality and Reliability As competition gets more intense, we must differentiate our products and services from our competitors.”
“The Government should facilitate the development of capabilities of Singapore companies to be globally competitive. Except for the Government agencies, private firms are usually less keen to send their staff for skills upgrading. Sir, employers are the "best teachers" to train workers with employable skills. We must provide incentives to encourage employers to train their employees regularly. Like the recent revision of foreign worker levy, the Government should also consider providing incentives for employers who train their staff in multiple skills. In this aspect, I would urge SPRING Singapore to be more proactive in encouraging employers, especially the SMEs, to send their staff for skills upgrading regularly. (3) Increase business opportunities. Sir, the reduction of business cost cannot help firms to survive if there is no business. The market in Singapore is small and saturated. Therefore, Singapore firms must search for new markets overseas. Business delegations led by the Government have indeed opened up many doors for our firms. The Government should continue to organise more such delegations and facilitate business tie-ups in specific industries such as financial services, design consultancy, trading, transport, or logistics services. Today, Singapore is a hub for almost everything (seaport, airport, logistics, trading, info-comm, finance and tourism). Although the visitor arrivals to Singapore increased marginally by 0.6% to 7.5 million in 2002, hotel occupancy rate fell by 1.9% to 74%. I understand from the business community that many visitors merely used Singapore as a transit or tourist stop where visitors will only spend a few hours here. Thereafter, they will stay at cheaper hotels in our neighbouring countries.”
“These consumables can amount to hundreds of dollars per month, which is usually beyond the reach of needy families. Helping Businesses Sir, I support the measures introduced by the Finance Minister to reduce business costs and increase the competitiveness of our companies. We must explore more innovative ways to encourage Singapore companies to be globally competitive. We need to relook into the factors of production and re-engineer our work processes to reduce cost, improve quality and productivity. Sir, I would like to suggest three areas which the Government can assist businesses: (1) Reducing business costs. More flexibility should be given to allow integrated and maximum use of land. Factories and businesses must be located near our logistics and transport infrastructure to minimise travelling time and reduce transportation costs. We should facilitate complementary mix of tenants to achieve better supply chain operations. For example, anchor tenants of industrial land should be given more flexibility to house their subsidiaries or sub-contractors/suppliers. In addition, we should also consider abolishing property tax in Singapore, especially for vacant land so as to reduce holding cost for businesses and encourage property ownership. The Government should provide more support to help Singapore firms brand their products and services overseas. I would suggest that we develop a one-stop website to showcase all Singapore's products and services in the global market. The portal can be the gateway for Singapore firms to brand their products and services. At the same time, more business tie-ups could be initiated through the web. (2) Upgrade skills of staff.”
“We should review our "means test" and allow more flexibility to help needy Singaporeans who are chronically sick, mentally sick and elderly. While we encourage families to help one another, some working class families do not have the financial ability to help their parents and siblings. This is especially so when there are family members suffering from chronic illnesses. The long-term medical expenses will put severe strain on the families. Thus, the Government should provide more social assistance to these needy Singaporeans and reduce the burden of their family members. To date, no fee subsidy is provided for pre-school education. Families with a per capita income of less than $700 usually face difficulty to pay for their children's pre-school education. With the growing importance of pre-school education, I hope the Finance Minister can consider subsidising the fee for pre-school education in Singapore. To further encourage Singaporeans to have more children, we should also review the subsidy for childcare and student care centres. The first three children should be given equal and higher subsidy so as to help working parents. (4) Medifund. Sir, I support the transfer of $100 million to the Medical Endowment Fund. The Medifund scheme has provided much help to many needy Singaporeans. Those who have received help are appreciative of the financial assistance, which could sometimes amount to thousands of dollars per case. Based on feedback from the CDC's social assistance services, some residents would like to urge the Government to consider extending the scope of subsidy for Medifund to include some necessary consumables for patients, such as stoma bags, adult diapers and special liquid diet.”
“More incentives should be offered for firms to provide more jobs for Singaporeans. These include part-time jobs, flexible jobs or contract work. The People-for-Jobs Traineeship Programme (PJTP) should be further enhanced to include part-time or contract work. We must also render more support to those voluntary welfare organisations which provide elderly, family and medical care services in the community. More PJTP programmes should be introduced in these VWOs. In this way, we can build a larger pool of healthcare and social service workers to meet the future needs of an ageing population. (2) Skills upgrading. The key ingredient to self-reliance is to have a positive and flexible mindset. Singaporeans must have the "never say die" attitude. We must continually strive to improve our employable skills. With the correct attitude and multiple skills, Singaporeans will always be employable in a diversified economy. The Government should also let Singaporeans take ownership of their own skills upgrading. We should introduce a "portable training benefits" scheme, whereby workers can take their own initiative to attend approved training courses which are recognised by the National Skills Recognition System. Sir, I fully support the special transfer of $500 million into the Lifelong Learning Fund. What is needed is a more effective outreach to encourage Singaporeans to continually upgrade their skills. The Skills Development Fund has achieved some success in upgrading workers through firms. We should allow more flexibility and incentives for Singaporeans to take initiative to learn more skills. With a portable training benefit scheme, workers will have more options to upgrade their skills. (3) "Means test" and subsidy.”
“They are, first, needy Singaporeans who are chronically sick, mentally sick or elderly; second, Singaporeans with low skills or unemployed; and, third, dual income families which have become single income families. Sir, over the last 12 months, about 9,000 residents in the North West CDC district have approached the CDC for job assistance. Although 3,000 have managed to secure jobs through the CDC's job assistance, job counselling and training programmes, 6,000 residents are still jobless. Despite many job-matching attempts, many job seekers are still unable to find suitable jobs. Two key reasons are cited for this situation. Firstly, the salary of jobs offered is unable to help the job seekers to meet their living expenses; and, secondly, the accessibility of jobs and homes is poor, resulting in high transportation cost for the job seekers. In addition, many job seekers have either low skills or irrelevant skills. Job seekers who are above 50 years old face greater difficulty to return back to the job market. The limited number of job vacancies in the market further compounds this problem. As for those who have medical history, firms are not willing to employ them for fear of low productivity and high medical expenses. Sir, some dual income families also face difficulty due to over financial commitments or poor financial planning. Many had miscalculated their sources of income and were caught off guard by the prolonged economic crisis. In fact, quite a number of these Singaporeans stay in 4- or 5-room HDB flats, and receive lesser utilities and S&C rebates from the Government. Very often, their children's needs and education are affected. Sir, I wish to propose the following measures for the Finance Minister to consider: (1) Creation of jobs.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion as proposed by the Finance Minister. The Budget Statement sends a clear signal to all Singaporeans. We must work together as one united people to face the new challenges in the global economy. We need to develop a resilient and diversified domestic economy, and position Singapore in the global market. In today's uncertain world, we must equip our people to be more flexible and hardworking. It is a mindset change, which we must encourage all Singaporeans to adopt in order to have a better future. I agree with the Finance Minister that "success ultimately depends on the resourcefulness and resilience of Singaporeans." Sir, while the Government moves its stride to globalise Singapore, we must not make Singaporeans lose heart that they are unable to cope with these rapid changes. Incentives and encouragement must be strategically administered to develop passion among Singaporeans. For those who have difficulty coping with the economy's transition, we must lend a helping hand. This includes the small and medium enterprises which employ many Singaporeans. There are three key aspects which the Government should focus to make Singapore a globalised economy: First, the Government must encourage and help all Singaporeans to learn new skills. Second, the Government must help to strengthen our firms to better cope with global competition. Third, the Government must help both Singapore firms and Singaporeans to globalise. Helping Singaporeans There are three groups of Singaporeans who require more help from the Government to be self-reliant.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, may I ask the Minister whether Singapore has considered using mediation, instead of arbitration, to resolve this matter?”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister whether the HDB can consider adopting a daily walk-in selection system for all the available flats, so that all those eligible flat applicants can have more options and are able to select flats faster?”
“Constant engagement of all parties involved will provide useful information for all to better support and guide our students to develop their potentials. With a better-educated population in the future, I am confident that communication will improve for all concerned in nurturing our future generations. This will strengthen the partnerships of all stakeholders, thus spearheading our education system to greater heights. To further facilitate learning, I would propose that the JC and upper secondary school curriculum be taught using a modular system. In our examination-oriented education system, using a modular teaching approach will provide more opportunities for students to interact and work on projects. Students will only need to study two or three subjects per semester for examination purposes. This will reduce much stress and facilitate more creative learning among students. Sir, I support the motion. 5.55 pm”
“This will provide good exposure for them to understand the different needs and aspirations of different groups of students and parents. Where possible, JC and upper secondary school teachers should be given the opportunity to lecture or tutor at our tertiary institutions. This will provide them with first-hand experience in understanding the quality of students entering the tertiary institutions. Sir, how can we measure the desired outcomes of our education system? The existing criteria are rather broad and difficult to measure. We should develop some quantitative tools to measure the output. There must also be a mechanism where employers, alumni, tertiary institution lecturers, principals and teachers can provide regular feedback to our educational institutions to further improve our quality processes. Both the industry and our educational institutions must share the same vision of nurturing our future generations. Creative and innovative learning environment Sir, Singapore has provided one of the best education infrastructures for our students. Schools and educational institutions are well equipped with abundant resources to facilitate teaching and learning. What is lacking is the development of a creative and innovative learning culture in our institutions. To emphasise on hardware alone may not produce the desired results of encouraging our students to be creative and innovative. We need a more supportive learning environment where schools, parents, employers and students can work closely together to nurture our students. There must be effective communication among principals, teachers, employers, parents and students.”
“We must ensure that the key quality processes in our education system are in place, and devise a regular check-and-balance mechanism to achieve sustainable quality. We must have quality input and quality processes in order to produce quality output at every educational level. The quality of students, curriculum and teachers will play significant roles in determining the desired outcomes of our education system. We must change the mindsets of both our educators and parents that school curriculum will have to be reviewed at certain regular intervals, eg, every five years. These reviews are necessary so as to update our curriculum to cope with the dynamic changes in the global economy. If possible, a panel of education and industry experts should be formed to guide the continual development of our school curriculum. We should also have an accreditation system which will make our school curriculum internationally recognised. This will provide additional impetus to make Singapore an education hub, and facilitate students who wish to study overseas. In addition, we must provide adequate training to our existing and future pool of teachers and principals to be creative and innovative. In particular, the leadership skills and passion of our principals will make a great difference to the desired outcomes of our education system. To achieve this, we must first ensure that our educators are equipped with thinking skills before even considering revising our curriculum. Thus, quality control in the recruitment of principals and teachers is crucial in achieving the desired outcomes. Ideally, principals and teachers should be rotated every five or six years, both horizontally and vertically, among different levels of educational institutions.”
“Sir, I wish to highlight three areas of concern in the proposal by the Education Review Committee: 1) Holistic approach to revamp our education system; 2) Quality assurance system to ensure sustainable quality output; and 3) Creative and innovative learning environment for our students. Holistic approach to education Sir, we should adopt a holistic approach to revamp the entire education system, and not just the JC and upper secondary curriculum. As stated in Annex J of the Report, the desired outcomes of each level of education have undue influence on the succeeding levels of education. To be effective in nurturing our future generations, we must also revamp the curriculum of the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Thus, I would urge the Minister to consider making the necessary changes to the other levels of education. Sir, with the implementation of compulsory education, all students will spend a number of years in our educational institutions. Inadvertently, some will only be able to complete their education up to a certain level. Therefore, we must re-look into the desired outcomes of the different levels of education and consider embedding thinking skills into the content-based subjects of primary and secondary school curricula too. In this way, the nurturing of our students will be more complete, and students who complete different levels of education will be equipped with different skills to fit into our global workforce and lead a reasonable quality of life. Quality assurance system Sir, to achieve consistent desired outcomes in our education system, we need to develop a quality assurance system which is internationally recognised.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion as proposed by the Minister for Education. As Singapore enters into the global economy, we must equip our people to develop niches to stay competitive economically and lead a higher quality of life. The impact of information technology and the changing landscape of the global economy have posed new demands on our economy and workforce. While the Government is working on remaking Singapore, we must also retrain our present workforce and prepare our future generations to face these new challenges. We need a different set of skills and mindsets to compete and excel in a knowledge-based economy. To be a successful global player, we must have a workforce that is creative, innovative and full of passion to excel. At the same time, our education system must equip our people with skills to lead a meaningful and happy life. Sir, the revamp of the JC and upper secondary education curriculum is a step in the right direction to nurture our students for a globalised future. I support the change from efficiency to diversity, focusing on broad-based skills training. But I am concerned about giving students more flexibility to decide on the scope of content of a subject they wish to take. In Singapore, our students are very practical and may not be well informed to make good decisions when choosing subjects. Thus, many will take the easy options, ie, choosing subjects which are easy to pass, easy to score and are taught by easy-going teachers. This may affect the desired outcomes of the revamped curriculum.”
“Sir, if I understand from the Senior Minister of State, he was saying that the Bukit Panjang LRT was not tested properly before it was put into operation. Does that not warrant a total shutdown now, so that they could do a total investigation and testing before it is actually put into operation? If the system is not tested properly and it is put into operation, is that not gross negligence on the part of the operator?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Senior Minister of State whether the frequent breakdowns of the LRT since day one were due to design fault, construction fault or maintenance or operation fault, and whether the SLRT or the Ministry will be taking any legal action against the designer, suppliers, contractors or the operator? Secondly, I understand the Ministry is doing an independent audit of the system. May I know what is the scope of work of this audit and whether the findings will be presented to this House? Thirdly, the Senior Minister of State mentioned just now that we need a giant team to maintain the system, so that would increase the cost of maintaining and running the LRT. Will the cost be passed to the commuters in the long run? Also, on the measurement of 99.7%, is it measured over a one-month, three-month or a three-year period? Maybe the Senior Minister of State can give us the exact formula and how we measure the performance standard of the LRT.”
“To further encourage entrepreneurship, I would urge the Minister to expand the home office scheme for micro businesses, such as small agency or consultancy firms. This will provide more opportunities for business start-ups which will eventually contribute to our economy. Sir, I support the Bill.”
“The amendment removes the need to seek the Minister's approval when selling, surrendering, leasing or exchanging land. What is the rationale of removing this authority from the Minister or delegating this authority? The selling, surrendering, leasing or exchange of land has drastic impact on land use and the real estate market. The supply of land has always been a concern for both the Government and the private sector in Singapore. It is only prudent that such authority be given to the Minister instead of delegating it to a prescribed approving authority. I do not understand why the Board must seek the approval of the Minister when purchasing or leasing any land but do not need the Minister's approval when it sells, surrenders, leases or exchanges land. Sir, clause 11 of the Bill amends section 65C of the Housing and Development Board Act with regard to special upgrading works. I hope the Minister can clarify what is classified as special upgrading works and under what circumstances must flat owners vote for such works. To date, only the provision of lifts at every landing is defined as special upgrading work, which requires voting and payment by residents. Interim upgrading works are usually 100% funded by the Government and residents need not pay at all. If the scope of special upgrading works is not clearly defined, many items of works in the interim upgrading package may be included as special upgrading works, thus requiring payment by residents. This will pose undue financial burden on residents, especially those in 3- and 4-room flats. Sir, I support the amendment in clause 5 to allow restricted use of HDB flats for commercial use. This will facilitate the Technopreneur Home Office scheme.”
“This is to avoid HDB flats being rented out as workers' dormitory for foreign workers, thus affecting the residents. In addition, we should also consider removing the two-and-a-half-year occupation period for flat owners taking a private bank loan. This will further increase the supply of rental flats, thus providing more options for rental. Sir, the change in policy to allow private bank loans for certain households of HDB flats may cause confusion if the terms and conditions are not clearly disseminated to the public. Many existing HDB flat owners who may fall into this category may not be aware of the financial implications of taking up a bank loan which has first charge on their flats. While we encourage financial prudence and self-management, many HDB flat owners may not understand the financial risks involved in taking up a bank loan. These include fluctuating interest rates, penalties for late payment, termination or early payment of entire loans, aggressive debt recovery procedures and charges, higher legal fees, and many other miscellaneous bank charges. Sir, to protect the interest of HDB flat owners, HDB must launch a campaign to educate the public on the financial implications of bank loans, and provide financial counselling to potential HDB flat owners using bank loans. This will help Singaporeans to make better-informed decisions when purchasing HDB flats. Sir, I wish to seek clarifications on certain technical points in the Bill. Clause 2 of the Bill amends section 24(2) of the Housing and Development Board Act by deleting the word "Minister" and substituting it with the words "prescribed approving authority". Section 24 provides the power for HDB to purchase, sell and lease or exchange land.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. With the introduction of market pricing for HDB flats, it is only fair that HDB should reduce its restrictions on flat owners who do not enjoy much housing subsidy. The Bill will provide more flexibility for flat owners who are presently required to pay HDB market rates for mortgage loan to obtain loan from banks instead. This move will benefit those who are able to secure attractive mortgage loans due to their financial credentials. But it may pose problems to those who are in financial hardship. These include Singaporeans who are bankrupt or face financial hardship due to the loss of their sole breadwinners or prolonged unemployment during recessions. Over the last 10 years, many HDB flat owners have upgraded to bigger flats. Many dual income families had applied for larger flats and obtained subsidised housing loans from HDB. As a result of the recent financial crisis, some are presently facing difficulty paying their mortgages. The proposed Bill will have negative impact on two groups of Singaporeans. Those who wish to downgrade to a smaller flat due to various reasons, such as financial hardship or retirement, or those who wish to move laterally to another flat of the same size due to reasons such as opting to stay near their family members. I wish to urge the Minister to consider providing HDB loan to these two groups of Singaporeans, in particular, those facing financial hardships. With the lifting of rental restrictions, the supply of rental flats will increase, thus providing more options and cheaper accommodation for people seeking rental flats. But, to avoid any inconvenience to HDB residents, HDB should apply a cap on the number of persons living in various sizes of rental flats.”
“The Government should provide more resources to support meaningful programmes run by GROs and VWOs, including the Community Development Councils. More Singaporeans should be encouraged to help one another in the community. It is through these activities that we can build strong bonds among our people and develop a true sense of belonging to the country. (4) Opportunities for All Sir, in order to make all Singaporeans "stayers", we must inject hope in our people, their families and their children. We must make every Singaporean have the "feel good" factor of being in Singapore. We must formulate Government policies which will provide opportunities for all. Of course, we shall still abide by our equal opportunity and meritocracy principles. Those Singaporeans who have done well must be able to see more opportunities in the country. While those who have not been too successful must see opportunities for themselves or their children in the future. As long as there is hope for every Singaporean, we will not face the problem of quitters.”
“The heavy emphasis on examination has also put too much pressure on our children unnecessarily. Parents also face much difficulty in coping with their children's schoolwork. Many have resorted to tuitions, which have added much financial burden to the families. At the same time, children are not able to find enough time to play and interact with their friends. This has made our children to be more individualistic and less street smart. Some do not have any social skills at all, and can sometimes be rude and arrogant. Sir, we need to provide a more conducive learning environment for our children. Our education system must be more compassionate and flexible in nurturing our young. Although we need to instill values such as diligence, creativity and moral conduct in our young, we must help them to balance their childhood lives and learning experiences. Otherwise, more children and parents will lose heart and fall out of the system. (3) Community Development Policies To develop a sense of belonging, we need to focus on the hearts of our people. The Government must take the lead to show care and concern for its people. We need to help Singaporeans to find meaning in life. Singaporeans must feel that they are useful to the society and must have a sense of self-esteem to lead a meaningful life in Singapore. Sir, we have done well in providing an excellent living environment for Singaporeans. What we need is to look into the "software" of helping Singaporeans to live happily together. Living close to family members and friends in a cohesive community will provide a strong sense of belonging to our people. Furthermore, if there is a comprehensive network of grassroots and voluntary welfare organisations to support the community, we can build a more caring community.”
“There must be opportunities for all individuals, families, community, and businesses to flourish. It must be a place for Singaporeans to live a meaningful and happy life. It must also be a place where there is hope for their future and future generations. Sir, I wish to propose the following measures to develop a sense of belonging among Singaporeans: (1) Housing Policies Over the last 30 years, our housing policies and asset enhancement programmes have resulted in the nuclearisation and high mobility of families. The HDB flat allocation system is too rigid and does not provide much option for Singaporeans to stay near their family members. The resale flat policies also do not facilitate families to live near one another. In fact, the turnover of the sale of flats hampers community bonding among residents. Today, many Singaporeans are living away from their family members. This physical divide, coupled with our busy lifestyles, has eroded the bonds of family members as they spend less time together. Sir, we need a thorough review of our housing policies to facilitate families to be together. HDB must be more flexible and pro-family in their policies. (2) Education Policies Children are the future and hopes of all parents. Parents are always concerned about the education and development of their children. Lots of feedback have been received on the stressful education system in Singapore. Some parents have decided to emigrate for the sake of their children's future. Many feel that our education policies do not provide many opportunities for their children to maximise their potential. Our mainstream education system is too inflexible and lacks choices for students to choose subjects that are of interest to them.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion. Based on the wordings of the Motion, I am sure the House will support the Motion. But, what will happen after the Motion is passed is the key consideration in today's debate. I hope the Government will come out with concrete plans to review its policies and programmes so as to develop a sense of belonging among Singaporeans. In addition, I would urge the Government to form an inter-agency committee comprising only civil servants to look into ways of bonding Singaporeans to our country. The recommendations of this committee can complement the Remaking Singapore Committee's effort in going beyond the 5Cs for Singaporeans. Sir, the fact that the Prime Minister has to raise such concerns clearly reflects that some Singaporeans are disillusioned with Singapore. There is a need to re-look into the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans. As human resource is the most valuable resource Singapore has, we must make very effort to root all Singaporeans to the country. Any Singaporean who emigrates out of the country is a loss to Singapore. In a fast paced society like Singapore, economic pursuits may sometimes make us lose our human touch. Individuals and families are subject to high stress, resulting in people losing hope about their future. Under such circumstances, the search for greener pastures will surface, thus causing a brain drain to the country. While Singapore cannot relent on its pursuit to be a competitive player in the global economy, we must at the same time inject hope in our people to lead a meaningful life in Singapore. We must develop a conducive environment for Singaporeans to live, work and play in Singapore. Singapore must be a place where there are opportunities for all.”