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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Every one of 936 lines we hold for Teo Ho Pin, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 14 of 19.
“I know there are no known Singapore standards for tempered glass shower screens. I still would like to find out what HDB has specified in the contracts for these shower screens. There is an American, Australian or Indian standard or whatever standards. What sort of standard has HDB specified which the contractor must comply in order to make sure that the tempered glass can perform? What sort of compliance standards were specified in the contract? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: I do not have the details of HDB's tempered glass specifications. I can find that out for him. But HDB has told me that the specification is the same as those specified for private condominiums. I will find out for him. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD FLATS (Joint tenancy by divorcing couples) 11. Ms Braema Mathiaparanam asked the Minister for National Development whether his Ministry will allow divorcing couples to remain as joint tenants of their flats until their children turn 18 so as to reduce custody disputes.”
“Sir, can I check whether HDB has done any test on tempered glasses before they were actually installed at the units? Were they tested by SPRING or any other authorities? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: HDB's specification is no different from the specification of private contractors. In view of these incidents, HDB, as I have said, will review the use of tempered glass altogether.”
“Sir, I think the Senior Parliamentary Secretary has not answered my question on what is the purpose of tempered glass as shower screens. What is it supposed to do? Why not ordinary glass? Why tempered glass? He has not answered the question. Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: In fact, tempered glass is safer than ordinary glass because when ordinary glass cracks, it cracks in fairly huge pieces with sharp razor corners. If you are not careful, when you lean on to it, it cracks and it can pierce you. In the case of tempered glass, when it cracks, it cracks into thousands of pieces. Of course, it can still hurt you once in a while but it is safer. It is hard, it is safe. When it does crack, it shatters into thousands of pieces, just like your car windscreen. Why do the car manufacturers not use ordinary glass? Because in an accident, they will shatter and it will not pierce you. You might still be hurt by the shattered pieces, rather than sharp triangular pieces that will pierce your face. That is the answer. In fact, tempered glass is safer than ordinary glass. Assoc. Prof. Ngiam Tee Liang: Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of what we have heard in the House now, would the HDB reconsider future installation and use other alternative means until this issue can be resolved? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: For the new contracts, we are using a new kind of glass called framed, laminated safety glass. We will frame the outside so that the edges will not crack and we will laminate it. So if it does crack, the thousands of pieces will be held together by the lamination. We are also reconsidering the use of glass per se. We may move on to acrylic. Acrylic is expensive, and also over time, it loses its transparency, it becomes yellowish. We have to weigh all these consequences.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary what is the purpose of installing tempered glass in shower screens? What is the tempered glass supposed to perform in the shower screens? He still has not given the answer as to what are the causes of the glass shattering. If you look at the photograph in the Straits Times, they were really shattered. Maybe he can explain how HDB inspectors or contractors inspect the rest of the shower screens and give an assurance to the residents that after inspection or testing by the checkers, they will be all right and they will not shatter. Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: My answer is: trust us. We have to trust the contractors because they have the experience. Will the glass door shatter after inspection? Unlikely, but it can happen. There is no 100% assurance. But we will do our best. We must remember that there are potentially thousands of defects in a building due to wear and tear and we cannot guarantee that none of these defects will occur at all.”
“"It is made of heating a sheet of ordinary glass to about 620oC to soften it slightly, allowing its structure to expand, and then cooling it rapidly with jets of cold air ..." It goes on and on. I can give a copy of the article to the hon. Member. "The problem starts when glass contains nickel sulphide impurities. Trace amounts of nickel and sulphur are often present in the raw materials used to make glass ...." It is inherent in the glass. What is glass made of? Nickel and sulphide. And they are impurities. The second question is how is it possible to detect glass doors which might crack? We do our best. The percentage of shattering is very miniscule. We will carefully check for fine cracks. Many of the glass doors shatter not because of impurities. Some of them are due to wear and tear. We do not know. Once it is shattered, we cannot trace whether it is wear and tear or whether it is due to impurities. So, we look for fixtures - whether they are properly installed. We know it can. The contractors have experienced installing hundreds of thousands of glass doors throughout Singapore, and HDB is actually a small player in this game.”
“Mr Speaker, tempered glass is not supposed to shatter, that is why it is called tempered glass. It has certain reinforcements in the glass. It is supposed to just have a crack, unless some direct force is applied. So, I do not understand what are the causes for the shattering of tempered glass in those units. Also, knowing the activities, normally the specifications will specify the thickness and whether armour-shield or tempered. So, if the cause is due to impurities, that means that the whole 30,000 glass doors may shatter, and that could be a safety problem. Secondly, how can the HDB check the integrity of these glass doors for the shower rooms? It is very difficult to check the impurities in glass. Thirdly, as to the 1% breakage in private condominiums, the private developer concerned may be one of the not-so-up-to-quality developers. The HDB should not use that as a benchmark. Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not know which discipline the hon. Member comes from, but he does not know much about tempered glass. I hate to give a technical presentation on how tempered glass comes about, but I will just read a paragraph from the New Scientist. It reads: "Tempered glass is found everywhere from cars and bus shelters to the windows, walls and roofs of thousands of buildings around the world. It is easy to see why. This glass has five times the strength of standard glass, and when it does break, it shatters into tiny cubes rather than large razor-sharp shards. Architects love it because large panels can be bolted together to make transparent walls, and turning it into ceilings and floors is almost as easy." What is it made of?”
“Impact on property market The proposed 150% limit on CPF withdrawal for housing will not have significant impact on the property market, except for HDB upgraders. The reduction of salary ceiling for CPF contribution from $6,000 to $5,000 will affect the mortgage payment plan for home buyers, especially dual income HDB families which plan to upgrade to private property. The 150% CPF withdrawal limit will also curb demand for private housing as these potential home buyers are usually in their 40s and 50s, and will not be able to secure a 25-year bank loan. It will also affect the repayment ability of home buyers in the distant future, especially when interest rate increases. But, in the longer term, the proposed CPF changes will lower the attractiveness of property as an asset class for investors. This will provide more price stability in the property market, thus avoiding drastic property price fluctuations, which have caused some bankruptcies. Sir, the proposed CPF changes will provide a more balanced portfolio for CPF members to better prepare themselves for their future needs. Sir, I support the CPF changes.”
“The proposed increase in the contribution rate to Medisave and the devolution of MediShield to private insurers will also increase the affordability of CPF members on their healthcare expenses in future. But we need to be cautious in adopting a healthcare insurance approach, as many countries have experienced abuses of such a system resulting in drastic increases in health costs. Impact on employers The proposed changes have minimum impact in helping to reduce business costs in Singapore. A 4% saving in employers' CPF contribution for employees aged between 50 and 55 years old will not provide much incentive for employers to employ these workers. Instead, this group of workers will lose out 4% of their CPF savings for five years. I do not think employers will modify their salary system to specifically provide variable wage component for these workers. In fact, many of these older workers may not be in a position to bargain with their employers, thus literally losing 4% of their salary. Sir, I would like to urge the Government to allow businesses to adopt market practices to reward their workers aged between 50 and 55. These workers should be rewarded based on their work performance. We should not cap their CPF contributions and cause the existing 110,000 workers in this age group to suffer a pay cut. We should instead make workers and employers both understand that they have to give and take, to ensure that their companies can survive and continue to provide employment. The CPF contribution should not be used as a tool to save jobs or reduce business cost. To help older workers to remain employable, we should continue to encourage skills upgrading and provide incentives for companies to employ older workers, such as providing tax rebates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the CPF changes as proposed by the Deputy Prime Minister. Although the changes to the CPF system are gradual, it is a step in the right direction in preparing Singaporeans for the future. Faced with global competition and an aging society, Singaporeans must adopt more prudent and longer term financial planning for their present and retirement needs. The CPF system has benefited many Singaporeans over the years. It has helped many Singaporeans to own homes, pay part of their medical expenses, and also to have some cash savings for retirement. With medical advancements and better healthcare, the life span of Singaporeans will increase, thus requiring more Singaporeans to plan for a longer retirement period. This, coupled with the increasing health costs, will pose an undue financial burden on retirees, if they do not have sufficient savings after retirement. Therefore, it is necessary for us to fine-tune our CPF system to help Singaporeans better cope with these changes. Sir, I wish to highlight the impact of the proposed changes on CPF members, employers and the property market. Impact on CPF members The proposed increase of CPF contribution rate to the Special Account and the lowering of the CPF withdrawal limit for housing will ensure adequacy of CPF funds for retirement needs. These measures will encourage CPF members to be more prudent when purchasing property not using HDB subsidised loans. It will also indirectly provide some barriers for existing HDB homeowners to upgrade into private property. As such, future Singapore generations may encounter some difficulty to own private homes. But these measures are necessary to address the "asset rich and cash poor" situation faced by some retirees today.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister of State has not answered my question on whether or not HDB has changed the accounting basis for car parks over the years. In the Budget Debate, the Minister mentioned that HDB had a structural deficit of $100 million last year.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Minister of State how many years have the HDB Car Park Section been suffering from a deficit? What is the difference between a structural deficit and an operating deficit? I would also like to know whether there is any change in accounting basis over these years in the Car Park Section.”
“As a result, some animal owners may encounter difficulties in keeping their pets, thus losing or abandoning their pets. This will consequently increase the population of strays and pose a higher risk of disease spread in our society. I would suggest to the Minister to include specific provisions on responsibility of pet owners in the Animals and Birds Act. Licensing of veterinary centres In clause 29, section 65 sets out a new provision to license veterinary centres. I support this measure. I would like to raise a concern on its impact on business costs. I hope the licensing procedures and fees will not impose an undue cost burden on the veterinary centres, which might result in the closure of these centres. Sir, I support the Bill.”
“According to section 42 of the Animals and Birds Act, the definition of "animal" includes any beast, bird, fish, reptile or insect, whether wild or tame. Therefore, technically speaking, if a mosquito, which is an insect, bites you, and you kill the mosquito by cruelly beating it, you may be imprisoned for such an act. Sir, I do not think this is the intention of the proposed Bill. We need a clearer definition on cruelty to animals, as spelt out in section 42. By enhancing the powers of the court, we may send a wrong signal that offenders of cruelty to animals should be severely punished. I am concerned about the recent imprisonment sentences served on animal abusers. To achieve a fair balance between protecting human rights and protecting animals, I propose that we should adopt a graduated punishment system whereby first-time offenders will be fined, and repeat offenders may be fined or jailed. In this way, we not only deter acts of cruelty to animals but also protect human rights. Sir, we must not readily send our people to jail, just because of cruel acts on animals. Operational efficiency of AVA Sir, to achieve greater operational efficiency in enforcing the Animals and Birds Act, we need to adopt a holistic approach to control animals in Singapore. All pet animals must be licensed and tagged, so as to facilitate the traceability of owners and animals. This will improve the effectiveness of enforcing the Act with regard to the abandonment of animals by owners. We should also strengthen the Act to instill a greater sense of responsibility among pet owners. At present, any person can purchase or adopt an animal as a pet without undergoing any training to care for the animal.”
“However, section 10(1) only specifies animals and birds on board vehicle, aircraft or ship. There is no mention of train. Thus, the Director-General is also not empowered to deal with animals and birds imported by trains. This provision is also inconsistent with clause 7, as the mode of transportation is not comprehensively spelt out. Similarly, clause 16 of the Bill has not empowered the Minister to restrict the movement of animals and birds by train into, within or out of any disease infected area. Sir, the inconsistent provisions in the Bill will not provide a watertight system to prevent and control the spread of animal and bird diseases into Singapore. I hope the Minister can address these concerns. Furthermore, clause 3 of the Bill adopts a different definition for animals as compared to section 42 of the Animals and Birds Act. The definition in clause 3 does not include reptiles and insects. May I clarify with the Minister whether the proposed Bill will cover the importation of reptiles and insects? Reptiles and insects can also be potential disease carriers into Singapore. Balance between protecting animals and protecting human rights Sir, while I agree that more should be done to protect the welfare of animals, we must also consider the rights of human beings. Clause 20 amends section 43 which deals with cruelty to animals. It has increased the maximum penalty for a fine not exceeding $500 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding six months or both, to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 12 months or both. We need to address a fundamental question. Is cruelty to animals such a serious criminal offence that warrants a 12-month imprisonment term for the offenders? This is especially so for first-time offenders.”
“Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. The Bill will address concerns on the spread of animal and bird diseases and provide better protection for consumers in Singapore. With the growing awareness on animal welfare, it is also timely to revise the provisions of the Animals and Birds Act to prevent cruelty to animals. In a civilised society, acts of cruelty should be prevented, not only to humans, but also to animals. The recent incidents on cruelty to animals have raised concerns on how we can address cruel acts on animals. But, Sir, we must be careful to achieve a fair balance between protecting animals and protecting human rights. Although stringent penalties will serve as a deterrent, it may impose unfair punishment to some who infringe the Act, especially first-time offenders, or those who were provoked by animals to act recklessly. Sir, I shall now highlight the following specific provisions in the Bill to seek the Minister's clarifications. One, inconsistent provisions in the Bill. There seems to be inconsistencies in the proposed Bill with regard to the mode of transportation for animals and birds into Singapore. Clause 7 of the Bill amends section 9 of the principal Act by empowering an authorised officer to board any ship, aircraft, or train, for the purpose of examining any animal or bird. But it has not empowered the authorised officer to board any vehicle transporting animals or birds into Singapore. This provides a loophole for the importation of animals or birds by land. I hope the Minister can explain why the authorised officer is not empowered to examine animals or birds on board any vehicle. In clause 8 of the Bill, section 10 provides the power for the Director-General to deal with diseased animals and birds being imported into Singapore.”
“Sir, may I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary whether it is the HDB's responsibility to design flats according to the respective uses in the flat? If it is the kitchen, and we know there are cooking activities, we have to design a ceiling that can withstand the smoke and oil, and it should last. But spalling concrete occurs in bedrooms also. So, how do we maintain the ceilings of bedrooms? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not know about spalling concrete in the bedrooms. For spalling concrete to occur, basically, carbon dioxide, moisture and oxygen need to penetrate the surface layer. I am sure these are exceptional cases. We will be interested to take a look at them.”
“All HDB flats are properly maintained by the town councils. May I say to the Senior Parliamentary Secretary that it is not true that it is just a maintenance problem. It is the design, construction and maintenance that will affect the durability of the concrete structure. So, the design and construction are important. We have many new flats built in the 1990s using grade concrete, and yet we have spalling concrete problems. Does it mean that the HDB is going to repair all these spalling concrete problems for flats built in the 90s? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: For these cases, perhaps the Member would like to highlight to the Ministry. Basically, spalling concrete happens within the flat, and it is outside the purview of the town council. I am sure all town councils in Singapore maintain their common property very well. The spalling concrete is an internal matter. It is between the flat owner and his property. A simple maintenance like repainting, for example, will prevent carbon dioxide from penetrating the outer layer of the concrete, thereby corroding the steel bars. As I said, if the flat is within one year old, we are obliged to repair. If it is outside one year, we will take a look, but the flat owner must repair. Spalling concrete is a slow process. It is easily detected. It is inexpensively repaired. One can do it himself if the repair area is small, meaning 1.5 square metres. If it is larger, he can always contact a contractor. HDB has, through the two goodwill programmes, trained hundreds of contractors who are competent in repairing the spalling concrete. And the cost is very cheap, ranging from $50 to a few hundred dollars.”
“May I clarify with the Senior Parliamentary Secretary? He said that after 10 years, we can expect spalling concrete. Am I correct in saying that? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: If it is not maintained.”
“May I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, based on natural deterioration of concrete, which he mentioned as carbonation, how many years does he think a new flat built by HDB will have a spalling concrete problem? My understanding is that concrete, if properly constructed, can last 60 years. Maybe he can let us know how long it can last. Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Mr Speaker, Sir, concrete, if well maintained, can last for a long time, longer than 60 years. But during the durability period, there will be minor repairs here and there. The spalling concrete needs routine maintenance, which we need to cater for flats which are way above 10 years old. So in our environment which is high in moisture, and in certain places which is high in carbon dioxide, carbonation takes place faster. For example, in the kitchen area which is heavily used for cooking, then we will find that spalling concrete may occur faster than in the living room.”
“Sir, may I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, when does HDB expect a new flat to have spalling concrete problem? Can he give us the number of years? Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Sir, there is what we know as a defect liability period. For new flats selected by the buyers within a year, the HDB will be obliged to ask the contractor to come back to repair any defects. So, if the flat is within the one-year old period, then the spalling concrete, if it occurs, would be a workmanship problem.”
“I hope the Minister can consider the removal of such provision in the Bill. The fourth area of concern is on protection from liability. Sir, clause 17(3) protects the Agency and its employees from any liability if the Agency provides a service to the public whereby information is supplied to the public. This is an unfair clause and does not offer any protection to the public, who may suffer losses as a result of errors or omissions made by the Agency or its employees. The clause does not provide any redress to the public for their losses. It is also unhealthy to have such a clause as it erodes accountability of the Agency and its employees. The protection clause will result in employees being careless when providing services or information to the public. As a regulatory body, the Agency must be held responsible for its actions. The public must also have the right to seek legal redress, if necessary. Thus, I would propose to the Minister to delete the unfair protection clause in the Bill.”
“As highlighted by the Minister of State for the Environment, ENV will promote more recycling of construction waste and sustainable development in future. The proposed BCA's registration of construction firms also requires environmental management accreditation, which is ISO 14000. This calls for a greater integration between the Ministry of National Development and Ministry of the Environment. The co-location of services of these two Ministries will help businesses to save costs, and facilitate the approval of development projects. The third area of concern is on the potential conflict of interest. Sir, as stated in clause 12(h), the Agency has power, subject to the approval of the Minister, to form or participate in the formation of any company, partnership or joint venture as a shareholder or partner or in any other capacity. As a regulator and licensing body, there could be potential conflict of interest if the Agency were to be involved in business ventures, especially in environmental related businesses. This will impede open market competition among service providers, thus increasing cost of services. I hope the Minister can clarify on this potential conflict of interest and explain the rationale for allowing the Agency to participate in business activities. It is also stated in clause 11(1) (b) that the Agency can provide consultancy services on matters concerning food hygiene in the food retail industry, and in relation to pest control, environmental and other related industries. Again, how can a regulator provide consultancy services to businesses and, at the same time, license and regulate their clients' business activities? Although the services may be provided by different groups of staff in the Agency, both are serving the same master.”
“Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. The setting up of a National Environment Agency will facilitate the achievement of the targets as set out in our Green Plan 2012. The proposed Agency will provide more flexibility and efficiency when administering policies concerning environmental health, environmental protection, resource conservation, waste minimisation, waste recycling, waste collection and disposal. This will, hopefully, reduce administrative bureaucracy resulting in better and affordable services to businesses and consumers. Sir, although the setting up of the National Environment Agency has certain benefits, I wish to highlight a number of concerns of its impact on businesses and consumers in the future. First, on autonomous agency. The proposed Agency will be an autonomous agency, and thus must have a long-term sustainable business model. As a regulator and licensing body, I presume it will receive a grant from the Ministry and collect licensing fees. May I ask the Minister what proportion of the income will be from licensing fee? Is there any mechanism in place to moderate any increase of licence fees in the future? Furthermore, what are the financial savings in transferring these departments out of the Ministry into this new Agency? The second concern is on set-up cost. As stated in the Bill, there will be extra financial expenditure by the Government to set up the Agency, but the details are not provided. I hope that the Minister can enlighten the House on the likely development and operating expenditures of the Agency. If possible, I would propose that the Agency be located near the Ministry of National Development so as to provide a one-stop service centre for the public.”
“The NASSA scheme is currently promoted through 55 test centres, with more than 400 testers and swimming instructors supporting the scheme. The NASSA syllabus was reviewed and revised last year. Last month, SSC collaborated with the Ministry of Education who launched the NASSA Excellence Schools Performance Award (ESPA) and Water Safety Enrichment modules. This is to enable secondary school students to learn about water safety knowledge and survival swimming skills within the school curriculum hours. Dr Teo, as the Chairman of the NASSA Advisory Committee, has said recently in the press conference that there were plans to extend the NASSA Excellence Schools Performance Award to primary schools. Sir, we are supportive of this and glad that he is helping to raise the awareness of water survival skills amongst our students. The SSC is also working closely with the Singapore Life Saving Society (SLSS), to promote water safety through the NASSA scheme by producing publicity materials such as posters and brochures to educate members of the public. Sir, the SSC will continue to train and educate members of the public on water safety to prevent drowning incidents in Singapore. My Ministry will look into Dr Teo's suggestion of forming a committee to review the water safety measures in our pools and beaches. Sir, I think I have answered most of the queries. The Chairman: I propose to take the break now. Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.”
“As Mr Chew has rightly pointed out, there is a new MRT station running nearby, that could be integrated in the plans. My Ministry has engaged a team of consultants to conduct a feasibility study of this project. The study will look into issues such as the possible location of the sports hub. We still have to find out what is the best type of sports facilities to include, possible events we could stage, and the business models which we use to ensure its operational viability. Sir, we aim to submit our recommendations to the Government by the end of this year. Sir, on the issue of water safety, Dr Teo has asked what are the water safety measures for the prevention of drowning. I remarked earlier that I do not swim, but I am also concerned about drowning because my two young children are also learning how to swim. The Singapore Sports Council operates 28 public swimming complexes in Singapore, and employs qualified lifeguards to ensure water safety for these pools. The SSC also trains lifeguards, conducts water safety related courses, and run "Learn to Swim" programmes for the general public. The total expenditure on all water safety related activities is approximately $6.1 million per annum. SSC has introduced a number of water safety measures including a "Learn to Swim" scheme to teach non-swimmers to swim. As of 31st December 2001, more than 222,000 people have participated in this programme. The SSC also started the National Survival Swimming Awards (NASSA) scheme in 1979, to promote water safety knowledge and survival swimming skills. To date, Sir, the scheme has produced more than 250,000 people who have undergone proficiency tests.”
“Sir, Mr Tan Soo Khoon has drawn our attention to the budget on youth and sports. The $21.8 million is part of the $500 million Singapore Sporting Fund. We are tapping the Singapore Sporting Fund to help schools in terms of youth development for sports. In fact, in our arrangements with the NSAs, one of the key items in the NSAs is that we want them to have a youth development programme. Secondly, Sir, Mr Tan has also asked how much of the $500 million comes from Singapore Pools. I wish to inform the House that $375 million, or 75% of the money, is donated by Singapore Pools. Sir, Dr Teo Ho Pin and Mr Chew Heng Ching both asked about the redevelopment plans of the National Stadium. The Government has agreed, in principle, to replace the National Stadium with a multi-purpose sports hub, which is also a major recommendation of the Sporting Singapore blueprint. The present National Stadium at Kallang, which was built in 1973, is now inadequate for our objective of developing a sports industry. The sports stadia of today are no longer built just for sports alone. They are designed for multi-purpose use, with facilities such as retail outlets, restaurants, hotels, to attract customers to the stadium, on a daily basis. It is therefore important that we upgrade the National Stadium as it is a vital infrastructure to the development of our sports industry. The development of a new sports hub will give Singapore the edge to compete with the world's best in attracting major sporting events. Besides being a world-class venue for sports and entertainment event, it will also be a unique lifestyle centre with sports as a major theme, and an icon in the landscape of Singapore.”
“Some of them have even engaged the parents of the students as trainers. In one particular school I visited, the mothers were very actively involved in some of the sporting events together with their children and the trainers, to ensure that the children continue to participate in some of these sporting events. Financial support, as I mentioned, Sir, where applicable, will be provided to these partners. With their new role as facilitator and catalyst, the SSC also hopes to have a more coordinated approach to the planning of sports programmes and competition. Mr Charles Chong has also asked about the support for the disabled sports. I want to assure him that the sports agencies, representing the disabled sports in Singapore, will also be part of the network which I have just mentioned. Sir, the third pillar is sports industry. The Singapore Sporting Plan also called for the development of a sports industry. I wish to report that we have been working very closely with the Singapore Tourism Board, as sports tourism is one of the key pillars of the sports industry. In FY 2001, we organised a number of prestigious sporting events which proved to be popular with both Singaporeans and tourists. Dr Teo must have known this. We had Singapore-Manchester United and Singapore-Liverpool matches, as well as the Singapore Rugby 7, which was just recently held in Singapore. Sir, our aim is to have a range of prestigious sports events that are commercially viable and are able to help establish Singapore as a regional hub for sports events. SSC has also formed a sports marketing team to build up its sports industry capabilities. In time, Sir, we hope to be able to nurture sports related enterprises as the industry grows.”
“SSC will endeavour to seek feedback from various sources, such as the users of facilities, grassroots organisations, as they undertake the review. Sir, I agree with Mdm Cynthia Phua that the shared use of the facilities is the way forward and we have started working in this direction. For instance, to address the shortage of playing fields, the SSC and the Ministry of Education are embarking on a pilot scheme to share school fields within the community. Under the pilot scheme, seven school fields would be opened up for community use outside curriculum time. The SSC will maintain these fields, and manage the use of the playing fields, after schooling hours. Concurrently, we are also opening up temporary vacant lots of land for use as interim sports fields. Two of such sites will become available shortly, one at Ubi Avenue 1 and the other at Marina South. With these new initiatives we hope to create more opportunities for Singaporeans to enjoy the benefits of sports. The second area that we are focusing to promote Sports For All is to expand, and strengthen our network of sports partners. The idea is to multiply our efforts through encouraging more sports partners to support and deliver sports programmes. Mdm Cynthia Phua has suggested a joint committee between MCDS and MOE so that we can promote sports among the students. I would like to inform her that we have started a programme with the schools to encourage the schools to hire trainers, to help those who are not the school athletes to participate in sporting activities. Well over 30 schools are now involved. With a bit of funding from the SSC they are now able to open up sporting opportunities for those who otherwise would not be involved in sports. And this is best left to the schools to decide.”
“In the second area of Sports for All, I am pleased to report that the sports participation rate has improved from 24% in 1992 to 38% in 2002. I would just highlight two areas that we are focusing on to help us improve the sports participation rate. The first, of course, relates to sports complexes managed by the SSC. Mr Charles Chong and Mdm Cynthia Phua, both asked whether sports complexes could be provided at more locations. Dr Teo Ho Pin has also asked about our plans to upgrade and rebuild some of our sports complexes in Singapore. Sir, under the SSC's masterplan for Sports Facilities, Singapore is divided into 13 sports zones. Each sports zone has a population size of about 200,000, and should enjoy at least an outdoor running track, a football field, a sports hall, a swimming complex and a tennis and squash centre. For instance, Sir, in the Pasir Ris New Town, which is within the Changi-Pasir Ris Tampines sports zone, it has a swimming complex and a sports hall at Tampines Avenue 5, about two kilometres from Pasir Ris New Town. But, Sir, the SSC is considering building another sports hall and a tennis centre at Pasir Ris New Town. In setting out these guidelines, the SSC has to take into account the cost effectiveness of operating the sports complexes. The SSC is currently reviewing the masterplan for facilities up to the year 2010. Among other things, the review will look into the adequacy of our sports facilities, types of facilities to be provided, as well as the upgrading, rebuilding, or phasing out of older facilities. This review will therefore look at how sports facilities can be better patronised by integrating them with other community facilities, and how the cost of operations of the sports complexes can be minimised.”
“Graduates from the school will form a significant part of the base of the future sporting talent that will help us to achieve our Sports Excellence target. The second initiative, which was also touched by Mr Ang Mong Seng, is that the Singapore Sports Council is currently carrying out a comprehensive review of the National Sports Associations (NSAs). This review will help establish strategic directions, targets, as well as key programmes for the NSAs. Increased support in funding and manpower will be given to deserving NSAs so that they will be much better equipped, to not only promote their sport to the masses, but also to select and develop elite athletes in Singapore. The third key measure is a comprehensive support package for the training of all national athletes. Elite level sporting performance requires dedication, commitment of athletes for a very long period of time. SSC has put together the Athlete Career and Training Scheme (ACT), which is a customised and enhanced support package to enable elite athletes to commit to full-time training, either locally, or overseas, for a period of 2-4 years. Some of our swimmers are now overseas under this programme. This package includes living allowance, training grants, study grants, coaching fees, and training and competition expenses. Apart from the three key measures, my Ministry and the SSC are also reviewing what we call the "Sports Excellence Delivery System". This will cover issues like talent identification, youth development, sports science and sports medicine, career counselling and planning, and the developing of expertise of coaches and officials. With the implementation of the current, and possibly new initiatives, we are confident that we will be able to compete against the best in Asia by 2010.”
“(3) What are the plans to prevent further drowning in Singapore? Assoc. Prof. Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, just to alert Dr Teo, he asked what the Minister is going to do to take the lead. I just want to inform him that the Minister cannot swim, so I am not sure whether I can take the lead. Sir, Mr Charles Chong has asked about the progress in implementing our sporting plan. Mr Ang Mong Seng has also asked about our plans to achieve our sports excellence target which is for Singapore to be among the top sporting nations in Asia by the year 2010. Allow me to give the House an update. 2.30 pm Last year, the Government committed an additional $500 million over five years to our Sporting Singapore Plan, and this was allocated to three broad areas: Sports Excellence; Sports for All; and the sports industry. Our aim in Sports Excellence is that Singaporean athletes should be able to compete against the very best in Asia by 2010. We have a number of initiatives from the Sporting Plan to achieve this, but let me just address three of these key areas which have made some progress. The first, as Members would have rightly noted, is the setting up of the Sports School which will be operational in 2004. This is one of the major recommendations in the Sporting Singapore blueprint. The Singapore Sports School will have a high standard of sports training. At the same time it will have a very flexible academic curriculum to cater to the training and the competition schedules of the students. This will ensure that the student athletes will have access to quality education, even while they train. The Sports School will also be admitting talented, disabled student athletes, who can integrate in the mainstream school system.”
“Sir, each year, we have between 30 and 100 drowning cases in Singapore. Over the last 10 years, 514 lives were lost through drowning. Drowning can be attributed to a number of reasons, such as the design of waterways and pools, management of water facilities, and the knowledge and skills of users. But drowning can be prevented if proper training and measures were undertaken by the authorities, the water facility operators and the people. Experiences from other countries have proven that drowning prevention efforts have been successful in saving lives. One key strategy in drowning prevention is to promote the understanding of water safety among our people. Sir, water thrills, but it can kill if you do not understand water and its dangers. Sadly, not many Singaporeans understand water and water safety. That is why we often read about drowning cases in the papers. These drownings can be prevented. For example, if a child cannot swim, he should not be allowed to be in a wave pool or should at least wear a life jacket, in addition to a buoy when playing in a wave pool. Wave pools are designed for strong swimmers to have fun, and they are dangerous to weak or non-swimmers. The simple lack of such knowledge will cause the loss of lives. In order to help reduce drowning in Singapore, I would like to urge the Minister to take the lead in spearheading a water safety or drowning prevention campaign in Singapore. This programme should reach out to all Singaporeans, including domestic maids. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What is the Ministry's plan to increase water safety knowledge and skills among Singaporeans? (2) Can the Ministry form a committee to review the water safety measures in our pools and beaches?”
“Sir, to be a sporting nation, we need to have the appropriate sports infrastructure in Singapore. Many existing sports complexes and facilities were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Some of the designs or facilities are obsolete while others require immediate upgrading. We need to develop a Masterplan to upgrade and rebuild our sports complexes. Sir, Singapore should aim to host more world sports events. This will not only boost our sports industry, but also place Singapore in a global sports arena. To-date, we do not have world-class sports facilities with capacity to host large world-class sports competitions. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What is the Masterplan for upgrading and building sports complexes in Singapore? (2) Do we have any plans to build a world-class sports complex?”
“Sir, Infocomm Vision 21 aims to achieve e-Government, e-business and e-lifestyle in Singapore in five years' time. To-date, many Singaporeans understand the benefits of IT, but many are still experiencing difficulty in acquiring necessary IT skills, especially the senior citizens. Increasing IT skills and awareness is important. But what is more important is to make sure that those who have learnt IT know how to apply the IT skills to better their lives. We need a more structured and quality approach to achieve our Infocomm Vision 21. I would like to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What is the outreach programme for increasing the IT skills of Singaporeans? How effective is the programme in imparting IT skills to these Singaporeans? (2) Can more resources be channelled to the Community Development Councils (CDCs) to help to run some of these IT programmes, in collaboration with other civic or private organisations? (3) What are the plans to help lower-income families to own PCs?”
“Sir, arts and heritage play an important role in helping to build a cohesive and gracious society. It strengthens the sense of belonging of our people and enhances their quality of life. As a young country, Singapore must chart clear directions to promote arts and heritage. Sir, I would like to urge the Government to provide more resources for MITA to work closely with community-based organisations to organise more arts and heritage programmes for our people. Sir, I also like to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What is the masterplan for the arts and heritage programme in Singapore? (2) What is the strategy to promote arts and heritage to our people? (3) How much resources are allocated for arts and heritage programmes?”
“Sir, I support MITA's vision to develop Singapore into a creative and connected place. Arts and culture can definitely play a significant role in the economic and social development of Singapore. We must aim to develop Singapore into a culture hub. It should also, at the same time, attract more tourists to Singapore. Cities like Paris and Edinburgh are good examples of places which have developed the arts and cultural capital to boost economic activities and community bonding. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What are the plans to develop cultural capital in Singapore; and (2) What are the key performance indicators to measure cultural capital?”
“Sir, I wish to thank the Minister and the Minister of State for their comprehensive replies. I am very impressed by the performance target set by the Ministry, and I am very confident that the Minister will bring in more lionesses to safeguard the interest of Singapore. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I firmly believe policies must be responsive to changing needs and times. Where we have constraints in making change at the Ministry level, the CDCs, at their level, must provide the flexibility to address the needs of these people. Those who do not comply to specifications can have their licences revoked. Another way in which the Ministry, or CDCs, can also maintain a better control of those who have been issued with a licence would be to maintain a registry of these operators. CDCs could consider setting up a central kitchen for these small-scale operators to prepare food and organise for distribution of such prepared food to hawker centres, restaurants and other food outlets. This will spin off a totally new food cottage industry in Singapore. To reiterate what I said on Monday, in fact, the successful Bengawan Solo started its cake business from its HDB kitchen flat many years back. I also understand that in Taiwan, ---”
“I raise this matter to the Minister as a matter of public concern, because of the need to meet two seemingly opposing imperatives. On the one hand, I am concerned that we help these unemployed people find temporary sources of income, while they search and wait for job offers elsewhere. On the other hand, we need to ensure that standards of public hygiene, with regard to the handling of food, need to be strictly adhered to. I fully empathise with the Ministry's concerns in respect of granting licences to people who want to operate their food business from their homes and to sell the food. It is not easy to ensure that hygiene standards are adhered to, because of the diffusion of multiple food businesses in the homes of these people. Nonetheless, as advanced in my arguments on Monday, administrative difficulties in doing something should not be used as reasons for not exploring solutions to facilitate the outcomes that we are seeking. In this instance, we can stipulate a number of measures to address these concerns of hygiene standards and quality. For example, we could do the following: organise short educational, food preparation and hygiene courses by the CDCs, and aspiring small scale home-based food operators are required to go through this programme before being issued a licence to sell food. Limit the type of food that can be prepared from home, eg, cakes, biscuits, desserts, satay and other dried food. I urge the Minister to consider these measures in order that his Ministry can justify the issue of such licences. In this way, we can ensure conformance to standards and practices, and this is where the CDCs can come in to ensure this. After all, CDCs were established to provide decentralised service to the constituents to serve them better.”
“Mdm Ho Geok Choo (West Coast): Sir, I was pleased to learn from MOS Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday that the use of HDB flats for home-based food business is allowed within certain guidelines. Nonetheless, I noted with a tinge of amusement when MOS Vivian added that, eventually, whether these home-based food operators would take off would depend on the Ministry of the Environment. Sir, it would appear that the common complaint we often hear is how the public is referred from one department to another is also making its manifestation in this august Chamber. It seems that, although HDB has given its blessing, it is no guarantee that such home-based food business can take off. Now, I would have to refer the matter to the Minister for the Environment. Coming back to what is foremost in my mind and being an optimist, I am hopeful that the Minister for the Environment and his MOS had followed through the arguments I had put forward to the Minister for National Development in my petition on Monday. As such, I will not labour over the same arguments for advocating an informal sector in Singapore to help the unemployed, and to nurture mum and papa entrepreneurs among the heartlanders by allowing them to use their flat dwellings for operating home-based food business. If this group of people were to be granted licences to distribute and sell their home-based cooked food, it is important that we ensure that the hygiene standards of the food that they prepare are up to the standards prescribed by the Ministry for hawkers preparing and serving food in the hawker centres. Sir, over the last six months, I have seen no less than 10 residents who had been fined for selling food without a proper licence.”
“Sir, my topic is heat island. The Concept Plan 2001 has increased the density and height of future developments in Singapore. High-rise and high-density development will have an impact on the quality of our living environment, such as ventilation, warming, pollution and noise. One area of concern is the build-up of heat in our built environment due to the compact development and lack of cross natural ventilation - this is what we call the wind tunnel effect. This problem is further compounded by the extensive use of airconditioning, which emits hot air to the surrounding areas. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What is the long-term plan to prevent the heating up of our living environment? (2) What are the measures taken to ensure that the air ambient temperature is within tolerable limit? (3) How does the Green Plan 2012 integrate or coordinate with the Concept Plan 2001? My next cut is on green consumers. Human activity has left a permanent mark, potentially increasing the earth's temperature, destroying massive areas of tree cover, and obliterating thousands of living species. When we go shopping, we use public or private transport, and we choose a place to live. Our choices have an effect on the quality of the air we breathe, or the water we drink, and the environment we live in. Everything we do will affect the ecological balance. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What is the long-term plan to encourage "green consumerism"? (2) What are the measures or incentives undertaken by the Ministry to support "green products"? (3) How do we educate Singaporeans to be green consumers?”
“Five-six tankers will be sufficient to supply Singapore with one day's water needs. I would like to ask the Minister whether he would consider this particular idea of shipping water from the nearby countries to Singapore, as one of the alternatives for fresh water supply. NEWater is one of the very promising areas. Technically, NEWater is much cleaner than normal water. If we take the Chua Chu Kang Water Treatment Plant, the water quality contains about 350 parts per million in terms of the total dissolved salt, whereas the NEWater only contains less than 50 parts per million. This is why the NEWater is a very attractive water to the wafer fab industry, because it costs them much less to convert it into ultra-pure water. The question now is: how do we market the NEWater? Are we going to charge a cheap price and make it look like poor quality water, or should we market it as a branded product and only people who need high quality water will be allowed to purchase this water at a high price? If we are able to market the NEWater in this particular manner, we could tell the people that it is high quality water, and there is no reason why people would think that it is dirty and refuse to consume it. So, I would like to ask the Minister whether he has any plan to promote the use of NEWater in the near future. Sir, when we are talking about a potential ---”
“At present, half of our water supply depends on our rainfall catchment, the other half from the two water agreements with Malaysia. The NEWater project is promising and could be one of the important sources of water supply upon the expiry of the first water agreement with Malaysia. The first, and it could be the last, seawater desalination plant will be on stream by the year 2005, supplying one-seventh of Singapore's water needs. In the long term, the water agreement with Malaysia is highly uncertain. We may disagree with the terms due to the price, or the quality of the water, because there is a growing trend of water pollution. We must take this time available now to find viable alternatives if we fail to extend the water agreement in the future. What we need to do is to explore reliable fresh water sources in the region, like Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Kalimantan, which are actually not very far away from Singapore. The common thought of lay persons on the high transportation cost of water from these countries is misleading. When we compare the transportation cost with the price of water from brackish water (RO) and seawater desalination, it is very affordable and very cheap. Just take an official quotation of US$20,000 to charter an oil tanker of 200,000 tonnes from Australia to Singapore, it works out to less than US10 cents per cubic metre. Therefore, this is a viable way of transporting water from a nearby country in the region to Singapore if the raw water price charged is reasonable. I would like to urge the Ministry not to abandon the concept of exploring the shipping of fresh water from the region. It could be one of the very viable means of fresh water supply in the future, at least in case of an emergency.”
“Madam, I am indeed glad to learn from the Environment Minister that Singapore has been tested positive for the environment sustainability index. Let us now discuss how can we sustain the water supply in Singapore. The recent press reports regarding the water agreement between Singapore and Malaysia have raised much concern among Singaporeans. Many Singaporeans now recognise that water is a strategic resource, and would like the Government to explore ways to make Singapore self-sufficient in water. There are a number of ways Singapore can be self-sufficient in our water needs. Essentially, three key strategies can be adopted, namely, (1) increase sources of water supply; (2) conserve water consumption; and (3) recycle used water. For example, we can reclaim land to form water catchment, explore underground water or desalinate seawater. At the same time, we should embark on a nation-wide campaign to conserve water. Today, we are still using potable drinking water for washing our corridors and watering plants. Finally, we can explore innovative techniques of water recycling used in many other countries. Madam, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What is the long-term plan to increase water self-sufficiency in Singapore? Is it possible for Singapore to be completely self-sufficient in water one day? (2) Is water recycling applicable in Singapore? What is the cost of recycled water? (3) What are the plans to further encourage water conservation among businesses and consumers? 6.45 pm Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay (Chua Chu Kang): Madam, as we move towards less dependency on water supply from Malaysia, we have to look for a diversity of water supply sources.”
“Madam, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head L of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. The Green Plan 2012 is the environmental master plan for the next 10 years for Singapore. It sets out key strategic directions in balancing sustainable development and having a quality living environment in Singapore. As Singapore restructures its economy, the composition of its industries may change drastically from one of manufacturing-based to healthcare and life sciences. This poses new challenges to our environmental management efforts. Besides adopting the existing principle of planning, monitoring and enforcement, I would like to propose that the Environment Ministry conduct environmental impact analysis for projects with high impact on the environment. Madam, I wish to seek the following clarifications from the Minister: (1) What are the key performance indicators for Green Plan 2012? (2) What are the key strategies to promote sustainable development? (3) What are the key plans to manage solid waste in land scarce Singapore? (4) How can the Ministry promote the development of environmental conscience among Singaporeans?”
“Madam, the Learning Support Programme provides useful guidance to help students facing learning difficulties in schools. This problem arises partly due to the different qualities of pre-school programmes in Singapore. I would like to seek the following clarifications from the Minister. How many students are undergoing the Learning Support Programme, and what is the success rate? What are the plans of the Ministry to extend this programme to all schools and at all levels? What are the resources specially set aside to conduct this programme?”
“This is indeed what we are doing. One good example is the Learning Support Programme (LSP) where Primary 1 and 2 pupils with difficulties in basic literacy skills are taught in small group sizes of 8-12. Using teacher resources for targeted programmes, like the LSP, which may mean smaller class sizes for specific subjects or periods for specific students, is more effective than to try to reduce class sizes across the board. On private schools, Mr Tharman's committee is studying this subject already, and I shall ask him to take special note that Mr Chiam supports the introduction of privately funded private schools, like the exclusive schools in the UK and the US. Sir, I shall now ask my Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Hawazi, to address issues on ethnic integration and school planning.”
“In the last five years, the Ministry has been able to recruit more than 2,000 teachers per year into the Education Service. This is more than 10,000 teachers in the last five years in the teaching force of about 25,000. The resignation rate of teachers has been fairly constant and low, between 2% and 3% per year in the last five years. However, our retirement rates have gone up, as the large number of teachers recruited in the 1960s reach retirement. Over the next five years, 3,500 teachers will retire, or 700 teachers a year. On the whole, however, as a result of the higher recruitment numbers, the size of the teaching service has increased from about 22,500 teachers in 1997 to 24,500 in 2001, a 9% increase. In fact, there has been some improvement of pupil-teacher ratios - not large, but some. But because our target is to recruit our teachers from the top one-third of each cohort, there is a limit to how far we can reduce pupil-teacher ratios without compromising on teacher quality. At the recruitment rate of 2,000 per year, we are already recruiting 1 out of every 8 of the top third of each cohort. And these new recruits have to stay, on average, 12.5 years in order to maintain the teaching force at the current level of about 25,000 teachers. I believe that this is achievable, but I am not confident that we can have a dramatic increase in the size of our teaching force without a significantly lowering of quality. Given these constraints, our position on deploying our teacher resources is to do so where the additional teachers can contribute most toward the learning of students. Mr Chia said that the Ministry should at least reduce class size for some subjects, such as English, so that students can get better attention and learn better.”
“The issue of smaller class sizes is not new. It was something I discussed at length at last year's debate. Mr Chia was not in this House then, and I am not sure if Mr Chiam was present when I gave a comprehensive response on this matter. Nevertheless, this is a matter on which Mr Chiam crows as often as the sun rises! Ideally, we should have small classes, every one of which would be taught by good teachers. But, as I explained last year, there is a real trade-off between quality and quantity of teachers - and this is a problem which every country faces, not just us, in the United States and the UK, which is coming to us and trying to recruit our teachers - especially when we take the desire to have smaller class sizes over the teacher numbers required for the entire school system. It is actually not too difficult to double the size of the teaching force. All I have to do is to lower the standards that we require of our teachers. There is no shortage of applicants if we lower standards. The choice is not between 40 students taught by a good teacher and two classes of 20, each taught by an equally good teacher; but having 20 of these 40 students who is perhaps not fit to teach by today's standards for a teacher. Sir, our approach to building up our teaching force is to recruit as many teachers that we can who meet our standards. We take this issue of teacher-student ratios very seriously and we do not brush it aside. We have not limited the numbers that we can recruit. Through EduPac, we have made a career in teaching more attractive and rewarding. We have been able to expand the size of our teaching force, especially in the last five years with some help from the economy. Dr Teo asked how many teachers we have recruited and our attrition rates.”
“Mr Singh asked about non-Tamil Indian languages. At present, the Ministry conducts examinations for these languages at PSLE, N levels, 'O' and 'A' levels. And grades obtained at these national examinations are treated on the same basis as the other official mother tongue languages. I am aware that the non-Tamil Indian speaking communities have made commendable efforts to improve the teaching of their languages, and that they hope to persuade the Ministry to recognise non-Tamil Indian language marks in the five different languages - Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu and Bengali - for various purposes, on a comparable basis with students taking the three official mother tongue languages. Sir, I should say from the outset that those taking non-Tamil Indian languages have a dispensation that no other group of Singaporeans have. Chinese Singaporeans are not allowed to offer Cantonese or Hokkien nor Singaporeans of Javanese extraction, Javanese. All other Singaporeans are required to offer one of our three official mother tongue languages of Singapore. Schools will place students taking non-Tamil Indian languages in the appropriate classes, and assess their eligibility for Edusave and other awards, based on their ability demonstrated by the students in their other subjects. Students are therefore not unduly advantaged nor disadvantaged by this. Though we allow non-Tamil Indian languages to be offered in lieu of the official mother tongues, we can make accommodations and arrangements only up to a point. I will ask my officials to work with the various groups offering these five different non-Tamil Indian languages to discuss what can be done. On the important subject of teachers, Mr Chiam and Mr Chia have raised the subject of pupil-teacher ratios and smaller class sizes.”