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, in tropical Singapore, travelling can be quite uncomfortable for bus commuters and motorists, especially during the rainy days. Whenever there is a heavy downpour in Singapore, we will notice that some bus commuters will be standing on the seat at bus stops for shelter, while many motorists will seek shelter under flyovers, resulting in bottlenecks and traffic congestion. These motorists are also endangering themselves by staying at the road shoulder. To achieve a seamless land transportation system, it is necessary to integrate the development and upgrading of bus shelters into the development guide plans. More micro planning efforts should be focused to ensure that bus stops are correctly positioned for the convenience of bus commuters. The authorities must coordinate more closely to ensure that bus shelters are provided expeditiously, especially in new housing estates. We also need to review the design guidelines of bus shelters and rain shelters. In many developed countries, bus shelters are simple, aesthetically pleasing, functional and maintenance free. Sir, I would like to seek the following clarifications from the Minister: (1) What is the policy for providing new bus shelters in new housing estates? (2) What is the progress of upgrading existing bus shelters? (3) Will the Ministry expedite the construction of rain shelters for motorists along expressways?”
“Perhaps having the cars qualify for categorisation initially and imposing punitive transfer fees may ensure only valued and well-maintained cars remain in the scheme. Sir, we are encouraged to preserve and to appreciate our history and heritage. In line with this, I would like to persuade the Minister to enable us to continue keeping our classic cars.”
“There is a need to look into this matter now because most of these cars have 10-year certificates of entitlement (COEs) that will expire in May 2000. These cars are restored and well-maintained by enthusiasts and they are to be considered a heritage of ours worth preserving. The problem, Sir, is that the costs and returns to continue preserving them are too foreboding under these current circumstances: 1) the prevailing quota premium (PQP) is about $50,000 and this is far too exorbitant in relation to the car values; 2) a payment of the full PQP will not be commensurate with the usual amount of usage of these cars; and 3) the payment of PQP has to be on a 10-yearly basis in order to qualify for future COE extensions. Sir, many of the owners are not able to afford the impending outlay for the COEs and they will have to either export or scrap their cars. This will be most unfortunate and it would, therefore, be good if the Minister alleviates the situation by endorsing a "classic car category" fairly soon. The more than 20-year post-war cars could then be accorded some privileges similar to those for the "vintage car category". The Land Transport Authority would have to collaborate with the relevant involved parties to formulate the criteria and rules. It is necessary to be prudent and avoid two situations. Firstly, a "bonanza" situation should not be created in these cars and especially in the "new" 20 year olds when privileges are accorded. Secondly, an increase in the number of "bad" cars on our roads. This may happen when poorly maintained "new" 20 year-old cars get registered in the "classic car category" instead of being scrapped.”
“Therefore, we must look at alternatives to the diesel or petrol driven vehicles for the sake of our health, finances and national security. To cut our reliance on fossil fuels totally may not be feasible, but we can reduce that reliance. After all, we will be getting plenteous amounts of natural gas from Indonesia soon. Being a tropical country, we are also blessed with lots of free sunshine. There are many alternatives which use these sources of energy: electric cars which have become quite reliable with advances in, for example, battery technology; hybrid cars which allow electric cars to travel beyond the city; liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cars which use natural gas, and even solar-powered cars. It is thus surprising to me that the Government is not putting in more effort to permit the use of such vehicles in Singapore. Could we not give tax incentives, for example, to those who import such vehicles and the fuel that is needed for such vehicles, or rebates for those who use these cars and tax reliefs for those who have to build the infrastructure, such as the fuel stations, to service and maintain such vehicles? I look forward to the day when, because of such measures, we will have cleaner air, cheaper fuels and cheaper cars and, best of all, we can cock a snook at the petrol cartels. Dr Lily Neo (Kreta Ayer-Tanglin): Sir, I would like to seek the indulgence of the Minister for Communications and Information Technology to consider the future of post-war classic cars in Singapore. We are referring to those post-war cars that are more than 20 years old and quite apart from those pre-war vintage cars that already enjoy special privileges.”
“I know all these fines are compounded but these are matters that I thought could be dealt with first by having a public education programme, rather than by imposing penalties straightaway on such undesirable modes of conduct. Sir, I hope that LTA will consider reviewing their whole structure of regulatory offences to see whether the first response should be through the criminal sanction. Using criminal sanction as first response for certain types of conduct can be akin to using a machine gun against a guy armed with a bow and arrow. What I am saying is that a good public education programme should be tried out first and, if it does really become a problem, for example, if the trains become littered with rubbish, then I would say that the criminal sanction would be justified. I hope that LTA would pursue more the line of public education rather than punitive measures. Assoc. Prof. Toh See Kiat (Aljunied): Sir, any visitor who travels on our roads will invariably get the impression that we have very new cars and generally green cars which do not pollute the air. That same visitor would be forgiven if he, at the same time, thinks that as far as our buses, vans, taxis and motorcycles go, however, the norm is that of a trail of black smoke. Perhaps, the authorities here give some special exemption from anti-pollution laws to commercial vehicles and motorcycles. That impression should be corrected. Vehicles which spew pollutants reduce the quality of air that we rely on to live. It is an issue which we must address as a matter of survival. Vehicles using fossil fuels also drain our financial resources, as these fuels have to be imported at great cost from a cartel of nations which do not necessarily have our nation's interests at heart.”
“I wonder whether this example should not serve as a model for treating other types of offences that are, so to speak, victimless. I will give an example. Last year, a mother and her six-year old child was caught eating while they were leaving an MRT station. They had already gone through the electronic barrier and the mother thought that they were out of the restricted zone as it were. However, they were unpleasantly surprised when they were accosted while their mouths were bulging with paus and given summonses. The officer did not listen to their explanation, which was that the mother made a genuine mistake and it took two letters of appeal before LTA decided to let them off. But once again, may I say that I am grateful to LTA for letting them off. However, this has led me to wonder whether we are doing the right thing by banning, for example, eating and drinking, when what we are interested in is to punish littering. It is not what we put inside our stomachs. Surely that is the issue. I am all for imposing fines for littering because that is definitely a matter of public hygiene. But banning eating and drinking, perhaps, needs reconsideration. Perhaps, a public education programme would be better. Going through the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation's regulations, I can give other examples where the first response had been to summon the person and to give penalties. I refer especially, for example, to non-compliance with instructions of an LTA officer, $500 fine; entering into and remaining in train when it is full, $500 fine; feet placed on seats, $500 fine; spitting and littering, $500 fine; playing musical instruments, $500 fine; throwing missiles, $5,000 fine.”
“Sir, Singapore has 3,120 kilometres of roads and 700,000 vehicles on the roads. As we progress to become a vibrant metropolis, we will expect our roads to be more busy, especially during the night. We are also a fast ageing population and there will be a higher proportion of drivers between the age of 50 and 60 years old in the years to come. To date, we have many different types of road markings and signages on our roads. The road signages come in different sizes, fonts, colours and shapes. These road signages are usually placed at ad hoc locations and can be untidy and sometimes confusing. The recent change of the tourist attractions' road signages to brown is indeed a correct step towards standardising our road signages and making them more user friendly. Sir, there are also many road markings on our roads. Some of these road markings are necessary and also confusing. The extensive road markings on our roads also increase the maintenance cost, and affect the smooth flow of traffic as they need frequent maintenance and repainting. Sir, I would like to seek the Minister's clarifications on the following: (1) What is the policy for deciding where to place road signages and road markings? (2) How much is spent on road signages and markings maintenance per year? (3) What are the measures taken by the Ministry to ensure that all road signages and markings are visible, especially at night? 12.45 pm Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung: Sir, last year, the Ministry adopted the bold move of not fining the ERP violators from the start, but by asking them to pay an administrative charge and the relevant ERP fee. This has been seen as a good move by the Ministry which should be congratulated for this.”
“Sir, over the last five years, this House has passed a total of 191 Bills. This works out to be about 40 Bills per year. In a fast-changing world, we have no choice but to constantly update and introduce new legislation to govern the country. But we need to understand the impact of the speed of introducing this legislation on the general public and the business community. Although the conventional methods of gazetting, publication of the Hansard and newspaper reporting are utilised to disseminate amended and new legislation, the level of awareness and understanding by the general public and business community may not be high. As a result, Singaporeans may be penalised for being ignorant of these new legislation or failing to understand the technicality of these new legislation. In view of this, I wish to seek the following clarifications from the Ministry. (1) What are the measures taken by the Ministry to keep the public informed of any amended or new legislation? (2) Is there a mechanism to monitor the effectiveness of the above measures to determine the level of public awareness and understanding of amended or new legislation? (3) Will the Ministry consider using IT as a tool to disseminate future legislation? Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang): Sir, may I take my two cuts together?”
“Sir, the Government is the single largest land owner in Singapore and has many land parcels reserved for future developments. Although the Ministry has made efforts to allow temporary usage of vacant reserve land, more can be done to maximise the use of vacant reserve land for community and commercial purposes. I wish to seek the following clarifications from the Ministry. Firstly, what is the percentage of vacant reserve land being let out on TOL over the last five years? Secondly, can the Ministry consider allowing grassroots organisations to build temporary communal facilities or use these vacant land parcels at a preferential rate? Thirdly, what are the measures taken by the Ministry to maximise the temporary usage of vacant reserve land? Fourthly, what is the maintenance policy and cost of maintaining the vacant reserve land?”
“To face these challenges, the Committee on Singapore's Competitiveness has recommended that we need to build up a stable of our own world class companies with core competencies, which can compete effectively in the global economy. Unfortunately, this year's budget does not provide any specific boost to nurture our own potential world class companies. Although there are various existing schemes in EDB and PSB to help local companies, more support is needed to expand these schemes so that more local firms can be nurtured to achieve world class standards. Therefore, it is timely for the Government to re-examine these schemes and set appropriate benchmarks to measure the success of these schemes. The various approving authorities must be given more mandate to take more risks to assist local companies' ventures. In addition, we should provide more flexibility and easier access for such companies to obtain grant or financing to strengthen their core capabilities. Companies that produce global products should be given special tax incentives to venture into the global market. The Government can also provide more support to help these potential world class companies market and brand their products or services globally. To further assist these firms to attract and retain talented staff, companies must be given more tax incentives to package their remuneration system. For example, we should allow personal tax exemption for staff benefits such as car, housing, club, etc. To be able to attract world class talent, we must offer world class remuneration packages. I believe the Government can play a significant role to facilitate the recruitment of world class talent in Singapore. This will increase the chances of success in producing world class companies in Singapore. 6.43 pm”
“The progressive development of New Towns and our Flat Allocation Policy has also caused many members of families to be located in different parts of Singapore. To address the rapid widespread of family nuclearisation, it is necessary for the Government to relook into its housing policy. More flexibility must be adopted in our housing policy to encourage families to live close to one another within a community. This will provide much impetus in encouraging Singaporeans to age in-situ within the community. To cope with our fast ageing population, it is also necessary to provide elderly friendly infrastructure within the community. Many existing housing estates are not seamless and not entirely elderly friendly. For example, some external staircases are steep and have no railings, ramps are not provided or are inconveniently located in some areas, not many vehicle drop-off points are available near housing blocks, and there is a general lack of communal spaces and facilities for the elderly. Although the Town Councils and Citizens' Consultative Committees have been improving the housing estates, limited funding is available to spearhead these initiatives to make the towns more elderly friendly. Thus, I hope the Finance Minister can increase the allocated budget of $51 million for Community Improvement Projects. In this way, the CCCs and the Town Councils can work together to undertake more improvement projects for the benefit of our senior citizens. World class companies IT and globalisation have indeed put immense pressure for companies in Singapore to increase their capabilities and competitiveness.”
“As reported in the Straits Times today, some buildings can have as much as two tonnes of unclaimed copper in the buildings due to the change of tenants and frequent rewiring of communication lines. This will not only increase the cost of maintenance but also the efficiency of the communications system in the buildings. Therefore, in order to maximise the potential of IT, companies must be encouraged to upgrade their business premises to house IT technologies appropriately. Proper facilities planning must be incorporated to ensure that building design can facilitate business processes or workflows in an IT working environment. This will not only improve the morale of the workers but also increase the productivity of our workforce. Thus, I would urge the Finance Minister to consider providing an IT infrastructure upgrading grant for building owners or companies that invest in IT infrastructure to increase their productivity and competitiveness. CPF housing grant I welcome the tax changes to encourage Singaporeans to plan prudently for their retirement needs and encourage greater family cohesiveness. To further encourage families to stay together or close to each other, I propose that we extend our present CPF housing grant for HDB first-timers to include all Singaporeans who choose to purchase flats near their parents in the resale market. Our housing policy can also be revised to allow HDB owners within the requisite 5 years' occupation period to move near their parents. But measures must be taken to ensure that such relocation is bona fide and fair. Sir, the Home Ownership Policy in Singapore has resulted in the rapid nuclearisation of families over the years.”
“6,420 flats are projected to undergo MUP while 13,026 flats will start IUP. Since the implementation of MUP and IUP, many HDB residents have enjoyed the benefits of having a better living environment. As these programmes are funded when there is a budget surplus, we should expedite these programmes so that more residents living in older estates can have their living environment improved earlier. Similarly, the Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme should be expedited so as to maximise land use and rejuvenate older housing estates. We should also consider upgrading the public infrastructure and amenities in private estates. The proposed Ministry of Community Development and Sports has plans to make Singapore a sporting nation. To achieve this goal, we should also invest in the sports infrastructure in our living environment. Many old sports complexes and swimming pools must be rejuvenated to provide a wider range of facilities. New sports facilities must be developed to encourage Singaporeans to take up sports and maintain healthy lifestyles. Therefore, it is necessary for the Government to develop an upgrading programme for sports complexes and swimming pools. IT infrastructure upgrading grant The impact of IT on businesses has surfaced new concerns on the suitability of building design of existing buildings. Many commercial and industrial buildings are not designed to incorporate IT technologies. As a result, companies may incur high cost or loss in efficiency when they implement IT in their existing business premises. Productive time of workers may be wasted due to the incompatibility of building design and IT infrastructure of the company.”
“Besides training grant, incentives such as CPF top-up, or service and conservancy or utilities rebates can be used to alleviate the financial burden of these workers and facilitate their upgrading efforts. Without strong support from the Government, these workers will find it difficult to prioritise between family survival and skills upgrading. In addition, more grants should be given to the CDCs or the CCCs to provide a safety net for these affected individuals. Development expenditure The construction sector is an industry that is closely related to many other industries due to its range of products and services. Its downturn has affected many industries and the jobs of many Singaporeans. I welcome the increase in development expenditure by 21.1% to $12.9 billion. This will provide a boost to the construction industry. But, a significant proportion of this expenditure is on physical infrastructure development such as Jurong island development, reclamation of Changi East, 5-year sewerage programme, MRT and LRT system. Many of these projects are complex and large in contract value. The scope and nature of these projects is also limited to very few building trades such as excavation, concrete and steel works. As such, these projects may not provide much impetus to boost the construction industry. Local contractors and suppliers may not benefit from such development expenditure. Therefore, I would urge the Finance Minister to consider increasing the budget for more building projects such as MUP, IUP, upgrading of existing schools, construction of new schools and upgrading of sports complexes. As stated in the Budget, only $188 million and $80 million are allocated for MUP and IUP respectively this year.”
“Based on the Department of Statistics' household survey conducted in 1995, the median monthly household income is $3,135. A 10% employer's CPF cut will result in the loss of CPF contribution of $3,762. Thus, the $250 special CPF top-up grant only accounts for 6.6% of this loss. As we have a budget surplus of $3.2 billion, I would urge the Finance Minister to be more generous and grant a higher CPF top-up grant of $1,000 for individuals. To further ensure that this top-up grant will benefit individuals more effectively, we should allow CPF holders to decide which account they would like to top up in the CPF such as Ordinary, Special, Medisave or the Supplementary Retirement Scheme account. Individual tax rebate Sir, the Finance Minister has highlighted that not all industries are out of the woods yet. In particular, the construction business and financial sectors are still under performing. Similarly, not all Singaporeans are out of the woods from the financial crisis. There are some who still face difficulty in finding jobs, servicing their mortgages and paying for their living expenses. Although the Government has implemented various measures to assist these Singaporeans, there are some who still need financial assistance to overcome the financial crisis. Those who have lost jobs experienced a drastic drop in their household income and may need time to retrain and find other suitable jobs. During this transition period, their families undergo a difficult period of financial hardship. In many cases, their children's studies and welfare are badly affected. I would propose that more incentives or subsidies be given to those who make efforts to retrain and upgrade their skills.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion as proposed by the Finance Minister. The Budget for Financial Year 2000 is indeed prudent and cautious. Despite the difficult year in 1999, the Singapore economy has made a quick recovery to achieve a 5.4% growth and have a budget surplus of about $3.2 billion. As highlighted by the Finance Minister, the financial crisis is largely behind us. The $3.2 billion budget surplus has raised expectations. As a result, both the individuals and business community are disappointed when not much rebates and tax incentives are proposed in the Year 2000 Budget. Many had expected the Finance Minister to continue last year's rebates and tax incentives for one more year. This would have helped more firms to recover and more individuals to ride out of the crisis faster. Sir, to address the concerns of individuals and the business community, I would like to make the following suggestions for the Finance Minister to consider. Special CPF Top-up grant As highlighted by the Finance Minister, the 10-percentage point cut in employer's CPF contribution and wage restraint in 1999 have made a significant difference in increasing our cost competitiveness. Thus, the sacrifices made by workers have indeed helped firms to turn around and contributed to the growth of our economy. In view of this, I feel that more rebates should be accorded to our workers to recognise their efforts in helping to revive the economy. The proposed special CPF top-up grant of $250 in the Ordinary Account is a token sum as compared to the total amount of CPF contribution loss suffered by the workers. Let me illustrate the computation of this CPF loss.”
“This situation will gradually erode family ties, especially among siblings and younger families. Without strong family support, Singaporeans will find it difficult to cope with the complexity of urban living in the next century. Consequently, some may seek greener pastures elsewhere resulting in a brain drain phenomenon. Sir, I recently spoke to a young Singaporean who just graduated from the United States. I asked him why he returned to Singapore despite the abundance of opportunities and excitement in the United States. His answer is simple. It is because of his family. His parents are migrants from China who have spent their lives making a living in Singapore. They have experienced hardship and seen the transformation of Singapore from poverty to its present state. They are true heartlanders of Singapore who have faith in our Government and believe that their children will have a bright future in Singapore. They have a strong sense of belonging to Singapore and make concerted efforts to encourage their children to return home. Sir, I am not sure whether this young man's generation will have the same sense of belonging to Singapore as his parents. Will younger generations of Singaporeans encourage their children to stay in Singapore? We need to address this issue of rootedness of younger Singaporeans. We must help Singaporeans to develop pride to be Singaporeans and live in Singapore with their families. Sir, Singapore strives to be a world-class economy and a world-class home. We must also strive to be a world-class people. This is a challenge for both the Government and Singaporeans in the next century. Sir, I support the motion.”
“Singaporeans must strive to be global players, be they contractors, food court operators, entrepreneurs, professionals or service providers. Every Singaporean stands a chance to be a global player if he or she strives to achieve his or her best. The Government must play a more creative and proactive role to facilitate and provide opportunities for Singaporeans to achieve this goal. Sir, if we want to achieve "One people, one nation and one Singapore", I agree with my colleague, Mr Sin Boon Ann, that we must not classify or segment Singaporeans. This will create cracks in our society, thus hindering our efforts to strengthen community bond and nationhood. We must set realistic goals and hopes to motivate Singaporeans to achieve greater heights in their lives. Sir, the S21 report has set out useful directions to guide Singaporeans into the next millennium. I would like to highlight one of its key pillars, namely, "Strong families: our foundation and our future." The need to develop strong families must not be understated. Strong families are the foundation for healthy lives and wholesome communities. Every Singaporean must make every effort to keep our family strong and healthy. Strong families will provide the impetus to build a cohesive society and nation. In today's fast-paced society, families are at risk of disintegration. Our home ownership scheme has unintentionally resulted in the rapid nuclearisation of families in Singapore. This coupled with the HDB flat allocation system has caused many families to be located all over Singapore. As a result, many Singaporeans are living away from their parents, thus making it less convenient to visit their parents frequently. Family contact time has reduced drastically over the years, thus threatening family bonds.”
“We must nurture Singaporeans to be caring and considerate citizens of the world. More efforts should be channelled to inject meaning into the lives of Singaporeans. Singaporeans must learn to be more "human" in a fast-changing and materialistic world. We must live life to make a difference to other people's life and that is our ultimate goal of living. Sir, I support the President's call for the Government to focus on people. This is a timely call for all Government departments to pay more attention to Singaporeans. Singaporeans need more attention and listening ears. Today, if you make a call to any Government department, you will most likely be speaking to a voice-mail system. In our drive to achieve higher productivity and save manpower, we have sometimes lost the human touch in our public services. Many Singaporeans are still not familiar or comfortable to use the voice-mail system, and thus are deprived of such public services. Sir, I strongly support the use of technology to increase efficiency and productivity but technology should bring the public sector closer to Singaporeans instead of alienating them. Although the public sector should take the lead, we must also understand the pace of change acceptable to the masses. We must synchronise the use of technology to meet the needs of Singaporeans. In this way, the public sector will have a closer rapport with the general public and would be able to serve them better. Another concern which I would like to raise is the issue of heartlanders and cosmopolitans. I believe that all Singaporeans should aim to be heartlanders and cosmopolitans. We must upgrade and maximise our potentials to be a global knowledge worker or entrepreneur and, at the same time, our hearts must be with Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as a young nation with limited natural resources, Singapore has done well to position itself to be a world-class city in the world. Over the last 34 years, the Singapore Government has, through careful planning and prudent use of public funds, developed Singapore into a modern city with excellent infrastructure and amenities. Today, Singaporeans live in high quality housing, a clean and green environment and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. Singapore has also made its mark of excellence in the global market. We are known in the world for our airline, SIA; our seaport, PSA; our public housing programme, HDB; and our clean and green environment. We have successfully built a positive corporate image for Singapore. Today, many people are aware of the existence of Singapore. They know where Singapore is and what is Singapore like. But not many people understand Singaporeans or know what is a Singaporean. We have yet to develop a "brand name" for Singaporeans. Instead, some foreigners have negative perceptions of Singaporeans such as Singaporeans are not allowed to chew chewing gum in Singapore; Singaporeans are fined for not flushing toilets; Singaporeans are caned or jailed for any wrongdoing. These perceptions always cause embarrassment to many Singaporeans when they meet up with their foreign friends. We have read in the papers about the ugly Singaporean or the kiasu Singaporeans who misbehave themselves and project a bad image for Singaporeans especially when they travel overseas. If such behaviours were to propagate, we would be embarrassed to be called Singaporeans. Thus, there is an urgent need to erase these negative images of Singaporeans and take action to develop a Singaporean identity.”
“" Our logical minds have sometimes retarded our development of friendships and pursuit of other interests in life. This is aggravated by the pace of working resulting in the unhealthy stress situation in Singapore. So, there is a need for all Singaporeans to redefine life. There must be ample opportunities for Singaporeans to lead a meaningful and fruitful life. Sir, recently, a colleague of mine told me that he has visited a retirement village in the United States and was shocked to hear the conversations among the residents in that village. All the conversations by the residents were focused on their sad stories or regrets in life, such as not having spent enough time with their children, failing to achieve their goals in life, having a poor attitude towards work, not having enough friends, regrets for ignoring a healthy lifestyle, and being left alone by their family members. I am sure Singaporeans do not want to end up in such a situation of regrets. Since the launching of the S21 Report, I wonder how many Singaporeans have bought a copy of the Report or read it. I would urge all Singaporeans to take the first step into their future by reading the Report. Let us rejuvenate the Singapore heartbeat to lead a better life. Finally, I would like to suggest a punchline for the S21 Report to guide Singaporeans to achieve their vision in the 21st century - "Have a good heart, adopt a positive attitude, and lead a meaningful life!"”
“We must adopt a positive attitude in life. We must develop an inner drive to achieve our goals in life. With a positive attitude, we open our minds to further enhance the quality of our lives. From young, children must be cultivated to have positive attitude in learning. This skill will provide the necessary impetus for the young to develop a passion for learning. With a positive attitude, there is no barrier to knowledge acquisition. Singaporeans must learn that the acquisition of knowledge is not only for economic purposes. Knowledge will also keep the mind healthy and, as such, improve our quality of life. But how do we train people to have a positive attitude? A total approach is needed to inculcate a nation of people with positive attitude. It must first start from the family to the school and finally to the workplace and community. Benchmarks must be set to guide all Singaporeans to develop a positive attitude. It is about time Singaporeans took the responsibility to change their attitude and mindset to further enhance their quality of life. Thirdly, Singaporeans must lead meaningful lives. Singaporeans must believe in doing good things for their fellow countrymen and enriching their lives. As highlighted in the radio, today's education does not focus on the heroic deeds of good leaders and Samaritans. Children are not given enough exposure to have mentors in their lives. As a result, they may not be able to develop a passion to pursue their real interests and goals in life. This is the setback we suffer in focusing on Mathematics and Science in our education system. A grassroots leader recently made this comment: "Singaporeans have good scientific minds but lack the human touch.”
“Sir, I am concerned about the increasing number of cases of family break-ups and neighbour disputes that I have attended to in my meet-the-people sessions. Some Singaporeans are too engrossed in the pursuit of materialistic needs at the expense of their families. Some have relinquished their responsibility to look after their families to pursue their own goals. I am particularly disturbed to hear of cases of children "dumping" their parents. With a fast aging population, it is vital for us to address this fundamental issue of family responsibility. Although Singaporeans are facing intense competition, we must not take our family members for granted. We must always remind ourselves to spend time and build bonds in our families. My neighbour told me this morning that at the rate we are working, all of us will "wear out" very quickly and face serious problems when we age. I am glad that the S21 Report has emphasised the importance of family bonding. At the end of the day, our families matter more than anything in life. At the workplace, we must build friendship with our colleagues through care and concern. Our hearts must transform our deeds into creating a caring and vibrant working environment for everyone. We must learn to work in teams so as to improve our work culture, productivity, and job satisfaction. To succeed in the next century, all Singaporeans must develop a Singapore Work Culture, which emphasises on teamwork and cooperation. Sir, having a good and caring heart will enable Singaporeans to feel passionate about his or her country and its people. It will make Singaporeans deeply rooted to Singapore. Secondly, Singaporeans must have a positive attitude. A good heart will develop a good attitude. This is the key factor of success in life.”
“I rise in support of the motion as proposed by the Minister for Education. Sir, recently, I had a meeting with my grassroots leaders to discuss the S21 Report. To my disappointment, my grassroots leaders told me that not many Singaporeans are particularly excited or keen on the ideas presented in the S21 Report. This confirms the assessment by our Education Minister that Singaporeans scored poorly in the five ideas as proposed by the S21 Report. The Singapore vision has apparently not sparked much discussion as evidenced by the lack of coffeeshop talks or comments in the forum page over the last two weeks. I think the Singapore heartbeat is missing. The Singapore heart is suffering from "cardiac arrest". We need to take immediate action to jumpstart the heart and guide the heart to function properly. To develop passion for our country, we must rally the hearts of all Singaporeans to pursue the same vision of Singapore as a home worth returning and, if need be, fighting and dying for. To achieve this, I would like to suggest three areas to activate the Singapore heartbeat. Firstly, Singaporeans must have good hearts. As the Chinese saying goes, "hao xin you hao bao". Singaporeans must have good hearts that show compassion for others in all situations. At home, we must make a concerted effort to strengthen our ties with family members and relatives. The rapid nuclearisation of families and the fast pace of living have reduced the contact time of family members. This will have an adverse impact on the kinship among family members We need to refocus our attention on our families, and take the responsibility to strengthen family bonds.”
“We have to decide, given our small numbers, what we are prepared to sacrifice if we want an effervescent private sector full of ideas, energy and initiative. We need to strike a new balance. A change to the admission policy for the universities will not by itself bring about a change in ethos. We need to do much more. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 4.28 pm”
“But we have been paying a price for this practice which is that our top brains are not being given the best environment to fully develop their potential as innovators and technopreneurs. Instead, they are put in institutions which depend for their effectiveness on hierarchy, discipline and an almost religious adherence to rules. I am not saying that our scholars are discouraged from exercising discretion and initiative in the Government or in the armed forces. What I am saying is that there is a far better environment for their full potential to flower. That they can make a dramatic difference if they are dropped in the deep end of the private sector where they have to sink or swim. The difficulty we face is our small numbers. In other countries, for every top student who goes into the public service, you have another five, 10, 20 who go into the private sector and inject vibrancy into it. We do not have the luxury of these numbers. I am not suggesting that only our top brains can energise the private sector and therefore sharpen our competitiveness. Many others can and have done so. But we have to play with the odds. After five to eight years of service, not many of these scholars leave the Government or the service to which they are bonded. Having established their career paths, they are likely to stay to carry on to the top. Those who leave come out with a mindset which has been developed in those five to eight years that they have been with the Government and it is very difficult to transform the mindset of someone in his early 30s. My proposition is that we need to re-evaluate our priorities in education as well as the system of deployment of our top scholars if we are serious about remaining at the cutting edge.”
“Where is the time or the incentive to work on the child's creative and innovative side, on matters which are vital for the all round development of the individual, but which are non-examinable? The other dimension is parents who have been brought up in a social and job environment where examination and test results are everything. Therefore, the obsession with grades. School children now have very little time for anything other than school work. Because of this drive for top marks, working parents have very little time or incentive to nurture the child's creativity. It will be a rare Singapore parent who will say that he does not really care how his son or daughter does in school so long as he develops his reasoning and analytical skills. It is at the end of the day all about assessments, tests and examinations. But there will always be a few, fortunately, despite the difficulties, who will do well in examinations and have the potential to be creative and innovative. If given the right environment, these youngsters will develop the spirit of enterprise and derring-do which we all want to see flourish in Singapore. What opportunities do these few have to realise their full potential? Let us take the example of our best and brightest. They are given scholarships to the best universities all over the world and are required by their bonds to serve the Government or a statutory body or the armed forces upon their return. There is nothing wrong with that. It has served us well. We need the brightest to man our institutions and experience has shown that the system runs efficiently because of this.”
“The Committee on University Admission hopes that the changes will transform the ethos and attitudes of the people towards education. I do not for one moment question the Committee's honest belief in its goal. I also recognise the limited nature of the Committee's remit. But if we want to transform people's philosophy towards learning, if we want to nurture our creative and innovative spirit, then much more needs to be done. We need to ask ourselves whether we are prepared to make radical changes first, to the education system and second, to the way we develop the potential of our scholars. If the objective is to encourage creativity, we have to start young. We cannot leave it to the time when applications are made for entry to the universities. By then, attitudes of parents and students towards education would have taken shape and it will be very difficult to set them onto a new path of thinking. We cannot expect, for example, that the introduction of the SAT will cause our parents and students to suddenly re-evaluate their approach to education. And as one of the speakers before me pointed out, today's newspaper article in the Straits Times is very instructive because parents and students, if you read the article, look at the SAT as another form of assessment to be beaten by coaching and mastery of assessment books. We must start young and there are two dimensions to this issue. First, the teachers. They must be encouraged and given time to work with school children on issues outside the curriculum. Teachers now have to contend with a great deal of pressure. They have to finish the syllabus and get their students to score so that the average grade of the school goes up year after year.”
“Many ECA activities, especially uniformed groups, provide a structured and holistic approach in allowing students to acquire different types of skills, such as leadership, team work, perseverance, creative thinking, independence, moral, physical and other social skills. Sir, let me cite the example of the National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC). Today, we have 19,500 cadets in over a hundred schools in Singapore. These cadets undergo a wide range of training ranging from drills, discipline, crime prevention, civil defence, water survival, to shooting and adventure camps. Cadets who achieve good conduct, strong commitment, consistently good performance, positive attitude towards learning and regular attendance are promoted to various ranks and given award commendations. The participation of such ECA involves time and commitment. It shapes the character of individual. The achievements in ECA clearly reflect the true qualities of a student. Thus due recognition must be given when considering the admission criteria to universities. Therefore, I would propose that at least 25% of the university admission system should be allocated to ECA activities. In my opinion, a fair and equitable university admission system would consist of 50% weighting on GCE `A' level examinations, 25% on SAT score and 25% on ECA. This will provide a balance between academic abilities, aptitude and other talents to be considered when admitting the students into our universities. Mr Davinder Singh (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Sir, the admission criteria in the universities are being reviewed in recognition of the fact that Singaporeans need to be creative and innovative if the country is to stay competitive.”
“Sir, in order to make sure that our universities admit more all rounded students, we must adopt a fair and equitable university admission system. We need to train quality graduates who will provide the competitive edge for our economy, and the "glue" to nation building. The recommendations as put forward by the Committee on University Admission System have certain limitations as follows: (1) For `A' level students, the proposed admission requirements do not place much emphasis on key attributes such as leadership, creativity, perseverance, independence and resourcefulness qualities of students. The combined 90% weighting of GCE `A' level and SAT requirements are essentially academic criteria, and thus will not make any marked difference to the present system. Furthermore, the proposed 10% project work and 5% ECA bonus point will not provide adequate incentives for students to develop their other abilities. Sir, project work does not provide a good gauge of a student's ability and is difficult to obtain a fair assessment. Furthermore, it is difficult to determine whether the student does it or not. The use of project work will not provide a fair and uniform method of assessment for all students thus leading to unfair advantages. Thus, project work should not be introduced as part of the university admission system. The allocation of a mere 5% bonus point for ECA will drastically retard all ECA activities in schools. In fact, ECA provides an excellent avenue to develop and assess the abilities of a student.”
“It is this internal resilience that will see us through in good and bad times together. Sir, I would like to make a few suggestions to the Home Team on how we can build on a good start made by CFP and bring it to the next level. (1) Publicity. More articles or success stories of community safety and security programmes could be featured in the newspapers and media so as to further increase participation by residents in CFP activities. (2) Training. The Home Team can provide more support to train volunteers so as to instil confidence in them to conduct CFP activities. (3) Funding. More funding and resources should be given to the Home Team and CDC to support CFP activities. (4) Recognition. CFP should be recognised as a grassroots organisation and its members should be given due recognition.”
“Sir, since the implementation of the Community Focus Plan, many residents and grassroots leaders have come to realise that everyone has a role in making our neighbourhood safer and more secure. The partnership between the Home Team and residents has also helped to revitalise the "kampung spirit" of our community. Sir, let me quote two examples illustrating the exemplary partnership between the residents and police to effectively tackle community-based safety and security problems. Between 1996 and June last year, there was a spate of vandalism to over 50 vehicles at a multi-storey carpark in Chua Chu Kang. Recognising the need to address the problem and preserve the community's trust, the Yew Tee Neighbourhood Police Post and Yew Tee RC proposed to set up a Vehicles Watch Group compromising 50 volunteer vehicle owners to look after their vehicles. The plan was a resounding success and the spree of vandalism was effectively curbed. Another project was that undertaken by the Bukit Panjang South NPP and Bukit Panjang grassroots leaders. They together with the Police decided to curb the problem of teen gangs prevalent in the area. Hence, they organised visits to the Jurong Police Station for problematic students where the students were shown the Police lock-up and viewed video shows on the grave consequences of joining teen gangs. This was followed by visits to the homes of these students by the grassroots leaders, Police and their teachers so as to understand their home background and get their family support to prevent the youths from going wayward. Favourable feedback revealed that the programme had benefited both the students and their families. The above examples clearly demonstrate a stronger sense of community involvement, belonging and care.”
“Endorsement by PSB or relevant authorities will provide essential quality control. With the implementation of ERP, it is now timely to consider the reduction of car ownership cost for both private and commercial vehicle owners. Carpark fees, especially season parking fee, can be a burden to many vehicle owners and companies. Some people own cars out of necessity while others drive their cars home to save transport cost. In the present crisis, many vehicle owners are feeling the strain to pay for parking fees both within and outside the CBD. Commercial vehicles pay a few hundred dollars monthly for season parking while HDB flat owners pay between $55 and $75. To alleviate the financial burden of vehicle owners, I would like to propose that the Ministry consider reducing season and daily carparking fees for all vehicle owners.”
“Despite the implementation of the Construction of Quality Assessment Scheme and the Zero Construction Defects Scheme in 1991, building defects are still commonly seen in many buildings in Singapore. As reported in the Straits Times on 13th January 1996, I quote, "It is raining outside. It is leaking inside many Singapore buildings and homes." Over half of the buildings on the island leak. Building defects such as uneven floor, leaky plumbing, seeping windows and cracks have caused much inconvenience to many home owners. It has also resulted in an increase in the number of disputes among the developers, home buyers, consultants, contractors and property management organisations. Much time and resources have been wasted in resolving these disputes which could have been avoided if buildings are built to achieve a specified quality. I would like to make the following suggestions to the Ministry to consider: a) set up a knowledge base on building defects, repair techniques and good construction practices. The Building and Construction Authority can work with our universities to spearhead research on building defects; b) provide a defect incentive sum, about 1% of contract sum in all contracts, so that developers, consultants and contractors can use the money provided to rectify the defects. Defects could be due to poor specification by clients over design or shoddy workmanship. Any money saved from this sum could be distributed among the developers, consultants and contractors; c) more warranty or insurance schemes should be provided to safeguard against defects, especially structural and water-proofing problems; and d) exercise stringent control on imported materials and components. These materials must be tested in tropical climate before being implemented in buildings.”
“(c) MUPs and IUPs are unable to intensify the land use of these older estates which usually have large open spaces. Many of these older flats are 10 to 12 storeys high, and thus deprive the opportunity for higher density development. Based upon feedback, the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme provides a better alternative to rejuvenate older HDB estates. Better quality and higher density flats can be built to maximise land use and provide better housing to Singaporeans while keeping the community intact. However, to achieve this, there must be adequate vacant land set aside for such programmes when developing semi-mature estates or new towns. I notice that not much vacant land was set aside in many estates. Thus, it would be difficult for the Government to consider Selective En-bloc Redevelopment programmes in the future. In this regard, I would like to suggest the following for the Ministry to consider: (1) Increase the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Programme; and (2) Set aside more land for future SERS in semi-mature estates.”
“Sir, the regional crisis has affected many Singaporeans, especially the HDB heartlanders. With the introduction of CPF and pay cuts, some HDB dwellers are facing difficulty in paying their rental or mortgage loan instalments. As a caring Government, I understand the HDB has implemented a number of initiatives to help HDB dwellers. I hope the Minister can clarify the various assistance schemes available for the following groups of affected residents: (1) Those who are in arrears in their rental or mortgage payments; (2) Those who would like to restructure their mortgage loan due to retrenchment or other reasons; (3) Those who would like to request for downgrading due to affordability problem; and (4) Those who face problems paying the 20% deposit when taking over the flat. Sir, the Estate Renewal Strategy (ERS) was first announced in 1995 to rejuvenate older HDB estates to make them compatible to newer estates. Under the ERS, Main and Interim Upgrading Programmes and Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme were implemented in many constituencies. Although MUPs and IUPs have managed to spruce up older estates, there are certain shortcomings: (a) Residents are inconvenienced during the construction period which normally lasts two years. Dust, noise and security are key concerns of residents in these programmes. (b) MUPs and IUPs are sometimes unable to meet the needs of residents, especially in the provision of lifts that stop at every floor and covered linkways. Due to the design of these old flats (especially those with staggered corridors), it is not economical and structurally possible to install lifts that stop at every floor or construct linkways which can benefit all residents in these blocks. This is a drastic setback of MUPs and IUPs.”
“Sir, may I have your permission to take the two cuts together?”
“I must commend the PAP Town Councils for taking the initiative to form a Maintenance Feedback Committee which is working closely with HDB to further improve the designs of our flats. With constructive feedback, I am confident that PAP Town Councils will provide a better quality environment to our residents. In addition, I would like to suggest the following for the Ministry to consider: a) Conduct an independent quality audit on the design of HDB flats during the design stage; b) Document good design practices to guide architects and engineers; c) Second architects and engineers to Town Councils to better understand maintenance problems; and d) Set a buildable and CONQUAS score to be achieved for all HDB flats.”
“Sir, to meet the rising expectations of Singaporeans, HDB has been building better quality flats over the last 10 years. More sophisticated and complex designs were introduced in many estates and new towns especially with the introduction of design-and-build flats. Today, you can see that our HDB flats come in different designs and a wide variety of building finishes and fittings. Although the design of flats has increased the aesthetic value of our flats, there are some problems associated with these designs. These problems may be classified into the following: a) Maintenance problems - certain designs pose maintenance problems. For example, the introduction of protruding concrete or steel sunshades on the facade of buildings has obstructed the movement of gondola for re-painting works. The use of tempered glass for covered linkways and low level glass light fittings is prone to frequent vandalism and abuses; b) Maintenance cost - the use of expensive light fittings and finishes has increased the cost of maintenance drastically. This has added much financial burden to Town Councils; c) Security problems - certain designs of flats have dark corners or easy access for thieves to gain entry into flats. Enclosed fire escape staircases also provide a convenient spot for drug abusers; d) Mosquito breeding - the provision of bamboo hanging poles and ponding of water at roofs, parapet walls, and scupper drains are potential mosquito breeding grounds. Sometimes, these breeding grounds are inaccessible for maintenance; and e) Noise problem - inadequate consideration in the design of the layout of flat and acoustic provision may cause much problem in noise pollution. More neighbours are complaining against each other of noise nuisance in recent years.”
“Incentive to replace diesel vehicles I fully support the provision of a one year accelerated depreciation allowance to replace old diesel driven commercial goods vehicles and buses. To further protect the air quality of our environment, I would propose that the incentive scheme be extended to all diesel plants and equipment used outdoor, especially those at construction sites. Similar incentives could be given to encourage construction firms and plant suppliers to upgrade their fleet of diesel driven plants and equipment such as cranes, excavators, compactors, rollers, and concrete mixers. All these plants and equipment are sources of air pollution. Approve IT training grant To develop a knowledge-based economy, we need to encourage Singaporeans to acquire life-long learning skills. Information technology provides an essential tool to facilitate knowledge acquisition. In the near future, e-commerce will become a part of life for many Singaporeans. But there is still a large proportion of our population who is not familiar with information technology. Therefore, we should provide more incentives to increase the IT awareness of Singaporeans. To achieve this, I would suggest that an Approved IT Training Scheme be formed to provide low cost IT courses to Singaporeans, especially those in HDB estates. In addition, a capital grant could be given to all community clubs to set up a Community IT Centre which can provide training and access to computers for all Singaporeans. These IT courses can also be conducted at Residents' Committee Centres, thus making them easily accessible to residents. The People's Association can manage the proposed scheme. Sir, I support the motion.”
“The regional crisis has also increased the number of welfare cases in many constituencies. In Bukit Panjang, welfare assistance was provided to 59 families during the last six months. Of these cases, 53% are from 3-room, 39% from 4-room and 8% from 5-room flats. The figures show that 3- and 4-room flat dwellers face more financial strain during this period. Thus, I hope the Finance Minister can understand the plight of these two groups of residents and increase their S&C rebates accordingly. Development expenditure Although the development expenditure has increased by $1.2 billion to $13.9 billion, more could be allocated to expedite the development of a world-class land transport system, as proposed in the White Paper by the Land Transport Authority in 1996. As stated, LTA will provide a seamless land transport system, which will offer convenience, reliability, ease of use, comfort, affordability, and competitive travel times to all commuters of public transport. Covered linkway is identified as one of the features in the seamless land transport system. Although LTA has implemented many covered linkways, it is also an opportune time now to expedite the construction of linkways for all bus stops, taxi stands and MRT stations to the housing estates. Covered linkways provide a vital link between our transport system and the housing estates. It has also become a way of life for many Singaporeans. In order to encourage more Singaporeans to use the public transport system, we should expedite the construction of covered linkways. Therefore, I would like to urge the Minister to increase the development budget for covered linkways. This will not only provide much convenience to commuters but also save some jobs in the building related industry.”
“Those who were retrenched may face difficulty to pay their income taxes. Thus, I would urge the Minister to consider allowing retrenched Singaporeans to delay paying their income taxes. S&C and utilities rebates In November 1998, working Singaporeans supported the cost cutting measures as proposed by the Government. Many have taken a 10% CPF contribution and wage cut, thus facing more financial strain to support their families. Feedback from HDB residents showed that many expected the Government to provide higher S&C and utilities rebates so as to alleviate their financial burden. Many have regarded the Budget as a "non-event" which does not provide much relief to reduce their living costs. Although the cost cutting measures have saved jobs, many Singaporeans felt that businesses have not passed much of their cost savings to consumers. Prices of goods and services have not been reduced accordingly. As such, Singaporeans are experiencing a reduction of purchasing power. Sir, utilities rebate provides an effective and simple means to assist Singaporeans in difficult times. While Singaporeans agree that water conservation is crucial, they hope that the Government could adopt other non-monetary measures to encourage water conservation instead of increasing the water tariffs during this difficult time. The increase will add further burden to all households, especially those with large families. I would urge the Finance Minister to consider providing a $300 utilities rebate to all households in HDB estates. The rebate shall be paid on a monthly basis over a period of 12 months. The monthly rebate will serve as a minimum payment to Power Supply so that families in hardship will not face legal action or utilities supply cut by Power Supply during this difficult period.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion as proposed by the Finance Minister. This year's Budget clearly shows that our Government is farsighted and cautious. As mentioned by the Finance Minister, "1999 may well turn out to be another difficult and challenging year for Singapore." The Minister reminded all Singaporeans that "we will live within our means." This is indeed a timely reminder for all Singaporeans who have been enjoying positive GDP growth for many years. Although economic growth has increased the affluence of many Singaporeans, it has certain setbacks. Years of economic growth have also made Singaporeans to be over optimistic and sometimes wasteful. This is evident through the large amount of bulky waste such as furniture, electrical appliances, and renovation debris dumped by HDB residents yearly over the last 10 years. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 4.12 pm Last year, many town councils noticed a drastic fall of between 25% and 50% drop in the bulky waste collection. This clearly shows that many HDB dwellers have understood the severity of the regional crisis, and are more prudent in their spending. Sir, Singapore is experiencing a difficult period of uncertainty. I agree that we should seize the opportunity to strengthen our economic competitiveness. But this is also the time for the Government to extend a helping hand to Singaporeans who are in need. The crisis has affected many Singaporeans of all income levels in both the HDB and private estates. Thus, I hope the Minister could consider the following suggestions: Personal tax rebate The proposed Budget has provided a one-off 10% personal income tax rebate that is fair. But there is no relief measure for Singaporeans who were retrenched.”
“We should take further measures to consider licensing the other professionals involved in the construction industry, namely, builders, quantity surveyors, project managers and property managers so as to raise the level of professionalism in the industry as a whole. I hope that the Building and Construction Authority can play a leading role to improve the quality and productivity of the construction industry. Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Powers of Authority Clause 10(a) mentions that BCA may prescribe standards for the construction industry in relation to design, process, construction techniques, products and materials. Presently, the Productivity and Standards Board prescribes all standards and codes of practice for the construction industry. May I clarify with the Minister whether this function will be transferred from PSB to BCA? If so, there must be provisions in the Bill for the transfer of authority, property, assets and liabilities from PSB to BCA. Clause 10(e) highlights that BCA can conduct tests and award diplomas and certificates of proficiency. I wonder whether it is appropriate for the Authority to award diplomas. This may cause confusion among employers in the construction industry with regard to the recognition of such diplomas. I would like to suggest that diploma training should be channelled to the respective polytechnics so as to avoid duplication of resources. Clause 10(i) states that BCA can enter into a partnership or an arrangement for the sharing of profits. May I ask the Minister under what circumstances can such partnerships or arrangements take place and who are the likely partners? Finally, to upgrade the construction industry, there is an urgent need to control the quality of participants in the industry. The BCA should be empowered to issue licences to practitioners and firms in the industry. It should provide a one-stop centre for the issuance of licences so that quality control can be centralised. Stringent control should be exercised to register and license construction firms and practitioners. Presently, we have registered or licensed architects, engineers, plumbers, electricians, safety officers and cable detectors.”
“Thus, it is essential for BCA to address these issues which have direct impact on the development of the construction industry. Clause 9(1) also does not include the function to regulate and enforce building regulations and Acts in the industry. As a building authority, BCA must ensure the compliance of building regulations and Acts and take enforcement actions to ensure that buildings and infrastructure works are properly constructed for safe occupancy and usage. Clause 9(1)(c) has apparently omitted the need to encourage standardisation and improvement of information in the construction industry. At present, there is a lack of standardisation of information in the industry. This has resulted in wastages, abortive works and disputes among parties involved in construction and development works. The recent court case on the definition of "built-up" and "built-in" areas is an example of the lack of understanding among players in the industry. To improve productivity, BCA should implement standardisation of information in the industry. Clause 9(1)(e) allows BCA to provide consultancy and advisory services related to the construction industry. As a regulatory authority, there may be potential conflict of interest for BCA to provide such services especially for private sector projects. Clause 9(1)(j) also specifies that BCA will promote and carry out research for the development and improvement of the construction industry. While it is appropriate for BCA to promote research, research work should be carried out by our universities and other research institutions. Both NUS and NTU are equipped with research facilities and resources, which can undertake multi-disciplinary research. Thus, BCA should avoid duplication of effort and wasting of resources in this area.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. The establishment of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is indeed a step towards integrating the functions of various authorities presently responsible for the construction industry. As I have mentioned before, we need a one-stop centre, be it a Construction Ministry or statutory board to spearhead the construction industry into the next millennium. The construction industry is a complex industry that involves many statutory boards and industries. To upgrade the industry, we need to adopt an integrated approach to facilitate its development and expansion. Although the Bill integrates the functions of the Building Control Division and the Construction Industry Development Board, it lacks the integration needed to improve on productivity, quality, professionalism and competitiveness of the construction industry. One major setback is the lack of power given to the Building and Construction Authority to exercise development, environment and fire safety control over the development of buildings and infrastructure works. A one-stop centre that encompasses all these functions would provide better coordination and accountability which should further increase the efficiency of development and construction works. Sir, let me discuss the details of the Bill. Functions of Authority Although clause 9 has laid out many functions of BCA, there is no mention of any effort to promote the use of information technology, innovative and efficient design and environmental protection to improve the construction industry. Information technology and environmental protection are key concerns affecting the construction industry of many developed countries, such as Japan, USA and UK.”
“This could be achieved by having more pupils per class or building more classrooms in existing schools. Sir, I support the motion. 5.50 pm”
“Cost Cutting Measures While cost cutting measures are inevitable, we should seriously analyse the impact of these measures on Singaporeans, especially the lower income groups. It is timely for the Government to reconvene the Cost Review Committee to study the public's concerns regarding the rising cost of living. We should also study the expected standard of living and quality of life of Singaporeans in the next millennium. According to a survey conducted by the Asiaweek of 40 cities, Singapore does not rank consistently high in terms of standard of living and quality of life, especially in areas such as housing, hospital beds and cars. We need to determine a balance between standard of living, cost of living and quality of life. To be the hub of Asia and attract foreign talent, Singapore must benchmark its quality of life with comparable cities in the world. Unless this is achieved, it will be difficult to attract top foreign talent. Sir, in the short term, I hope the Government can cushion the impact of the cost cutting package on Singaporeans by adopting the following measures: (1) Provide a one-off 15% personal income tax rebate. (2) Provide a one-off subsidy for pupils in pre-school and kindergarten centres. (3) Reduce the car park fees for HDB and URA car parks by 15%. (4) Provide more tax relief for Singaporeans who upgrade themselves through skills training including professionals. (5) Encourage banks to allow HDB shops and hawker stalls to restructure their loans. (6) Increase the S&C rebate to HDB residents. (7) Increase the National Servicemen's allowance to boost the morale of SAF servicemen. (8) Exercise more flexibility to allow parents to send their children to nearby schools so as to reduce their transport cost burden.”
“Building world class companies I support the idea of nurturing our local companies to be world-class companies. The CSC has proposed that GLCs should kick-start the process as they have the resources and experience. Although the GLCs can take the initiative, we should also, at the same time, support promising local firms to be world-class companies. Doing business is all about networking and business acumen. To succeed in strengthening our external wing, the Government must provide resources and take a stake in both GLCs and private firms to strengthen their competitiveness internationally. Strengthening Small and Medium Local Enterprises The regional crisis has surfaced some weaknesses in our SMEs, especially in financial planning and management. In order to play a supporting or partnership role to MNCs and GLCs, we must upgrade the management capabilities of our SMEs. Although there are many Government schemes to assist SMEs, not much guidance has been given to position our SMEs to be strategic partners of MNCs and GLCs. I would urge the Government to provide a scheme whereby SMEs can engage professional management firms to conduct management audit to streamline their operations and strengthen their competitiveness. These audits should focus on building capabilities instead of merely cost cutting measures. Such audits must also be conducted regularly, maybe on a 3-year basis, to ensure that SMEs are kept viable and relevant to our economy. We must also set criteria to measure the success of all Government assistance schemes in order to make sure that they add value to our local firms and our economy.”