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 6 of 19.
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head U of the Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, to be a first-world economy and global city, Singapore needs to nurture both local and foreign talents in Singapore. The Government has introduced various Baby Bonus initiatives to encourage married Singaporean couples to have more babies. At the same time, we have relaxed our immigration policy to grant citizenships to more foreigners who wish to settle down in Singapore. As the years go by, we will experience a greater mix of Singaporeans with different backgrounds, traditions and religions. Therefore, the Government must provide a more conductive environment for all Singaporeans to stay united as one people. Sir, I understand that there is an influx of people applying to be permanent residents (PRs) recently. Some have to queue overnight to get a queue number to apply for PR. I am not sure whether the rush is due to the success of our efforts to encourage more foreign talent to work, live and eventually become Singaporeans or is it the impact of recession. May I ask the Prime Minister as to whether there is a change in the population and immigration policy with regard to PR? How many new citizens and PRs were granted in 2007 and 2008? Sir, the integration of Singaporeans is a continuing task for both our Government and people. Since the formation of the Integration and Nationalisation Champion (INC) Committee by the People's Association, a total of 747 Integration and Nationalisation Champions were appointed. These committees are responsible for integrating new citizens into our community. Although the INCs have initiated various projects and programmes to welcome and integrate new citizens, we have yet to provide sustainable programmes to bond our community.”
“By providing healthcare and family care at an early stage, we can help those chronically sick to remain employable and self-reliant. At the same time, we can help their children to avoid the chronic diseases or manage the diseases at an early age. This will definitely reduce the healthcare cost burden of these families and the country. The integration of healthcare and family services should include healthcare and family care education, training of caregivers, counselling and other family support services. As for the elderly, we should provide more Senior Wellness Centres to keep them active and healthy. The Government should provide more funding to build more Senior Wellness Centres at community clubs and centres. More funding should also be provided to organise fitness programmes for the elderly, such as brisk-walking, qi gong, taiji, etc. Sir, in these trying times, we must do more to stay united as one people. Sir, I support the Budget. 12.26 pm”
“There are two areas which I hope the Government would consider in making our built environment more elderly-friendly. First, our built environment still lacks barrier-free access and facilities. Elderly and the physically disabled are still not able to move freely and independently. The Town Councils have limited financial resources to expedite the construction of these facilities in the HDB heartlands. I would like the Government to increase the Community Improvement Project Committee Fund (or CIPC) to enable the Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs) to take ownership and speed up the implementation of barrier-free facilities in their respective constituencies. Secondly, we need to expand and accelerate the social services infrastructure. A study reported by Reuters has crowned pedestrians in Singapore the world's fastest movers, walking 30% faster than we did in the early 1990s. This is evident from the level of stress ordinary Singaporeans face in their everyday life. In my weekly Meet-the-People Sessions, I am seeing more cases of family hardships and disputes, including breadwinners struggling and striving to make ends meet. To support families at risk, the Government should expand the scope of services by the Family Service Centres (FSCs) and build more FSCs to make them accessible by those who require their expertise. FSCs could be scaled up to be a one-stop centre for counselling, family support, childcare and student care services. Where possible, we should co-locate FSCs with polyclinics or family clinics or integrate healthcare and family care services so that they can complement each other to provide holistic support to families at risks. Sir, family members of needy families could suffer from chronic illnesses which could be hereditary.”
“In the same light, the Government should consider restructuring the payout of GST credits and rebates to be on a monthly basis through GIRO. Smaller and monthly payouts would also encourage prudent domestic spending. Sir, air-conditioning consumes the most energy in every household. Many of the air-conditioning units which were installed many years ago are not eco-friendly. To promote our sustainable development plan, I would urge the Finance Minister to provide incentives or rebates to households to replace their air-conditioning units to approved eco-friendly models. This could be a one-off goodwill grant similar to the case of repairing spalling concrete in HDB flats. This would not only increase our carbon footprint but would help many households to have savings in their monthly utilities bills. The looming recession should also be viewed as a window of opportunity for community organisations, such as the CDCs, to instil a sense of positivity and rally Singaporeans behind a common cause, such as promoting healthy lifestyle, especially among the elderly. The idea of health is wealth is especially true in challenging circumstances. I would, therefore, like to urge the Finance Minister to provide more funding support for the CDCs to promote active and healthy lifestyle among our residents. The five CDCs shall be publishing a guide titled "Recession and Resilience Roadmap" to help Singaporeans cope with the recession. The roadmap serves as a help directory to Singaporeans who are retrenched, suffer big pay cuts or those who need emotional support. More details on the guide would be shared at the end of this month. Sir, I support the increase in capital expenditure to expand and accelerate infrastructure spending to build a better home for Singaporeans.”
“To further build capabilities and enhance corporate governance, Government should seize the opportunity to incentivise social services sector and religious organisations to hire more experienced PMETs, the group which is likely to be affected most during today's downturn. To encourage PMETs to take up training to equip them for jobs in these sectors, I would like to propose for the Finance Minister to consider extending training allowance for PMETs. Currently, each registered unemployed job seeker enjoys up to $600 training allowance a month from the Career Centre. Since most PMETs who are retrenched or suffered a pay cut are likely to have some savings accumulated from the preceding years of employment, it is suggested that PMETs enjoy up to $300 training allowance per month. This move will encourage retraining and at the same time promotes self-reliance among the PMETs. More could still be done to help Singaporeans cope with the challenging times ahead. Sir, despite the S&CC rebates and Utilities Save, some households face legal actions or disconnection of utilities supply resulting from their inability to pay the S&CC charges and utilities bills. Based on the Town Council's experience, 40% to 60% of the households in arrears are those living in 4- and 5-room HDB flats. The use of annual value or HDB room type as a proxy for the disbursement of S&CC rebates therefore does not provide adequate assistance to these households. Thus, I would like to urge the Finance Minister to consider providing more support for these 4- and 5-room HDB households. In addition, to avoid the disconnection of utilities supply, I propose that the U-Save be disbursed through GIRO on a monthly basis to pay part of the current month's utilities bill.”
“To further stimulate domestic business demands, Government could also provide incentives for our Public Transport Operators to implement a flat-rate fare pegged at $2, applicable on weekends. A similar scheme in Newcastle, England, has reported an increase of 8% in travel on its buses and Metro in the first four months of its implementation. Even as the economy slows down, there are still job opportunities in some industries. For instance, the education, healthcare and social service sectors will continue to hire workers. Particularly in both the healthcare and social service sectors, including voluntary welfare organisations and religious organisations, the demand for workers is very likely to be sustained, as our population ages. To capitalise on their recruiting capabilities, I would like the Finance Minister to consider expanding more attractive Jobs Credit to these hiring sectors, in order to encourage them to employ more Singaporeans. In the same light, where such industries or private companies hire mature Singapore workers, defined as those above 40 years old, on a contractual or temporary basis, the Finance Ministry could reward their acts by extending more attractive Jobs Credit to them. This shall be a positive inject into the looming job market where fewer companies, logically speaking, are more adverse in employing mature workers. In short, the above proposals have added another dimension to the announced Jobs Credit Scheme. Besides the emphasis to retain existing workers, it is hoped that the scheme could also incentivise hiring sectors to employ more Singaporeans.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Budget. Many Singaporeans have commented on measures in saving jobs for Singaporeans, enhancing business cash flow and competitiveness and supporting families as being bold and innovative. This is juxtaposed against a backdrop of continual rapid deceleration in global demand for goods and services, resulting in business failures and massive loss of jobs. We all know that the worst has yet ensued for the world-wide economic meltdown. Sir, I wish to focus my suggestions in three broad areas; first, job creation for Singaporeans; second, more help for Singaporeans; and, third, infrastructure for an ageing population. Sir, the Jobs Credit Scheme is a laudable initiative to cut costs to save jobs. Nevertheless, as one businessman remarked: "There is no point paying 88% of a worker's salary if there is no business in the long run". For the business community, the crux lies in generating greater business demands so that it is commercially viable to sustain and create jobs for Singaporeans. To help generate businesses demand, Government should remove weekend car park charges for all public car parks. This will drive greater vehicular and human traffic volume, particularly within the town and city centres. This principle is akin to the HDB Family Season Parking Scheme which makes it easier for children to visit their parents regularly. Government should also consider providing incentives to building owners or car park operators of shopping malls and hotels, to provide a first three-hour free car parking facility. Such is the example of IMM at Jurong East. The first three-hour free parking facility has made it attractive to shop at IMM. Today, IMM enjoys an average of 1.5 million shoppers per month despite the economic downturn.”
“Sir, the deposit savings interest rates of our local banks are usually much lower as compared to the interbank lending rates. I think this is one of the reasons which motivated a lot of Singaporeans to put their money into other high-risk investments. So I wonder whether MAS will consider narrowing the savings interest rates and interbank interest rates.”
“Thank you, Sir, for allowing me to just clarify. What I mentioned is that I am aware that we have a few thousand good practising lawyers in Singapore, but I am indeed very concerned with this increasing trend of misconduct cases of lawyers in Singapore. It looks like we are in for a long summer.”
“Sir, clause 34 also provides that every member of a Disciplinary Tribunal and the secretary of every Disciplinary Tribunal shall be paid such remuneration as the Chief Justice may determine. I wish to clarify with the Minister as to whether it is appropriate to use public funds to pay the Disciplinary Tribunal members and its secretary to address complaints against lawyers in the private practice. The Law Society is responsible for the professional conduct and discipline of its members. As such, the Law Society should bear all costs and expenses in such Disciplinary Tribunals instead of the State. As a matter of policy and self-management principles, we should not use State funds to resolve complaints against lawyers in the private sector. Sir, I would like to propose that the costs and expenses of all complaints against lawyers in the private practice be appropriated accordingly among the complainants, lawyers and the Law Society. This would encourage stronger self-management and ownership among all three parties. It will also ensure that complaints are genuine and properly addressed by the Law Society and the Courts. Sir, I support the amendments to allow qualifying foreign law firms to practise Singapore law in permitted areas such as corporate, banking and maritime law through Singapore law-qualified solicitors. This licensing scheme would attract more investments to Singapore, thus creating more job opportunities for Singaporeans. At the same time, it would build capabilities among Singapore law-qualified lawyers to expand their range of legal services both locally and globally. Sir, I support the Bill. 3.22 pm”
“This would not only reduce complaints but also enhance solicitor-client relationship. Sir, we should not set up measures to deter complaints or feedback as it would encourage complacency and increase malpractices in the legal profession. Companies which do not entertain clients' feedback or complaints would never be able to satisfy the needs of their clients in providing quality services. If Singapore aims to be a global legal services hub, we need to set up a professional service framework to better serve our clients in the legal services sector. Sir, I support clauses 28 to 30 of the Bill which reduce the eligibility criteria for an advocate or solicitor to be appointed as a member of the Inquiry Panel. This would enable more advocates or solicitors to be eligible, thus facilitating the review and inquiry processes of complaints of misconduct made under section 85(1) of the Legal Profession Act. Sir, clauses 34 and 35 provide for the composition of a 2-member Disciplinary Tribunal which shall comprise a President and an advocate or solicitor. It also states that if the two members of the Disciplinary Tribunal were unable to reach a unanimous consensus on any matter, the President would have the power to decide on the matter. This provision does not seem to provide a fair hearing as the decision of the Disciplinary Tribunal is essentially made by the President of the Tribunal. Sir, I would like to propose that we form a three-member Disciplinary Tribunal similar to the Court of Three Judges, and all matters should be decided based on a simple majority vote. I hope the Minister could clarify the rationale for a two-member Disciplinary Tribunal.”
“Sir, instead of making minor amendments to the Legal Profession Act to streamline the disciplinary processes of lawyers, the Ministry should take more concrete steps to regulate the professional conduct and services of lawyers. We should not introduce measures as proposed in the Bill to protect lawyers but should instead make provisions to deter misconduct of lawyers. On the contrary, the Ministry should make more provisions to protect clients or parties affected by the misconduct or unprofessional services of lawyers. Sir, I do not agree with clause 29(a) which mandates every complaint against a lawyer to be made in writing and supported by a statutory declaration. I understand the rationale for statutory declaration is to deter frivolous complaints, but this has placed undue onus on the complainants or affected parties who can be ordinary citizens. Can the Minister explain why lawyers should be given such protection while the other professionals such as doctors, architects or engineers do not have such provisions to deter frivolous complaints? Sir, if the legal profession is receiving many frivolous complaints, we should instead address the roots of the problems, and find out why there are such complaints against lawyers. Is it due to unreasonable or demanding clients, lack of communication, or poor professional services? Sir, complaints or feedback provide good checks and balances on professional conduct and services. The Law Society should be more diligent in addressing complaints against their members; and regulate, maintain and improve the standard of conduct of the legal profession. At the same time, more public education efforts should be made to keep the general public informed of legal services and professional conduct.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. Sir, the proposed Bill seeks to amend three areas of the Legal Profession Act, namely: (1) Disciplinary processes; (2) Measures to address a solicitor incapacitated by physical or mental conditions; and (3) Liberalisation of the legal services sector. Sir, the Straits Times on 21st August 2008 reported a list of 10 prolific corporate fugitives in Singapore who are on the run. Out of these 10 fugitives, six of them are lawyers who had stolen or misappropriated their clients’ money totalling $27.8 million. Sir, these breaches of trust and the recent cases of misconduct of lawyers have affected the professionalism and integrity of the legal profession. These rogue lawyers are not just a few black sheeps in the legal profession. There are many other cases of lawyers’ misconduct. I had also received complaints from my residents on the lack of professional services and/or misconduct of lawyers. These include gross overcharging, lack of diligent services, making of misleading statements or misrepresentations. These increasing trends of lawyers’ misconduct and complaints are indeed disturbing and of concern to the general public, corporate entities, and Government. If I may quote the stinging rebuke which former Chief Justice Yong Pung How made when he dealt with three errant lawyers in August 2005: “We cannot have lawyers going round telling lies. It is becoming a most naughty profession in the world. What is the profession coming to?” Sir, these are indeed serious wake-up calls for the legal profession. There is an urgent need to uplift the integrity of our legal profession in Singapore.”
“But we can always use appropriate technology and deploy relevant manpower to reduce human errors and security lapses. Sir, any security system would fail if left unchecked or untested for a long period of time. Therefore, it is crucial that independent security audit checks are carried out frequently to identify potential weaknesses so that remedial actions can be taken. I would propose that the Ministry consider setting up an overall independent Security Audit Committee to conduct checks and balances frequently on our security system, including the Internal Security Department. Sir, the recent security lapses have sparked off much debate among Singaporeans, especially on the Internet. Instead of pursuing a blaming game, I would urge all Singaporeans to rally together and play a role in further strengthening the security and safety of Singapore. In these trying times, we need to show our support for the Home Team officers who are guardians of our safety and security. We must learn from these mistakes, and work closely with the Home Team to make Singapore a safer home for all. Sir, it is impossible to have a 100% safe proof security system. But we can always make sure that our security system works 99% of the time. 3.39 pm”
“Similarly, the guard who accompanied Mas Selamat to the toilet should have detected that he was taking too long at the urinal and checked on him immediately. Our officers must be trained to stay alert at all times and follow SOPs to avoid security lapses. To stay vigilant at all times requires discipline. I would urge the Ministry to take concrete measures to instil discipline in our Home Team. Sir, the toilet at the Whitley Road Detention Centre's visitation block is poorly designed. The folding door for the urinal, window without security grilles, failure of CCTV system, and covered linkway linking to the perimeter fence reflected the lack of security design in our facility. Similarly, the design and layout of the Subordinate Courts' lock-up facility allows easy escape from detention. Sir, in view of new and emerging security threats, we should consider setting up a Security Design Audit Team in the Ministry to provide independent checks and balances on the design of both new and existing security facilities. Good design plays a significant role in enhancing our security system and facilities. Sir, our security system can only be sound if our officers who run the system are well trained to stay vigilant at all times. Top management and commanding officers must be more "hands on" to ensure that ground officers are performing their duties properly. Sir, security work is a 24/7 job. It requires officers to be alert at all times. This can be challenging if the vehicle or human traffic is high, especially in airports, ferry terminals or customs checkpoints. For practical reasons, we need to adopt a risk-based approach towards security in certain places such as airports and customs checkpoints.”
“But human errors are more challenging to avoid or prevent as it would involve recruiting good people, providing quality training and changing the mindsets of existing staff. The Ministry must seriously look into these aspects to further strengthen and instil greater discipline in our security force. Sir, a more disturbing phenomenon is the confluence of factors leading to the security lapses. It shows that our lines of defence are not robust and independent. Every security officer at each line of defence thinks that somebody is doing his or her job in the other lines of defence, and thus slips into complacency. This situation is unhealthy and requires urgent attention. We must ensure that all officers at all lines of defence take responsibility and exercise due diligence to carry out their duties professionally. These lines of defence must be regularly "stress tested" to reduce possible breaches. Sir, I would like to highlight the lessons which we could learn from these security lapses, and urge the Ministry to update the House on the follow-up measures taken after these lapses. Sir, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are useless if they are not properly carried out by the respective officers at various security positions. First, the officers must understand the rationale behind these SOPs and adhere strictly to the procedures. Second, they must use their common sense and exercise more caution when faced with unusual or deviant situations. For example, the detection of a mismatch of fingerprints at the immigration counter should have prompted the immigration officer to conduct a more thorough check of the passenger.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore is a safe and secure place. Being one of the cities with the lowest crime rate in the world, Singaporeans and visitors alike feel safe and secure walking around our city at any time of the day. All these do not come about by chance. It is due to the continuing commitment and dedication of the Home Affairs Ministry, its Home Team and their community partners in planning our security system and conducting strict enforcement to make Singapore a safe haven for all. However, the safe and secure environment in Singapore has also created a false sense of security among Singaporeans; and thus resulted in a certain level of complacency among our staff and officers in the Home Team. Sir, the recent security lapses, namely, Mas Selamat Kastari's escape; the attempted escape of two detainees from the lock-up facility of the Subordinate Courts; and the passport mix-up incident at Changi Airport, have revealed certain weaknesses in our security system. The lapses have also affected public confidence in our security system; dampened the morale of our Home Team; and dented Singapore's reputation. Although the findings from these security lapses have identified a confluence of factors and human errors as contributing causes, we should not take comfort that our security system is sound. Sir, security lapses are security lapses. Whether it is due to systemic faults or human errors, the outcomes are the same and could have serious consequences. In Mas Selamat's case, we now have one terrorist leader at large, which might pose serious security threats to our country. I am indeed very concerned that the recent security lapses are attributed mainly to human errors. Sir, very often, systemic failures could be addressed once and for all.”
“Sir, the COI's findings have actually identified some security lapses in a few areas. One, I think, is the design of the security facilities, the family visitation centre and also the surrounding. I was just wondering when was this facility actually converted into a family visitation centre and whether there was a security design audit done before it was authorised to use as a family visitation centre. Also, there are lapses in the custodial protocol. I was just wondering, for example, what kind of training and SOPs are actually in place to ensure that there is always a line of sight between the guards and the detainees. Of course, in this case, the design of the urinal cubicle with a folding door is a wrong design for sure because not many places have folding doors for urinal cubicles. The third area is whether there is an alert protocol where any guard who detects anything wrong, there is an immediate alert system, like through a whistle system, that will help to alert the rest of the guards so that they can be on alert to prevent the escape. Sir, there are also some queries by the public with regard to the independence of the COI panel. Some mentioned that two of the members actually had or have some association with the Ministry. So, how can the Minister ensure that the investigation is fair and balanced, and is also in the interest of the country? The third question which I would like to ask is this. The Mas Selamat escape has actually affected congestion at our land checkpoints. What are the measures we have in place so far to ease the congestion and whether there are measures to prevent further congestion, especially if there is illegal or unauthorised exit of our goods and human out of Singapore?”
“Sir, I have two questions for the Minister: (1) What is MTI doing to further enhance competition among the petrol companies so as to contain pump prices in Singapore? (2) Are MTI and CASE monitoring petrol prices to ensure fair trading for consumers?”
“Sir, in today's pervasive multi-media communication channels and Internet, it has become impossible for the Government to control all television and radio installations and broadcasting. Thus, the purpose of TV and radio licensing is obsolete and redundant. We should abolish the need to apply for radio and TV licence in Singapore. I understand the standard answer from the Ministry is that the proceeds from the licence fee is necessary to fund news reporting and community-based programmes. Sir, I do not agree that TV and radio users should pay for such public programmes. These programmes should instead be funded by the Government or through advertisements. The collection of $12 TV and radio licence is tedious and not cost effective. Lots of public resources were used to recover the $12 arrears, and many court hours were used for prosecution. Sir, I urge the Government to abolish the licensing scheme for TV and radio. Official Information”
“Sir, I wish to thank the DPM and the SMOS for their comprehensive answers to all our cuts. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $2,526,027,400 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $387,819,200 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head N - Ministry of Foreign Affairs”
“One clarification. I just want to check whether using high-powered boats is a common method of trafficking drugs into Singapore. If yes, what measures are in place to prevent it?”
“Sir, I have two clarifications. One is on the Mas Selamat escape. I just want to check with the Minister when the independent investi gation panel will finish the investigations and whether the panel will report its findings or recommendations to this House. The second clarification is on drug abuse. I think we should not take comfort that the increase in drug abuse cases in Singapore is due to the increase in production in the region. What it shows is that our barriers are not watertight. As a result, drugs are being available and trafficked into Singapore for abusers. So we should instead focus our effort on measures to strengthen our barriers and to monitor drug abusers in Singapore. I hope the Minister can elaborate on measures taken to strengthen the barriers and whether we are deploying more sniffer dogs to prevent trafficking.”
“Sir, this is indeed a sad situation. Driving on our roads is no longer a pleasant experience.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister: (1) What measures are in place to ensure that road safety is properly taught in driving schools? (2) Are the existing road safety and courtesy programmes effective in improving drivers' driving behaviour and reducing accidents? (3) How many police officers are deployed to conduct enforcement of road safety? (4) How frequent do police patrol the roads, especially after midnight hours? Sir, in Singapore, we have good roads and fast cars, but we do not have many good drivers. Each year, about 200 drivers and pedestrians are killed on our roads. Another 12,000 people were injured due to road accidents. This situation raises questions on our road safety rules and culture in Singapore. Sir, some road accidents are unavoidable, but the majority of them can be prevented if we have a comprehensive road safety system in Singapore. There are many limitations in our road safety system. First, new drivers do not undergo very stringent road safety training or learning how to drive. Every driving school has its own standard and syllabus for its driving lessons. There is hardly any quality control to ensure that all new drivers adopt good road safety practices upon passing. Second, new drivers on probation can have access to high capacity engine cars or motorbikes. These new drivers do not have enough experience and thus do not know how to handle such powerful high-powered driving machines. Thus, we have recently witnessed a few fatal accidents along Dunearn Road and Upper Thomson Road, resulting in the deaths of five young Singaporeans. Third, more drivers are driving recklessly, such as speeding, tailgating and drink-driving. Fourth, there is a lack of police enforcement on reckless and dangerous driving after midnight hours.”
“Sir, in Singapore, you can gamble every day. Mondays and Thursdays are for Toto betting. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays are for 4-D betting. Horse racing is on every Saturday and Sunday. Big Sweep, you can bet once a month. And soccer betting is available almost everyday, depending on the matches. If you miss all of the above, you can still take a cruise to nowhere and gamble at a casino any day. So the high accessibility has created a new industry in Singapore, that is, illegal moneylending or loanshark services. In recent years, we have seen a first in loanshark harassment cases. On average, about 4,000 to 5,000 households were harassed by loansharks yearly. This rampant loanshark activity has affected the safety of our residents and their quality of life. Sir, Singaporeans are aware of the moneylending and debt collection tactics of loansharks and yet many have resorted to borrowing money from loansharks. Why is it so? It is due to gambling. I foresee this problem will be further aggravated when the two Integrated Resorts are operational. The Police must take immediate concrete action to curb loanshark activities. May I ask the Minister why is there a sudden increase in loanshark activities? How many reported loanshark cases were resolved by the Police? What are the strategies or measures to prevent loanshark activities in Singapore? What are the education efforts by Police on loansharks? Are these efforts effective in educating Singaporeans not to borrow from loansharks? 12.15 pm”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister what measures are taken to curb the rise of Subutex and heroin abuse? Are the barriers to prevent drug trafficking effective at our customs and coastal areas? What additional measures can be taken to prevent drug trafficking? Why are sniffer dogs not extensively used to detect drug trafficking at our customs entry points? How many drug abuse cases were arrested due to ground intelligence or through informants? Sir, the recent rise in the abuse of Subutex and heroin is a disturbing trend. We should not accept the reason that the increase is attributed to the implementation of Subutex as a controlled drug. In fact, it shows weaknesses in our drug enforcement regime. Our barriers to drug trafficking are not watertight, despite Singapore being a small island. Ground intelligence is also insufficient to arrest drug traffickers, pushers and abusers and the surveillance system to track repeat offenders has failed. Sir, if big land mass countries like Australia and New Zealand can set up stringent customs and immigration control to prohibit food products being brought into their countries, I do not understand why Singapore cannot set up a more robust customs and immigration control system to curb drug trafficking. The Australians and New Zealanders use sniffer dogs extensively to deter food and drug trafficking irrespective of religious or racial sensitivities. We must do likewise and adopt more measures such as deployment of sniffer dogs, scanners and extensive visual checks to strengthen our barriers to drug trafficking.”
“Sir, we should not take comfort that self-radicalised individuals are inevitable, and let our guards down in strengthening our vigilance in particular our efforts to engage the community. We should set up more vigilance, self-radicalised terrorism watch groups among family members, religious organisations and the community. I propose that the Ministry develop a simple checklist for community stakeholders to detect individuals who have radical religious beliefs and are potential terrorists. We need to equip the community stakeholders to take on a proactive and vigilant role to strengthen our security safety net. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What are the Ministries multi-pronged approaches to curb self-radicalised terrorists; (2) What measures are taken to increase community vigilance to prevent self-radicalised terrorism; (3) How can the Ministry encourage more young people to learn religious teachings from mainstream religious institutions; and (4) How can the Ministry monitor over 6,000 radical religious websites or reduce their influence on young Singaporeans? Emergency Preparedness”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, I am indeed very surprised to learn that JI leader Mas Selamat, a limping detainee, can escape from our detention centre yesterday. This has indeed raised concerns about our Police Force vigilance and security operating procedures. Sir, may I ask the Minister what level of security was imposed on Mas Selamat while in detention? How did he manage to escape from the detention centre? What is the status in the manhunt for Mas Selamat? Will the Police be conducting a Board of Inquiry into the incident and report to this House the findings of the inquiry? As Mas Selamat is still at large, it has raised public concerns on their safety. What is the Police's advice to the general public at this point of time? Sir, Mas Selamat escaped at 4.05 pm yesterday. I received news of his escape through Channel NewsAsia and SMS alert at 8.42 pm. May I know why the Ministry took so long, four hours, to inform the public? Mas Selamat is unarmed, unlike Dave Teo's case. So why can we not involve the public to help to arrest him? Sir, the recent arrest of three self-radicalised potential terrorists had shown that terrorism threats are real in Singapore. Despite much efforts by the authorities and various stakeholders, three young educated Singaporeans can be influenced to wage militant jihad. The easy access to radical teaching, religious teachings through the Internet over 6,000 radical websites and a large proportion of Singapore's Muslim youth, about 40%, who do not have formal religious instructions pose major concerns to the security of Singapore.”
“Madam, I thank the Deputy Prime Minister and the Senior Minister of State for their comprehensive replies. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $159,581,000 for Head R ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $158,165,000 for Head R ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY REPORTING PROGRESS”
“(2) What is the profile of cases handled at the Community Legal Clinics at North West and South East CDCs; and (3) What are the public education programmes conducted by the Ministry? Legal Aid Bureau”
“Madam, since the opening of the pilot Community Legal Clinics at North West and South East CDCs in 2007, more than 1,100 residents have sought legal advice on many personal issues. This clearly shows the need for such free legal advice at the community. Many residents cannot afford to engage a lawyer to represent them for matters such as divorce, personal protection, claims or dispute settlements. As a result, many have not resolved their problems and are suffering in silence. Providing accessible and affordable legal advice and information is instrumental to exercising human rights. Very often, the lower income or working class people are at a disadvantage when faced with legal issues. Many have been conned into purchasing dubious consumer products or services, property transactions, investments, renovation works or involved in family and neighbour disputes. Without proper legal advice, most of them do not know how to exercise their rights and take legal action to safeguard their interests and also to eradicate these conmen or dubious companies from operating in Singapore. Madam, we need to provide more protection to the vulnerables in our society, especially the elderly, children and the ill-informed. More public education programmes on legal rights should be conducted to protect these vulnerables so as to prevent them from being abused or cheated. I would urge the Ministry to identify common legal issues faced by Singaporeans and take preventive measures to prevent the re-occurrences of such problems. Madam, I wish to ask the Ministry the following questions: (1) What are the Ministry's plan to expand the Community Legal Clinics to provide pro bono legal services for Singaporeans, especially the heartlanders?”
“Madam, I would like to quote a comment by a criminal lawyer, Mr Subhas Anandan, as reported in the Straits Times on 25th January 2008: 'Criminal lawyers are going into a trial blindfolded with one arm tied behind their backs.' This situation of our Criminal Procedure Code is indeed unsatisfactory and does not give due consideration to the rights of the defendants if this comment of Mr Anandan is true. The Law Society has called for the review of the discovery process whereby defence lawyers can have early access to documents and information pertaining to criminal cases before the trial. This will provide a more level playing field for the prosecutors and defence lawyers, and would enable the defendants a better chance to defend his or her case. We need to address the Criminal Procedure Code so as to ensure transparency and a fairer trial for all criminal cases. Review of Criminal Procedure Code/Liberalisation of Legal Profession”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head R of the Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, in recent years, the legal services sector has encountered various challenges, such as shortage of lawyers, criminal breach of trust involving lawyers and many other complaints on the professional conduct of our lawyers. This problem is further compounded by the barriers to the legal profession in Singapore and the brain drain and attrition of lawyers, in particular, practising lawyers. [Mdm Deputy Speaker (Ms Indranee Rajah) in the Chair] 5.10 pm In August 2006, the Law Minister appointed Justice V K Rajah to chair a committee to review the legal services sector. The committee recently announced its recommendations which were accepted by the Government. I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What is the Government's action plan in implementing the recommendations of V K Rajah's report? What are the desired outcomes and key performance indicators of the report? (2) What measures are in place to increase the supply of lawyers in Singapore? Are there plans to set up more law schools? (3) What mechanisms are in place to promote professionalism and proper conduct of lawyers? (4) How can client's interest be protected due to the failure of professional service delivery by lawyers? Criminal Procedure Code Madam, on my second cut, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (1) What is the Ministry's plan to review the Criminal Procedure Code? (2) How does the Criminal Procedure Code compare with other jurisdictions in terms of transparency on protection of individual rights?”
“Sir, all new citizens have different motivations in choosing to be Singapore citizens – some for their own career advancements, some to grow their investments or expand their businesses and some for their children's future. New citizens come from various ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. As such, it is a challenge for new citizens to first settle down in Singapore, and then bond with fellow Singaporeans in a multi-racial and multi-religious society. With a growing population of new citizens, we need to do more to integrate our population. The setting up of the Integration and Naturalisation Champion (INC) at each constituency is a first step in the correct direction in integrating new citizens. However, feedback from my INC shows that many new citizens do not understand Singapore's history and heritage, do not understand our political system and achievements, and also do not understand our cultures and living habits. Sir, we need to provide resources to support the integration efforts of the INC. New citizens should be encouraged to participate in community activities and play an active role in community bonding and integration. Sir, one barrier to integration is actually language. I would like to urge the Government to consider providing free or subsidised language courses, especially English or Chinese, for new citizens. This will definitely facilitate communication and integration. I wish to ask the Minister the following questions: (a) What are the key initiatives implemented to integrate new citizens with existing Singaporeans? How do we measure the effectiveness of these integration programmes? (b) How do we measure new citizen integration? (c) What are the plans to develop a sense of identity and ownership among all Singaporeans? Population Policy”
“Sir, besides food, the Government should also encourage competition among the oil and energy firms in Singapore. In recent years, the rise in petrol prices in Singapore is unusually steep as compared to the movements of crude oil prices worldwide. Maybe we should also promote house brands for petrol, and allow more house brand petrol kiosks to operate in Singapore. Simple no-frills house brand petrol kiosks can be set up near major supermarkets or outskirt areas, such as industrial estates or agricultural land, to enhance business competition. (d) Lifelong learning Sir, I fully support the transfer of $800 million into the Lifelong Learning Fund. With rapid globalisation and a fast-ageing population, Singaporeans will face structural unemployment more frequently. Therefore, we need to develop a lifelong learning culture among our people, especially those who are more vulnerable to changing economic conditions. To facilitate lifelong learning for adults, we need to provide easy access and affordable courses. I would propose that all schools, ITE, and higher institutions of learning be provided with incentives and grants to conduct adult learning programmes. Good teachers and lecturers should be encouraged to provide consultancy services to conduct these adult learning programmes. I would urge the Government to provide higher training allowances to encourage lifelong learning. In this way, we will increase the earning capabilities and capacities of the lower income groups, thus bridging the income gap. Sir, I support the motion. 3.00 pm”
“(b) Allowance for the elderly and the disabled Sir, the elderly and disabled are facing a challenging time coping with rising inflation especially in transport and medical costs. Many elderly and disabled are unable to take public transport to seek medical treatment, and have no choice but to take taxis. The rise in taxi fare has posed a severe financial burden on the elderly and disabled. To be an inclusive society, we must address the needs of the elderly and disabled holistically. Sir, I would urge the Finance Minister to be more compassionate, and grant a transport allowance to the needy elderly (ie, those holding the Primary Care Partnership Scheme or PCPS cards, which means that they have been means-tested) and the disabled. In addition, I would urge that more grant be given to expand the scope of services of the PCPS scheme to include outpatient services for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases. (c) Coping with rising inflation Sir, I support the Government's approach to diversify our food sources to cope with rising inflation. We must identify a list of essential food items which require diversification of supply sources. This will not only build the resilience of our food supply but also encourage competition among suppliers. Sir, to further address rising food prices, the Government must also enhance business competition. Promoting house brands can save money but may not lower prices. Therefore, we should instead facilitate business innovation and competition to bring prices down. I would urge the Government to increase the supply of food outlets so that consumers have more choices. Promoting business competition will definitely improve services and contain price increases.”
“At my weekly Meet-the-People session, I have seen many cases of families over-committing their financial means to purchase expensive electrical and electronic appliances using hire purchase arrangements. These families have eventually fallen into debt traps and suffered financial hardships. Sir, the Government must address this problem of easy credit for the purchase of home appliances. By facilitating the purchase of such appliances, we are encouraging unnecessary consumption of resources and being environmentally unfriendly. I would urge the Government to do more to protect these vulnerable consumers, and prevent them from becoming ComCare clients. Sir, to show Singapore's commitment to environment protection, I would urge the Finance Minister to consider setting up an Environment Care Endowment Fund where the proceeds of this fund could be used to support public outreach efforts to build a green culture among Singaporeans and residents in Singapore. (2) ComCare assistance (a) ComCare financial assistance quantum Sir, I welcome the top-up grant of $200 million into the ComCare fund. This will further strengthen our social safety net to help more needy Singaporeans to be self-reliant. With more funding for ComCare, I wish to urge the Finance Minister to consider revising the quantum cap for various financial assistance schemes, in particular the Work Support Self Reliant (WSSR) programme . In order to help the needy to attain self-reliance as soon as possible, we need to provide more help to reduce their short-term burden. Thus, I would urge the Finance Minister to consider revising the $35 per month cap for service and conservancy charge, and $90 cap for utilities assistance for the WSSR programme in view of rising energy prices.”
“I would like to urge the Government to provide tax and import duties rebate for energy efficient electrical appliances so as to reduce the price differential between energy saving and non-energy saving electrical appliances. This will provide a boost to the use of energy-saving appliances in our built environment, thus reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Sir, I am indeed very happy that Singapore has won the bid to host the first Youth Olympics in 2010. This is a golden opportunity to drive the Singapore Team spirit further and propel Singapore to be a global city. As a responsible global citizen, Singapore must do its part to protect the environment. I would urge the Finance Minister to consider providing more Government grant to make our Olympic village at NUS a Green Olympic Village, incorporating green technologies and practices so as to inculcate a green culture among Singaporeans, especially the youths. Sir, last year, North West CDC launched an energy audit project whereby students from the National Junior College were tasked to conduct door-to-door public education on energy conservation to 3,000 households in our district. The results of the project were encouraging as many residents learned and applied these energy-saving tips, and saved between $20 and $70 in their monthly utilities bills. Sir, the Government should provide more resources to support all environmental groups to further their green efforts to develop a green culture in Singapore. Sir, as Singaporeans become more affluent, there is a tendency that people will become more wasteful and consume unnecessarily. I am particularly concerned about the easy hire purchase arrangements of electrical and electronic appliances.”
“Sir, in addition to the proposed $150,000 Fixtures and Fittings allowance for companies, the Government should provide more incentives for firms which install green fixtures and fittings in their premises. Otherwise, the allowance will spark off a wave of environmentally-unfriendly renovation activities in Singapore. Firms will be incentivised to renovate their premises without taking into consideration the impact on our environment. To effectively encourage green initiatives, the Government can list out approved green fixtures and fittings which qualify for the allowance. I would propose a double tax allowance for green fixtures and fittings. This will guide firms to be more environmentally friendly. (c) Green living products and services Sir, to further protect the environment, we need to adopt green living habits in our daily activities. Many environmental groups and Government agencies have organised many activities to increase the environmental awareness among Singaporeans. But we have yet to develop a green culture among our people. Sir, knowing environment protection is one thing, adopting green living habits is another. We need to focus our environmental efforts to be more outcome based instead. Sir, due to the hot and humid climate in Singapore, many Singaporeans have installed air-conditioning in their homes, and own refrigerators. These electrical appliances consume lots of energy, and incur high operating costs. Despite much effort by the Singapore Environment Council to encourage the use of energy efficient appliances such as the "4 ticks" air-conditioners and refrigerators, many consumers are not purchasing these energy-saving appliances as they are more costly.”
“Sir, the Government should provide more incentives or tax rebates on the vehicle registration fee and road tax for green vehicles. Higher COE rebate could also be given as an incentive for vehicle owners to switch to green vehicles earlier. In this way, we can expedite the replacement of our existing 800,000 petrol-driven vehicles into green vehicles, thus reducing air pollution drastically. (b) Green Mark buildings and sustainable construction Sir, as Singapore develops into a global city, there will be more new developments, more upgrading of the existing built environment, and more building maintenance activities. All these construction activities, if not properly controlled, will cause immense damage to the quality of our living environment. In addition, the use of building materials and equipment will also have an impact on the environment. Sir, although the Green Mark Building Scheme was introduced by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) in 2005, the take-up rate has been slow. To date, only 100 new buildings out of the thousands of buildings in Singapore are environmentally friendly. There is a lack of will power and incentives among developers and building owners to go green. Besides legislation, I would urge the Government to provide more tax incentives such as Green Property Tax rebate for Green Mark buildings. We should expand our Green Mark Building Scheme to include both new and existing buildings. We need not wait for major upgrading to go green - many building owners can adopt many green measures in maintenance works. For example, the town councils have been proactive in adopting various green measures in managing our HDB estates such as energy saving lightings, solar energy, water conservation bib taps, and the greening of our environment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Budget. Sir, feedback on this year's Budget has been good and positive. Many Singaporeans are pleased that the Government has provided some goodies to help them cope with the rising cost of living. The rich and middle class welcome the one-off 20% income tax rebate and the abolition of the estate duty, while the lower income group is happy to receive more growth dividends and top-ups. Sir, I support the key thrusts of the Budget to create a top quality economy, and build a resilient community. In this regard, I would like to propose the following suggestions for the Finance Minister to consider: (1) Encouraging environment protection Sir, the Budget has not provided much incentive to spearhead environmental initiatives. With the global concern on climate change and its impact on human, Singapore should take the lead in championing environmental protection initiatives. We should provide more green incentives to encourage both businesses and individuals to adopt environmentally-friendly practices. (a) Green vehicles At present, the green vehicle rebate is not attractive in persuading car owners to switch to hybrid or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cars. To date, there are only 1,000 hybrid and 500 CNG cars. Hybrid cars still run on petrol, and thus they are not that environmentally friendly. Sir, the lack of CNG pumping stations is a serious drawback to the implementation of CNG vehicles in Singapore. For instance, out of the 3,360 public buses, only 20 buses run on CNG, and 200 on diesel adopting Euro 4 emission standards. There are far fewer green buses in the private sector. Sir, we need to address this problem urgently in view of our congested roads where more cars will have more emissions in our built-up environment.”
“Sir, may I ask the Minister of State what is the student-teacher ratio for special needs schools?”
“These jokes are usually not intended to hurt the feelings of any races, religions or persons, but purely for entertainment purposes. In fact, cracking such jokes in casual settings among friends sometimes helps to strengthen friendships among people of different races or religions. May I ask the Minister whether words or acts on races or religions under such circumstances will also be a punishable offence under section 298? Sir, I support the Bill. 4.53 pm”
“In this way, we will be able to accord more protection for women in marriages. (3) Maintaining racial and religious harmony Sir, I support that the amendment of section 298 will further promote racial and religious harmony among our people. The new section 298A will also set OB markers for people who have ill intention to cause friction among races or religions. Race and religion are sensitive matters and should be dealt with carefully, especially in a globalised and cosmopolitan society like Singapore. We must continue to provide choices for Singaporeans to choose their religious beliefs. Sir, there is a thin line between promoting religion and promoting enmity between different groups of people on grounds of religion. Believing in a religion must be a "draw" instead of a "push" initiative by individuals. The Government should focus its efforts to further increase the awareness of our people on the different types of religions in Singapore, and allow free choices among our people. The aggressive promotion of religion by any religious group will usually result in unhealthy competition, and tension among different religious groups, thus disrupting our national unity. I would propose that the Home Affairs Ministry work closely with the Ministry of Community Development, Youths and Sports to provide guidelines to all religious organisations to comply with section 298. Sir, I wish to clarify with the Minister whether cracking casual jokes on races or religions among friends will constitute an offence under section 298. Very often, casual racial or religious jokes or remarks are used in the arts and cultural performances as a form of entertainment.”
“It is also difficult and not practical to identify circumstances where sex between them is non-consensual unless explicitly expressed by the husband or wife. Therefore, I support the Ministry's approach to take a calibrated approach to protect the rights of women and privacy of marriages. Sir, a report by The Times (London) on 26th November 2002 revealed that conviction rate for rape had fallen over the years (8% in 1999-2000) while the acquittal rate had risen (60% in 1999). One contributing factor of the fall is the difficulty faced by forensic medical examiner to collect evidence of rape. It will be even more difficult to collect evidence of rape for married couples especially when there is a need to determine whether consent was given. Consent for sex may not necessarily be given just before sex between married couples. Thus, it will be difficult to gather evidence on marital rape. Sir, removing marital immunity for rape will not address the problem of husbands who force their wives to have sex. We should instead focus on helping women in marriage to exercise their rights to protect themselves, and not suffer in silence by having forced sex in their marriages. Women in strained marital relationships should exercise their rights to express their non-consent for sex with their husbands through divorce, separation or court injunction order. These procedures provide clear intention of no consent for sexual activities between married couples, and thus will remove the immunity of husbands under section 375. I would propose that the Ministry provide more flexibility in section 375(4) to allow the Minister to add new circumstances where no consent for sex was expressed by wives, thus removing marital immunity for rape.”
“Sir, I would like to propose to the Minister to reconsider the three years' maximum sentence for sex grooming offenders. We should instead impose mandatory jail sentence for such offences. This will serve as a strong deterrence for sex predators of minor in Singapore. As for commercial sex against minor under 18, I fully support that we should send a clear message to curb the demand for child prostitution both in and outside Singapore. Sections 376B, C and D will enhance the protection of child's rights, and hopefully, reduce child trafficking or abduction for sexual services. As reported in today's Straits Times, the child sex industry is thriving in South-East Asia, despite some high profile prosecution of child sex abuse cases. The key failures are due to homegrown demand for child sex and the lack of co-operation among governments. Sir, I am indeed very concerned about the effectiveness of sections 376B, C and D. We must do more to curb demand for child sex and punish child sex offenders heavily. Thus, I propose we increase the maximum two years' sentence under section 376B. Can the Minister provide more details as to how we can effectively enforce section 376C on commercial sex with minor under 18 outside Singapore? (2) Marital immunity for rape Sir, I share the concerns expressed by AWARE (Association of Women for Action and Research) with regard to section 375 of the Penal Code. Rape is indeed a serious crime and should not be condoned under any circumstances or relationships both within and outside marriages. Sex between adults must be consensual and non-violent. But the sexual relationship between husband and wife is a very private matter.”
“Very often, the Police cannot obtain evidence to bring the cases to court as the victims are not able or will not testify. As such, many of these offenders were not punished and were given only a warning. This is a serious loophole in the law. Although the number of child sex abuse cases in Singapore is low, I wish to ask the Minister as to how many cases of child sex abuse were not prosecuted in courts due to the lack of evidence by the Police over the last five years. With the provisions of section 376, will these new sexual offences provide adequate protection to minors and deter sex predators? Sir, in Scotland, the Parliament has passed a legislation which provides jail sentences of up to 10 years for paedophiles who groom children for unlawful sex. But the new section 376E of the Bill only provides a penalty of a maximum term of imprisonment of three years for sex grooming. This may be inadequate to deter sex predators from grooming minors for sex. Furthermore, section 376E stipulates that the offender must at least meet or communicate with the minor twice before action could be taken against him. Sir, why is there a need to have at least two contacts to prove sex grooming? In today's context, an offender can spend hours grooming a child through a single Internet chat, and thereafter, lure her for sex. I do not think it is necessary to impose the two contacts requirement to prove sex grooming. Evidence from the Internet communication will be sufficient to reveal the intention of the sex predator, and he should be punished accordingly, irrespective of the number of times he meets or communicates with the victim. Therefore, we should remove the two contacts requirements as stated in section 376E.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. Sir, the proposed changes to the Penal Code will provide more protection to the vulnerables in our society, especially young children. These changes are long overdue as the last major revision of the Penal Code was in 1984. Over the last 23 years, Singapore has seen changes in our societal norms. Today, there is extensive use of new technologies such as Internet, mobile phones, and electronic devices by our people. New crimes have also emerged due to these societal changes and new technologies. As such, the existing provisions in our Penal Code are inadequate to provide a comprehensive framework to prevent new crimes, and punish these new offenders appropriately. I fully support the amendments to provide further protection to minors from sex predators, additional measures to maintain racial and religious harmony among our people, and the provision of more discretion to our courts to mete out appropriate punishments for different offences. Sir, let me discuss the details of the Bill as follows: (1) Sexual acts against minors Sir, sexual act committed against minors, especially young children, is one of the most despicable crimes in any society. Child sex abuses will not only destroy the lives of young children but leave them with emotional and physical scars for a lifetime. In a report by The Daily Telegraph (London) on 12th June 2007, it was highlighted that over the last five years, almost 8,000 people (including rapists and child molesters) who admitted to sexual offences had not been proceeded against in court. These included 1,600 offences involving children (350 of them aged under 13 years and 250 rape offences).”
“Sir, one common problem faced by owners in collective sale is the fixing of vacant possession of their properties. It is almost impossible for all owners to agree on a same date as each one of them has their own requirements. I propose that the Act should provide a fixed duration where vacant possession is to be handled over to the purchaser of the collective sale (probably 12 months after the receipt of sale proceeds). In this way, we can minimise disputes over the fixing of vacant possession date. Cooling-off period Sir, I fully support the introduction of a five-day cooling-off period to rescind the collective sale agreement. This will further protect the interests of owners, and prevent unprofessional practices by property agents to lure owners into signing the collective sale agreement. Clause 20 which requires the signing of collective sale agreement to be done in the presence of an advocate and solicitor will further prevent such unprofessional practices. Sir, the proposed Bill will further add clarity to the collective sale process of strata title development. It will facilitate en bloc and remove some ambiguities, thus making the collective sale process more transparent and fair. As there are many strata title developments presently undergoing en bloc, I would like to seek clarifications from the Minister as to whether the amendments will affect these developments retrospectively. Sir, I support the Bill. 1.56 pm”