Teo Ser Luck
Singapore
“Mr Chairman, Sir, in the initial days when I set up offices overseas – whether it is China, Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta – I used a translator for the local contracts as well as for meetings. Lately, I have been using online platforms, especially in China and also in Malaysia.”
“So, in this day and age, with the world changing really fast, and with social media and information overload, how is the SPF or how is the Ministry going to maintain that public trust and confidence in our Police Force?”
“We have to put in some of these funds, for example, the $300 million additional funds put it into agri-tech, would the agri-tech in future provide a more comparative and affordable pricing for some of what it produces or these technology startups would be able to scale overseas, globally, have a commercial aspect to that.”
“Chairman, I am a heavy user of technology. And when I started on a technology project, I created a first layer of programming and algorithm where the machines started to learn. With more data collected, more and more, the machine gets smarter and it could make intelligent decisions or informed decisions for me.”
“We have tight regulations on financial institutions in their lending platforms and also non-bank lending platforms in regulating them, making sure that they do not go beyond their means to lend out to those that they cannot do the Know Your Customer survey or assess their credit readiness.”
“I believe there are three aspects of transformation that will impact the workers directly. First, the job redesign, change in the process, change in the scope of the job. Second, job shift, the job itself is no longer available and they have to change sectors. Changing sectors also requires a mindset shift.”
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“For any cyclist, I would say that lights and helmets are necessary as far as safety is concerned. Whether the law requires it or not, I do not have the answer, I need to review that. But, I would say that, as a cyclist and for safety measures, helmet is necessary because it can actually save a life. When cycling accidents happen and they are fatal, a lot of times, it is because they were not wearing helmets. Lights are necessary because you are the vulnerable road user. It is important to remain visible to motorists so that they can avoid your path. So, let me review that and come back to him.”
“What Tampines has done and is still experimenting – they have extended the trial – is that they have volunteer wardens who have been quite successful in the way they have done their enforcement. The community must help themselves, in order to get this going. Singaporeans, especially the cyclists, road users and pedestrians, must learn how to accommodate one another. When the cyclists are on the road, they are the vulnerable lot. When the cyclists are on the footways, then the pedestrians become the vulnerable lot. So we all have to learn to be able to accommodate one another in that limited space that we have. If we can do that, we can be a more gracious society. Right now, I can only say that we will continue to educate, put more efforts in there, and we will explore with different ways to see how we can make cycling safer on the roads so that we can encourage more people to make use of this inter-modal transportation by cycling to the transport nodes to take MRT or buses.”
“For the first question, what else can be done for the safety of cyclists on the roads, especially the heartlands, in fact, on the main roads as well – I cycle frequently, so I understand the dangers, and I pray before I cycle everyday. We know that the road space is scarce, so we cannot be drawing lanes. It could be possible in the future but not now because there are still limitations in terms of the space that we can have for just a lane dedicated to cyclists. So what we can do now is education and providing cycling signages just to make sure that motor vehicle drivers, road users know that there is a vulnerable group of cyclists on the road. And the education part would not be just for the vehicle owners but also for the cyclists. As we know, some cyclists, if they are riding really fast, they may sometimes find it difficult to stop or reduce their momentum and may sometimes not obey traffic rules. So education has to be on both sides. And we will have to do the best we can in terms of this education, not just to schools but to the different cycling groups in Singapore, where possible. Currently, there is an experiment with cycling on footways. Some footways can be widened, but some cannot. For those footways which cannot be widened, we are studying and reviewing whether demarcation is possible. But that itself has also a limitation because if we demarcate, say, draw a line, there may still be overlapping. Cyclists may just cut across into the pedestrian path. We have to review and experiment with different methods, because we know that the number of cyclists has continued to grow and there are more cyclists on the road. That actually brings me to the Member's next question: how do we make sure there is enforcement?”
“TP's continuing education and publicity efforts on road safety centre on the need for motorists to pay special attention to vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. To further protect the safety of cyclists on the roads, LTA has also worked together with the Safe Cycling Task Force (SCTF), which is a community task force formed to ensure cyclists are safe on the roads, to install more than a hundred signs alerting motorists of the presence of cyclists along frequently-used cycling routes, such as those in the West Coast, the Thomson areas and Changi coastal roads. Cyclists also have a part to play towards their own safety. TP works closely with the Singapore Amateur Cycling Association (SACA) on safety education measures for cyclists. Last year, a total of 14 road safety talks were conducted, covering the pre-riding checklist, like wearing helmets and lights on the bicycle, safe cycling tips and case studies of traffic accidents involving cyclists. Another 41 road safety exhibitions providing safety tips for cyclists were also held at HDB neighbourhoods, primary and secondary schools, and workplaces. Safety, whether it is for cyclists on the roads or for pedestrians on footways, is a shared responsibility. Different groups of commuters have to play their part by adhering to the relevant traffic rules and regulations, and they have to exercise graciousness, mutual accommodation and due consideration for others when using these common spaces.”
“This extension will allow the Tripartite Committee to step up public education, strengthen enforcement, increase the number of volunteer cycling wardens, and also conduct a feasibility study on improving cycling infrastructure, such as selective widening of shared footways, before making a final decision for Tampines itself. In the meantime, for all other areas of Singapore, Rule 28 of the Road Traffic Rules still applies, that is, cyclists should ride on the roads only and not on pedestrian footways. So in answer to Ms Jessica Tan's question, cyclists and motorcyclists caught riding on barrier-free access paths meant for pedestrians can be summoned by the Traffic Police. If they were found to have breached a Road Traffic Rule, it would be an offence under section 131 of the Road Traffic Act, which attracts a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine or three months' imprisonment for the first offence, and a $2,000 fine or six months' imprisonment for a second or subsequent offence. In cases where the cyclist or motorcyclist conducts himself recklessly to endanger the safety of others, he may also be punished under the Penal Code. What has not changed is that in Singapore's land-scarce context, we do not have the luxury of space to develop a comprehensive network of dedicated cycling lanes on our roads. Our focus remains on making it safe for various road users to share the space that we have. To that end, Traffic Police adopts a holistic approach towards promoting safe and gracious sharing of our roads through comprehensive education of and outreach efforts to both motorists and cyclists.”
“Sir, with your permission, I would like to take Question Nos. 15, 16 and 17 together because they relate to the same topic on cycling. Ms Irene Ng asked if the Ministry has made a policy shift with regard to cycling as a mode of transport. The Ministry used to view cycling as a form of recreation. But we now also recognise that it is an additional or alternative mode of transport for intra-town travel and short trips to key transport nodes, in other words, what we call inter-modal transportation modes. To facilitate cycling for such trips, we have embarked on a range of initiatives. First, as announced in the Land Transport Masterplan, LTA will provide more and better bicycle parking facilities at MRT stations and bus interchanges from 2009 onwards. This will take place progressively, with priority given to towns with relatively high demand. Second, LTA has worked with the public transport operators to conduct a six-month trial to test the safety and feasibility of allowing foldable bicycles on board buses and trains, during weekends and off-peak periods. The trial is currently ongoing. Third, we are exploring the feasibility of allowing cyclists to share pedestrian footways in selected towns, depending on local conditions. To that end, a Tripartite Committee comprising LTA, the Traffic Police (TP) and the grassroots organisations is conducting a trial in Tampines Town, to study the extent to which local residents are prepared to share a common footway with cyclists safely and with mutual accommodation. The trial, originally scheduled for a year, has now been extended for another six months to January next year.”
“Yes, I have the statistics for the different stadiums, from 7.30 am to 8.30 am, 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm. These figures show that, after 7.30 am, significantly, there is a reduction of the utilisation of stadiums and the number of joggers who go there to jog before 8.30 am, and then subsequently there is no request after 8.30 am from the users to open up later than that. I agree that maybe lifestyles have changed, people may be working late or working very early and they want to schedule their exercise timing or routine at different time slots. We are definitely willing to consider. If we look at what happens in other countries, there are also stadiums that are open 24 hours. Obviously, we are more than willing to look at letting the stadiums or other sports complexes stay open, if there is a demand in that area. We definitely want the utilisation to be better, as compared to today. So, we are open to that idea. We will definitely review that. In different areas and locations, there may be different levels of demand. We are open to that.”
“Sir, the opening hours of Singapore Sports Council (SSC) stadiums are based on public demand. A demand survey conducted in 2006 reflected that the public supported opening stadiums as early as 4.30 am for early birds to exercise before going to work. The survey also indicated that the number of joggers to the stadiums decreased significantly by about 50% after 7.30 pm. SSC has therefore decided that an appropriate closing time would be 8.30 pm. And SSC has, so far, not received any call from the public to extend the closing time beyond 8.30 pm. In considering the opening hours of the stadiums, we have to ensure that there is a consistent demand, which has to be balanced against the cost outlay.”
“The monitoring is conducted over a period of time. If there is a request for it, we will certainly be willing to share that. I urge and encourage the Member to let us know which period he will be looking at and what data he will be looking for and we will be willing to share. SINGAPORE'S RESERVES AND INVESTMENTS 4. Ms Eunice Elizabeth Olsen asked the Minister for Finance whether the global market turmoil is putting our reserves and investments at risk.”
“If the LTA decides to put in the gantries and levy ERP charges, all the conditions on the road would have been considered, whether it is a traffic junction or car movements. Basically, when the speed has consistently gone below the threshold level, with all these factors being considered, that is when it would be activated. I understand Mr Liang's concerns that the traffic flow itself might not be as heavy as it would be compared to weekdays. The ERP is a responsive system. It takes in all the changes in driving habits or lifestyle. We will also look at whether our benchmark today at 20 kilometres per hour for the arterial roads there would still continue to function as well as it should. So, all this feedback is necessary, and I would encourage Members to let us know so that we can use that and continue to monitor and consider all this feedback in future.”
“Sir, the Members of this House and most members of the public understand that the purpose of the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) is to manage congestion on our roads. The need to manage congestion is applicable not just to weekdays, but also to Saturdays as well, and the extent to which we need to implement ERP would depend on traffic patterns. The Saturday ERP was first implemented at the Orchard Cordon in October 2005, and it serves to demarcate the Orchard Road area from the Central Business District (CBD) to better reflect the different traffic conditions along Orchard Road, which is predominantly retail, from the commercial developments in the other parts of the CBD. Since its implementation, the Orchard Cordon has successfully reduced the through traffic using the Orchard area as a by-pass route from more than 30% to about 20%. Now, motorists heading for Orchard Road do not have to compete with those whose destinations are outside of Orchard Road. The Bugis-Marina Centre Cordon is conceptually similar to the Orchard Cordon, and it serves to separate the shopping area, such as Suntec, from the commercial office-based areas, such as Shenton Way and Robinson Road. Prior to its implementation in July this year, LTA had found that the traffic conditions within the Bugis-Marina Centre Cordon had deteriorated below the optimal speed threshold on Saturdays. In the first four weeks of implementation, LTA has found that the traffic volume has reduced by about 20% on average, and speeds have risen to above 20 kilometres per hour. LTA will continue to monitor the traffic conditions in this area closely, and will adjust the ERP rates accordingly, if traffic conditions warrant it.”
“Why install 16 gantries? It is based at the entries and exits of the KPE. We have installed them, but that does not mean that we are activating them. As I have explained, it depends whether the speed falls below the threshold level. There were three gantries installed along the KPE before its opening in October 2007, but only one has been activated. This is because it is a gantry that mirrors the ECP gantry for traffic going up the Benjamin Sheares Bridge. The other two gantries are not activated because their speeds have not gone below the threshold level. So, these two are separate. We might install them so that we have a faster reaction time for safety reasons, but we may not activate them unless their speeds go below the threshold level. IMPOSITION OF ERP CHARGES ON SATURDAYS 3. Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Transport why it is necessary to impose ERP charges on Saturdays and whether there is a need to extend the ERP cordoning strategy to Saturdays as well.”
“The CTE tunnel, as Members know, is shorter. The installation for the KPE is due to the fact that this is a very long tunnel. There are safety concerns. Where the CTE is concerned, it does not pose that kind of risk at this point in time. But we will continue to monitor. We will look at how we have been installing the gantries in terms of timing and how we are activating them so far. But the activation is still based on the threshold speed of 45 kilometres per hour. As for installation, when there is paramount concern to the safety level, we will install it proactively.”
“On the first question on balancing cost and installation, I have mentioned in my answer that safety is of paramount concern. For the KPE, we are taking a very proactive approach to install the gantries, because the lead time of activating them has to be short due to the safety concern and the higher risk in the long tunnel. This is the longest tunnel we have ever had. It is nine kilometres long, and there is a higher risk in the tunnel compared to surface roads if there is congestion. So, we wanted to take safety precautions and installed the gantries first. But it does not change how we activate it. We will only activate it when the speed is below the threshold level. The activation rationale and policy do not change, but the installation consideration may be different.”
“I want to clarify that the two projects are separate sales exercises. The projects were launched three months apart, and it was made clear to the applicants upfront that applications submitted would only apply for that particular project. Applicants participated in the balloting, and subsequent booking process, with the clear knowledge that should they not select a unit if given a chance, they will have to re-apply and re-ballot in subsequent projects. As such, HDB cannot change the rule by placing unsuccessful applicants from an earlier BTO project in the front of a queue of a subsequent project, as suggested. It will not have been fair to the applicants who have booked a unit in the first project if applicants behind them in the queue are allowed to choose from not just the list of remnant flats, but also from a whole new batch of flats. The Member also asked if HDB would be changing its current system to make it easier for flat applicants in future. HDB will take this feedback into consideration in its regular reviews. Er Lee Bee Wah: I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State, in the application for Phase 1, has everyone been called up for the selection of the flats or some of them were not given a chance at all? And for those who were not given a chance, will they be given a chance in Phase 2 or do they have to submit a fresh application?”
“It will take time. If they can live up to the expectation and they can train and move themselves up to the expectation of organising F1 race, I think certainly we would let them take over as soon as possible. But I think at this point in time, they know what they are lacking. There are a lot of gaps to be covered. We would like to give them some time to learn and I think as long as they take the time to learn and to be able to equip themselves with the necessary skillsets and when they are ready, it will be handed over. UNSUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS IN NEW HDB PROJECT 15. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for National Development (a) why unsuccessful applicants in the first phase of a new HDB project are not automatically invited to the second phase of the project without having to submit a fresh application; and (b) will HDB change its current system to make it easier for its flat applicants. The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, I believe the Member is referring to the two Build-To-Order (BTO) projects in Yishun which HDB launched for sale in December 2007 and March 2008 respectively. The first project, Jade Spring @ Yishun, was launched as an independent contract under the December 2007 BTO exercise. As this project had received good response, HDB expedited the design of another BTO project in Yishun for launch in March 2008. The intention was to provide flat buyers with another opportunity to apply for a flat in this vicinity. As the second BTO project was adjacent to the first site, HDB called it Jade Spring @ Yishun Phase 2. This may have inadvertently given the impression that they were under the same BTO exercise.”
“For the first question on whether there were additional resources to be invested in SMSA, certainly, because with the F1 race, SMSA plays a very integral part in organising the F1 race. Apart from training its marshals and some of the volunteers, we are also looking at having different experts to come in to train our officials of SMSA and also to encourage them to organise more community events that will promote motor sports throughout Singapore. For the SMSA funding that is under review right now, we are looking at motor sports as one of our key sports disciplines that we want to actually invest in, especially with the F1 race that will be organised in the next five years. Apart from the location in Changi, we are also looking at other places as well for karting and the consideration that we have today is we need the support from the advisors as well to tell us if they are also keen to have a karting circuit in their areas. But at this point in time, we would like to focus on the priority which would be the Changi race circuit and, thereafter, we would look at other possibilities around Singapore.”
“Sir, first, I would like to thank Ms Irene Ng for making such a compelling case for cycling. At the same time, I would like to thank Mrs Josephine Teo for bringing up park-and-ride. It should be ride-and-park, ie, ride first and then we park, because my topic is still about cycling. I declare my interest as a daily cyclist using the road every day. I am also very encouraged that we are actually accommodating more cyclists, but not on the road, because we are moving the cyclists from the road to the pavements, so we are riding more on the pavements. I would actually have preferred that we should implement more safety measures for cyclists on the road before going on the pavement to cycle, because we do not want to endanger other pedestrians. Still, I applaud the Ministry for putting up road signs to create awareness of cyclists on the road since last year's work cooperation with the Safe Cycling Task Force. Twenty-four road signs may seem a small step for the LTA or the Ministry, but it is a big step for the cycling community. So I look forward to the day when our citizens can consider cycling as a form of transport. As I read the Land Transport Review, I would like to know what are the plans for cycling in the future, and would appreciate it if the Minister could share with us whether there is any possibility of getting a cycling lane on the road.”
“I thank Mr Seah Kian Peng for the question. The NSA's governance and management is always a challenge because we are dealing with more than 50 NSAs in Singapore. So everyone has different standards of management and different qualities of volunteers as well. This is a constant challenge. So we are going to attempt to set up a NSA Advisory Committee. Why? Because we want to share the best practices. A good example is sailing. Sailing has a very good youth development programme over eight or nine years. The programme has been successful in producing champions. We hope that they can share these best practices with the other NSAs. Of course, there will always be NSAs that have spent a fair amount of investments, and yet the results do not equate to the investments that they have actually put in. So this is something that we have to work very hard on. 7.00 pm I hope, through the Youth Olympic Games, that we can put in more resources and focus on youth development and build up a pipeline of young athletes and champions so that, in future, even after 2010, we will have a stream of successful athletes that are able to represent Singapore in international games.”
“This is testament to the ideal that our dreams and aspirations can come true as long as we have the passion and commitment to succeed. We will continue to sow the seeds for a future Singapore that will be anchored by an inspired and committed youth, and also strengthened by a strong sporting culture. Progress of the Malay/Muslim Community”
“But the SSI will only be successful with the buy-in and collaboration of all the NSAs and all stakeholders in Singapore. The SSI will offer support services to aid elite performance, including world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports medicine and sports science (SMSS) support, athlete career and education. These services will be customised to cater to the needs of individual sports and athletes. A working committee will be formed to work out the details and next steps for the SSI. To help national athletes prepare for life after sports, we have several career, education and integration programmes in place. The idea is basically to teach them how to fish for life, and they learn how to fish for life. To date, over 100 national athletes have benefited from SSC's job profiling and career counselling. We have triathletes, netball players, swimmers, and so on, who have benefited from these and we will look at more enhancements to the programmes by the middle of the year. Let me touch a little bit on sports safety. With all the sports development, there is going to be more participation and more elite training and performance among Singaporeans. In response to that, we also have to make sure that all athletes are safe. In response to the recommendations by the Sports Safety Committee that was chaired by Dr Ben Tan, SSC is launching a sports safety plan in three phases: (1) Public Education and Awareness; (2) Surveillance, Evaluation and Follow-up; and (3) Monitoring of Programmes and Review of Incentives. We will release more details later. Madam, the recent developments and pipeline projects I mentioned earlier mark the beginning of a new era in youth and sports development.”
“They have put us on the world map for several key sports, and this has created opportunities for local-born athletes to be exposed to playing at the highest levels. FSTs are part of the system in order to do well internationally. But the FST scheme is not the system. And we are not prepared for Singapore or any NSA to be the trading hub of foreign athletes. Mr Seah would be pleased to know that SSC regularly monitors the athletes' performance through the carding mechanism, which determines the amount of assistance and level of support to the athletes. This ensures that the assistance provided to the athletes is money well spent. And we, being a small country with a limited talent pool, have to be resourceful in ensuring a pipeline of world-class talents. So we will continue to welcome FSTs, but we will have to adopt a very balanced approach in our sports development strategy so that the FSTs complement our local talents. And for that we have to build a pipeline and training system for the local talents. The Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme (MAP) is part of the comprehensive support and recognition framework for our athletes. It has been successful in motivating our athletes and improving their performances. To answer Mrs Jessie Phua's query, the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), of which Mrs Jessie Phua is also a member, will continually review and refine the MAP scheme to recognise and reward our best athletes who perform at the Major Games. Going forward, the successful elements of our sports excellence system and strategies will have to be integrated, and we hope that it can be integrated within the Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) that we have proposed to set up.”
“So our athletes will now have a good chance to do well at the 2008 Olympics, partly because of the system we have built so far and partly also because Project 0812 is giving additional funding and support. For instance, we have qualified to compete in Men's 470 for sailing and our table tennis team are medal contenders in the Women's Team and Singles events. I agree that we will continue to need passionate individuals and SSC to work with NSAs very closely and also to be able to identify the problems and gaps within the organisation. All companies and agencies have their own problems. SSC also has its problems. There is still room for improvement, and these are how organisations are run. They have day-to-day challenges, but we should not give up. We should continue to give support. We need strong sports leaders, individuals, like the Members of this House, in order to support the sports system to flourish and to continue to produce champions. Mr Seah Kian Peng has asked about the Foreign Sports Talent (FST) programme. FSTs comprise 5.6% of the total number of carded athletes. Out of the total amount SSC spends on direct athlete support grants, 23.8% goes towards support for FSTs. They get proportionately more support, as most of them are in the higher carding categories because of their performance, and our sports excellence policy is to focus limited resources on the top athletes. Many of Singapore's recent sporting successes at the international stage have been achieved with the help of FSTs. Our FSTs accounted for 34.9% of the gold medals at the 2007 SEA Games, even though they only formed 7.6% of the entire contingent. Examples of these FSTs are swimmer Tao Li (four gold medals) and table-tennis player Gao Ning (three gold medals).”
“These initiatives will encourage NSAs to focus on developing effective programmes, and strengthening their organisational capabilities and governance standards. The point is that they are volunteers. As Mrs Jessie Phua mentioned, we need passionate individuals. We need to identify these passionate individuals to run these NSAs and they must be willing to come forward. Once they are willing to come forward, things will change and many things can happen. So we are proposing that an NSA Advisory Council be formed. That is one of the recommendations of the SCC as an avenue for NSAs to access external expertise, share best practices and devise collaboration plans. The Sports Council will discuss with the NSAs on the feasibility of this Advisory Council. Ultimately, NSAs should aim to be more enterprising and innovative, and grow their capability and branding. They must always try to attract good people and generate income on top of whatever funding they have been given. We hope to build on our athletes' improved performances and nurture a steady stream of champions on the regional and international stage. This will be achieved by enhancing the sports excellence systems and strategies in place. I hope Mrs Jessie Phua would agree that sports excellence is a high investment venture globally. The investment of additional resources does not imply that there are problems with our current system. I would like to look at it this way. Project 0812 places a lot more focus. SSC, as you know, has to look at the three thrusts of the sports system, ie, sports excellence, high participation sports industry. Project 0812 focuses on bringing glory to the nation at the apex of all the games – the Olympics. This is an add-on.”
“This would involve installing ramps, lifts, clear signages and where possible, shower facilities. So we need expertise as well. We need to discuss with different stakeholders from the people sector to understand what is really needed. It cannot be a top-down approach, but a bottoms-up one. All SSC sports facilities will be retrofitted to meet Barrier-Free Accessibility (BFA) requirements by 2009, that is, next year. Thirdly, I spoke in COS 2007 about the importance of having a vibrant sports club scene. Currently we have sports clubs and informal groups like Sneakers Netball Club and Parents of ACS United. These are informal groups. I believe in a community and bottoms-up approach in order to create this culture. So maybe we should lead by example. I know some MPs run, while some play soccer. Maybe we should also form a MP running and soccer club. All these groups share a common passion for sports, the ability to be enterprising in securing funds, and in attracting committed volunteers to sustain their activities. MCYS and SSC will be rolling out a framework to encourage the growth of these sports clubs and we will provide some incentives. I agree with Mr Michael Palmer, Mr Seah Kian Peng and Mrs Jessie Phua who brought up that our National Sports Associations (NSAs) play a crucial role in the sports ecosystem. We have to continue to strengthen their management capabilities through SSC's Organisational Excellence Framework and training courses for NSA personnel. There is no doubt that we have to continue to upgrade these programmes and encourage the NSAs to come forward and take up these programmes and get their skills upgraded.”
“I am pleased to announce that MCYS accepts all recommendations in principle. We are working with the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) and other agencies to study the recommendations in detail. Let me highlight a few. The SCC highlighted the need to make better use of media channels to inspire the nation so that we can capture more mindshare of individuals for sports. In the next three months, the Singapore Sports Council and MOE will increase coverage of school sports using multiple media platforms, such as IPTV, websites and so on. We can expect to see greater focus on community activities and interaction through a soon-to-be-launched one-stop information sports portal for local sporting activities, events and programmes. Next, the Committee also believes in creating more sporting opportunities for all Singaporeans. Our public hardware and infrastructure guidelines will be planned with this in mind. Ms Eunice Olsen mentioned about accessibility to sports facilities. MCYS and SSC will work closely with agencies, such as MOE and Singapore Land Authority, to create more playing spaces, and open up more sports facilities for general public use. An example is the Dual Use Scheme. Seventy full-sized school fields were opened for community use in 2007. SLA has also opened up more than 280 pieces of State Land for free casual play by the community. I believe FAS and Prof. Ho Peng Kee's constituency have adopted one. Where possible, more sports facilities will be open for public use in the future. This includes fields and newly-constructed indoor sports halls in schools. We will also try to make public sporting facilities more user-friendly for all, including the disabled and elderly.”
“They have done many other events in the world – in Europe and the US. And they will drive the Sports Hub's programming strategy. The consortium has guaranteed 136 event days at the National Stadium and Singapore Indoor Stadium, and a stream of regular programmes and activities for the different target groups – from youth to families, from working adults to seniors. These major events will provide opportunities for Singaporeans to enjoy – as an individual, family and organisations. It will also attract tourists and business activities, boosting the local sports industry. The Singapore Sports Council, MCYS and the different organisations will work with the consortium to make sure it is successful. And for the National Stadium itself, we are not prepared to give the naming rights to any companies. Local companies will also not be left out of the action. DP Architects and United Premas are part of the preferred bidder and they will be involved in construction, operational and other aspects of the Sports Hub project. There will also be outsourcing, naming rights, sub-contracting opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). There are many different small sub-facilities within the Sports Hub. For naming rights and all, these small ones might have the possibility to bear the names of companies, but not for our National Stadium. The main stadium will remain as the National Stadium. We now have a solid foundation for sports in terms of the hardware, systems and processes. Looking ahead, we will focus on the software and developing a strong sporting culture. Last month, the Sporting Culture Committee (SCC) released its report proposing 23 recommendations hoping to bring our sporting culture to the next level.”
“" (In English ): This means that as long as we have good leadership, a unified purpose and common resolve, there is no hurdle that we cannot overcome together. This is how we as a small country can succeed. I am confident that we can count on our citizens, especially our youth, to continue to do us proud when we host the Games, both on and off the field. Let me now move on to sports. We have achieved many goals stated in the Committee on Sporting Singapore's (CoSS) report. I am glad that this Committee has provided and set a path for later committees that we set up. As we gear up for the YOG, other world-class sports events like the Formula One and Volvo Ocean Race will be held here over the next few years. So the sports sector will be extremely busy and our resources will be stretched. 5.45 pm As you know, for the Sports Hub project, we have selected the preferred bidder, the Singapore Sports Hub Consortium (SSHC). As mentioned by Mr Michael Palmer, the Net Present Value (NPV) of the total payment from Government to the successful consortium is about $1.87 billion over 25 years. What do we get out of that? 4,000 jobs will be created during the construction phase and 400 full-time positions during the operations phase. And we are just talking about the Sports Hub. Of course, there are many other economic spin-offs. What about events? When major events come about, we estimate about 3,000 part-time staff will be required to help out as well. So, there are a lot of opportunities. But we have to ensure the vibrancy and commercial viability of the Sports Hub through contractual incentives and other mechanisms with the consortium. World Sport Group and Global Spectrum are the companies responsible for the programmes. They are very experienced.”
“They were kind and gave me a student that was very light. But I also give credit to Pathlight School as well - thanks to Ms Denise Phua - the students there with special needs came together to support the YOG. That was indeed touching how people of all sectors supported our bid. I think this demonstrates our inclusiveness. I received many emails about the YOG, one of which was from Mr Dick Chew. He is a father. He rushed home to be with his family on the day of the results. After the announcement was made, he taught his children why Singapore won, and that even though Singapore is a small nation, we have a big heart and big dream and it trickles down to all segments of society. I also have to thank all our corporate citizens like 77th Street who came up with T-shirts; Mr Bean who came up with the packaging; CapitaLand, thanks to Yam Keng's support; CityNeon with all the landscape art pieces; Old Chang Kee and McDonald's, who have all joined us in our bid. My heartfelt thanks to all of them, as well as the various Ministries and statutory boards, and the National University of Singapore, who have clocked in long hours to put together the bid. Singapore made history with YOG, by proving to the world that although we are a small nation, we can achieve big dreams. There were many columns and articles written about our success. One that I read, by Li Shu Fen, really explains it simply. Again, it is written in Chinese: (In Mandarin ): "Our nation is small. It is not necessarily a bad thing. If we have good leadership, we can succeed. Furthermore we have support from the Government and people to organise the Youth Olympic Games. That is good news.”
“I want to credit it to Singaporeans, especially young Singaporeans. They believe in the true values of the Olympics, which are Excellence, Friendship and Respect. We must now be good hosts and that means we must have good social graces as well. It is not just winning a Gold in Olympics, in sports, but winning it in our social graces. In the words of the former Foreign Minister of China, Mr Li Zhaoxing, the Olympic Games is also about nations competing on social graces. He said in Mandarin, and let me quote him: (In Mandarin ): "Regarding the Olympic Games, we need to have a common understanding because it also shows us the cohesiveness of a nation." (In English): I was heartened to see that on top of social graces, EQ and IQ, we must also have the YQ, or "Youth Quotient", to succeed. Everybody can have Youth Quotient, as it is not based on age. It is based on whether you are young at heart or not. I think a lot of Members of this House have high YQ. Our youth have shown that they are willing to take the initiative for a good cause they consider important. That is why I salute them. I am delighted to read about a 19-year-old blogger Pearlyn's excitement in Singapore winning the YOG bid. Because Pearlyn said that that was the day, 21st February, she felt most proud to be a Singaporean in all her 19 years, and that the YOG is certainly something that she would look forward to in 2010. I myself saw first-hand the passion of Singaporeans for the YOG, and this is not only coming from individuals, but from groups as well. One of the most vivid examples was the Boys' Town 60th Anniversary celebrations. We had a piggyback exercise. 573 people gave piggyback rides and that broke the world record. I was there and participated as well.”
“All these programmes have contributed to a decrease in our school drop-out rates, juvenile delinquency and youth recidivism rate; in particular, the school drop-out rate has fallen from 3.6% in 2002 to 1.6% in 2007. In helping these youth at risk, we will frequently hold dialogue sessions with our partners to refine the various programmes. The newly-formed Inter-Ministry Committee on Dysfunctional Families will also be looking at ways to identify these at-risk youth as early in the process as possible. I have faith that Singaporean youth will adapt to the changing world, and have the strength to overcome challenges and succeed. Looking forward, the Government will seek to better understand all the values and attitudes of our youth. We intend to reach out beyond the 15-24 age group to young adults of 25-35 years old as well. We will do this through the Youth Network. This Network focuses on the three main areas of Interest, Career and Family. The Network seeks to achieve synergies among its different partners to reach out to these young adults, and we have partners such as the Singapore Business Federation for career, we also have the Young NTUC which are also involved in engaging the young adults. The Youth Network has held its inaugural Industry Networking Session last October, and we are looking to hold more sessions this year. All these initiatives facilitate communication between the Government and youth. So far, I have seen our youth coming forward as well, especially in the recent bid for the first ever Youth Olympic Games. Let me devote some time on the Youth Olympic Games, or YOG in short. Many have tried to speculate why we won – safe, clean environment; excellent track record and strong governance; world-class facilities.”
“Young Change Makers allows individuals or informal groups to come forward and propose the projects they want to do. We will provide the funding for them. In 2007, we have about 160 projects that were approved and that is a 20% increase over 2006. We also have the Youth Expedition Project (YEP) which supports youth going on self-led community projects. We have about close to 2,000 participants every year since 2006. I would like to single out the good work of three Ngee Ann Polytechnic students - Marian Gan, See Yun Reei and Sharon Lim. They were so inspired by their experience in Phnom Penh with the orphans during their first trip in 2006 that they now raise their own funds by selling key-chains and collecting old clothing, basically karang guni work, so that they can make another trip there. This time they will lay the flooring inside the orphanage. So we see that the YEP experience is teaching them to be selfless. The YEP and exchange programmes, where our youth can interact with youth from other countries, help them understand the cultures of different countries and also appreciate what we have in Singapore. For the youth-at-risk, this sector faces many challenges. We believe every youth should have the opportunity to maximise his or her potential. There is a Committee called the National Committee on Youth Guidance and Rehabilitation. It coordinates inter-agency efforts such as Youth Link, the Alternative Learning Centre and STEP-UP, as some Members have already mentioned. I will give an example. Youth Link is a one-year pilot that was started last year. It has now reached over 260 out-of-school youth and truants, helping them to return to mainstream education, find employment or attend vocational training. This pilot will continue for another year.”
“Madam, let me first thank Members Mr Sin Boon Ann, Mr Zaqy, Ms Eunice Olsen, Mr Michael Palmer, Mrs Jessie Phua and Mr Seah Kian Peng - for their questions, because I think they must be passionate individuals to raise such questions, and also for highlighting the problems that we face everyday in the Ministry, and to help resolve some of the issues. Let me touch on both youth and sports. I will start with youth. We certainly need inspired and committed young Singaporeans. We also face a challenge that we continue to try to build an environment where youth will always feel they have a place in Singapore, that they know they own a stake, and that they know we support them. We would also like to promote sports, and that is why we will continue to build on the Sporting Singapore vision to develop a strong sporting culture that celebrates a healthy and spirited lifestyle, ignites passion, builds character in Singaporeans and unifies all of us as one people. Our youth policies are responsive to the evolving values and attitudes of today's young people. National surveys show that our youth are highly committed to Singapore and, more importantly, to the family, which is heartening because the family unit is the foundation of a good individual and a good youth. Our youth also enjoy healthy family relationships. For example, 85% of the respondents from the National Youth Survey in 2005 said that they enjoy having dinner with their families. We will continue to promote these family values and create a conducive environment for families. Much has also been done by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and MCYS within the schools, but our youth engagement has gone beyond the school gates. Outside schools, we have many good opportunities for youth, like Young ChangeMakers (YCM).”
“Our real GDP growth in 2007 was 7.7%. It was a year that turned our forecasted budget deficit of $0.7 billion to $6.4 billion and our unemployment rate was about 1.6% in the last quarter and we estimated about 2.1% for the whole year with this growth. But, then, the US impact will be felt. I also agree that we may just catch a cold but not the flu. But still it is a cold, which means that the economy will somehow be weakened. So how would this affect the employment rate? What is the forecasted unemployment rate with this new growth because we have adjusted our economic growth from 4.5%- 6.5% to 4%-6%? Would we see challenges ahead for employment opportunities? Productivity of Workforce”
“Singapore has a world class education system. We have also attracted many private education enterprises to set up their operations in Singapore. And many correspondence programmes and distance learning programmes are also available. It is important that we ensure the quality of such programmes and there are more and more people enrolling for further and continuing education in private institutions, so it is important to look at what kind of quality of education they are providing. How do we maintain the quality of the delivery of these private institutions and would the Ministry consider regulating these institutions, as what many of the Members have raised in this House? Degree-Level Continuing Education and Training”
“Sir, I graduated from the School of Accountancy, NTU, and during my time, which was not too long ago, it was only offered in one University (NTU) and there were about 700 graduates per year. Now, all three publicly-funded universities offer them. The three universities position the same course differently. One makes it seem more entrepreneurial; one offer Double Degree, and the other one makes it more corporate-governance focused. I do not mind this packaging, and I think competition is good. But is there a market big enough for another player offering the same course? That is my question for the fourth university. Would we see a duplication of courses, curriculum and specialisation? Or is it adding more slots of similar courses or creating different platforms for success? Would the fourth university complement or compete with the other three in the overall landscape of the university education in Singapore?”
“Sir, I am looking forward to the first F1 night race that will come in September. I think this excitement and anticipation can be seen with the different activities, like the F1 car zooming through the Chingay Parade, the Go-kart zooming through the heartlands, and also the unexpected huge number of orders zooming through the ticketing system on the first day when the F1 race tickets were opened for sale. Luckily, it was also the last day of the voting for the Youth Olympic Games! This is all good, because of supply over demand. The cost outlay for the event, I understand, was to be about $150 million. I am confident that the economic returns will be way above that. But by how much? How many foreign tourists and economic benefits do we expect from this sector and what is the domestic demand expected as well? And what is the economic gain as a total from the whole F1 event? Tourism and Hospitality Issues”
“Sir, this Budget is about looking at the future. So I am glad to read of RISE as an incentive to encourage innovation amongst the high-tech start-up enterprises. But for small and medium-sized companies, our small companies in particular, they may find it challenging to embark on such R&D with $150,000 expenditure. So how could they benefit from this scheme? And how can service companies tap on this scheme? Fixtures and fittings incentives for service companies do help enhance some of the businesses and it could be useful for F&B businesses. What about other service companies? What if they design an automated process that can help provide better services? Would they qualify? Many service businesses have long been involved in development in IT to improve their services, such as businesses in the supply chain or logistics industry – would they qualify? Innovation R&D”
“Sir, the US economy's performance has caused many concerns about the impact on our domestic economy. I will agree that the impact might be less compared to, say, 10 years ago due to higher volume of intra-Asia and Asia-Europe trade, but I believe that there will still be some impact. Does the Ministry have any plans to diversify or spread our risks and focus on new areas for development while enhancing existing trade with new emerging economies? If so, which are these countries, and what are the plans ahead to spread our portfolio wide? I would also like to know what are our key strategies for China, as I understand we have been spending substantial amount of time and resources, and there are several cities with potential within China, from coastal to inner cities. We have to be selective. So, what is our approach to China as well? Developing and Internationalising Growth Businesses”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Every week, at my meet-the-people session, at least one-third of the people who come to see me would ask me to help them to apply for rental flats from the HDB. These families got into financial hardship due to all sorts of reasons. Even when they have lost the roof over their heads, the authorities would still turn down their request for rental flats. As such, they have only three choices: camp at the seaside, sleep at the void deck of HDB flats, or squat at their friend’s place. It is not as though the matter cannot be resolved. I think it may be time for HDB to review its rental flat policy. I hope that HDB would build more rental flats or exercise more flexibility in its rental flat policy, so that these families in need would have better chances of getting these much needed rental flats. *Col.1353-1354. Housing for Divorcees”
“Some years ago, many families who bought their flats at a high price may now face a challenge of servicing their loans and they also face a situation of negative equity. Some are in greater danger because they have committed themselves to a loan from the banks and they look at the possibility of downgrading. But they have a hard time getting approval for HDB loan because they are getting a downgrade. So they do not qualify for rental flats. The banks do not lend them. HDB turns them down. And we could be talking about a family who is willing to go to a smaller place. They know that they could not afford a larger flat. So does not this approach of willing to live within their means align with our policy of self-reliance? And in our society today it is an aspiration to own a larger flat, and the majority who chose to downgrade would not have chosen to do so. So it takes courage to tell your family that you are moving to a smaller house. If this family generally needs help, could we then consider making the policy for downgrading a bit more easier and flexible? Housing Needs of the Low Income”
“The remaining 32% of the cases which did not receive a maintenance order were either dismissed or withdrawn. Some of the reasons for dismissing the applications include: parents having not discharged their duties, children unable to pay any maintenance despite their best abilities, and parents being already adequately maintained. From the reported cases, truly "unfilial" children are a minority. Many cases arise from the breakdown of family relationships by divorce or separation of the parents, complaints of undesirable behaviours of either parent, and sibling rivalry over the maintenance or care managements for the parents. There are also some cases where the children are incarcerated, or simply do not have the financial ability to maintain their parents.”
“When they are selected and their citizenship or PR status has been approved, that is where the integration process starts and we need the National Sports Associations to help us and to support this whole process. Column No : 335 CHILDREN NOT SUPPORTING THEIR PARENTS (Number of reported cases) 9. Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) for the past two years, what is the annual number of reported cases of children not supporting their parents; (b) what were the outcomes in general and how were these cases resolved; and (c) what are the common root causes for these cases seen and how many of them require legal intervention. The Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon) (for the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports): Mr Speaker, Sir, for the past two years, the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents (TMP) received a total of 870 reports of children not supporting their parents. To preserve family ties, parties involved in a case are advised to first consider resolving their differences through counselling and mediation. The family is encouraged to first approach community resources like the Community Mediation Centres and Family Service Centres for help and advice. Filing for maintenance at TMP is the last resort. Through this approach, the majority of the cases were resolved without the need for legal intervention. Of the 870 reports, 78% of cases opted for community mediation and counselling. These cases were able to resolve their issues amicably. Only 188, or 22%, went on to file applications for maintenance at TMP. 68% of these applications heard at TMP to-date received a maintenance order.”
“For those who are not active, some have gone into different professions like administration. I know of some who do clerical work. There are those who are still doing sports-related profession like coaching and youth development. I think there will still be room for improvement for the integration plan. I believe that we are planning out several different measures for the Singapore Sports Council to work with the National Sports Associations. Very importantly is to understand how the process of selecting these FSTs started. It starts with the National Sports Associations scouting and recruiting those sports talents that would help in their sports, and they have to answer these three questions. First, what gaps are they trying to close in their sports? Why do they need the foreign talents? Second, how would these foreign talents help them? So they need to come up with a development plan; they need to come up with a training plan for them. Third, when their sports careers are over, what kind of career plans are there for them? Would they give them long-term skills training? When all these questions are answered, they will present a plan to the Singapore Sports Council which will then discuss it under a Review Committee. Once the Review Committee approves it, it goes into an approval process, through MCYS. Once that is satisfied, then it goes into an application for either a PR or a citizenship with the Immigration authority. So that is the whole process, and we must make sure that the whole process is tedious and transparent enough, and is also factual enough in order to make those decisions.”
“I thank Mrs Phua for her questions. The two questions are related. First is that we want the insurance coverage to be a blanket cover when athletes participate in competitions, whether it is locally or overseas. So there is a need for SSC to discuss with NSAs to see what is the best way to actually negotiate with the insurance companies on how to get it covered. This will definitely be part of the risk assessment framework recommendation that the Panel of Inquiry will come up with later on. We need to study further how we can get that extended to all athletes, carded and non-carded, and for local and overseas competitions. We will give the Member an update later when the report is ready. GAMBLING AND PROSTITUTION ACTIVITIES IN GEYLANG AREA 16. Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs what plans does his Ministry have for curbing the rampant gambling and prostitution activities in the Geylang area as the efforts so far do not seem very effective.”
“As I mentioned, the work is still in progress. The scope of work for the panel of inquiry that we have just set up will actually be targeted at two major objectives: (1) Find out what happened during the accident and why it happened; (2) Figure out what measures need to be implemented to prevent this incident from happening again. And it is not just for dragon boat events but throughout all sports. But all stakeholders must take responsibility for the safety of their athletes and the teams participating overseas. So NSAs are encouraged to work with SSC to follow all the safety guidelines of all the international federations. They should not adopt double standards. If they adopt strict safety measures in Singapore, we expect the teams or the athletes to adopt similar safety measures when they are overseas. Going forward, we have a few plans, and one of them would be the SSC intends to introduce to NSAs a more comprehensive risk-assessment framework, and they will have their training on this framework in the very near term. For the major games, SSC and SNOC will work closely together. The SNOC governs the selection of all the major games, and NSAs are expected to use the SSC's major games management plan, a checklist of items they need to take note of when they participate in an overseas competition. I think all the coaches, athletes, administrators of NSAs and officials must take note that when they participate in an overseas competition, they have a responsibility. They cannot try to win at all costs, especially at the expense of the safety of the athletes and the teams. That is what they should take note of, and that applies to all sports, associations and organisers of the competitions.”
“Instead, the NSAs, coaches and athletes must be equipped with safety awareness and risk management capabilities so that they can better assess and respond to local competition conditions. As we cope with the loss of five outstanding sportsmen in this dragon boat incident in Cambodia, we have a responsibility to establish the facts of the incident and ensure that the necessary steps are taken care of. The Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA) will enforce the use of life vests in all future competitions. Also, the Singapore Sports Council has formed a Panel of Inquiry in December 2007 to review the incident and make the necessary recommendations on the safety measures that should be in place for athletes participating in future competitions overseas. This Panel of Inquiry aims to complete its work within two months. It would complement the work undertaken by the Sports Safety Committee chaired earlier by Dr Benedict Tan, which released its report in September last year. The objective is to enhance our sports safety framework and procedures not just for the rowers, but for all sports and for all Singaporean athletes participating in local and overseas competitions. We will announce any policy changes by the first quarter of 2008.”
“The sports fraternity suffered a great loss in the recent Dragon Boat incident in Cambodia. Let me now address the specific issues raised by Dr Lim and Mrs Phua. First, insurance coverage for our athletes. Currently, all national athletes who are "carded", ie, they are recognised to have the potential to excel at the Major Games, would be insured under the Singapore Sports Council (SSC)'s Sports Excellence Medical Insurance Coverage (spexMEDIC) scheme. The SSC has been in discussions with the National Sports Associations (NSAs) to extend this insurance scheme to the non-carded athletes as well. SSC encourages the NSAs to take up their own insurance for the athletes to supplement what is covered by this medical scheme. The second issue raised by Dr Lim is whether we should make it compulsory for all rowers to have basic competency in swimming. The Singapore Dragon Boat Association currently has safety guidelines for its sports, whether for social or competitive rowing, training as well as organising of events. These guidelines include making it mandatory for all competitive rowers to be able to swim at least 50 metres. Dr Lim has also asked whether my Ministry would mandate that NSAs avoid participating in events where international safety standards are not complied with. Our NSAs are affiliated with their respective International Sports Federations. So, when we participate in international events, it is subject to the rules and regulations of these international federations. Consequently, our NSAs would have to comply with these safety standards. As these standards can be fairly technical and sport-specific, it is not possible for MCYS and SSC to have the domain knowledge to prescribe to the NSAs as to which competitions to stay away from.”
“But I urge all stakeholders and sports participants to play their part to make sports an enjoyable and safe experience for all. For instance, sports event organisers and facility providers should strictly adhere to the safety guidelines set by SSC. Sports participants, on the other hand, especially those of the weekend warriors and corporate warriors, should train progressively for vigorous and difficult activities, such as marathons and triathlons, and prepare themselves by doing the proper warm-up, monitor their overall health condition, go for regular medical screenings, and not push themselves to carry on when they do not feel well. 3.00 pm”
“These guidelines include Physical Education lessons before 10.30 am and after 3.30 pm, unless indoor facilities are available, ensuring that students are well-hydrated during physical activity, and introducing physical activities progressively and at a level appropriate to the individual or group. Mr Baey Yam Keng and Dr Lam asked about the measures to be taken to enhance the safety practices during sports events, in the National Sports Associations (NSAs) and at common exercise areas. As announced by my Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on 30th June 2007, SSC has already set up a committee to look into the area of sports safety. This Sports Safety Committee will be chaired by Dr Benedict Tan, who is the Head of the Sports Medicine Centre at the Changi General Hospital. It will comprise experts from the medical and sports sectors, as well as members from the public, private and people sectors. It also includes a parent of a triathlete. The committee will look into how to minimise unnecessary risks in sports and create a system of effective and best practices for sports safety for all stakeholders, such as NSAs, sports event organisers, sports facility operators, and so on. Some of the areas that the committee will cover are enhancing public awareness of sports safety, reviewing safety procedures and medical support for sports events, programmes, facilities, training and competencies of first responders in the event of injury or emergencies. The committee will put up a preliminary report to SSC in a month's time. Sports safety is something we cannot afford to compromise on. And the SSC and the Sports Safety Committee will be working towards enhancing these sports safety systems and we have zero tolerance for it.”