Tin Pei Ling
Singapore
“This is not about building a talent pipeline and reserve for the land, sea and air transport sectors, but also about helping Singaporeans seize more valuable opportunities. (In English): Mr Speaker, Singapore did not inherit our connectivity. We built it deliberately, chapter by chapter, and this House now holds the pen for the next one.”
“Thank you, Chairman. Two questions. One is that I hear that there will be a review of the COE system later part of this year. I would just like to ask if there is a specific timeline that we can look forward to. Second is on land transport overall. It is on the impact of ageing population and ageing infrastructure.”
“Leveraging frontier technologies – automation, advanced sensors, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) – will keep our infrastructure globally competitive. But we must deploy technology responsibly to augment productivity while managing workforce transitions and reskilling needs.”
“Many thanks to all. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $3,109,174,200 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $13,306,280,300 for Head W ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Can the Ministry consider targeted measures, such as rental relief schemes, tenancy support for heritage and neighbourhood retailers, incentives for landlords to prioritise local tenants or co‑investment platforms that enable local businesses to secure long‑term premises?”
“Internationally, we could forge norms that prevent regulatory arbitrage and ensure cross‑border accountability. Hence, building on existing frameworks, what more will the Government do to strengthen Singapore's role in global AI governance, standards, certification, international coordination and capacity building, to preserve human agenc…”
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“Women comprise half of the workforce at the entry level but this proportion dwindles drastically as they journey up the career ladder, with women comprising a mere 9.7% at the board level. Singaporean women have good education. Among citizens who have a tertiary education, more than half are women. Hence, capability and motivation are not the main impediment. Looking at the current situation, it is not difficult for us to guess that women still are the primary caregivers at home, and it is a challenge for them to have spare time and energy to do other things. We are an Asian society, looking after our parents and children is an undeniable duty. However, be they sons or daughters, fathers or mothers, they must carry this duty of caring for one's family equally. Fortunately, more and more fathers and sons are willingly taking up the responsibility to look after the young and old in the family. In addition, modern Singaporean women enjoy good education and, naturally, they would have dreams and aspirations. Every Singaporean should have the opportunity to enjoy family and career life at the same time. Therefore, we must help Singaporean women from four angles: first, establish and strengthen infrastructure and services to lighten the caregivers' burden, so that they can have time and better manage their multiple roles; second, promote FWA so that they can look after the family without sacrificing their career; third, encourage the society and the companies to value women's economic potentials and contributions; and fourth, encourage women to undergo technology and skills training and be prepared for the new digital era and the future economy. Of course, the above does not just apply to women only.”
“Technology can also act as a networking tool for women in their aspirational pursuits. Digital platforms can allow women to exchange useful information and create job opportunities. E-commerce platforms, for example, can help stay-at-home caregivers monetise their skills or overcome resource constraints in starting their businesses and, in the process, maintain financial independence, stay plugged in while continuing to care for their loved ones. Women can also make use of these platforms to raise funds, find mentors and network with other women entrepreneurs. Therefore, there is a strong case for cultivating and strengthening digital fluency amongst women. Education in schools builds the digital foundation for our next generation. But for now, we should also help our stay-at-home mothers and daughters to be digitally fluent. And we can start with the SkillsFuture package for Back-to-Work Women encompassing modules in IT literacy and basic programming. Sir, I would like to speak in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Deputy Speaker, today's Motion is unprecedented in the history of this Parliament. This is not a feminist Motion; instead, it hopes to strengthen Singapore's foundation and help Singaporeans, be they men or women, to achieve their full potentials and prepare for our common future. We can all see that Singaporean women have made great contributions towards the family, the society and the country. In recent years, many studies have shown that women in the labour force can help improve the family's well-being, increase social cohesion and promote economic growth. Although Singapore has made outstanding achievements in many areas, women need to catch up in certain aspects of life. It is particularly obvious in the workplace.”
“Surely, we have many more women who have the competence and calibre to sit on boards! Women also tend to concentrate in certain sectors and roles. These realities highlight the invisible walls and ceilings that women face. Therefore, we must work to improve women's access to opportunities. Recently, Minister Grace Fu, on behalf of the PAP Women's Wing and BoardAgender, called for at least 20% female directors on boards by the year 2020. This is a positive move and an aspiration that is highly achievable. Setting such a 2020 target is certainly not about asking for special treatment. However, we should be conscious of our unconscious bias and avoid a biased selection that disadvantages women right from the start. Fourth, be future-ready, having smart women for a smart nation. As we look to the future and move towards a Smart Nation, we must also embrace technology which is a critical enabler to the above goals. Digital fluency can help to close the gender gap and level the playing field for women at work. According to a 2016 study report by Accenture, the time needed to close gender gaps can be halved if women are digitally fluent. Yet, the digital fluency gap between men and women is one of the largest in Singapore compared to the other countries surveyed. Digital fluency not only opens up new career opportunities for women in the digital age but also enables women to exploit smart solutions that help to create capacity and options. With the right smart solutions, women, and men, can remotely manage situations and monitor their young and old at home while they are at work. Smart solutions can allow women to work productively and respond efficiently even if they have to be away from their offices, thereby enabling flexible work.”
“Mastercard Women's Entrepreneurial Index 2016, for instance, ranked Singapore at fifth position, citing strong enabling conditions for womenpreneurs, such as high opportunity to attain advanced knowledge assets and access to mainstream financial services. We should take advantage of this and encourage women who wish to take the path of entrepreneurship to do so. We could also dedicate support to help them set up shop online and link them up with fellow womenpreneurs, so that they can exchange business ideas and opportunities, collaborate in partnerships, and help and mentor one another. Third, remove barriers. To empower women to achieve meaningful progress, we need to also remove the barriers that constrain women. An invisible but critical obstacle is how women are being perceived and pigeon-holed. We, therefore, need to challenge the stereotypes of and reshape the attitude towards women. At home, fathers and sons are integral family members and have equal responsibilities in ensuring the well-being of loved ones. The Government has, in recent years, been signaling the need for shared family responsibilities by increasing paternity leave and shared parental care leave. These changes also help to correct the perception of women being a greater liability than men at work. On the ground, we have also observed more hands-on fathers and sons. So, things are changing, and we must continue to build on this momentum to encourage a more equal share of care responsibilities at home. Women tend to fall off as they progress up the career track. Women in Singapore start off well, comprising half of the workforce at the entry level but this proportion dwindles drastically as they journey up the career ladder, with women comprising a mere 9.7% at the board level.”
“Each standard will specify a set of progressive practices that are verifiable and are also industry- or sector-specific. Upon meeting the standards, MOM can recognise the employer with an "FWA mark" because standards without audit would be quite futile. Taken together, laws, guidelines, standards and advisories will form a comprehensive map to help employers build fair and progressive workplaces. Employers can then make public their adoption of these standards through the Jobs Bank and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) website. Jobseekers would then be able to identify these companies as their employers of choice. One tangible way of encouraging employers to institutionalise FWA is to adapt current standards, schemes and awards, such as the Singapore Quality Class (Niche Business Excellence Standard for People) and TAFEP Exemplary Employer Award, to require fulfilment of FWA standards as a minimum criterion. Employers should also be encouraged to update their appraisal system and criteria. Many employers still appraise employees based on facetime, regardless of the quality of their work produced or the positive peer reviews and customer reviews that they receive. Therefore, a holistic approach is needed when implementing industry-specific FWA standards. Another option to enable women to work while caring for their young and old at home is to help them become entrepreneurs. As entrepreneurs, they can stay economically active and have better control of their schedule at the same time. We have a favourable environment for womenpreneurs.”
“But the difference is in whether, after completing the courses, this will lead to real opportunities. And for those who may not immediately secure a job after training, the package could offer a period of internship for employers and potential employees to adjust and ensure better fit of industry needs and skills to get that foot in the door. Such assistance should also apply to men who wish to return to work as well. Many caregivers have sacrificed their prime years and savings to care for their loved ones. Hence, even as they get trained for prospective employment, they might need some help with living expenses. Therefore, the package should also provide subsistence allowances or training grants to see them through their training. Second, provide options. We also need to accelerate implementation of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) so that Singaporeans have the option to achieve both family and career aspirations without having to trade off one for the other. We must recognise the aspirations of the younger generation of workers who desire greater work-life balance. They want to be able to give their families and careers their 100%. As societal norms shift, we also see more fathers and sons sharing the duty of care at home. Hence, making FWA more pervasive benefits all Singaporeans. I understand that it is challenging to apply FWA across all industries and sectors in one broad stroke, because the nature of jobs is not homogenous. As such, building on to our PAP Women's Wing recommendation last year, I would like to call on the Ministry for Manpower (MOM) to implement industry- or sector-specific FWA standards to complement the existing employment laws, tripartite guidelines and advisories.”
“Interested parents who cannot secure a placement at the infant care or childcare centre can look to this platform for potential caregivers within the neighbourhood. Basic profile and credential of these caregivers can be published in the directory. The same can, of course, be extended to those who need eldercare help and services, for instance, a network of retired nurses engaged and deployed to conduct home care for our elders. We need to develop a SkillsFuture package dedicated to help "back-to-work women", to rebuild confidence, to refresh skills or acquire new ones, and facilitate their transition back to the workforce. I would suggest three components critical to the success of this package, namely, capability development, job matching and interim financial support. These are services already provided for by the Government, but a concerted effort is needed to help women hoping to return to work. In developing the capabilities of women, the courses should aim to refresh existing professional skills; acquire new skills to re-enter the workforce or enter new industries of growth potential; develop entrepreneurial capacity, for example, through e-commerce; and cultivate digital fluency, a point that I will further elaborate later. Courses should also incorporate modules that help in confidence-building, personal grooming and information technology. Next, the package should help those who have acquired new skills and qualifications to embark on a career by matching them to suitable opportunities. Some stay-at-home mothers I spoke with agreed that an effective package must take a holistic approach and have tangible follow-ups. They are keenly interested in post-course support. Everyone can take courses, subsidised or not.”
“With an ageing population, smaller families and evolving expectations, we need to make available adequate care options and strengthen our support for caregivers so that their capacity can be freed up to pursue their careers as well. We need to rethink how the childcare and eldercare facilities are designed and situated. The key consideration must be to ensure availability and easy access to such care facilities. To help women to return to work, care facilities for the young and old need to be near workplaces as well so that working women, and men, can quickly respond to emergencies. Retrofitting existing workplaces to accommodate care facilities will take time and will be costly, too. However, this concept should be incorporated as a requirement when new parcels of land are sold or when redevelopment is on the cards. One challenge with centre-based care is the limited operating hours of the centres. In many jobs, workers often need to work overtime or stay back late to deal with emergencies. Hence, could the operating hours of care facilities be extended so that working adults, especially those who have little control over their working hours, can be assured that their children and elderly are safe and cared for? A complementary measure is to help establish a network of caregivers comprising full-time homemakers or retirees who can help working mothers fetch or take care of their children during times of need. I am heartened by the introduction of the Allied Infant Educarer (AIE) initiative this year but these are tied to centres with formal operating hours. Could we help by making available AIEs who have spare capacity outside of centre operating hours? An online directory can be created to help match demand with supply.”
“I would also emphasise that many of the recommendations that my colleagues and I are putting forth in this Motion apply to Singaporeans regardless of gender. Our support for women − and men − to balance their multiple roles should help them reach greater heights, in our economy, in various professions, in social work, in the arts and in sports and in many diverse frontiers. Our recommendations are organised along four strategies: first, create capacity; second, provide options; third, remove barriers; and fourth, to be future-ready. I will introduce these areas and describe some specific ideas under each of them. My fellow colleagues who support this Motion will provide further elaboration and explanation. [Deputy Speaker (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) in the Chair] First, on create capacity. First of all, we need to recognise that most people do not journey through life in a straight line and neither do we assume only one role at any one point in time. It is not a simple case of simply going to school, then work and then retire. Often, we are sons and daughters as well as fathers and mothers. Both men and women do take time out now and then, for our children, parents, school, training and other worthy pursuits. However, while men and women both have to juggle our many obligations at work and at home, women face particular challenges. Women have traditionally been and still are the primary caregivers at home. Being nurturers at heart, it is little wonder why women care so much for our loved ones. But women also have career aspirations, and it is fair for women to want to work and give their best shot at fulfilling their ambitions. Our nation and economy also benefit with more women working, as articulated earlier.”
“We should acknowledge these strengths even as we aspire to do better. But we also need to acknowledge the gaps and weaknesses in our system. We need to take action to accelerate our progression towards gender parity, or we will have to wait at least 50 years according to Accenture, or 170 years according to the World Economic Forum, if we are to leave things to evolve naturally. One key gap is the gender imbalance in our workforce, where women tend to be under-represented at the higher levels. For example, the depressingly low board representation, the dearth of female chief executive officers (CEOs) and lower proportions in certain professions. This is not because men are inherently more capable or more driven than women. After all, in our schools, girls perform just as well as boys. Rather, it is because our society does not fully provide the support that women need to achieve our aspirations in the family, community and workplace at the same time. This is why the People's Action Party's (PAP's) Women's Wing put up several position papers over the years, lobbying the Government to take tangible action. Some of these recommendations will be reiterated today. Supporting Singapore women to fulfil their familial and career aspirations and to help them to be future-ready require a whole-of-society approach, but it is important that we start in this House. My hope is to take a positive and progressive stance in moving this Motion. Women are not asking for special treatment or privileges. Nonetheless, there are pragmatic, concrete steps that the nation can take in various areas to help women to achieve their aspirations.”
“Women drive economic growth. An increase in female labour force participation results in faster economic growth since growth is typically driven by manpower and productivity. The World Economic Forum, in its 2016 Future of Jobs report, noted that "Net job growth and skills instability result in most businesses currently facing major recruitment challenges and talent shortages, a pattern already evident in the results and set to get worse over the next five years." Hence, as Singapore seeks to cultivate new growth engines, we should look to our women as a significant source of untapped talent and entrepreneurial dynamism. In summary, women help to increase social capital and economic prosperity and contribute to Singapore's long-term success. Singapore has generally done well in recognising and promoting the aspirations of women. First, our laws protect women from violence, harassment and discrimination. Under the law, women have control over our own bodies. Law enforcement authorities do not turn a blind eye to crimes against women, as they tend to in some countries, but actively investigate and prosecute the perpetrators. Second, we have good healthcare and support systems for women and children. Our record of safe births for both mother and child is the best in the world. In fact, we are the best country in Asia to be a mother, according to an annual index released by international aid agency Save the Children. Third, Singapore girls enjoy a world-class education and emerge as confident, knowledgeable women, with our own ideas, opinions and aspirations. More than 50% of undergraduates in Singapore are women. Fourth, we have a modern and vibrant economy, providing more interesting job opportunities for both men and women alike.”
“Madam, I beg to move*, "That this House affirms the familial, social and economic contributions of Singapore women and its support for them to fulfil their family and career aspirations and to be future-ready." [(proc text) *The Motion also stood in the names of Miss Cheryl Chan, Ms Joan Pereira, Ms Rahayu Mahzam and Mr Vikram Nair. (proc text)] Singapore women play an important role in building families, communities and the economy of Singapore. Their contributions, past and present, helped to make us who we are today. All over the world, women build families and keep families together. Women also tend to contribute more to their families if they work and add to their families' financial well-being. Evidence from a range of countries shows that increasing the share of household income controlled by women, either through their own earnings or transfers, changes spending in ways that benefit children. The "Girl Effect" that was highlighted in the World Economic Forum 2009, for instance, noted that women and girls with income reinvest 90% of it into their families, as compared to about 30% to 40% for men. While this statistic referred more to developing countries, we know from our own experiences that, in Singapore, women play a pivotal role in ensuring the holistic well-being of our families. Women create social capital in communities through building strong families, caring for the young and old, and supporting fellow women through job opportunities and networks. Women often quietly drive community programmes that benefit residents and rally for resources and help through their own social networks to serve community needs. Those of us who have been active on the ground would have seen the aunty-networks and the mommy-networks in action, for instance.”
“Madam, I thank the Minister. I would like to ask broadly, when would we be able to expect the completion of the review? Secondly, can we reasonably expect the legislation and the penalties to be toughened and, if not, why might it be so?”
“Thank you, Madam. I would like to ask, in relation to NurtureSG, what is the current obesity rate of children in schools, what is being done to manage the children with overweight issues and, therefore, raise awareness about how being overweight will increase the risk of diabetes in future.”
“Healthcare expenditure and the demand for manpower are rising with our ageing population. The Government healthcare spending per capita has also been rising from an average of $488 in 2003 to $1,962 in 2016. The old-age support ratio, however, is steadily falling from nine is to one in 2000 to an expected two is to one in 2030. Therefore, healthcare manpower and fiscal sustainability are critical for us to solve. Could MOH share what it is doing to ensure manpower and fiscal sustainability? What innovations and productivity measures have been implemented and how have the gains from these measures helped improve sustainability? Can the community and volunteers play a bigger role to address unfulfilled needs?”
“So, could the Ministry share what it is doing to combat the stigma, increase awareness and ensure that those who need help will get the help needed?”
“Madam, there is a stronger focus on community mental healthcare in Singapore, through which there is quicker identification, faster access to assistance and better social integration for those who suffer from mental health issues. Of course, it also helps to foster stronger mental resilience within the community. In MacPherson, we are thankful to have the support of VWOs and agencies, such as the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and South East Community Development Council (CDC), to implement a range of programmes, including the MacPherson Mental Health Programme and Dementia Friendly Community. Grassroots leaders, hawkers, community partners and residents who are interested were all engaged and trained to equip them with useful information and skills so that they can offer timely assistance to residents with mental health issues. However, the current set up is only effective if the elderly or their families approach us. Currently, we only know of the elderly who are identified through our local screening exercise. There are others who are already diagnosed but may not be known to us. As a community, we can do more. For instance, instead of waiting to help a lost elderly, we can have befrienders and micro-community networks to reach out to and support elderly with dementia and their families. This will help these elderly continue to be part of our community and lead lives as normal as possible. Hence, would the Ministry consider creating a database of elderly diagnosed with dementia so that the community can support these elderly better? 1.00 pm Finally, the stigma of mental health, including dementia. This continues to be a barrier to people wanting to seek help and also cause prejudice to deepen within the community.”
“But some of these platforms are privately run and the elderly who wish to utilise them may be deterred for fear that the subsidies they may be eligible for cannot be applied via these platforms. Could the Ministry look into enabling this?”
“Okay. I had spoken about digital eldercare in last year and this year's Budget. Digital eldercare offers many possibilities and has many applications. Today, I would just like to focus on how it can enable independent living and better match demand to the supply of eldercare services and how we can facilitate this. First, on enabled independent living. With land scarcity and manpower constraints and our vision towards ageing in place, the eldercare model needs to shift away from institutions. Let us reserve institutional care for those who need very highly intensive care. We should leverage more on technology, such as sensors, assistive devices and telemedicine, to enable independent living at home, even for those who have moderate disabilities and little or no family support. There are already pilots being done with the deployment of the Elderly Monitoring System (EMS), for example. Could the Ministry update the House on the results and key learning points from these pilots? Some solutions are still being developed. Could the lab-to-market process be accelerated? Could the Government take a point position and lead a nationwide implementation of smart homes for seniors? Could the Ministry facilitate the integration of these solutions so that the elderly can enjoy the services at home in an easy and seamless manner? We need to enable them to age in a very holistic conceptual manner if we were to have smart homes for seniors. Next, digital platforms are now available to link freelance healthcare professionals and caregivers to facilitate on-demand provision of home care or other related eldercare services.”
“One of the aims of Healthcare 2020 was to offer seamless, hassle-free and holistic care for patients across different stages of their healthcare journey. With an ageing population, the need for primary and geriatric care will rise, relative to acute care. Given the profile and needs of the aged and the already heavy load on our healthcare system, community-based healthcare is important and the pace of implementation has to pick up. Given this, could the Ministry share what it has done and will continue to do to shift the centre of care to the community? And in this digital age and in this Budget where we talk about digitalisation, could the Ministry also share how it has embraced technology to improve efficiency of healthcare delivery and to improve patients' access to healthcare within the community? Over the years, we have put in place, streamlined and updated our healthcare systems and structures so as to keep pace with developments and needs. Healthcare in Singapore has made many improvements and won international recognition. Looking ahead, we must look beyond ensuring access, cost containment and convenience − all of which are still important − but also consider how we can deliver value-based healthcare, where health outcomes are maximised per dollar spent. As such, could MOH share what are its vision and plan beyond Healthcare 2020 and what it has done to achieve value-based healthcare? Could MOH share the desired outcomes that it wishes to attain for Singapore's healthcare system and population, as well as the key indicators that are being tracked? Meeting the Needs of an Ageing Population”
“I would like to thank my colleagues, the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary and all the staff of MSF for all their hard work in building a caring and inclusive society. There is so much to do. Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $2,441,030,900 for Head I ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $85,823,800 for Head I ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Thank you. I have two questions. Firstly, I am heartened to hear the Minister say that it will be helpful to surface more of the Singaporean households or families who may be in need of assistance, especially in this uncertain climate. I would like to ask, how does the Ministry plan to do so? On one hand, the community can definitely play a role but, sometimes, the community cannot comprehensively identify these families whereas the Government, as a whole, may be able to identify them in a more effective manner, such as escalating arrears in HDB rent, utilities and, perhaps, even S&CC. May I know what is the Ministry intending to do in terms of looking at these indicators and coordinating the assistance that is available? The second question would be, I am heartened to also hear that MSF is going to introduce the allied infant educarer programme. I would like to know whether introducing this will compromise the quality of care in infant care.”
“It takes a village to raise a child. Likewise, a community plays an important role in caring for the vulnerable and in engendering social cohesion. But it is increasingly important for practical reasons, too. Manpower shortage cuts across various sectors. Even with new workforce entrants, there will always be stiff competition for manpower. But with calls for more and higher quality programmes to address unfulfilled needs, the need for people will only increase. The community has so far demonstrated how we can organise ourselves and achieve many things. With the manpower shortage and increasing needs, we should look more to the community as a new resource pool − perhaps having "gig volunteers". We have corporates and residents who have diverse skillsets and knowledge. They may also have the capacity outside of work and family time to help. Does the Ministry intend to leverage on them more? How can we rally, incentivise and organise the community better to address unfulfilled social needs?”
“I have known this family for years and I have witnessed how the mother cared for her children. She is not well educated but she made sure she is a very responsible mother. When I was told of Atiqa's achievements during the Edusave Merit Education Awards earlier this year, I was so, so, so proud of her! Not only did Atiqa do well academically, her siblings are doing well in school as well. At that moment, it struck me that responsible and good parenting makes a difference, a big difference, in who the children become. Therefore, I would like to ask what is the Ministry doing to support parents better or, in instances where parents are absent, the families? Madam, it is important that we work on strengthening our families and reinforcing the values that shape and bind us. We need to continue to minimise the income inequality which risks undermining the precious social cohesion that we enjoy today. We need to help families in or at risk of financial distress to stand tall and strong again. We need to ensure that all children of Singapore have equal opportunities, good access to resources and have their potential developed to the fullest. We must continue to strengthen our foundations for the future of Singapore and for the betterment of our children and theirs. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Supporting and Strengthening Families”
“For example, will there be interim arrangements to home unwed parents and their children till they are eligible to purchase a flat of their own? How can we help to ensure that these children will not feel unwanted, but that they are just as precious as any Singaporean child? Third, we need to reinforce the values that shape and bind us. Values, such as family support and self-reliance, complemented by traits, such empathy and compassion. Values cultivation begins from the day we are born. Schools play an indispensable role of educating and moulding minds, but nothing can fully substitute the role of parents. In the course of my constituency work, I have come to know two families. Family A is structurally intact, with a father, mother, three sisters and two young granddaughters. Father is reluctant to work, despite being physically fit, preferring to subsist on donations. Mother cannot work because her third daughter and two granddaughters are young children who need her care. Elder sister did not complete her education, could not hold down a job but does try to pay the bills, whilst waiting for her husband, who is a serial offender, to be released from prison. We gave financial assistance wherever possible. Younger sister refuses to complete her education despite offers of bursaries, as her career "aspiration" is to make a quick buck exploiting her youth. And her parents seem unconcerned. Family B, however, is an unwed mother with five children. She has had her fair share of challenges trying to raise her children and make ends meet, with some financial assistance from us. But despite the very trying circumstances, her daughter Atiqa, who is now in Primary 2, aced her examinations and topped her class.”
“In recent years, I have been heartened by the changes made to ensure that all child-specific benefits are given to all Singaporean children, including children of unwed parents. This is precious help for the latter group. However, children of complex families and single-parent families still risk falling behind. Amongst other disadvantages, they may lack proper guidance, good role models and a conducive home environment that allows them to focus on positive development. They risk developing restrictive world views, a distorted sense of how things work and habits detrimental to their future. As such, when KidSTART was announced last year, I was very heartened as it supports the provision of a conducive environment for low-income and vulnerable children in their early years so as to give them a good start. Hence, could the Ministry provide an update on the implementation and observations made so far of the KidSTART programme? When we speak of a conducive environment for children of more vulnerable backgrounds, I cannot help but also think about children of unwed parents. These children, typically, are raised by one parent, usually the mother, who is the sole caregiver and sole breadwinner, and can only rely on the resources of this single parent. The unwed parent may often suffer strained relationships with his or her immediate family members and may be pressured to move out with the child, feeling unwanted. Prolonged absence of the other parent, pressures and the stigma of a child born out of wedlock and the risk of not having a proper, safe home all have an adverse impact on the child's development. As such, how does the Ministry help children in such situations?”
“Mdm Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head I of the Estimates be reduced by $100." This Budget has been focused on the need to transform for the future. While this is necessary if Singapore is to stay relevant and thrive, it is important for us to not lose focus on our foundation − the social structure on which we are built on and the values that have shaped us as a people. Even as we transform our economy and workforce, we need also to strengthen families, reinforce values, such as family support and self-reliance, as well as nurture empathy and compassion within our community. First, we need to continue supporting families of low income or unstable income, including families with retrenched workers. As we work towards helping them attain income stability and financial security, we must be ready to assist struggling families in a timely manner, before the situation gets out of hand, when it would be even more challenging to resolve. Proactively seeking them out and offering timely interventions will give such Singaporeans more breathing room to focus on their jobs or studies, both of which are essential in ensuring their families' longer-term independence and success. Hence, may I know what the Ministry is doing to proactively seek out families showing signs of distress, such as escalating arrears in rent, utilities and service and conservancy charges (S&CC)? How is the Ministry coordinating the assistance necessary to help these families stay afloat and progress? Second, we need to continue our support to ensure all children of Singapore, regardless of their family circumstances, will enjoy equal opportunities and good access to resources critical to their development. After all, their success determines Singapore's future.”
“[Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, language encompasses culture. The two are intertwined and cannot be separated. Hence, a good command of Mother Tongue can help students understand their own culture and roots and stimulate their interest and passion to explore and study further. This will also help students to be sensitive towards other countries' culture, strengthening their world view and understanding of their own culture. Cultivating interest in mother tongues and improving the standard cannot rely on textbooks alone. Mother tongues should be used more often and in a lively manner. I would like to ask the Minister how MOE is going to strengthen cooperation between schools and the community to promote our bilingual culture. School Home Community Partnership”
“We are entering a more challenging economic environment. Growth in the developed markets has become more subdued. There are growing protectionist sentiments in some countries. As a small and open economy with foreign trade more than three times our GDP, Singapore is particularly vulnerable to economic shifts and, more worryingly, protectionist measures. As articulated in the recently released Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) Report, one of the strategies to take Singapore forward in this challenging global climate is to "deepen and diversify our international connections". Indeed, beyond traditional markets like Southeast Asia and China, emerging markets, such as South Asia, Africa, Latin America and Central Asia, offer growth potential and pockets of opportunities for our businesses abroad. Singapore should take the opportunity to strengthen our partnership with these countries. In view of this, I would like to ask what MFA is doing to expand our linkages with the emerging markets, including political and people-to-people linkages. Relations with Latin America”
“They cannot live in either of their parents' place due to serious space constraints and other sensitive considerations. I feel for them. For couples like them, who are sincere and anxious to have children soon, should we not help them? Lest couples become disincentivised to continue balloting for a flat and settle for a PPHS rental unit instead, the Government could build in a condition stating that they can have the unit for a year, renewable for another year maximum, and they must book a flat within this period. If they successfully book one within the period, they can continue to live in the flat till their own flat is ready. The joy of having a child cannot be measured by any tangible means and the decision to have a child must come from the heart. The Government cannot decide for couples, but the Government can certainly help by removing barriers and catalysing the making of families. Housing Support for Young Families”
“Therefore, if childcare alternatives, such as community nannies, are to be implemented, how does the Government intend to ensure that children in these alternative care settings will also receive quality and safe care, such that these alternatives become viable options for parents who need but cannot secure centre-based childcare services? Catalysing Family Making A key factor driving couples' decision on when to have children is when they can secure their own homes. This is understandable. Having a child is a life-changing decision and a lifetime commitment. Naturally, couples want to make sure that they achieve a certain security so that they can better focus on raising the child. The Government continues to supply new flats and, eventually, supply will meet demand. But there is always a lag of three to four years because of the time needed to build the flats after the ballot. With couples marrying later in life, each day that passes by in waiting is a precious opportunity wasted to have a child. In Singapore, where our TFR is far from ideal, this is no doubt a big challenge that we must solve, and it can be solved. The introduction of the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS)was a wonderful scheme that addresses this challenge. But it is not fully utilised and I understand that there are still PPHS flats waiting to be taken. Instead of leaving them empty, could we offer PPHS to first-timer married couples who were unsuccessful in balloting for a flat but had already participated in the ballots, say, twice? At my recent MPS, I met a couple in their late 30s. They found each other late in life and so got married late. But the biological clock is frantically ticking away. They are anxious. They balloted for a flat twice but were unsuccessful.”
“During the COS last year, I spoke of offering alternative childcare options other than care centres and familial support, which not everyone has. Just earlier today, I received yet another plea from a resident who fretted over finding a childcare placement for her child because the childcare centre at her void deck had put her on a waiting list of at least 50, and the other childcare centres were either too expensive or too far away. I also suggested taping on experienced community nannies and how the Government can help to better match supply and demand. Building on what I spoke about last year, I would like to ask if the NPTD had studied possible alternative childcare options and, if so, what were the findings? Does the Government have plans to implement some of the alternatives found to be viable? Parents naturally want the best for our children. Some of the key considerations that parents have when deciding on childcare are safety and curriculum quality. Nobel-winning economist James Heckman and researchers at the University of Chicago and University of Southern California found that high quality early childhood development programmes can deliver an annual return of 13% per child on upfront costs through better outcomes in education, health, employment and social behaviour in the decades that follow. Making sure that a child is properly cared for and engaged not only ensures the child's well-being, it also strengthens our country's workforce and prepares future generations to be competitive in the future global economy.”
“And, most importantly, if we truly desire a caring and inclusive society, then let us show it through our actions. Let us give Singapore our best shot. Sir, I support the Budget.”
“How can we rally them together and better organise ourselves to address unfulfilled needs? For example, can young retirees who drive help to ferry the older and frailer seniors to their medical appointments? Can housewives with spare capacity help to fetch children, whose families are for some reason unavailable, to and from school? Can well-performing students help to run enrichment and reading programmes for children of low-income or dysfunctional families on a weekly basis? Can physically fit residents form Citizens on Patrol to ensure the security, peace and quiet of the neighbourhood? Can neighbours step forth and be ready to respond to calls for help through the Elderly Monitoring System? These are not difficult things to do but impactful if done. Of course, these propositions are impositions on Singaporeans who may prefer spending more time on activities they enjoy. But if everyone could just set aside a little of their time for the community, we will have a wealthy bank of volunteer man-hours and, in turn, achieve much more than what we see in the community today. Perhaps, on top of the grants to charities and schemes to encourage donations, we need to identify areas of unfulfilled needs, clearly articulate the roles that volunteers can assume, and devise a better way of recognising individual efforts in the community so that Singaporeans will find no reason to say no. There is much that we can do at the Government level and across the different sectors of our society. But ultimately, it is also the individual willingness of Singaporeans to do something, to give our best shot, that will keep the momentum going and make the difference. Our economy, security and defence, all of these need each and every one of us to work together in order to succeed.”
“This will allow the elderly, even those who are not very mobile or in good health or live alone, to continue to live independently and age in place. The Government should also expand programmes similar to that of the Pioneer Generation Ambassadors, to encourage more elderly to be volunteers as well. As they become active in voluntary work, they will also keep their mind and body healthy. The elderly will not only live well but will also help ease the manpower shortages in the community. This will help ease our own worries and allow us to concentrate on working hard for our future. As the saying goes, having an elderly person at home is like having a treasure in the house. This also holds true for the community. (In English): The Government clearly can do much to address the challenges we face and the needs we have. However, relying on the Government alone is not enough. Manpower shortage cuts across various sectors. Even with new workforce entrants, there will always be a stiff competition for manpower. There is demand for people in industries that drive Singapore's economic development and there is also demand for people in sectors that provide care for people. With the manpower shortage, what gives? The community has so far demonstrated how we can organise ourselves and achieve many things without over relying on the Government or, basically, paid workers. If manpower shortage is likely to be permanent and there are still needs to be addressed, perhaps we should look more to the community as a new resource pool − gig volunteers, perhaps? We have residents who have diverse sets of skills and knowledge and they may also have the capacity outside of work and family time to help. Can we leverage on them more?”
“So, instead of investing money on building new institutions, could we redirect some of this investment to enable more elderly to live independently in their own homes, so that they can continue to go about their daily lives, continue to be part of the neighbourhood that they are so familiar with and truly age in place? Mr Deputy Speaker, if I may continue in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Deputy Speaker, we live in a world which is changing rapidly. It is not possible to predict what tomorrow will be like. Singapore is a small red dot. Of course, we cannot change the world based on our efforts alone. We can only go with the flow. However, we are not completely helpless. We can help equip companies and our people with the means and capability to keep up with the change. This year's Budget, which will help companies continue their transformation and the people to upskill, is one that takes care of our long-term interests. However, as the Government is working very hard to build our economy for tomorrow, I hope that the Government will not forget to continue assisting Singaporeans who need help, so that they can also keep up with the economy and continue on this journey together. Let me now talk about our care of the elderly. As our society ages rapidly, our needs on this front will increase dramatically. Medical costs and infrastructure expenditure will inevitably rise. Rather than regarding these as costs that cannot be recouped, why do we not look at how we can help the elderly live more meaningfully? For example, the Government can quicken the pace of building smart homes for the elderly and promote technologies that the elderly will find friendly to use.”
“As it is, we know that there are technology solutions, such as sensors, assistive devices and telemedicine. Leverage technology to enable independent living at home, even for those who have moderate disabilities and little or no family support. There are already pilots being done with the deployment of the Elderly Monitoring System, for example. But this is just one aspect of an elderly's daily living. Could we look into a more concerted, holistic concept of using digital technology to enable independent living for the elderly? Some solutions are still being developed. Could we then accelerate the lab-to-market process? Could the Government take a point position and lead a nationwide implementation of smart homes for seniors? Could we facilitate the integration of these solutions, so that the elderly can enjoy the services at home in an easy and seamless manner? In addition to enabling a more independent living for the elderly at home and ageing in place, we should also consider providing and encouraging the provision of digital platforms to link freelance healthcare professionals and caregivers or those with spare capacity, to facilitate on-demand provision of home care or other related elder care services. With the emerging gig economy, such platforms are the next new norm. But some of these platforms are privately run and the elderly who wish to utilise them may be deterred for fear that the subsidies that they may be eligible for cannot be applied via these platforms. Therefore, could the Government look into enabling this?”
“These translate into a greater cost burden on working Singaporeans in the future. We cannot be building new nursing homes or hiring new people to do the caring on an indefinite basis. It is unsustainable and neither is it the best solution. But the demand for institutional care for the elderly, including the elderly who can actually be independent with a little bit more support in the community, keeps rising, partly because of shrinking family sizes and partly because of changing family values. Therefore, we need to change our thinking about eldercare, and there are several points that I would like to raise in this respect. First, on manpower. The Ministry of Health has estimated that it would need an addition of about 30,000 more healthcare workers by 2020 and, of this 30,000, about one-third is estimated to be dedicated towards the aged care sector. Currently, in 2015, about 75% of the healthcare workforce are Singaporeans. But looking ahead, as we need more healthcare workers with this projected increase of 30,000, I wonder if we can continue to maintain this 75% from now till 2020 and beyond. With more Singaporeans leaving than entering the labour market, will we have enough to meet the rising demand for eldercare? How many and for how long more can we top up with foreign manpower? Could we find ways to recruit more volunteers and organise ourselves in the community better so that the community can step in to supplement manpower demand and fulfil needs? Second, on digital eldercare. With land scarcity and manpower shortage, the eldercare model needs to shift away from institutions and reserve the residential institutions for the elderly who need highly intensive care. We should consider leveraging more on technology.”
“And some were struggling to juggle multiple jobs and did not even have time to seek help. Hence, proactively seeking them out and offering timely interventions will help Singaporeans to focus on their jobs or studies, both of which are essential in ensuring their families' long-term independence and success. Second, our elderly Singaporeans today and tomorrow. We face a rapidly ageing society in the midst of a rapidly changing environment. Even as we transform and apply resources to transforming our economy and workforce, let us not forget to take steps to help elderly Singaporeans live well into their old age. That means continuing to advance innovations in the eldercare sector so that our seniors today and tomorrow can enjoy a good retirement. With our seniors taken care of, we can then better focus on the big picture and take comfort in the knowledge that no one gets left behind. We know that Singaporeans are living longer, but a longer life does not necessarily mean more years of healthy good life. This means one will have to spend more on healthcare as one ages. Already, on average, an elderly's out-of-pocket expenditure in healthcare is 7.9%, much higher than a younger person's which ranges between 4.4% and 5.5%, after taking into account Government subsidies and MediSave deductions. This is based on a household expenditure survey in 2012/2013. The healthcare financial burden on an elderly is, therefore, heavier. The Government's healthcare spending per capita has also been rising from an average of $488 in 2003 to $1,962 in 2016. The old-age support ratio, however, is steadily falling from 9:1 in 2000 to an expected 2:1 in 2030. Not forgetting, infrastructural spending will also have to increase as we accommodate an ageing population.”
“But as opposed to giving out even more handouts, let us also look at other ways of giving the help to the more vulnerable ones amongst us and giving them the extra push. There are a few groups of Singaporeans who could do more with the Government's support, but I would like to highlight just two today. First, families of unstable income or retrenched workers. Economic growth is expected to slow down and there are uncertainties ahead. Already, retrenchments are going up. Unstable income workers, especially those in odd jobs or contracted without work guaranteed, will see their income fluctuating even more. Given these circumstances, I worry about how their affected families would be able to cope with the rising cost of living. The near-term measures announced in this Budget, together with existing schemes, are helpful in relieving some of the living cost pressures. But I hope the Government will do more by proactively identifying families showing signs of distress, such as escalating arrears in rent, utilities and service and conservancy charges. Identifying distressed families early will allow the appropriate interventions to be made in a timely manner before the situation gets out of hand, when it would be even more challenging to resolve. Over the years, I have seen families coming to seek help only after their arrears have compounded for many, many months. By then, the interest would have compounded, late payment penalties would have been slapped on and, perhaps, some families would have even taken personal loans which would just only add on to the liabilities that the family faces. Some of these families did not know that help was available, some simply panicked and went into denial when they saw their escalating arrears.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, this year's Budget theme "Moving Forward Together" is an important one. The world is filled with disruptions and the pace of change has quickened so much that nobody can be sure of what works and what does not in the future. We cannot control what happens around us, yet we also cannot passively wait for things to happen before deciding on what to do. What we can do right now is to ensure that we develop the agility to adapt and the willingness to learn. Therefore, I wholeheartedly agree that we need to focus our energy and precious resources on transforming the industries to create new opportunities and on building the capacity and capabilities of our people, so that we are ready to make full use of the opportunities available. All of these are long-term investments for the future, to make sure that we have the right skills and knowledge for a changing and competitive world. We must get comfortable with change. Moving forward, we will. The key challenge for Singapore is to respond and change together. The Government is sincere in wanting to move all Singaporeans forward, but it cannot achieve it alone, no matter how strong it is. To move forward together, we need greater support from the Government but also a concerted effort across the different sectors of our society and a willingness in each individual to give our best shot. We live in a highly competitive world. The fittest amongst us will survive and get ahead, but the more vulnerable amongst us will need help if we are to complete this journey together. Our Government − the body that aggregates and redistributes resources − therefore, has an important role to play. To be fair, our Government has done a lot.”
“The reform of the Elected Presidency is carried out after much deliberation at the Government's end. The adjustment was made after public consultation and after the Constitutional Commission has studied this matter thoroughly. I believe that the reason behind all these efforts is because the Government hopes to enhance the mechanisms in Singapore and to lay a stronger foundation for Singapore's future. We are all very proud of Singapore. Our "little red dot" has accomplished remarkable achievement in the international arena. Wherever we are, at any international occasion, we are able to hold our heads high. Singapore is our home. This is where our heart belongs. Here, in Singapore, neighbours come from various walks of life and have different backgrounds. We have many shared memories and experiences. We have also created countless miracles together. Hence, we must continue to work hard and forge ahead with the same nation-founding philosophy. (In English): Madam, I support the Bill.”
“Even though Chinese make up the majority of the population, every citizen is an integral part of the Singapore Family. Therefore, the President who represents us should exemplify the spirit of multiracialism. By having Presidents from different races from time to time will reflect our diversity and will surely benefit Singapore. Some people are concerned that a hiatus-triggered reserve election will weaken meritocracy, an equally important founding principle. I believe that meritocracy and multiracialism are equally important and a reserved election does not mean that we have to compromise one or the other. Firstly, to meet the more stringent qualifying criteria is the foremost criterion and the first filter. Be it normal Presidential election or reserved election, all the candidates must meet the same stringent qualifying criteria. There is no preferential treatment. They all have to prove that they have what it takes to be a President. Secondly, when a member from any racial group has not occupied the President's Office after 30 years, namely, five continuous terms, the sixth Presidential Election will be reserved for a candidate from that racial group to ensure that all races are treated equally. Basically, I hope that we will never have to have a reserve election. It is merely a preventive measure. We all understand and agree that the Singapore President shoulders the responsibility to safeguard our Reserves. The President is our "second key". He or she symbolises our Singapore spirit. As Chinese, our community accounts for three-quarters of the Singapore population. We are influential. If we sincerely believe in the value of multiracialism, we, as the majority race, should take our stand and act upon what we believe to support this Bill.”
“If we look at this issue from another angle, raising the qualifying criteria can avoid certain situations, say, there are several Presidential candidates and one of them does not possess the relevant experience and capability. However, he is a charismatic speaker and even promises things that he cannot possibly deliver. He managed to persuade the people and is eventually elected. After the election, we then realise that he actually does not have the relevant knowledge and cannot discharge the Presidential duties well. To make things worse, he does not possess sufficient knowledge and holds a different view from the Government, yet he insists on doing things in his own way. This will result in a gridlock. Such a situation will definitely lead to more problems than benefits. Hence, it is necessary to raise the qualifying criteria to make sure that every candidate is competent. Secondly, to maintain a multiracial society should not only be limited to our attitudes and words and how we treat our compatriots. It must be seen to be so. Earlier in my English speech, I talked about the sensitivity of our geographical politics. It is not difficult to see that this "little red dot" with a dominant Chinese majority is rather unnatural in this region and among our neighbours. On the other hand, some Chinese netizens refer to Singapore as "Singapore county" which seems to regard Singapore as part of China. Although some people think that this is an endearing term and shows that Singapore and China are old friends, it will inadvertently affect Singapore's international image and undermine its independence. Multiracialism is the foundation of our country and it is the secret of our success. It cannot be taken for granted.”
“In this amendment that we are debating today, the reserved election ensures that a particular race, defined as "community" in the Bill, will not be neglected over an extended period of time. And this applies to all races, not just the so-called minority races. Meaning, even though the Chinese form the majority of our population, but if for some reason, there is no Chinese President for five terms, the sixth term will be reserved for the Chinese. Therefore, I do not see this as a discriminatory rule, since it applies to all races. Madam, allow me to continue in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In Singapore, the President is the Head of State and our "second key". The President represents all Singaporeans. Be it domestically or internationally, our President must have certain powers and dignity so as to personify our Singapore spirit. At today's debate, I would like to talk about the importance of the attributes of the Presidential candidates and the importance of maintaining a multiracial society. Firstly, the quality of the candidates must be high. Hence, it is necessary to raise the criteria. Times have changed. In the 1990s, there are less than 200 qualified companies in Singapore. Today, qualified companies based on the same criteria have increased to more than 2,000, more than 10 times as many. If we do not raise the criteria to reflect our current situation, how can we ensure that the candidates are truly capable and thus his words carry weight and will not be looked down upon? Moreover, the candidates selected based on these more stringent criteria, whoever he or she may be, we can be assured that he or she has the capability and confidence to control the "second key" and that our Reserves will not be squandered away.”
“Under the updated criteria, far less than 1% of the total number of registered companies in Singapore will have shareholder equity of $500 million. At this level, I believe their CEOs would have the competence, experience, credibility and stature needed to stand as the Head of State of Singapore. Second, prejudices are real. The IPS Study on Race and Religion in Singapore by Dr Matthew Matthews released in 2014 revealed that racial prejudice continues to be present in modern Singapore. And 62.8% of respondents think there is about the same or more racial prejudice in Singapore today compared to five years ago. Non-Chinese are four times more likely to feel racially discriminated against regarding a job or job promotion, compared to Chinese. And even though 95% of respondents feel that Singapore is important to their sense of identity, still 88.7% also feel that race is integral to their sense of identity as well. And if we really walked the ground, one would know that within certain segments of our population, there is a racial preference for President and in a specific order. My point is that having preferences is a human tendency and, even if we studiously tried to be race-blind, race preferences can still manifest unconsciously. The person having these preferences may not even be aware of it. Therefore, if a talented individual fails to be elected because of his or her race, it would truly be very sad. Third, the President must personify our Singaporean character and values. Before the current elected Presidential system, the convention in the appointment system had been to appoint Presidents from different races.”
“We should, and we must, continue strengthening the Sino-Singapore relationship. But perceiving Singapore as a Chinese county undermines our independence and standing as a sovereign nation. Drawing our lens closer, look at our neighbours and one can easily observe how Singapore's population makeup is unnatural in this part of the Southeast Asia region. That the majority of our population is ethnic Chinese is a fact. But we must make sure that our Head of State – an important national symbol – reflects our multiracialism. The imperative of doing so goes beyond fulfilling our ideal of a multiracial society, even though this is absolutely desirable. There is a need for us to assert our independence and multiracial complexion because of the geopolitical realities we face. Non-Chinese Singaporeans are not a "by the way"; we are all an integral part of Singapore. Therefore, what if we do not have a President of a particular race for a prolonged period of time? What if it is not because the candidate of a particular race is less capable or less experienced or has less stature, but because voters simply prefer someone they feel they identify with more? Some argued that by having a reserved election, we will be sacrificing meritocracy for multiracialism. I disagree. Both are equally important and this amendment Bill helps to ensure this. I will set out my reasons as follows. Firstly, the eligibility criteria, which really is the first filter, will ensure that all candidates have the required competency and experience, regardless of whether it is a normal Presidential Election or a reserved one. With the amendment to the candidates' eligibility, most would agree that it is a highly stringent set of criteria.”
“Therefore, I am supportive of having an Elected President because he or she must have the moral authority to stand against a government that has gone rogue. He or she must be able to safeguard our Reserves, which are sacrosanct to Singapore's long-term survival as an economy and as a nation. Second, multiracialism is key to Singapore. Prior to today's debate, I was part of a panel discussion organised by Zaobao in September. During the discussion, Cultural Medallion holder Mr Han Lao Da, also known as Mr Han Yong Yuan, shared an anecdote that particularly resonated with me. All our Singapore dollar notes, if one notices, bear the portrait of our very first President Mr Yusof Ishak. Our currency is not only used within Singapore by Singaporeans or foreign visitors; some of it also gets circulated overseas, reaching the hands of many foreign friends. The message subtly conveyed through our currency's design is the emphasis on multiracialism in Singapore. Seventy-five percent of Singapore's population is ethnic Chinese. It is easy to mistake us as a Chinese society and this is not a figment of our imagination. In the not-so-distant past, many people in the West had either not heard of Singapore or often mistook Singapore as part of China. Even today, after years of hard work in fostering multiracialism and positioning ourselves as a multiracial society, Singapore is still nicknamed as "坡县" amongst some groups of People's Republic of China (PRC) nationals, referring us to being a county, not even a province, of China. Whether it is a term of affection or not, it is clear that Singapore, in some quarters, is seen as a Chinese society and a distant county of a larger China. China is an old friend of Singapore.”
“Assuming Party X won the mandate and forms the government, but it turns rogue and, since it is in power, decides to reward its political allies through high value contracts without tender and when the finances go south, decides to draw on the Reserves to fill the fiscal hole. And now, let us assume the President is an appointed one – appointed by moving a Motion in Parliament by the Prime Minister, who would be from Party X. Clearly, with Party X's members forming the majority of the House, the candidate favoured by Party X will become President. Such a President is in no position, and may have no intention, to block any unwarranted draw on the Reserves. In contrast, with an Elected Presidency system, eligible candidates who have no political leaning and truly have a heart to serve Singapore can contest against the so-called establishment candidate. Singaporeans might regret electing Party X into government, but they sure can make the right decision through an Elected President. Third, the Presidential Election is unlike a General Election. The roles of a President, what can or cannot be done, are clearly set out in the Constitution. There should not be a contest of different political directions and values, which can be divisive. The Presidential Election will instead focus on choosing the candidate best suited to assume the custodial role and in representing Singapore. Finally, if the candidate does not understand what can or cannot be done as a President and makes wonderful election promises that cannot be fulfilled under the Constitution, then this candidate's wisdom and abilities are in question. With the enhanced eligibility criteria, I believe the qualifying candidates will not have such an issue.”
“Some Members of the Opposition have even argued for an abolishment of the Elected Presidency, reverting back to the former system of Appointed Presidency, as they say that an elected President, whom they assumed as the Ruling Party's nominee, may abet in squandering away our Reserves together with the Government! But I have different views. Allow me to share. First and foremost, and the most important, the custodial role of the President is to safeguard our Reserves should the Government of the day go rogue and, hence, the metaphor of the President as holding a "second key". And because the Government of the day is formed by the Party that had won Singaporeans' mandate, it would be almost impossible for the President to challenge the Government if the President has no electoral mandate to back him. Our founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, articulated this point very clearly in 1984. He said, and I quote, "[If] President were to block the spending of any Reserve which the government in office has not itself accumulated, the newly elected Prime Minister will be furious to be thwarted. Therefore, it may be better for the President to be elected by the electorate, instead of Parliament, so that he can have the moral authority to intervene, preferably with the agreement of a Presidential Committee for the protection of Reserves." Second, the argument that an appointed President is better than an elected President in preventing a rogue Government from squandering away Singapore's Reserves is unconvincing.”