Umar Abdul Hamid
Singapore
“Teachers should no longer be portrayed and perceived as only being a teacher of a classroom but like a manager of a classroom. And the principal can be called the Chief Executive of a school.”
“Sir, when I look through the parents' guide on universities in the world, I found that our two universities are rated as one of the very competitive universities in the world. In fact, in the list of these very competitive universities are top class universities like Harvard and Cambridge.”
“Sir, I like to declare my interest as a polytechnic staff. Sir, as we move into being one of the most advanced developing nations, we need to relook at our manpower structure and the direction in which our tertiary institutions are heading.”
“Sir, my concern is basically, are we going to pay a price for being the most advanced developing nation? Singapore is very well known for taking proactive measures before any undesirable effects occur to us. Though I am in the NYC, we have done a lot to make sure that our youths are actively involved in the activities.”
“My question to the Minister is whether he sees the trend of our young people who are not equipped with the values that I had mentioned, which promote progress and development to Singapore as a hindrance for us to move into the next phase of our economic development. If he does, what proactive and reactive measures are we taking? 2.45 pm”
“In the second case, a principal wanted his pupil to obtain certification by a mosque that the pupil was a Malay. The first letter the child obtained from the mosque was rejected because it was handwritten.”
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“Sir, when I look through the parents' guide on universities in the world, I found that our two universities are rated as one of the very competitive universities in the world. In fact, in the list of these very competitive universities are top class universities like Harvard and Cambridge. My question to the Minister is: in order to allow more Singaporeans to enjoy the experience of studying in the two very competitive universities, ie, NUS and NTU, are there plans by the Ministry to expand the facilities and resources in both these universities? Also, I would like to ask the Minister what are the directions of research and development in these two institutions to bring them to the level of the very competitive universities?”
“Sir, I like to declare my interest as a polytechnic staff. Sir, as we move into being one of the most advanced developing nations, we need to relook at our manpower structure and the direction in which our tertiary institutions are heading. Our present manpower structure depends highly on the four polytechnics to produce the middle level professionals and executives. In time to come, the four polytechnics will be enroling about 16,000 students each year in order to meet the demand of our expanding economy. My question to the Minister is: what are the future directions or emphasis of polytechnic education and will we be producing more polytechnic graduates in future?”
“Sir, our economy depends highly on technical manpower and we must strategise our education system to produce enough technicians, technologists and engineers. The universities and polytechnics have done a good job in attracting our students to take up engineering courses in their respective institutions. However, I cannot say the same thing for our ITE. There seems to be a gap in understanding the importance of vocational education and the significance of skilled technicians in our industries. This lack of understanding may have arisen due to lack of information given to both students and parents. I would like to urge the Minister to consider an aggressive promotion of vocational education and, at the same time, consider promoting ITE as a special skill institution, rather than just being another post-secondary institution. The reason why I propose ITE to be categorised as a special school rather than another post-secondary institution is to avoid putting ITE in the same basket as JCs and polytechnics. When we do so, parents are likely to rank these institutions and certainly ITE will be last in the list, and eventually perceived as the non-attractive choice. Sir, I hope the Ministry can consider my proposal.”
“Sir, like my colleagues, I would like to congratulate the Minister for listening to our feedback that we have given to him and his team about the need to recognise teachers, not only in terms of monetary reward but also in terms of job recognition and other things. Also, I would like tourge all young women and men in Singapore to take up the career of being a teacher and also being a manager of a school, because this will guarantee that they not only become one of the corporate figures in the corporate world but also they are doing a noble community service. Sir, the Edusave programme is one of the best Government policies to redistribute our wealth. Many capable and needy students have benefitted from it. In fact, in one of the Edusave award ceremonies which I had in Kebun Baru, some parents approached me and they actually wanted me to convey to the Ministry and the Government how thankful they are for the introduction of such a programme. At this point of time, I would like to urge the Minister and the Government to consider extending the Edusave programme not only to the ITE and special schools but also to the polytechnic students, because polytechnic students are also post-secondary students who require assistance. Also, I would like to request the Government to consider extending the programme to the top 30% of students in both primary and secondary schools.”
“Teachers should no longer be portrayed and perceived as only being a teacher of a classroom but like a manager of a classroom. And the principal can be called the Chief Executive of a school. Like any other managers in the corporate world, they are held accountable for the performance of each pupil before they are moved into the next stage of learning. These managers are assessed on how much value they can impart to their pupils in order to produce an all-rounded product. The process of assessment can be worked out between the managers and the CEO of the school and at the end of the day, the products or the pupils that graduate from each school will determine the success of the CEO and the managers. Sir, this is a new concept and approach but it has been tested and applied in a few private schools in the United States. We may want to consider such a model in order to ensure that we continue to have quality people in the teaching career.”
“Sir, teachers are crucial inputs of our education system. The quality of teachers that we recruit determines the quality of pupils we produce. Teachers' content of work changes as time changes. In the old days, teachers were only expected to teach and discipline their pupils and to make sure that they handed in their work on time. But today, Sir, teachers are expected to do more than that. Apart from teaching, teachers are expected to do administrative functions, counselling of pupils and other chores relating to the welfare of their pupils. Adding to this, parents have also high expectations of teachers to ensure that their children receive the fullest attention. It is therefore not surprising to observe that the attrition rate of teachers is relatively high compared to other careers, though the Ministry has done a lot to encourage teaching as a noble career. 4.00 pm I have the opportunity to meet teachers who are both in service and out of service. One of the main complaints, apart from the salary, that teachers have is that there is not enough job recognition given to them. These teachers tend to compare themselves with their colleagues who are perceived to be successful in the corporate world, though their colleagues may not be earning as much as them. The teachers' salary revision is highly welcomed. But, then again, monetary reward is not the only factor that motivates our teachers. What many of them are requesting is the appreciation and recognition from both parents and the Ministry. On that point, I wish to propose to the Minister to embark on an aggressive campaign to promote teaching not just as a noble career but as a corporate career.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Sir, my concern is basically, are we going to pay a price for being the most advanced developing nation? Singapore is very well known for taking proactive measures before any undesirable effects occur to us. Though I am in the NYC, we have done a lot to make sure that our youths are actively involved in the activities. But our problem is that we are not getting the right youths to participate in our programmes. Therefore, I would like to know if the Ministry of Community Development has any special programme that can actually reach out to the youths that we have not been able to reach.”
“My question to the Minister is whether he sees the trend of our young people who are not equipped with the values that I had mentioned, which promote progress and development to Singapore as a hindrance for us to move into the next phase of our economic development. If he does, what proactive and reactive measures are we taking? 2.45 pm”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head J of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code JA 1200. Sir, youth is an important asset of our country. They are a crucial resource that needs to be positively and constructively developed to ensure that Singapore continues to progress and move into the next phase of our economic development. Singapore is declared as the most advanced developing nation recently. And the very reason we have managed to reach that status is due to the positive values, such as team work, hard work, sincerity, honesty, that our previous generation had held. However, Sir, I am very concerned about how prepared our younger generation today is to face a more challenging future. Getting to be an advanced developing nation has come with a price. With both parents working today, our children are mostly left to be taken care of by maids. In fact, today many maids have taken over the role of our parents. To compensate for the time that they do not spend with their children, parents tend to pamper their children lavishly with cash, branded stuff and other materialistic elements. In fact, if we were to do a survey today, it is not surprising to find many of our young people spend their time in Orchard Road shopping centres and entertainment centres more than in places where they should be in. What we are about to see is a generation of Singaporeans who do not appreciate values, like family values and team work, and it is a generation that thinks only for themselves. And this is the generation that will have higher expectations and materialistic needs.”
“Sir, the Minister said that SP intends to maintain the 10% to 11% rate of return under the new accounting system. What is the expected percentage increase of the tariffs if it intends to maintain the 10% to 11% of return?”
“Point of clarification. The Minister mentioned about the buying-back scheme. Can an applicant be entitled to the Buy-Back Scheme and at the same time be eligible for the $30,000 grant given by the Government?”
“In the second case, a principal wanted his pupil to obtain certification by a mosque that the pupil was a Malay. The first letter the child obtained from the mosque was rejected because it was handwritten. The pupil had to go back to the mosque for a letter with the mosque's stamp and it was only then that the school accepted it as certifying that the pupil was a Malay. I am concerned, in view of these incidents, that some principals might not fully understand the guidelines for them. I would like to ask the Minister what guidelines are issued to school principals. What are the things they can do and what they cannot do?”
“Sir, the object of Edusave is to provide scholarships to top students in secondary schools, annual grants averaging $100,000 per school, and also contribute to each pupil's Edusave account. May I suggest to the Ministry that the allocation of the Edusave fund be extended to self-help groups like MENDAKI, SINDA and CDAC to help schools disburse the allocated funds more effectively. Let me give an example. As it is, MENDAKI today runs about 16 centres of week-end tuition scheme for Malay students. Some of these students could not afford to pay the tuition fee for the week-end tuition scheme. In view of that, maybe a proportion of the Edusave fund which has been allocated to the students' accounts can be used for some of the programmes conducted by MENDAKI. Also, with the addition of another $500 million for the next financial year, thus making the Edusave fund to $2 billion, may I ask the Ministry whether there will be an increase in terms of the number of scholarships to be granted to schools? Will the amount of grants to be given to schools be doubled? Or will the contribution to each pupil's Edusave account be doubled? If this is not going to be the case, where will the additional $500 million be allocated to? Now, Sir, I would like to take amendment (e) in Malay. (In Malay): The Ministry of Education has granted full autonomy to principals to adapt and streamline the administration of their respective schools. This move has proven effective as school services today are running smoothly. However, a small number of principals have shown a lack of understanding of the powers granted to them. Recently, Berita Harian reported two cases. The first was where two sisters were directed by their principal to have their hair shorn because they had head lice.”
“Sir, with your permission, I would like to drop amendment (d) on security of 'O' and 'A' level papers, since the Minister has already answered that question. With your permission, may I take amendment (e) in the Malay language?”
“Science and technology we need, but we should not overlook the need for the study of the humanities. I agree with Mr Leong that the budget allocation of $22.6 million is very very small. I believe Raffles Institution has more than $20 million. We are encouraging more Singaporeans to work and invest overseas, and this is very important. But, by comparison, the allocation of funds to the Open University is grossly inadequate. Finally, I would like to ask the Minister whether there is any age limit for in-service teachers who are 40 or 45 years old to enrol into the Open University courses. Is there any restriction or limitation? I think we should encourage older teachers to enrol as well.”
“Sir, the Open University started last year and it offered three bachelor degree programmes. The newspaper report stated that the response to these programmes was overwhelming and many of the applicants who applied for admission into the University met the minimum requirement. However, I was made to understand from the report that the number of applicants exceeded the number of students accepted into the Open University and, apparently, there were many applicants put on the waiting list. While the objective of the Open University is to accept any qualified applicant, may I ask the Minister what are the reasons or constraints for putting qualified applicants on the waiting list or, to a certain extent, rejecting them. Sir, each year the polytechnics produce about 10,000 graduates. Only the students in the upper top 5% will be admitted to the NUS and NTU to further their studies. However, there are many polytechnic graduates who wish to upgrade themselves and have no other choice but to go overseas to further their studies. As you know, each year, the number of students going overseas for their studies increases and I strongly believe that the number will continue to rise. My question to the Minister is whether there is any plan for the Open University to offer engineering degree programme in future. If yes, when will it be introduced? Mr Lau Ping Sum (Ang Mo Kio GRC)( In Mandarin): Sir, the Open University is now offering courses in Mathematics and Science. I would like to ask the Minister whether he has any plan to conduct other courses for other people. For example, Language, History and Geography. I think we must have a balanced development in a society. We need a balanced supply of talents.”
“Sir, like my colleague, I am very concerned about the school dropout rate. The Prime Minister last year was particularly more concerned with the relatively higher rate of Malay student dropouts vis-a-vis other races. It was 5.4% for Malays, as compared to 2.9% for Indians and 1% for Chinese. Though the Malay students have made considerable improvement in their PSLE results, if the present rate of dropout is allowed to perpetuate, the community may face great dilemma in having to tackle social problems which are usually related to those with a low level of education. MENDAKI, along with other Malay organisations, has mobilised their scarce resources in attempting to reduce the dropout rate of Malay students at both the primary and secondary school levels. However, Sir, what these organisations can do are rather limited and I believe that schools should play both pro-active and reactive roles to ensure that pupils must remain in school until such age when they can join the workforce. May I ask the Minister what are the measures taken to reduce our school dropout rate and, in particular, the Malay students? And is there any indication that the number of Malay school dropouts will decrease in future?”
“I would like to inform the House that the Skills Development Fund is depleting and replenishing must be carried out soon to cater to the bigger training needs of workers. If nothing is done now, the Fund would be used up within less than five years and it would not be enough to cater to the needs of our workers. I would like to suggest that the contribution to the SDF Scheme be raised from $750 to $1,000 so that more can be contributed to our SDF. With that, I support the motion.”
“For those in the Superscale and above, they should only take MSO, while those in Division I should only be given the option of MSO or the CCS, while those in Division II and below should be given the option of the MSO, CCS or the CPW. The reason is that the differential pay rise for those in the Superscale is relatively higher in terms of absolute number as compared to those in Division II and below. So I would suggest that those in Division I and above set the example by either opting for the MSO or CCS. The second thing which I would like to point out is that I remember vaguely in the CRC Report that one of the proposals made was that the various Ministries or Government bodies should coordinate future increase of fees. But I am sad to say that such a proposal has not been carried out by the various Ministries because recently, before the introduction of GST, there seems to be a common behaviour among the Ministries to increase fees, namely, TV licence by SBC, and to a certain extent, I was told by some of my constituents that the price for a cup of coffee has been increased by 10 cents. Although this has got nothing to do with the Ministries, the shopowners have blamed that it is because of the increase on various fees by the Government that has impelled them to increase the price of a cup of coffee by 10 cents. So I hope something can be done to ensure the CRC proposal is carried out and that there is proper coordination among the Ministries and Government bodies on future increases of fees. The last point which I would like to bring up is on the training of older workers and women who had previously stopped working to have children.”
“If these scarce resources are not optimised to the fullest and diverted to solve only our short-term domestic problems, Singapore will face the consequence of losing its competitiveness vis-a-vis other regional countries. Mr Speaker, Sir, one of the greatest challenges that Singapore has to face is the problems of our greying population. Something has to be done now. If not, the burden will be shouldered by the future generation. The extension of retirement age will help ease the weight of manpower exiting the job market and the bringing in of foreign talent will help replenish the number that has left the job market. We must at least maintain, if not expand, the steady state of our manpower level in order to move forward. The proposal to urge Singaporeans to set aside enough for old age is a laudable one. Singaporeans must learn to ensure their own financial independence when they retire. An appropriate sum of money must be kept in the CPF for their old age. Though there is no strong disagreement from the younger generation to support the elder citizens, it should not be taken for granted. I have the privilege of sitting in the National Youth Council and I also have the privilege of meeting some of the young people. I would like to inform this House that the younger people today do not resent supporting the older people. But the question is how long should they shoulder this burden? Moving on to the health care system, civil servants are given three options - the MSO, the CCS and the CPW. In view of the differential pay rise which is given to the various divisions in Government service, I would like to propose that various levels in the civil service be given various options.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, at the previous Opening of Parliament, I started my speech by reminding Mr Chiam See Tong about his duty as the unofficial Leader of the Opposition and the need to maintain his integrity as the Leader of the Opposition. I must admit that today he must have taken my heed and, in fact, he has spoken on some of the points which I would like to speak on. However, I have forgotten that today Mr Chiam is not the unofficial Leader of the Opposition, but Mr Ling is actually the unofficial Leader of the Opposition. Can I take this opportunity to again remind the unofficial Leader of the Opposition, Mr Ling, that he must take his elevation to the leadership role of the Opposition seriously and join in the debate. Otherwise Singaporeans will not be able to know his position or his views or his stand on the important issues facing Singapore and Government policies targeted at various long-term challenges. Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion standing in the name of Mr Loh Meng See. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our first elected President for his Speech. The content of his Speech reflects his vision for future Singapore. As we set our pace to move towards the next stage of nation building, we must prepare ourselves for future uncertainties and greater challenges. In solving our domestic, social, education and economic problems, we must not lose sight of the larger problems and opportunities surrounding us. The Asia-Pacific is said to be the next region with great economic potential. Singapore must position itself to capitalise on this potential by optimising our scarce resources to the fullest.”
“High cost should not be the prime hindrance for Singaporeans to obtain education and the Government must continue to play its part in providing affordable education for our children. Education is an investment that we can only reap in the next generation, but not tomorrow. With that, I support the motion.”
“Undergraduates should not be made to absorb the increasing recurrent cost of the university for they are going to be our future pool of leaders who are going to manage our country. The Government must continue to provide education that is within the affordability of the people, though I agree that those who benefit from the higher education should bear the bigger part of the cost. Again, I would like to urge the Government to continue capping the subsidy to the university at 79% of the recurrent expenditure. At the same time, I would like to urge the university to start looking into ways to raise revenues to offset the increase of recurrent cost. And one way of doing it is to fully optimize their equipment and conduct continuing education courses that will benefit the general public. The university's extramural department should step up its effort to conduct more courses and all revenues collected can be ploughed back into the respective departments that have fully utilized their equipment to conduct these courses. Though I am not saying that the universities are abusing their grant, I strongly agree with my colleague, the hon. Member for Jalan Besar GRC, that an independent committee should be formed to look into the cost control of the universities. Sir, in the light of the event that happened in the United States where some of the top elite universities were found to have abused the grants provided by the government, it is best that we avoid any future misgivings or perception that our universities are not practising cost control or, worse, abusing the grants given to them. Mr Speaker, Sir, for Singapore to continue enjoying economic growth, it must continue to produce highly skilled and better educated people.”
“The average performance of Malay pupils who attended Mendaki's Tuition Scheme has increased at an encouraging rate. However, to accommodate the growing demand for quality tuition programmes, Mendaki has to allocate and relocate their resources. More schools are needed to be used as tuition centres and more tutors will be required. Recruiting more qualified and trained tutors will mean bigger financial commitment from Mendaki and if Mendaki cannot continue to absorb the increased cost of providing quality tuition classes, parents will have to absorb it. Hence, before the cost is transferred to the parents, I would like to urge the Government to increase their financial support to community organisations, like Mendaki, Sinda and CDAC. Apart from community organisations, schools can play an active role to encourage pupils to do away with private tuition. In the Straits Times' report on Sunday, 10th October 1993, it was mentioned that one of the schools started a programme to teach its pupils how to study on their own and build their confidence so that they can perform equally, if not better, without attending private tuition. I would like to encourage other schools to look into this programme and regard it as part of the school's development to produce well-rounded and independent pupils. Sir, next I would like to touch on university fees. With the increasing university fees, capable students from the lower-income group are beginning to feel the pinch of acquiring higher education. The Cost Review Committee has rightly recommended that the Government should maintain its subsidy rate for university fees at the current 79% of recurrent cost, instead of reducing it to 75%.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the demand for private tuition is not due to the failure of our education system but due to the perception of parents that extra coaching in the form of private tuition is the only way to put their children on the competitive edge. Some parents believe that the more they give, the better will be the return. Unfortunately, Sir, this is not true all the time. I had a personal encounter with one of the parents who, until today, cannot accept the fact that to have an excellent pupil, the child needs more than private tuition and a tuition class organised by one of the community organisations. Their child has to spend almost every night being tutored by private tutors, and on weekends, the child has to attend tuition classes organised by a community organisation. The parents believe that they have carried out their responsibility by providing tuition as a means of home-coaching substitution, and what is more worrying is that they have consciously done it to compensate for their own busy schedules to spend their time qualitatively with their children. Sir, many parents are not aware that uncompromising qualitative tuition can equally and effectively be obtained through organised group tuition. These tuitions are offered through community organisations, like Mendaki, Sinda and CDAC. The tuition classes are conducted by qualified and trained personnel and these programmes are well-coordinated and closely monitored by the organisations. I am happy to inform the House that Malay parents are beginning to have confidence in Mendaki's Weekend Tuition Scheme and this is reflected through the increase of last year's enrolment of 3,000 to 10,000 pupils this year.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to join my colleagues to congratulate the Chairman and members of the Cost Review Committee for preparing a comprehensive Report that covers areas of great interest and concern to Singaporeans. However, Sir, there are a few points in the Report that need a little chiselling to give it a more sculptured finishing. I will focus my speech in the area of education. Mr Speaker, Sir, in the Report, the Committee noted that many parents engage private tutors for their children to help them enter the best schools and these private tuitions are extremely labour-intensive and, therefore, more costly than other forms of supplementary teaching. On this point, the Committee recommends that parents should make use of tuition programmes provided by schools and community organisations. Sir, I support this recommendation but, at the same time, would like to urge the Government to increase their support to the community organisations to facilitate parents in sending their children to tuition classes provided by these organisations. As we know, Singaporeans place great emphasis on quality education and excellent educational performance. Today, private tuition has placed itself as an important facet in our educational pattern. Teachers recommend it. Parents sought after it and pupils begin to depend wholly on it. With such great demand and the limited supply of good tutors, it is not surprising to find that the cost of private tuition has escalated by more than 100% from 1982 to 1992. In fact, due to its high return of capital invested, substantial numbers of Singaporeans have left their profession to become private tutors.”
“Sir, I think the Minister has not answered my question. What are the steps taken by SBC to ensure that the quality of Malay programmes, particularly Sandiwara, is maintained? If it is not equal to the Malaysian programme, at least, it is equal to some of the Chinese drama that has been put up on Channel 8.”
“Sir, I was made to understand by SBC that the number of viewers and revenues collected by Channel 12 are relatively smaller vis-a-vis Channel 5. My concern is: if Malay programmes are transferred to Channel 12, will the quality of Malay programmes be affected? If it is, what are the steps taken by SBC to ensure the quality of Malay programmes?”
“Sir, just to clarify what the Minister has mentioned about corporal punishment. Yes, I support corporal punishment. But I must stress that I do not support and advocate the abuse of corporal punishment, because I feel that there must be some kind of deterrent action in school to prevent students from committing offences.”
“The entire policy should have been the reverse, one in which the parents would recommend or appeal and for the school to consult and decide.”
“The growing respect for teachers would only enhance their morale and create a much more conducive teaching-learning environment. Sir, on streaming of primary school pupils, since the implementation of the streaming policy, principals and teachers are facing problems of accommodating requests from the pupils' parents over which stream to choose. As most parents are undoubtedly concerned with the labelling of their child's ability and non-ability, it is only natural that the outcome would be for them to sub-consciously opt for EM1 or EM2, though knowingly or they would have reasonably known that EM2 or EM3 would be safer and a better choice for their children. The academic performance of a pupil is, more often than not, for the school to decide. But for Primary 4 streaming, the parents have the ultimate say over the choice, and the school will only have theirs when it comes to Primary 5. Comparatively, accuracy of judging a child's performance should be attached more to the schools than the parents concerned. If a wrong or miscalculated choice is made, then there is a waste of one year of the pupil's time and effort, as well as Government resources. It is uncalled for that the parents should have the final say over and above the school's recommendation. The school's recommendation is based on a fair system of adjudicating the pupil's ability through examination and in and out of class performance and thus not clouded with love and prejudice that would be inherent in most parents when exercising a choice for their children. In short, such decision should be left to the professional opinion of the principals with the aid of the teacher's recommendation.”
“Since discipline is said to be the pre-requisite to education, then it is a matter of great importance in classroom and school management. The expectation of the parents and the Ministry is high on the teachers and the results of the school's performance. But little is realised that without the mechanism of enforcing discipline, not much can be achieved. Figuratively speaking, a skilled craftsman cannot produce a piece of polished work with his hands tied. At present, only principals or specially assigned teachers are given the authority to recommend corporal punishment. It means that pupils in class will have little respect for the classroom teachers, knowing that he or she cannot do much except to be patient and counsel. We are being idealistic if we are to believe that all pupils are little angels. No doubt, in the past, there have been instances of teachers abusing their powers. But let us not forget that there are as many cases where teachers are exhausted in handling problematic pupils and some even experience physical threat and harm in the execution of their duties to do something worthwhile with their life. The laws in Singapore against offenders and criminals alike are strict. But does the society prepare young people for the law that governs them when they are adults? Respect for law and order is only theoretical, propagated by textbooks. In practice, pupils are not taught that an unlawful or malicious conduct will be met with some form of punishment. The issue here is: are we giving the correct signal to the young about the reality of life beyond the walls of their schools? In a nutshell, Sir, classroom teachers should be provided with the means to decide when to give the carrot and when to give the cane to the pupils.”
“Sir, with your permission, I would like to take the three cuts together. Sir, the number of troubled pupils in schools is not insignificant. Presently, the problem is left to the school's principal and staff to tackle, because the pupils use the school as an escape from the problems that they face at home. More often than not, they manifest their frustration and pressures by being the ill-disciplined lot. The school's available actions are only limited to counselling and parents' interview. If matters get worse, that is the only choice that teachers and principals have. Therefore, the solutions call for more than that. 1.45 pm I am very happy to note that the Ministry is planning to hire six psychologists. And I would like to take this opportunity to offer my suggestion that an action-based unit comprising trained counsellors and professionals should be set up to address this problem and they should be made available to the schools when required. Because a more professional diagnosis would guide the schools and interested parties on how best to deal with these pupils. Furthermore, there is an assurance of a follow-up on a case-by-case basis. Since teachers may not be assigned to the same class throughout the primary and secondary education of a child, there is discontinuity in addressing their problems. The next teacher in charge may not be aware or may not have the benefit of knowing the probable cause and the extent of the problem. Now, I will speak on discipline in schools. Sir, if we are to ask teachers on what is the most serious discontentment in school, we expect the answer to be the maintenance of pupils' discipline in schools.”
“Sir, last year, the Minister announced that the Open University will be conducting their courses this year. The courses conducted will be in English language, Literature, Mathematics and Computer Science. May I ask the Minister what is the enrolment for the respective courses? Every year, there will be more than 10,000 technologists graduating from the polytechnics. Four out of 10 in the cohort aspire to further their studies. For the past two years, NTU accepts less than 30% of the cohort, which leaves behind 10% to look for alternative means to upgrade themselves. They could not opt for overseas education because it is very costly. Hence, there is a demand for the Open University to conduct Engineering Degree courses. May I ask the Minister if there are plans to introduce Engineering Degree courses in the Open University? If yes, when will it be? And if not, why not? May I also take this opportunity to suggest to the Minister that the Open University may work closely with the Institute of Engineers Singapore to organise Engineering Degree courses. The facilities and the equipment in the polytechnics could be optimised to help run these courses.”
“The GST is a solution to our broad-based tax system and with its implementation, I would like to urge the Government to consider raising the amount of the income tax personal relief. I must admit that an increase of $1,000 to the personal relief is below my expectation. I would like to urge the Minister to consider a personal relief based on a certain percentage of the cost of living in the Year of Assessment. Sir, I am also very pleased to note that the Government has committed to channel a substantial part of its FY 93 surplus towards building up the Edusave Endowment and Medical Endowment Funds. The Government has emphasised its commitment to education for the future success of Singapore. Its fundamental objective is to produce well educated and highly skilled Singaporeans. In line with this objective, may I suggest that the income tax continuing educational relief be increased from the present level to accommodate the continuous rise of fees for continuing education or adult training courses. The relief will certainly encourage more Singaporeans to pursue their investment in skill upgrading and education. Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore must never be a welfare state if we want to remain competitive and, at the same time, it must not be a safe haven just for the rich. We have to align our policies to encourage savings and healthy competition. A good compromise of taxation and relief are the means by which we can achieve these goals. With that, Sir, I support the motion.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Government to have control and to take severe action against those who resort to profiteering. Such action should include taking away their business licence and they should be barred from doing business for a certain period of time. I certainly believe that such deterrent action will protect the rights of the consumers. On individual income tax, the Government has given an across-the-board one-off rebate of 5% for Year of Assessment 1993. Accompanying the GST, the Government will reduce the percentage of the highest tax bracket by 3% with proportionate reduction in other tax brackets. However, Sir, the proportionate percentage reduction of income tax does not seem to be favouring the lower middle and lower income group, because proportionally they will be entitled to only 1% of reduction. Unlike Mr Low and other Opposition Members here who only criticize but fail to put up suggestions, I would like to request the Minister to consider giving a 2% reduction to the taxpayers who happen to fall in these income tax brackets. In my opinion, a 2% reduction is a more justifiable compensation of the GST for the lower middle and lower income group. Alternatively, the Government may want to consider raising the minimum taxable income group level to $7,500 per annum. Mr Speaker, Sir, one of the reasons why the Government has kept the personal relief of our income tax is to make our tax system as broad based as possible. The amount is certainly not a true indication of our personal yearly expenditure, for it does not take into consideration the increase in cost of living.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me begin the debate by expressing the reaction of my constituents towards this year's Budget Statement. Many of them felt that the budget reflects the true commitment of the Government to the people and the generosity of our leadership. Generally, they are in support of the Government's expenditure policy that invests for the future betterment of the people and the country. Sir, our economic and fiscal policies have proven itself to be prudent and reliable. Take 1992, for example, where despite uncertainties in the world's economy, we still enjoyed 5.8% economic growth. I am confident that we are in the right track and with the strong support and cooperation of the people, we will be able to enjoy 6%-7% of economic growth this year. Sir, this year's budget for the first time presented a unique package of tax incentives that encourages our businessmen and entrepreneurs to go abroad and take advantage of the business opportunities in the high growth countries around us. Being responsive and adaptable to changes are the key factors for Singapore to continue to develop its economy. Another unique package that we have this year is the changes in the corporate and personal tax that form part of the GST package. Credit must be given to the Government for implementing the GST in a revenue-negative way. I am also pleased to note that the Government has ensured Singaporeans that no household should be worse off when the GST is implemented. However, Sir, there are some Singaporeans who are very concerned about the multiplying effect of the tax and the irresponsible acts of profiteering. In fact, the latter is the greatest concern of Singaporeans.”
“Far more important is our effort to ensure that ultimately at every turn of the generation, Singapore will be left in the hands of a society that preserves and appreciates peace and conscious living. With that, I support the Bill.”
“The effects may not be visible in the aftermath of the offence. But one cannot deny the eventuality that the person against whom the offence was committed will be affected in his or her later years. His or her ability to lead a normal life may be impaired long after the offender has been released. Unless it can be scientifically proven that the damage suffered by an adult who is sexually exploited is distinctively more than the young who has been subjected to a similar experience, then it is only prudent that the penalty as recommended in clause 6 of the Bill be increased. May I suggest to the Minister that stiffer penalty be imposed on any person found guilty of sexual ex-ploitation of a child or young person. Secondly, it is my opinion that the introduction of clause 11, sub-clause (1)(a), which prohibits the participation of young children in any public entertainment of an immoral nature is rather restrictive and misleading. There are situations in which public entertainments are morally acceptable and yet pose the same dangers spelt out in sub-clause (1)(b) of this clause. It is my interpretation that the reason behind this introduction is the safeguarding of a child's life or physical condition. If this is rightly so, then the provision of this clause should be extended to include any procurement of a child's participation which contains therein imminent risk or danger, be it immoral or otherwise. Mr Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, there is ample justification for such a revised Act. I am sure that this proposed Bill, for all its intents and purposes, will be welcomed and supported by the public, especially parents whose children are (within the age) affected by this Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government has, in its effort of introducing this Bill, shown adequate attention to the protection of our children and young persons. The onus of maintaining their safety and care is on us. It has been obvious that of late cases of crimes committed on the young of child abuse and sexual exploitation are evident in disturbing numbers. As the future well-being of Singapore lies in their custody, it is pertinent that measures and safeguards be implemented and reviewed from time to time to meet current expectations and on-coming challenges. As such, the introduction of this Bill is very relevant today. The sensitivity of this matter is enlarged due to the tender age of this section of the community involved. The amendments, repeals and new provisions are well drafted and they are introduced to provide better measures while retaining the intended purpose and substance of the 1949 Act. However, as this Bill is now open for debate, I intend to take this opportunity to offer my opinion in the light that it will be considered for the improvement of this proposed Act. Sir, the introduction of a new clause pertaining to sexual exploitation of the young in this Bill is with few justifications. This allows that deterrents be provided in protecting the innocent and the ignorant. The young are proven to be very vulnerable towards any form of well-administered advances that tend to endanger their morality and chastity. The one factor that may be worth further consideration is the penalty imposed on such offenders. This Bill sought to protect the young in this respect. The rationale behind it would be to deter the commission of any obscene or indecent act because of the possible life-long trauma or emotional damages that the victim may suffer.”
“Sir, we are elected by the people, and Singaporeans put their faith and trust in us. Therefore, I believe that we have the right to appoint Nominated MPs.”
“This is in tandem with the free market principle that Singapore practises, ie, the allocation of human resource without reservation. I will further illustrate this point. There are tens of thousands of professionals who are aloof to party politics but, definitely, do not fall short in their capabilities to contribute equally as elected Members. For all we know, these non-partisan, independent NMPs could convincingly commit themselves responsibly in debates full of substance equally, if not more. This is possibly so, since they neither toe the Government line nor do they have the biasness of the Opposition. They, without the precedence in perception, may be in a better position to see and judge issues through the eyes of a lay expertise than a pledged politician. In other words, scrutiny of Bills and policies can be done in a way that all of us here might not be able to. This is, to my regard, an upgrading of democracy, far from being the institution that is seen with shredded doubts of mandate and accountability. Sir, democracy should be construed in the Singaporean context. A western defi-nition does not take into account the peculiarities found solely in this country. Are we to adopt democracy for the sake of democracy regardless of the composition and political climate? Adaptation, after all, has been the key to Singapore's success and stability. Sir, in the light of the above and in the interest of this nation, I deliver my confidence and support towards this motion. Mr Chiam See Tong rose ---”
“No person who has reached his pinnacle would jeopardise his reputation and integrity by being here to perform less than what the system expects and to the extent of disappointing the public. As a matter of fact, they deserve all the admiration as individuals who without the privilege of equal monetary allowance and voting would do their homework and shoulder parliamentary responsibility as much as the hon. Members of this House. At this juncture, Mr Speaker, Sir, I find it hard to ignore the statement made by Mr Chiam in yesterday's Straits Times that NMPs will give rise to the new classification of MPs being labelled as "third class" MPs. The PAP, as the governing party through the will and choice of the majority, is undisputably not to be deemed as second class MPs. That in order will leave the Opposition to fill in the gap. Is the unofficial Leader of the Opposition declaring that Opposition MPs are second class MPs? I am utterly positive that it is not in his interest to have the Opposition being seen as second class. If that is so, it will not be wise then to label others what he himself is struggling hard to avoid. Sir, NMPs are not subjected to political Whip and party philosophies. Hence, they would be free to air unlimited but constructive dissenting views. Indirectly, it extends the mechanism of oral checking on Government policies. The quality of their opinion is indisputably free from political affiliations. They would serve the kind of role that some sectors of the population is expecting. I share the purpose of NMPs in having more views to be heard in this House and, as far as responsible views are concerned, we should not worry about its detriment. As has been proven by the last NMPs, their presence proved to be a viable asset to Parliament.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the objective of introducing NMPs is to provide opportunities and an avenue for wider political participation. It is meant as an extension for more alternative views to be heard and the generous accommodation of dissenting voices. It is the paramount duty of this House to ensure that the best brains are galvanised to run the country. I believe the NMP scheme is the best among the available alternatives that we have considered so far. A good yardstick, in my view, to measure an adroit government is in its ability to adopt the past, adjust the present and adorn the future. Singapore is one fine example. It is a responsible Government that will use its initiatives and do what is best for the future of Singapore and its people. The people have elected the Government of the day and have entrusted in its representatives in Parliament to do what this country's future deems fit. The choice of NMPs will thus be made on the "oblique mandate" vested by the electorate. Sir, Singapore is not limited in talent as it is in land. What better way can there be than to have the professionals, lay experts and renowned leaders of institutions, to contribute in this House as NMPs? Perhaps as successful businessmen or surgeons, they might not realise the constitutional contribution to the nation until they are here to be part of the legislative process. Hopefully, by being here, they may change their perceptions as they could then understand the process and the significance of their roles better. These professionals of good standing will keep to their all-time best as they are in their own respective fields. Thus, eluding the notion that they might be easily lobbied or to be seen as opportunists.”
“If so, will the Information Technology course offered be in collaboration with any creditable university or institution? In my view, Sir, we should not duplicate what private schools or institutions are doing, but instead concentrate on providing courses which could not be offered by these schools.”
“However, Sir, I do not see the rationale of how we could meet the aspirations of students and parents if the new polytechnic is going to offer unconventional and new courses, like Health Sciences and Information Technology. The Minister has indicated that these courses are relevant to the needs of industry, but has any study been made to show that these courses are actually demanded by students. I believe that we should strike a balance between the needs of industry and the interest of our students. I also observe that Nanyang Polytechnic will be offering engineering courses in automation, manufacturing technology and precision engineering. In my view, Sir, these courses are restrictive and too specialised. In engineering, specialised knowledge should be preceded by general knowledge. Speaking as a trained electronic engineer, I feel that our polytechnic graduates should not be trained in a specialised area because it will inhibit their versatility and adaptability when they join the workforce. I suggest that Nanyang Polytechnic offer more broader based courses, like Electronic Engineering (which happens to be the most popular course applied by students), Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering. Within these courses, we could then include areas of automation, manufacturing technology, precision engineering, or any areas of specialty which are needed by our industry. Sir, many private institutions and schools are doing a good job in offering courses, like Information Technology, and many of them are in collaboration with prestigious foreign universities to ensure its credibility. My question to the Minister is: is there a need for Nanyang Polytechnic to duplicate their effort?”
“Sir, I rise to support the Nanyang Polytechnic Bill. Before I speak on the Bill, I would like to declare my interest as a polytechnic lecturer. Sir, Singapore depends on the quality of its human resource for economic growth and Government must play pro-active roles to ensure that our learning institutions produce sufficient professionals, middle-level professionals and skilled workers for our industry. I am glad to note that Government recognises the importance of our middle-level professionals and continuously emphasise the quality of polytechnic education. Sir, a few months ago, a Director of Technikon Natal from Durban, South Africa, visited our polytechnics as part of his visits to polytechnics in Hong Kong, Australia and UK. He commented that after visiting all the polytechnics in these countries, he found that Singapore is the only country that is still upholding the real objectives of polytechnic education and, that is, to train future technologists. He noted that many countries have succumbed to political pressure and convert their polytechnics into degree awarding institutions. In fact, he was amazed to note that not only have we maintained the standard of our polytechnics, but we are also expanding it. Sir, like many parents and students, I welcome the establishment of the fourth polytechnic, but, however, I have a few questions and suggestions to make. More than 16,000 first-choice applicants applied to the polytechnics last year and since Temasek Polytechnic has limited places due to space constraint, I would assume that the majority of the applicants applied for conventional and popular courses, like Engineering and Business Administration, which are offered by Singapore and Ngee Ann Polytechnics.”
“Sir, may I be allowed to ask supplementary questions in Malay, please?”
“I just would like to clarify a few points with the Minister regarding the engineering courses that will be offered in the SOU. Sir, I think SOU will be the first or among the few universities that will be offering engineering courses in the world. My question to the Minister is this. I have a great concern that if we are going to make use of the facilities in the polytechnics for engineering courses, will it be perceived as a qualification below that of the NUS and the NTU? Because when NTU was introduced, its engineering degree was perceived to be lower than that of NUS. If we are going to make use of the facilities in the polytechnics, will the degree offered by the SOU be seen or perceived as a standard lower than NUS or NTU?”