Vivian Balakrishnan
Singapore
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not issue advisories on wait times at overseas airports. Travellers may wish to monitor airline and airport websites, as well as news reports for real-time information on wait times and potential disruptions at specific airports.”
“When the conflict in the Middle East deteriorated and commercial flights were halted in March 2026, the Singapore Government mounted four repatriation flights from Muscat, Riyadh and Jeddah to bring stranded Singaporeans home.”
“The Government has stepped up public engagement to explain our foreign policy fundamentals and responses to key international developments to Singaporeans and to hear their views. We do this through dialogue sessions across segments of society, including students, youths, businesses and community leaders.”
“And the larger point during the Committee of Supply was that precisely, because the world is in such a difficult, prickly, volatile and dangerous state, actually, if we keep our wits about ourselves, we maintain unity and we continue to have this clear eye-realistic, but principled, approach, there are many opportunities for Singapore.”
“Well, in short, I completely agree with you. And that is why we have indeed been hosting these events and in your own capacity as a national athlete and also as an official now, you have seen how it works in practice.”
“Since 2022, about half of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) employees are women. The proportion of women in senior appointments has remained stable at about a quarter. We recognise that overseas postings are disruptive for officers with families, especially female officers who bear greater caregiving responsibilities.”
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“All I can say on this count is – and Members can check with our Organising Committee and even with the IOC – I have been the most unpleasant Minister in asking the most awkward questions and placing enormous pressure on my staff to make sure that we did not spend money unwisely or loosely. The other point, of course, was to make sure that we continued to consult widely with people in the know which means the sports industry as well as consultants from overseas. For example, the sports technology needed to record timings. Yes, we had to use the systems by Omega and ATOS because they are top sponsors of the Olympic Movement and they, in effect, are the de facto standards for timing and scoring systems. Nevertheless, we did bargain very hard with them. They did become sponsors for us as well and they did discount their prices. We did make sure that they worked with our local companies who then would also have benefited from technology transfer and also be in a position to be able to tell me if anyone felt that we were being fleeced. I think at the end of the day, Singaporeans are sensible, pragmatic, rational and sometimes quite calculative. I do not think we got fleeced.”
“The Member is right. I missed his question on National Service. I am not here to make any changes in policy on National Service. I think all Members know that National Service is a universal obligation for all Singaporean males. However, MINDEF does try its best to exercise flexibility. For instance, depending on the potential of the Singaporean athlete to win a medal in international games and depending on the four-year cycle, sometimes, MINDEF allows a deferment or a postponement of enlistment but we cannot reach a situation where we entirely discount National Service in favour of someone's sporting career. Unfortunately, this is a price that we pay for the security and success of Singapore. His next question relates to the fact that the requirements scope came in late. The fundamental challenge that we faced was that we only had two and a half years to prepare for these Games. Again, to give Members an idea of scale for the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics – and I remember the Winter Olympics has even fewer athletes than the Youth Olympic Games – the host countries are given up to seven years to make preparations. Nanjing, the next host of the Youth Olympic Games, is being given four plus years to make preparations. So the fact that we had to scramble hopefully will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, both for the IOC as well as for us. The Member is absolutely right – because we were scrambling and under intense time pressure, to what extent were we held hostage because of time and even more dangerous, did we over-scope because we did not have the time to argue? These were questions that I kept asking myself.”
“I totally agree with the Member. In fact, I did release it before the Games. But, like I said, the problem was that this was a moving target and I did not want to release inaccurate figures or take the risk of having another under-estimate. So the figures came out rather late in the process. Nevertheless, it was released before the Games, because I did not want to have a situation where we presented you with the bill after everything was done, and then, there would be a second shock. But I agree with the Member that we should always try to reveal details before an event, to be as open and transparent and accurate as possible. Having made the mistake of under-estimating the expenditure once, I did not want to repeat that mistake. Er Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you, Mr Speaker. First of all, I would like to declare my interest as the President of Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA). The first question is: what is the budget that will be set aside for grooming our talented young athletes? Second question is, what is the role of National Sport Associations (NSAs) in the development of these young athletes and whether additional resources will be given to NSAs?”
“In parallel, I intend to form a committee to review our entire athlete development framework and to suggest ways to enhance the education and career options for national athletes. This study will take some time because I want it to be done in a deliberate and comprehensive way. But I hope we will have some further details to announce in six months' time.”
“Ms Irene Ng and Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked very relevant questions about our plans to develop our athletes for the future. The Singapore Youth Sports Development Committee, which is co-chaired by the Senior Parliamentary Secretaries, Mr Teo Ser Luck and Mr Masagos Zulkifli, has put in place a system to allow the NSAs, the schools and other stakeholders to build up a strong pipeline of future sports talent. The YOG had shown and, in fact, emphasised the absolute importance of having a pipeline of young talent. This Committee will continue to provide opportunities to young Singaporeans to discover their talents, nurture their talents and prepare them for competition on the world stage. My Ministry and the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) also recognise the need to take a holistic view of athlete development. For talented national athletes, we will continue to track their development very closely and we will develop individualised plans to support them throughout the competitive phase of their careers, but, equally important, the post-competitive phase, because we need to assure parents that sports is not a dead end. Sports is a stepping stone to greater career heights for an individual. That is the only way we will get parents and young people to make the necessary sacrifices and investments in order to be the world's best in whatever particular sport they choose to pursue. At the apex of our sports pyramid, we will continue to look especially at athletes with the potential to win medals at the Olympic Games in 2012 and 2016. Members again need to appreciate how far we have come, that we can even now contemplate more than one medal. It took us nearly four decades to win one medal two years ago. Now, we dare to have bigger dreams. We have made tremendous progress.”
“So, we succeeded in transmitting the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. In fact, the Youth Olympic Village at NTU, quite frankly, and I might be taking the risk of being immodest here, was one of the best Olympic Villages comparable or even exceeding many in the full Summer Olympics. The participation by our school students was the key reason. The way they set up the world culture booths, the way they interacted, the way they presented themselves made a real impact, and I had lost track of the number of compliments I received from foreign athletes, officials and the IOC, about the fantastic performance of our school students. Again, it is another vote of confidence in our future. The Ministry of Education purchased 87,000 tickets at a discounted price of $10 per ticket. They did so, so that the students would enjoy and be inspired by the spirit of the competition – a world class competition being held right in our neighourhood. It had also allowed students to support countries that they were twinned with under the Friends@YOG programme, and to also allow them to be gracious hosts and to support the countries that they had built a prior relationship with. This amount – 87,000 tickets x $10, so that makes S$870,000 – was not part of the YOG budget. It came from the Ministry of Education's budget. But they felt that this represented MOE's expenditure towards an activity which they believed would benefit students. It was part of the students' learning journey about sports events and experiencing the different cultures among the biggest gathering of nations in Singapore's history, represented by the 204 National Olympic Committees in Singapore at the same time.”
“If Members do not mind, I cannot help but again highlight the fantastic performance of our volunteers. I had never seen people so passionately, so tirelessly, so enthusiastically going through their work, despite the fact that they were not being paid, and even the food was not necessarily the best in the world. They did so, not for my sake, certainly not for the Government's sake, but because they were proud of Singapore, and in their own quiet and effective ways, they wanted to do their bit to put Singapore on the map to show the world what a wonderful home Singapore is. That was, to me, a real life example of the Singapore spirit. And, quite frankly, at the end of this exercise, I ended up more confident about the future because I saw the Singapore spirit. The YOG also helped us to catalyse five new satellite centres for sports development. This will provide more opportunities for our children to try out sports in a fun and safe environment. We will set up satellite centres for all 26 Olympic sports. Another legacy from the Games is that Singaporeans from all walks of life will benefit from the upgraded or new facilities, whether it is the Toa Payoh Sports Hall which has a new roof and railings, the Sports School which has a 10-metre air pistol range, or the new Tampines Bike Park, just to name a few. Hosting the Games provided a good opportunity for us to reach out to our young Singaporeans. Through the YOG Culture and Education Programme, we reached out to 500,000 local students, to educate them about important global and sport issues, to contribute to the environment and society, and for opportunities to interact with other young people, some of whom came from countries we have never heard of before.”
“And another S$46 million went to overseas companies with local subsidiaries in Singapore. We hope that both our local companies as well as local subsidiaries of overseas companies will now leverage on their experience providing the services to further their own business interests and also to compete for other international projects that will arise all over the world. The Singapore Tourism Board had earlier estimated that the YOG will bring in some S$57 million in additional tourism receipts. Visa International recently reported that spending on foreign Visa-branded payment cards in Singapore went up by some S$154 million during the Games period. This was a 38% increase over the same period the previous year. I think if you talk to any retailers or hoteliers in town, they will all tell you it was a good time. Let me now turn to other benefits, specifically with respect to sports culture. It has laid a very strong foundation for building our sports culture, particularly in the areas of spectatorship, community involvement and, just as important, volunteer engagement. The officials from the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), National Sports Associations (NSAs) and the volunteers were really the key people behind the Games. Our officials played a critical role in the preparations of our athletes as well. With this experience and the knowledge, and the networks that they have formed, Singaporeans – officials, volunteers and staff – are now better equipped than ever before to host international world class sports events as well as to prepare our athletes to compete at the highest level. SSC and the People's Association will continue to engage the pool of YOG volunteers so that they can offer their experience and expertise for future sporting and community events.”
“The next time anyone is making an investment decision, or are trying to decide where to site an international or regional headquarters, or deciding to expand their businesses overseas, they would have heard of or they may have visited us, and they would know that we stand for certain quality and reliability. The YOG has therefore helped to effectively and positively profile Singapore to an international audience. Before, everyone knew that we are a safe and efficient city, but now everyone knows that we are a beautiful, vibrant, dynamic, exciting, creative global city where people from all over the world will want to visit, live, work, play or invest in. So, we have to do it well, and to do it in a way that the world will sit up and take notice of us. The global viewership of the Games and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies has certainly helped to brand and feature Singapore over the 14 days. According to the IOC, the Games were watched by over two billion viewers. The IOC also reported that because of our heavy use of new media, the Youth Olympic Games Channel, the videos that were downloaded from YouTube – people's individual screens – exceeded five million times. That is double the downloads that the Vancouver Winter Olympics enjoyed. And at one point, the Youth Olympic Games Channel was the most watched YouTube channel worldwide. I can guarantee you that these are not achievements which come easily. Let me now turn to the contributions to the local economy. The YOG provided considerable benefits for our local businesses. Of the overall budget of S$387 million, S$260 million worth of local contracts went to our local companies, which is about 70% of our projected expenditure.”
“I do not think it would have been fair to our athletes, to the visiting athletes, to the IOC and, most importantly, I do not think it would have been fair to Singaporeans because at the end of the day, you would want to host something which would be a source of collective pride for all Singaporeans. Now that the Games are over, our main focus has to be to make sure that the full benefits of organising and hosting these Games for Singapore are reaped. I want to thank the many Members in this House as well as many Singaporeans who had emailed me over the course of this journey over the last two-and-half years their suggestions and ideas on both organising the Games as well as how to maximise the legacy from the Games. Let me spend a few minutes to talk about international branding because this is one of those key intangibles that accrues to an event like this. Singapore will always be remembered as the country that hosted the world's first ever Youth Olympic Games. This is a rare honour. It is rare because there can only be one first host. If I ask Members to name the first host of the modern Summer Olympics, everyone will always remember Greece, Athens in 1896. If I ask Members to name the first host of the Winter Olympics, some here may remember France – Chamonix, 86 years ago. We are now in that same position; the first ever host. On all subsequent Olympic flags which are transferred to the host city, at the bottom right corner of that flag is embroidered "Singapore 2010". This will be a permanent legacy. It ensures that we will remain on the international community's radar screens.”
“The Culture and Education Programme (CEP), which was a new and unique feature of our Games, accounted for another S$5.4 million. But through the CEP, the IOC hoped – and they are now convinced that they achieved the objective – to ensure that positive values and the appreciation of diverse cultures were transmitted to both the young athletes who were there as well as our own Singaporean youths who were part of that programme. On the revenue side, our merchandise and ticket sales are expected to bring in about S$7 million. Why so low? Because we charged very low prices. I felt it was more important to ensure that we had made the Games accessible and affordable to Singaporeans rather than to maximise revenues. We received another S$60 million worth of sponsorships in kind from various companies and another S$7.6 million in cash sponsorship from companies like Samsung, ATOS, Panasonic and DBS. Overall, the YOG was certainly not cheap. When it became clear during the course of the preparations that our initial estimates were wrong, I was confronted with two pertinent questions. First – if we had known that it would cost S$387 million, would we still have bid for the Games? The second question – if we spent S$387 million, will we get value from that expenditure? In my mind, the answer to both these questions was "Yes". I was able to convince my Cabinet colleagues that the answer to both these questions was "Yes". This was why approval was given for us to spend this money to host these Games. There was another alternative. I could have just blindly cut the budget and delivered sub-standard Games. I do not think that would have been the right decision.”
“Initially, the IOC was not keen on having an International Torch Relay because of the controversy that surrounded the Torch Relay during the Beijing Olympics. However because this was the first ever Youth Olympic Games, and I think also because they had confidence in us being able to organise this and to get through without any major mishaps or any unnecessary political kerfuffle, they decided to make an exception. And so this Torch, which was lit in Ancient Olympia, travelled to five other cities before arriving in Singapore. The YOG was a major logistics operation. Members would really need to go to the back of the house or to go to the warehouse at Changi to understand the mega logistics requirements. Logistics – which also included supply chain management, venue logistics, cleaning, waste management and transport – cost us about S$44 million. The next critical area was security. Unfortunately, people still remember Munich for the wrong reasons, when athletes were killed. In our case, we had to do our best to ensure the safety of athletes, dignitaries and visitors. Security was a priority and people expected that of Singapore. Auxilary police and screening equipment were available that ensured that detailed security checks could be done, and yet, done without causing a lockjam, and done in a less intrusive way. Security cost us about S$18 million. S$14.3 million went to the operational requirements such as language translation and interpretation, laundry, catering and other services at the Youth Olympic Village. Members need to understand that there were 3,600 athletes and another 1,700 officials from all over the world, speaking a wide variety of languages with great individual and customised demands. This was another major operation in its own right.”
“We, therefore, had to provide a highly accurate scoring system as well as a sophisticated computer system to disseminate and diffuse results instantly and "live" across 18 different competition venues throughout Singapore and to the entire world. This technology allowed us to officially capture and register 14 junior world records set during the Games. The system was also used to manage all the workforce data and the accreditation of all the nearly 370,000 visitors to 44 Games venues. We spent a lot on technology but the point I am making is that this was a state-of-the-art highly sophisticated system. The next item was the upgrading of our sports venues and equipment needed to host the Games. This amounted to about S$76 million. These were essential to fulfil the requirements specified by the IOC and the International Federations, as well as to allow the Games to be broadcast "live" to the world, and, perhaps even more importantly, for these same venues to subsequently be used by Singaporeans after the Games. Providing "live" broadcasts through multiple media as well as broadcasting the Opening and Closing Ceremonies that displayed Singapore's finest – both in terms of sports and creativity – accounted for another S$45.5 million. This enabled us to profile Singapore to a potential global audience of over 2.1 billion people. These are not my estimates. The IOC informed me of these estimates. They signed contracts with over 180 international broadcasters who then had rights to feed the sporting events as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies to their respective areas. For the same reason, we also set aside S$7 million for the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame through the five continents before it arrived in Singapore.”
“And if I may add, these were in fact, determined very late in the preparations for the Games. Each event was pegged at World Youth Championship level and all 26 International Federations representing each Olympic sport had to approve the detailed specifications. To put things in context, we should look at the two most recent Olympic Games, as well as the next. The YOG that we hosted was about one-third the scale of the Beijing Summer Olympic Games in 2008 which featured 11,000 athletes. We had 3,600 athletes. Our projected expenditure for YOG was about 10% of Beijing's reported operating expenditure (S$3.9 billion, which excluded capital expenditure). So, one-third the size, but our spending was only 10% of Beijing's expenditure. In fact, if we compared against the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games 2010, we had more athletes participating in YOG than in the Winter Olympics. But our expenditure would likely amount to only about 20% of what Vancouver spent (S$2.26 billion). If we look forward to two years from now, the reported provisional budget for the 2012 London Summer Olympics now stands at S$19.2 billion (9.3 billion pounds), including infrastructure. The point is, we spent a very small fraction of the expenditure which would be incurred in larger Olympic Games. This is despite the fact that we had one-third the number of athletes and that all the detailed specifications for infrastructure were pitched at world junior championship standard. In the interest of transparency, let me go down one level in resolution and reveal more details for the budget. The budget consists of several key components. In the area of technology, the projected cost was about S$97 million. The Games were pitched at World Junior Championship standards.”
“The YOG has also helped to rekindle spectator interest in sports. I would like to thank all the supporters who turned up at the torch relay, at the opening and closing ceremonies and at the sports venues not only to cheer our Team Singapore athletes, but also to appreciate the world class sporting talent that was on display. I apologise for the initial ticketing problems that we faced, but I am very happy that even more Singaporeans ultimately had the chance to watch these Games when we exercised greater flexibility during the Games. Last but not least, I would like to pay tribute to our local companies involved in supporting the YOG, either as sponsors or service providers. They did Singapore proud by providing a very high quality level of service and top-notched infrastructure for the Games. Indeed, this was a total Singapore effort, and we did well collectively as Team Singapore. Let me now discuss the budget. The total Government outlay for the YOG would come up to S$387 million. Approval for this expenditure was obtained from Cabinet, and additional funds provided by the Ministry of Finance. Consequently, it was not necessary to cut back on any of the other MCYS programmes in order for us to host these Games. Our initial budget estimates during the bid phase were clearly inaccurate. We got it wrong. Let me explain how this came about. This was the first ever Youth Olympic Games in the world. Quite frankly, both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and us were starting from scratch. We, therefore, underestimated the requirements and consequential costs for several major functional areas which were necessary to host these Games. In fact, the finalised specifications and standards for the YOG events were only determined after we won the bid to host the Games.”
“I thank Members for the many questions on the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). This is the largest international multi-sport event we have ever hosted. The YOG has placed Singapore on a new growth trajectory for the pursuit of sports excellence, strengthening our sporting culture and growing our sports industry. It has, in a sense, been a rite of passage that celebrated our position as a global city – providing services and competing with the best in the world. Before I elaborate on the YOG legacy, let me first pay tribute to the many people who made the Singapore 2010 YOG a resounding success. First and foremost, credit should go to the workforce, the 30,000 volunteers and staff of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC), and many others from Government and non-Government agencies. Special commendation needs to go to the volunteers stationed at the frontline, running the competitions, greeting the visitors or showing them around, as well as many others working tirelessly in the background. Our volunteers have proven unequivocally that Singaporeans are gracious and hospitable. Our volunteers have shown that Singapore is capable of welcoming the world, with style, grace, cheerfulness and efficiency. Next, the performance of our Team Singapore athletes at the YOG is something that all Singaporeans can be proud of. It is testament to our Singapore system that our young athletes are capable of competing head-to-head with the best in the world. Their determination and fighting spirit, both in claiming victory as well as in accepting defeat, captured the imagination of Singaporeans. It is this confidence and self belief that was on display that is crucial for our future, not just in sports but indeed for all our endeavours as a nation.”
“Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to take Question Nos. 1 – 6 together?”
“In preparation for Phase III, all IRCCs have completed at least one table-top exercise, and worked out their crisis response Standard Operating Procedures and crisis recall plans. There are regular SOP briefings and refresher sessions to ensure that IRCC members have a good grasp of their roles and responsibilities in crisis situations. In the past year, inject-based exercises were conducted at the GRC level. In addition to Crisis Mobilisation Exercises, all IRCCs will embark on region-based exercises to deal with localised crises that cover a wider geographic area. The IRCCs will continue to evolve in order to promote racial and religious harmony, and to ensure social resilience during and in the aftermath of crises. For example, the IRCC website (www.ircc.sg ) was launched this year to leverage on technology in building IRCCs' capabilities and communications. The IRCC website captures milestones and information on events, as well as receives feedback on issues pertaining to racial and religious communities. This Internet portal is already proving to be an effective tool to increase the IRCCs' impact – for outreach and engagement, to monitor ground sentiments and disseminate information effectively, especially in times of crisis. The IRCCs will continue to be key nodes in our community that propagate and maintain racial and religious harmony in Singapore. PUBLIC BUS INCIDENTS 5. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Transport (a) over the past three years, what was the frequency of breakdowns of public buses and how many public buses were involved in accidents; (b) how many of these accidents resulted in fatalities; and (c) what steps were taken to reduce the number of breakdowns and accidents.”
“Under the Community Engagement Programme (CEP) launched in 2006, the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs) have been re-positioned as local-level inter-faith platforms that can respond quickly to incidents with racial and religious dimensions. The IRCCs have adopted a three-phase approach to build relationships (Phase I), build capabilities (Phase II) and exercise crisis response plans (Phase III). Since 2006, the IRCCs have proactively reached out to all religious organisations in the community, and enhanced their composition. The proportion of religious organisations that are members of IRCC has increased from 18% in October 2006 to 88% at present. Through regular interactions, and joint inter-racial and inter-religious activities and community projects, the IRCCs have achieved a good level of familiarity and rapport among ethnic and religious leaders on the ground. These networks of trust facilitate the dissemination of information, and help soothe and minimise communal tension, and maintain confidence within the community in times of crisis. IRCCs have also been provided with training to build up their capabilities and capacities, in order to carry out their CEP roles effectively. A total of 930 IRCC members had attended 36 training sessions, such as mediation and trust-building workshops, and visits/heritage trails from January 2007 to December 2009. One key new initiative in 2009 was the Media Appreciation Workshop which provided an overview of the media landscape in Singapore and its impact on racial and religious group relations. IRCC members also learnt about the role of a spokesperson and how to effectively engage the media during a crisis.”
“There have been calls in other countries for legislative changes to allow parents to legally abandon babies or to set up "baby hatches" or "baby drops" where unwanted babies can be left. The experiences of countries such as the US and Japan have not shown that the method works. Cases of babies abandoned in unsafe places are still reported, despite "baby drops" having been set up. Instead we should continue with the efforts at raising awareness on the avenues of help, reaching out to those at-risk and providing responsive services to those in need. The community can play an important role. Anyone who knows of a woman or girl facing pregnancy crisis should encourage her to seek help early. LONGER LIFE EXPECTANCY 40. Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan asked the Minister for Health in view of the improvement in life expectancy for Singaporeans (a) what is the corresponding data on Disability-Adjusted Life Expectancy (DALE); (b) in terms of healthcare provisions, what plans does the Ministry have to prepare for a rapidly ageing society; and (c) what initiatives are there to manage chronic ailments and promote the take-up of preventive health screening among near-elderly and elderly Singaporeans.”
“Between 2005 and 2009, an average of three babies were abandoned alive each year. This number has not increased. For expectant mothers in distress, our priority is to ensure both baby and mother are safe. In this regard, we have worked in partnership with a group of social service agencies to develop a network of support services, and to encourage these women to seek help early. Expectant mothers who are distressed can call the 24-hour toll-free MUM-TO-BE Helpline. Social workers will counsel the expectant mothers and help them to understand the options available to them. In 2009, 1,026 calls were made to the helpline. For teenagers in pregnancy crises, they can seek help from the Babes service through the use of Short Message Service (SMS). The use of SMS was initiated as a means to reach out to young mothers who may feel more comfortable seeking help through sending an SMS. In 2009, the service received close to 1,500 SMSes and helped 79 teens with pregnancy-related needs. The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) also works with voluntary welfare organisations running shelters to provide a safe environment for expectant mothers to carry the pregnancy to full term. Social workers can also assist the mother if she decides to give up her baby for adoption. Another source of help available is Sanctuary House, which provides short-term emergency infant care services. By providing an opportunity for the parents to leave their babies in a safe home environment for a temporary period, parents are able to seek assistance and consider care options for their infants rather than abandoning them in unsafe conditions or environments.”
“Should social problems arise, we will take steps to address them. TAXI ACCIDENT RATES (Reasons and stricter guidelines) 8. Assoc. Prof. Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry will analyse the root causes of high taxi accident rates and consider having stricter guidelines for taxi drivers, including mandatory training hours annually before licence renewal; and (b) if there has been a significant increase in the number of taxi licences issued during the recent economic and financial crisis.”
“My Ministry works closely with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to monitor and address the social impact of gambling, including casino gambling. The NCPG has appointed Tanjong Pagar Family Service Centre to treat the less serious problem gambling cases in the community. Those with more serious addiction problems are treated by the National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) which offers clinical and counselling services. Both Tanjong Pagar and NAMS also engage with families, where the problem gambler refuses to come forward. This is because the family members also need counselling and support. The number of clients seen by Tanjong Pagar was 128 cases in 2008 and 134 cases in 2009. Up to June this year, 113 cases were seen, of which 44 were new clients. As for NAMS, the number of cases seen was 176 cases in 2008 and 290 cases in 2009. From January to June 2010, number of cases seen was 243, of which 130 were new clients. Since family exclusion orders were made available in April 2009, NCPG has received 148 such applications and issued 123 orders. Of these, 113 were received after the first casino opened on 14th Feb 2010 and 92 orders were issued since then. For self-exclusion orders, we have received 1,546 self-exclusion applications as at June this year, of which 88% (1,360) were received after the first casino opened. While there has been an increase in numbers, this is not unexpected. There is greater awareness of the exclusion orders following NCPG's public education efforts. The increase in the number of casino exclusions is also expected as family members and individuals take active steps once the casinos open. MCYS and NCPG will continue to monitor the situation with the introduction of the IRs.”
“On the Co-Investment Scheme in Exportable Content or SCREEN, MDA will conduct annual performance reviews on areas such as the total grants disbursed, the expected and actual key performance indicators, as well as revenues actually achieved. It has recently submitted the first review to its Board on 2nd July 2010. The governance of the Microfunding Scheme has also been improved. MDA will ensure strict adherence to the funding criteria, especially the requirement that start-up companies which receive grants should not be co-owned by their mentors. MDA will require proper declaration of interests by MDA staff and external partners such as expert panelists to ensure that the decision-making process for funding applications is fair, transparent and objective. MDA has also tightened up its grant disbursement process so that grants are provided only for approved projects. In addition to the above programme-specific measures, MDA has implemented more regular reviews and audits of its funding process. This includes audits of sales and revenue reports to be conducted periodically, over and above the obligatory end-of-project audit that is built into all co-funding agreements from MDA. MANAGING THE INCREASE OF FOREIGN SPOUSES 56. Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs given the rising number of low-income Singaporean men seeking brides in Asian countries and marrying them in Singapore, what measures are in place to ensure that these women (i) are not victims of abuse or trafficking; and (ii) will be granted a long-term social visit pass after marriage so that they are not forced to return to their home countries.”
“Ms Audrey Wong Wai Yen asked the Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts whether he can provide an update on the outcomes of measures taken by the Media Development Authority to address lapses identified in the Auditor-General's Report for FY 2008/2009 in its management of some programmes and funding schemes, particularly the implementation of more rigorous assessment and evaluation of grants schemes. RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: I thank the Nominated Member for her question and interest in the measures which MDA had undertaken to address the lapses identified in the Auditor-General's FY 2008/2009 Report. I am pleased to inform the House that MDA has implemented the necessary remedial measures to address all the lapses identified by AGO. This includes completing the refund of RTV licence fees and the implementation of an auto-refund system, as well as tightening its administration and processes for broadcast licensing, procurement and contract management. For the Public Service Broadcast or PSB programmes, MDA has instituted regular, mid-term reviews by its management and channel heads. It has revised its key performance indicators to include viewership ratings, programme ratings, programme reach and content hours. Recipients of PSB funding are also required to articulate clearly the PSB values for each proposed programme prior to receiving the grants. MDA will submit regular PSB reports to the Ministry and seek my approval for annual PSB funding allocations. The first two of such reports were submitted in August 2009 and February 2010.”
“The number of people found begging in Singapore fluctuates from year to year. From 2006 to 2009, the average number of beggars picked up is about 85 per year. As of May this year, 60 beggars have been picked up, close to half of them are foreign beggars. Due to increased public education efforts, MCYS has received more calls on the ComCare call line alerting us of beggars in the streets. We have also stepped up our surveillance patrols. These have resulted in the increase in the number of beggars picked up. Begging is an offence in Singapore under the Destitute Persons Act. Singaporeans in financial distress do not have to beg. They can approach the Community Development Councils, Family Service Centres or grassroots organisations for help. In addition, there are many voluntary welfare organisations, religious and civic organisations that provide assistance to the needy. If individuals are unsure where to seek help, they can call the ComCare call line at 1800-222-0000 to be linked up with these agencies. Merely giving money to beggars will not solve their more fundamental long-term problems. It may make matters worse by deepening the sense of dependency and loss of dignity. In addition, it will encourage more foreign beggars to come into Singapore to beg. Members of the public who come across beggars should inform MCYS promptly so that appropriate action can be taken. The public can also help the needy by channelling donations to registered charities and Family Service Centres where there are trained social workers who provide effective assistance to people who are truly needy. MCYS will also continue with our regular surveillance patrols. IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF MEDIA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FUNDING SCHEMES 54.”
“However, both partners in a marriage must work out the optimal arrangements and division of responsibilities for their own families. We all know that men need to do more at home, but we cannot legislate this. Ms Lee Bee Wah has asked for our views on the Swedish approach to supporting families. It is true that the Swedish have very generous benefits for parents and children. However, these perks are not free. Taxpayers ultimately pay for all this. Personal income tax at the local level is about 30% while income above 340,000 Swedish Kronor (around $60,800) attracts an additional state tax of 20%-25%. There is also a Value Added Tax of 25%. I do not believe we can afford to have such high levels of taxation and remain competitive. Nevertheless, we have been putting significant resources to support families through Government-paid leave schemes, Baby Bonus, tax benefits, and subsidies for childcare, education, healthcare and assisted reproduction treatment. The budget for the whole suite of Marriage and Parenthood measures comes up to $1.6 billion annually. But at the end of the day, the Government alone cannot boost birth rates. Having children is a personal decision. Singaporeans must want marriage and parenthood and willingly make the sacrifices for the sake of our children. We also need all sectors of society to make adjustments to enable individuals to integrate work and family life in practical ways. INCREASE IN BEGGAR POPULATION 51. Mr Laurence Wee Yoke Thong asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) what is the reason for the sudden increase in the beggar population in Singapore; and (b) what steps will the Government take to keep in check or prevent such increases.”
“While paternity leave has not been legislated, fathers of young children can tap 12 days of child-related leave provided for in legislation – six days of paid childcare leave for children up to seven years old and six days of unpaid infant care leave for children up to two years old. Both parents are able to apply for the 12 days of leave each to look after their infant. As such leave is to enable parents to spend time with their children, no medical certificate is required for the child when taking such leave. Some employers also provide paternity leave on a voluntary basis. In addition, fathers may utilise their annual leave or agree on alternative work arrangements with their employers, such as part-time work or no-pay leave, to enable them to look after their children. I am heartened to note that many fathers are increasingly playing a larger role at home. In 2009, there were more than 25,000 claims made to the CPF Board in respect of Government-paid childcare leave taken by fathers, just slightly below the 27,000 claims for mothers. MOM's statistics also shows that about 47% of companies offered paternity leave in 2008, compared to 40% in 2004 and 43% in 2006. I expect this trend to increase as more employers become more enlightened. Businesses should also realise that they require new approaches for talent attraction and retention, and this includes helping employees – both males and females – to better integrate their career and family aspirations. The more fundamental and difficult challenge is the question of gender equality. In our society, women have equal rights to education and employment. We have legislated equal access to childcare and infant care leave for both fathers and mothers.”
“To ask the Minister for Law (a) how many licensed moneylenders were there in 2009 compared to 2008; (b) how much did they lend last year compared to 2008; (c) since the Moneylenders Act was last amended, whether small borrowers are now better protected; and (d) with the lifting of the interest rate caps for loans above $3,000, how does the Ministry ensure that moneylenders do not charge small borrowers excessive or unconscionable rates.”
“The question was the economic impact of the Integrated Resorts. The resorts have really just opened. Yesterday, you would have heard the explanation from the Minister for Trade and Industry that it is too early to assess the full economic impact in view of the fact that these are early days. Similarly, it is also too early to assess the social impact of gambling because of the fact that they have just started. My Ministry works with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and I will give the Member the assurance that we will closely monitor and address all the problems that will arise from casino gambling. The NCPG regularly releases statistics on the calls to the NCPG gambling helpline, as well as the number of exclusions. There has been a rise in number but this is not unexpected given the fact that there has been additional publicity in the last couple of months and the novelty that the two casinos have just opened. It does not necessarily indicate an absolute increase in the numbers but, nevertheless, this is something which we will watch closely. We have also stepped up our public education efforts to publicise the helpline number. And Members would have seen some of these advertisements on television, or at bus stops and other media. The Government will continue to monitor the situation. As and when social problems arise, I give Members the assurance that MCYS and all the Ministries will do our part to address these concerns. PRACTICES OF LICENSED MONEYLENDERS The following Question stood in the name of Mdm Halimah Yacob – 3.”
“That is where we can create magic and that is what makes the Olympic events anywhere in the world special. It is that special chemistry of sports, entertainment, activities, hospitality, graciousness and participation by everyone concerned. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF INTEGRATED RESORTS  2. Mr Calvin Cheng asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) when is the first review on the economic and social impact of the Integrated Resorts on Singapore planned to take place; and (b) whether the social impact of gambling will be closely monitored until the time of review.”
“Over the next few weeks, as the National Olympic Committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, selects our athletes, we will provide more publicity because everyone wants to know who our local champions are, and the people to cheer for. We also need all Singaporeans to be gracious hosts. There will be many people – the young people, the parents and grandparents accompanying athletes and the officials – in Singapore because this is an international event involving the whole world. Many of them would never have been to Singapore and who would not even understand Singapore. We need Singaporeans to convey their impression of what Singapore is all about, who we are, how we are, and do so in a gracious, friendly, authentic and sincere way. Get away from all the usual stereotypes. We hope that tickets will all be sold out. We want to make sure that each event will not only be focused on the top athletes in the world taking part but also to create the atmosphere and the support, both inside and outside the stadium. Finally, even for those of you who may not be totally obsessed with sports, there will be fringe activities. For instance, there will be nightly concerts at Marina Bay which will provide the youthful, vibrant and dynamic buzz on the Bay itself. There will be many other cultural activities which, to a large extent, will be driven by young people and by our schools. In our twinning arrangements, there have also been opportunities for young Singaporeans to discover the different cultures, different ways of life, language and civilisations. All in all, you will see, in a sense, the world coming to Singapore. We have an opportunity to be host and we can showcase the world and showcase ourselves.”
“There will be extensive media coverage. As I said earlier, first, on the international media front, we will have over 1,200 journalists in Singapore and many of these journalists will be focused not just on sports, but also on the other facilities and attractions and entertainment that Singapore will provide. This will also be carried through newspapers as well as on television all over the world. We have had a large slate of international media companies who has confirmed their presence here. On that level, there will be extensive coverage. I believe StarHub will launch an Olympic channel which will be free, and will provide almost round-the-clock coverage. There will also be arrangements with MediaCorp as well as SingTel and people will be able to consume the media on mobile platforms, phones, digital devices, television and radio. We are also looking into opportunities to telecast certain of the more interesting events at public viewing sites either along the roads or where there are big screens already present. So I do not think there will be any shortage of media coverage, both internationally and locally. The Member's second point was with respect to how to get involved. As I said earlier, there are numerous ways, depending on your interest and your time availability and your ability to commit to specific duties. We already have 20,000 volunteers training in earnest. If there are still people who are lining up and wanting to put up their hands, they had better do so very quickly. We also want support for our local athletes.”
“As at 10th May 2010, the total casino entry levy collection by the casino operators is about $70 million. It would be premature to draw conclusions on casino patronage and its attendant social impact from the entry levy data as it is still early days, given that the casinos have just opened. All casino entry levies are paid to the Singapore Totalisator Board and are used to fund projects which benefit the community. MCYS will continue to ensure that sufficient resources are dedicated to tackle the issue of problem gambling, through research studies and programmes. LATER STARTING TIME FOR SINGLE-SESSION PRIMARY SCHOOLS 37. Mr Calvin Cheng asked the Minister for Education whether single-session primary schools can start later in the morning so that young children can get more sleep.”
“The activities of a registered charity must be consistent with its charitable cause. These may include the advancement of religion, education, relief of poverty, and other purposes beneficial to the community. Consequently, registered charities are exempted from income tax. Charities with large reserves or endowment funds should not be precluded from investing their funds to generate returns, so that they can do more for their charitable causes in the future. Some charities have invested in financial instruments like fixed deposits, equities and bonds. The boards of charities are ultimately accountable and responsible for all investment decisions. They would have to fully take into account the potential risks and returns, and not expose the charities to unacceptable risk. Charities should set up subsidiary companies to carry out commercial activities which are not directly related to their primary charitable purposes. They must ensure transparency and not be distracted from their core charitable purposes. These subsidiary companies, like any other commercial companies, are subject to normal corporate income tax. They do not enjoy the tax-exempt status of charities. Religious organisations are treated no differently from any other registered charities. MORE TRANSPARENCY FOR GOVERNMENT LAND SALE PROGRAMME 35. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for National Development (a) further to the changes announced in March 2010 to enhance the reserve list system for land sales, what other measures can be taken to make the system more transparent; and (b) whether it is possible to announce the Government's reserve bid price for state land so as to ensure a fairer bidding system and market price.”
“To make the penalty consistent with provisions in the Charities Act, the maximum penalty will now be revised upwards from the present $400 to $5,000, while the fine for continuing non-cooperation will be reduced from the current $100 per day to $50 per day. Protection from personal liability Sir, the last amendment proposes for a new section 34A to remove personal liability for Board members except in cases of gross negligence. As trustees of the endowments administered by the Hindu Endowments Board, members of the Board can be held personally accountable if endowment funds are expended for purposes that are not authorised. However, Sir, members of the Board are volunteers. This proposed change aims to protect these volunteers if they have acted in good faith in executing their functions and duties. Their fiduciary responsibilities, however, will continue to apply to all Board members. Sir, to conclude, the Hindu Endowments Board must continue to evolve in its role in order to stay relevant in today’s society. The key amendments in this Bill will further help the Board and its leadership rise to meet the new challenges and fulfil its expanded roles in the future. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Vivian Balakrishnan]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. LAND TITLES (STRATA) (AMENDMENT ) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.08 pm”
“For example, in the case of the "Ashram" – which is a halfway house run by Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) – although it benefits a section of the public mainly, former drug addicts and its clients, in fact, include non-Hindus. This "Ashram" ultimately benefits society as a whole. Power to form company, etc The current Act provides for the Hindu Endowments Board to enter into a partnership to develop any property vested or acquired by the Board. This clause was added during the 1993 amendments to enable the Board to redevelop its property at Little India. That clause, however, is not wide enough to cover other areas of activities which the Board may, from time to time, find it necessary to pursue either through a joint venture or through incorporate companies. I therefore propose to introduce a new section 17A which will expand the powers of the Board, to allow it to form companies directly or enter into joint ventures which are not confined to property development. Updating of penalties for non-compliance The third amendment deals with the penalties for non-compliance. Under the Act, the Board actually has a fair degree of investigative authority over other Hindu endowments in Singapore. To give teeth to these powers, section 24 acts as a penal provision which deals with persons who fail to cooperate with the Board. This penalty was last revised in 1952, and is now clearly inadequate. The proposed revision of penalties in section 24 takes reference from the Charities Act as most Hindu endowments are also charities, in any case.”
“We have received broad-based support and, where possible, we have also incorporated their suggestions into the amendments which you see in the Bill before you. Allow me to briefly describe the key features of the Bill. Powers and functions of Board Sir, since the last amendments 17 years ago, there has been a healthy growth in the Hindu population in Singapore. Hindu religious organisations have been more active in promoting a broad range of educational, cultural, social and welfare activities for their devotees and for the larger community in Singapore. In line with our multi-racial and multi-religious society, the Board and the Hindu temples have also been actively involved in interfaith efforts. The amendments will give the Board wider scope to be involved in activities that are not purely temple-related but, nevertheless, of importance to the Hindu community at large. As a trusted and knowledgeable body within the community, the Hindu Endowments Board is well-placed to perform these additional roles. It is therefore timely, Sir, to repeal and re-enact section 21 of the Act to provide the Board with the broader mandate to also expend its income to conduct social, cultural and educational activities which are determined by the Board to be for the public benefit. As is established in the common law, the term, "public benefit" does not require every single member of the public to benefit but can be confined to a section of the public, so long as that section of the public is sufficiently large or open in nature having regard to the charitable purposes that are to be carried out.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." HEA and previous amendments to HEA The Hindu Endowments Act (Chapter 364) has its beginnings in the Mohammedan and Hindu Endowments Ordinance of the Straits Settlements (Ordinance 17 of 1905). Subsequently, the Hindu Endowments Act (Act 30 of 1968) provided for the Hindu Endowments Board to take over, in May 1969, the administration of Hindu religious and charitable endowments – notably the Sri Mariamman Temple (at South Bridge Road), the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple (at Serangoon Road), the Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple (in Toa Payoh) and the Sri Sivan Temple (in Geylang). These temples have previously been vested in the original Muslim and Hindu Endowments Board. The Act was last substantially amended in 1993 to empower the Hindu Endowments Board to acquire property and to mortgage its property in order to raise funds to redevelop the property either solely or in a joint venture. Proposed amendments Sir, the proposed amendments to the Hindu Endowments Act have three main objectives: (i) to broaden the powers of the Hindu Endowments Board; (ii) to update the penalties for non-compliance with any requisition or order of the Board, and; (iii) to protect the members of the Board, the Secretary of the Board and any person acting under the direction of the Board from personal liability. In addition, the Bill also incorporates several minor and consequential amendments. My Ministry, together with the Hindu Endowments Board, has embarked in the past two years on a series of public consultation efforts, including dialogue with key leaders from the Hindu and Indian organisations on these proposals.”
“Water fluoridation remains the most cost effective preventive public health measure for tooth decay. Third, the Cochrane Collaboration Oral Health Group, an international expert group, has studied allegations of health risk due to water fluoridation. They found no evidence of such an allegation, so long as the water fluoridation is kept within a certain fluoride concentration level. The latest WHO guideline prescribes it at 1.5 mg per litre. In Singapore, we have over the years progressively reduced our fluoridation level to its current concentration level of 0.6 mg per litre in our tap water. This is well within the WHO's prescribed safety level. Some 40 countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, have water fluoridation schemes in place. Our Fluoride Review Committee meets regularly to review the appropriate and safe concentration level of fluoride in our drinking water. Their conclusion was that dental fluorosis is not prevalent in Singapore, and is only of minor aesthetic concern. Dental fluorosis occurs when a child receives too much fluoride during tooth development. The most common form of dental fluorosis appears as tiny white streaks or specks on the teeth which are often unnoticeable. FALSE STUDENT PASS APPLICATIONS 20. Mrs Josephine Teo asked the Minister for Education (a) how many private education providers have been investigated for false applications of student passes that enable non-bona fide students to work in Singapore; (b) what steps are being taken to curb such abuses; and (c) whether student pass holders should be banned from working during the stated school terms.”
“We have no plans to introduce more subsidies beyond the SCFA, as student care fees are generally affordable. The SCFA ensures that subsidies are targeted at children who would benefit more from student care services. FLUORIDE IN DRINKING SUPPLY 19. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Health (a) whether putting fluoride in our drinking supply is still necessary to prevent dental caries; (b) what is the current percentage of developed countries that still fluoridate their water supply; and (c) what is the empirical experience in Singapore on the levels of dental caries and dental flourosis. Mr Khaw Boon Wan: We started putting fluoride into our water supply in 1954. Our experts in the Fluoride Review Committee have recommended that we should continue to do so. First, it has been effective in reducing dental caries. Our dental caries rate has continued to drop in the past decades. One measure of our dental health is the DMFT Index: Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth Index. The DMFT Index for our 12-year old children has fallen progressively from 2.97 in 1970 to 0.54 in 2003. At 0.54, our DMFT Index for 12 year olds is among the lowest in the world. There is also a similar trend among the 15 year olds, where the DMFT Index has fallen from 4.51 in 1970 to 1.00 in 2003. Countries like Finland and Norway, which do not fluoridate their water supply, have reported higher DMFT indices than ours. Second, research by the World Health Organization (WHO) has shown that fluoride is most effective in preventing dental caries if a low level of fluoride is constantly present in the mouth. While Singaporeans today have access to more sources of fluoride such as fluoride toothpastes and mouth rinses, these products are not used by everyone.”
“Student Care Centres provide before- and after-school care for children aged 7 to 14 years. Today, there are 152 such centres run by Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs), providing about 13,000 places, with 9,100 children enrolled in them. Besides these, some childcare centres also provide student care services. There are also privately run student care centres, of which about 199 are registered with MCYS. Enrolment in VWO-run student care centres has held steady in recent years. We recognise that some working parents require student care services to help them care for their children outside school hours. In 2008, the Government announced that it would facilitate the building of 25 new school-based student care centres in existing schools over the next five years. Eight of these centres have been set up, bringing the number of schools-based centres to 36 today. Last year, the Ministry of Education accepted the recommendation by the Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI) Committee to provide for student care centres in the design of all new generation primary schools. Overtime, most new schools would have space provisions for student care centres. We encourage VWOs to partner schools to run services that cater to the needs of their students, in particular those from dysfunctional families. Unlike child care for younger children, student care is relatively affordable, with average fees at about $240 a month. To help students from lower income households, MCYS provides a Student Care Financial Assistance Scheme (SCFA) for families with household incomes of up to $2,500. The subsidies are on a sliding scale and could range between $60 to $180 per child. About 5,300 children currently benefit from the SCFA.”
“However, we are unable to estimate the number of unauthorised subletting or the cost to Government in terms of rebates on service and conservancy charges given to such owners. Between January 2008 and March 2010, 59 flat owners were found to have sublet their flats without HDB's approval. Of these 59 cases, HDB repossessed seven flats and imposed fines of between $1,000 and $21,000 on the rest. HDB has stepped up enforcement on unauthorised subletting. Besides routine inspections and spot checks, HDB also seeks the assistance of residents to call its dedicated toll-free hotline to report suspected cases of unauthorised subletting. HDB lessees who have sublet their flats without authorisation should regularise it immediately by seeking HDB's approval.”
“Al Jazeera’s contract with SingTel was coming to an end, and in view of the low number of subscriber households, it saw the need to look into other distribution avenues". ILLEGAL SUBLETTING  7. Ms Audrey Wong Wai Yen asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether there is an estimate of the number of HDB flats that have been sublet without permission from HDB; and (b) what is the cost to the Government in terms of rebates on service and conservancy charges given to owners who illegally sublet their flats. The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, subletting HDB flats without HDB's approval is an infringement of the lease conditions. We take a serious view of this, as HDB flats are primarily meant for owner-occupation. Flat owners caught subletting their flats without approval may have their flats compulsorily acquired by HDB or incur a financial penalty. HDB will also recover the rebates on service and conservancy charges given during the period of unauthorised subletting. However, we recognise that some flat owners need to sublet their flats for supplementary income. They may obtain HDB's permission to do so if they meet the required Minimum Occupation Period (MOP). Today, 3% (or about 27,300 units) of the total stock of HDB flats have obtained approval for subletting. The number of subletting transactions increased by about 69% from 3,902 cases in fourth quarter 2009 to 6,606 cases in first quarter 2010. Some of the increase in approvals may be due to increased publicity of HDB's enforcement against unauthorised subletting.”
“Mr Viswa Sadasivan asked the Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (a) what the Government's response is to the recent Al Jazeera International TV reports on homeless Singaporeans camping by the East Coast beach stretch; (b) how these reports have affected our standing and reputation internationally; and (c) whether the Ministry will address the speculation on the ground that this was the reason why the channel was taken off mio TV's menu.  RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports has highlighted the assistance that the Government offers to the homeless. Let me now address the other questions on Al Jazeera. On the Al Jazeera report that was mentioned previously, I would say that this is not unexpected given their penchant for sensationalising such stories and being selective with the facts. Regardless of how Al Jazeera reports on Singapore, the Government’s track record speaks for itself. An international study published in January this year by global PR firm Edelman showed that Singaporeans’ trust in the Government is the highest among 22 countries polled, at 84% compared to the global average of 49%. The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2009 ranked Singapore the most transparent country in the world. On the speculation that recent critical or negative reports by Al Jazeera were the reason why the channel was taken off mio TV service, this is unfounded. In a report by TODAY, a local newspaper, Al Jazeera itself was quoted as saying that "it was a 'mutual' decision between Al Jazeera and SingTel for the broadcaster to drop out of the latter's pay TV service.”
“The people who insist on staying on beaches and parks are not first-timers, not people who bought their first flat or people in their first rental flat. These are people who, almost always, have sold a second or a third flat, have unfortunately dissipated the subsidies, encashed them and now have run into problems. I think so many of the Members in this House would have faced the situation where, quite frankly, has become emotional blackmail. If you do not give me this rental flat, you do not write this letter strongly enough, you do not scold Minister Mah Bow Tan loudly enough, I am going to sleep on the void deck and I am going to invite the press to come and take pictures and I will put pressure on you. I am sure every Member in this House, including I suspect Mr Low Thia Khiang, would have faced such a situation. We must not become callous to this. I still view every person without a roof over the head as someone who needs help. But we must be very careful as to how we deliver the help. And, yes, our help does come with strings, but our strings are ultimately to put the person back onto his own two feet. Like I said before, it is not easy and it is not popular, but I believe this is the way to do it. I think we are actually doing much, much better than many other first-world cities anywhere in the world. AL JAZEERA INTERNATIONAL TV REPORT (Impact)   6.”
“I think the Member would have to speak to the individuals concerned, and every family will have its own list of reasons why they believe the beach or the park is better than the welfare home. I have made a standing offer to Members of this House, "Please come and visit our welfare homes". I am actually quite proud about them. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I think one issue, however, is that the offer of assistance by the Government, or indeed even offers of assistance by the voluntary welfare organisations and the social workers, come with conditions attached. The conditions include getting your life in order, resolving your domestic issues, discharging your responsibilities to your children and your wife or ex-wife, getting a job, going for training and to be honest with you, some people find this regime rather onerous and rather intrusive. They turn around to me and say, "No, thank you. I want to do it my way and my way on the beach or in the park". And the truth is NParks has done such a great job that our beaches and our parks are really pretty good. If Mr Speaker allows me an extra minute, you know I was stuck in Paris last week. After clearing email, I walked along the streets. The sun sets at about 8.30 pm. By about eight o'clock, I noticed that there were some people bedding down in front of doorways of nice buildings and I realised that is Parisian homelessness. The point is homelessness or potential homelessness is actually a universal threat all over the world. The question is how best to fix this. In Singapore, we have given people cheap affordable rental housing as well as heavily subsidised first-time entry into home ownership.”
“Let me end by reiterating my determination to ensure that every Singaporean has a concrete roof over the head and food on the table. And if Members of this House or indeed anyone out there in the community knows of anyone who needs help, please call the ComCare Helpline – I repeat the usual mantra – 1800 222 0000 or email me directly. I think Members of this House know me well enough now, know that I always act on feedback from anyone here.  Mr Viswa Sadasivan (Nominated Member): I thank the Minister especially for his assurance at the end. I am just curious about the reasons some of them turn down the offer of accommodation. I cannot quite understand why they want to live under such abject conditions, even at the jeopardy of their own safety and security, and not accept an offer from the Government.”
“You are currently the owner of another HDB flat." And that was not all. We checked with the CDC and said, "Do you know this couple?" The CDC said, "Yes, we know them very well". In fact, she is still receiving financial assistance from the South West Community Development Council under the Work Support Employment scheme, and she has been receiving assistance since July 2009. Despite all these circumstances, the social workers at the FSC then offered sheltered housing for this couple. But the couple rejected the offer and also other services which were offered by my Ministry. So this is a clear example where the foreign media has failed to ascertain the facts. Even worse, some irresponsible websites have gone on to fuel these falsehoods by circulating this widely on the Internet. Now that the facts are out, let us see whether these people who have been propagating falsehoods have the courage and the honesty to set the facts right. We will wait and see. Let us come back to the issue at hand. Homelessness is a complex problem. It is not simply a matter of offering subsidies ad infinitum. The Government will continue to provide concrete assistance to enable people to achieve self reliance. But people must also do their part and they must take responsibility for their decisions and the consequences of their decisions. They must also be willing to cooperate with the social workers and work through their social and domestic issues. And we also need people to be prepared to accept the offers of accommodation that we make to them. Mr Speaker, these steps are not necessarily easy or popular, but this is the only way to create long-term sustainable solutions.”
“But, nevertheless, I would like to stress that, in fact, most of the squatters that we have come across have actually had other housing options. Some have homes but they have domestic problems. Some have previously owned HDB flats. More than one have enjoyed substantial housing subsidies which they have then encashed by selling their flats. Let me cite you one example. There was a couple that was recently featured by Al Jazeera English. Some Members in the House, I think, may have seen this video online. According to Al Jazeera, the couple claimed that they had been homeless for nearly two years as a result of divorce proceedings. The Al Jazeera video alleged, and was entitled, "government policies force some onto the streets". Unfortunately, Al Jazeera did not bother to check the facts. The facts, in fact, tell a very different story. Singapore is a very small place. When we see people on videos I can ask my staff to find the people, see who they are, what their needs are and establish the facts. So we found this couple. The facts tell a very different story. The man in the report had sold two direct-purchase subsidised flats and a third resale flat with his ex-wife. In these three sales, this man made a tidy profit in excess of $224,000. I think Members in this House will agree that that is not a small profit to make from selling three flats. The lady, on the other hand, had previously sold a direct-purchase subsidised flat – I do not have the figure as to how much she made from that – and is currently the owner of another resale flat but she co-owns that with her ex-husband. They were supposed to sell it after their divorce, but they have not sold it yet. So when she went to HDB and said, "Let me have a rental flat". HDB said, "There is a small problem.”