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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“My Senior Parliamentary Secretary work very hard to establish a conflict-resolution system in the sports scene in Singapore. For instance, in this particular case, it is the Singapore Mediation Centre which will play a role if need be, if we need to go for formal mediation. So rest assured that we do, in all circumstances, always prefer a mediated outcome rather than a slug fest and only one person walks out of the ring. On the third point with respect to comments which Mr Seah has read overseas – I think comments on the new media, both locally and internationally, have to be taken in proper perspective. We should not over react nor should we raise the level of emotions and generate more heat. So I am not inclined to respond to those comments at this point in time. Right now, suffice to say, we would still encourage everyone, "let us arrive at a fair and dignified outcome, and let us learn to move on".”
“Sir, I think we all agree that sports does have a role in our national psyche and certainly nothing brings us together as much and as quickly and as emotionally as the sports field. These recurrent disputes – there is a silver lining to them. The fact that people can be bothered, that people are worked up, shows that people are paying interest and they care. And that reflects that the profile for sports in Singapore has been raised and there is greater interest. So that is not such a bad thing. It would be much worse if nobody even cared about this award, it did not even become an issue and it was irrelevant. So that is the first point. The second point is that whilst we provide funding to the NSAs, we have, as a matter of discipline, learned not to micro manage, and not to get involved with the details of operation and, in fact, with the details of selection. Because the Ministry and SSC are not in the best position to do so. These are decisions best made on the ground by officials, coaches, players and by the people who constitute the sports fraternity for each relevant sport. So I am very hesitant to say that we should go in and second guess or countermand decisions. What the Ministry and SSC is most concerned with is to make sure that there is good governance. People are elected or selected or appointed to these governing boards and selection committees, that there is due process and that there is a system in which all relevant factors are considered. So long as that is in place, we should not micro-manage and interfere. On the second point of conflict resolution, we recognise that. In fact, internationally, sports has become a fertile area for litigation as well.”
“The national sports associations would then take these rules and criteria, assess their own stable of coaches and players, decide which ones qualify, and then after considering all relevant factors, nominate them for consideration by the SNOC. The SNOC would then look at all the nominations which have been submitted and make its own determination as to who deserves to be recognised and who does not qualify at that point in time. It is quite unfortunate this year that the non-nomination of the former national table tennis coach has descended into a rather unseemly public dispute between the coach on one hand and the association on the other. I would say that at this point in time, both parties are still trying to mediate and as mediation is in progress, I would refrain from passing comments or making any judgements. I would, however, urge both parties to aim for a dignified and fair outcome to this matter. The sporting analogy which I would use is tennis. This is a disputed line call and it is important that we do not become so distracted or so upset by a disputed line call that we end up losing the match.”
“Mr Seah's question focuses on the roles of the Ministry, the Singapore National Olympic Council, the national sports associations and the Singapore Sports Council. And there is also a second part on the nomination process for Coach of the Year award. Let me first deal with the relative roles of these four agencies. The Ministry sets policies for sports in general. In particular, this means we want to encourage wide participation in sports, we want to enable our elite athletes to win national and international glory. We also want to promote sports business. The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) then translates these policies and objectives into programmes and funding, which they then provide to the national sports associations. The national sports associations are in charge of the respective sports on a day-to-day basis. So national sports associations train players, appoint coaches, run competitions and prepare players for international events. The Singapore National Olympic Council is the umbrella organisation which represents all the national sports associations. The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) promotes the fundamental values of Olympicism and sports. It is, in particular, tasked with selecting athletes for international events. It is also in charge of deciding on national awards. One such national award is the Coach of the Year award which Mr Seah has referred to. I want to emphasise that the Ministry and the SSC are not involved in the routine operations and programmes of both the SNOC as well as the national sports associations. The SNOC sets the rules and the selection criteria for such awards.”
“And I am just asking him to think about it before going back to the old position of the Workers' Party and digging himself into those trenches. 4.51 pm”
“We have had Nominated MPs for quite a long time now, and I do not think they have done any harm to Singapore; in fact, I think they have made a positive contribution. So we have decided that this should be a permanent feature of our electoral system. We are telling Singaporeans that, regardless of the relative strengths of the political parties and the choices that they make, there will be at least 18 Members in this House who are not bound by Party Whip, who are there to express their views honestly and sincerely, and I do not think we should be afraid. The PAP is not afraid to handle diversity of views, both in this House and outside this House. The final point is about GRCs. Again, he is right. The PAP, in the past, has been able to field minority candidates, and minority candidates had won. But he has been in politics longer than me, and I think heart-to-heart, he would know that there will always be an inherent disadvantage for minority candidates. And I am just asking him, why take the risk? Why take the risk of creating a system where you can end up with really quite an unrepresentative House as far as race is concerned? Given the context of Singapore, I think this is a risk too high to take. If you had some other suggestions to ensure minority representation in this House, then we should debate it and we should discuss it. But in the absence of that, to depend on a dominant PAP who is always being able to field enough minority candidates and having enough cachet to ensure that the minority candidates can overcome the inherent disadvantages to get into this House, I think that is taking a risk for the future. So, we do this in all sincerity and honesty.”
“The objective behind these changes is not to keep the PAP in power. But it is designed to ensure that any future government of Singapore must be one consisting of a party which can put up candidates of sufficient quality to run this place, to reflect the diversity of this place, and to do so honestly and in a way which safeguards our future. So he is right. Our system makes it difficult for parties who are just there to take a position or make some arguments in Parliament, or even just to win a few seats. Our system is slanted in favour of ensuring that only parties which can form strong governments will be serious contenders in our election, and that is something which I see no need to make any apologies for because it safeguards the future of Singapore. In due time, if the Workers' Party gets to the stage where it can actually offer itself as an alternative government to the PAP, it may well win the election. Whoever wins the election in the future will have, hopefully, a decisive mandate and majority and political levers to run this place, and run this place well. So that is what it is about, and it is not to entrench the PAP. We should not make any apologies for operating on this philosophy because we are trying to safeguard the future interest of Singapore. On the second point, I will accept that the Workers' Party, anyway, has changed its position. In the past, it did not accept NCMP – and today, it accepts NCMP and it is quite happy to welcome the increase in NCMPs. However, I still do not understand why he is afraid of the diversity of views which we will hear in Parliament, even from other people who do not necessarily belong to either the Government of the day or the Opposition of the day.”
“She will know whether he has discharged his responsibilities and, realise that men do not change their spots, make an informed decision before they proceed. But I do not want to trivialise these things. We are in discussion with the Attorney-General's Chambers and the Ministry of Law, so that we do this properly and carefully and stay within the law.”
“That is another topic which has been exercising my mind. The divorce rates are going up. I got married in 1987. Ten years after that, about 10% of my cohort have already been divorced. If I look at the cohort who married 10 years after me, they have surpassed that. So, there is no question that divorces are increasing. I have also heard the many suggestions, especially from Dr Muhammad Faishal and Dr Maliki, about this issue of serial polygamy. Man divorces one woman, goes on to marry another woman, the woman has babies for him, he leaves, she then looks for another man, repeats the cycle, and then we see them at our MPS. I think the case Dr Maliki told me is that he has got one woman with eight children from five men. We have all got our own various stories. And we do need to go back to the basics, which is whether you love or do not love your wife, whether you want to split and break a marriage or not, your first point is to fulfil your responsibilities to your spouse or ex-spouse and especially to your children. Some of the suggestions we are looking at include making the marital history more available. For instance, today, I think you have to pay $30 to do a search at the Registry of Marriages on, say, my marital history. I am looking at making that free if you do it online. You still have to pay if you go through paper records. We are also looking at whether we can maybe even make maintenance payments, or the lack thereof, a matter of public record, especially where a man has on a long-term basis not discharged his responsibilities. It becomes a bit like a credit bureau, but this is a "matrimonial credit bureau", so that the next spouse at least will know what sort of man she is marrying.”
“I cannot help thinking they are more focused on lowering the bar for contestability rather than creating a robust system which will enable the right people to form government, that will enable the government to have a mandate and to have the decisive majorities in order to govern this place and to ensure that all voices are heard. Yes, I know it is possible and, from history, minority candidates have won in elections. But ask any minority candidate, and I speak as one, it is a disadvantage. And, yes, some people may be able to overcome the disadvantage and that is good, that speaks well for the candidate and for the people. But we cannot leave things to chance. We need to make sure we have a system in which as many voices, and especially a system that represents the many different races and religions that constitute Singapore, are represented. So, I ask the Workers' Party to take some more time, think through these issues, before reacting in a knee-jerk fashion by regurgitating an old position. The PAP is proposing these changes in all sincerity, because we want to have a future in which we continue to have a country that can punch above its weight, in which our children can continue to be welcomed and have access to places which their ancestors could never have dreamt of, simply because we are better organised. We have the right values as people. We are organised to create a system which is fair and honest – a system which enables all of us to achieve our full potential and which keeps us cohesive in the midst of our diversity. If we can do that, then the future is bright. We will overcome this current crisis and we will emerge stronger, with our principles in place and then we can secure our privileges.”
“They still say they do not believe in GRCs, they want everything to be in SMC. They still say they do not believe in Nominated Members of Parliament. They totally support reduction in size of GRCs. But, interestingly, they support an increase in the Non-Constituency Members of Parliament. If you truly believe in "first past the post", single seat, winner-takes-all, then you cannot take this rather awkward in-between position where you want more NCMPs but you do not want to hear other voices through the Nominated Members of Parliament. Let me reiterate what we believe. An election is first and foremost a process to choose the Government. It is not a process to choose the Opposition. It is to choose the Government. It is for the people to decide which team of political leaders have the competence, honesty, integrity, ability and the heart to form the government. The Opposition - how big, how small or how varied it is - is actually a secondary issue. And what we are trying to tell our people is that in future, you do not need to vote tactically. We will guarantee a diversity of views in this House, but focus on choosing candidates who can form a government, focus on choosing someone who will run your Town Council, look after your homes, look after your people, keep it safe, keep it clean, keep its values up. That is the primary question; everything else is secondary. The next thing is I am still uncomfortable with the Workers' Party's opposition to GRCs. I do not need to go into yesterday's exposition by the Prime Minister as to why we chose to have GRCs instead of proportional representation. But the Workers' Party has not been able to come up with some alternative formulation to ensure minority representation in Parliament.”
“But, on the other hand, we see more and more cases, quite egregious cases, where the next generation is not fulfilling their end of the bargain and they are playing, in a sense, a form of emotional blackmail and we have to carry the burden of looking after their parents. I think that balance is not fair. So, we will have to see how we can make it easier, at the same time without causing spurious or unnecessary litigation to occur. But in order to ensure that children support their parents - sometimes, it is a dispute between siblings, like one sibling, usually the lady, a daughter, who is bearing a disproportionate burden and the others are not doing their share. We may need to amend the legislation so that we can compel the other members, first, to declare what they truly are earning and whether they can or cannot support the families and then encourage the family members to arrive at a fair and amicable solution. On the Mental Capacity Act which Parliament approved a few months ago, we have appointed the Board for the Office of Public Guardian. Mr Richard Magnus is chairing the Board. We are now working very hard on developing the code of conduct, which will be used as a guide to the people who are operating the system. As Members have advised me, we need to embark on much more public education so that people know what the Act is about, how to use it, how not to use it, how it can be abused and what to avoid. So, you have to watch this space. We will have to do more work in that area. I could not help responding to the Workers' Party since Ms Sylvia Lim just made a speech. I note that in the Workers' Party response to the electoral changes announced by the Prime Minister yesterday, the Workers' Party seems to be trapped in a time warp.”
“The second area which we are making further changes to is with regard to Family Service Centres. We have about 36 Family Service Centres today in Singapore and I must admit that some are very, very good and some are not as big, not as well endowed as the more established ones. We have set aside another $16 million, which we are going to pump to these Family Service Centres, primarily so that they can first recruit more staff, more social workers. Secondly, upgrade those social workers because in dysfunctional families, what we realise, again, is that it is not a matter of just giving a handout, they can go to your MPS, you can give them some ComCare funds, but they are back every week or every month. These families need intensive hand-holding and case management and we want that to be delivered at the Family Service Centres and by properly trained, qualified and committed social workers. So, we will be spending time in this year upgrading our Family Service Centres. Now, upgrading the Family Centres alone will not be enough because we need to make sure that people on the ground – the CDCs, the local advisors to grassroots organisations – know who these Family Service Centres are and develop a relationship where you refer the families who need help to, keep track of what is happening and let me know if things are falling short. The third area which we are looking at more critically is this issue especially with respect to support for the elderly and aged parents. Many of you have said that, perhaps, our Maintenance of Parents Act needs to be revised and I am looking at that. You are absolutely right – most parents will not want to use legislation as a first resort and, indeed, they should not.”
“In other words, I want to change the centre of gravity, so that the people in charge of social services are truly VWOs on the ground. NCSS is there not to check or audit you, not to be a watchdog, but to be a central enabler – achieve economies of scale, give promotional and training opportunities for the staff of VWOs, and slowly in that way enable us to upgrade the sector. There are two particular areas that I am focusing on especially during this time. One is families, who in normal times are able to cope. One or both parents may work and children are in school. But now either because of retrenchment, lack of overtime pay or the fact that bonuses have been cut, these families are now vulnerable. We have a programme called "Work Support" which so far has been targeted primarily at people from the low-income families who suddenly lose their job, either due to health problems or because they were retrenched. Two months ago during the Budget debate, I announced some increased flexibility for the "Work Support" programme. Instead of six months, we extended it to 12 months. We also have exercised greater flexibility in the eligibility criteria for the programme, looking at per capita income rather than just their total household income. We are now studying to see whether we may extend this programme, at least for the duration of this crisis, to include families who may not yet have lost their jobs but really are having difficulty in coping. This, again, is to give people that assurance that no matter how tough times get, there will be assistance available, not as the first line, because we still expect people to go to their families and to use their own savings first but, as a last resort, the Government is there and we will provide assistance to you.”
“We believe that social services should be delivered by people on the ground who know the true needs of the beneficiaries, and by people who truly have a heart and a passion for it. I totally agree that it is possible to construct an army of civil servants under my Ministry to do it, but I think you all know it will not be done as well. In fact, Members will recall that just earlier this week, Mr Shawn Koh, I believe, who is a social worker running the Marine Parade Family Service Centre, was talking about the School Pocket Money Fund. It is a fund in which we can top up some extra money for students, so that they can buy lunch in schools. And he said, very wisely, it is not about the money. In fact, we use the fact that we have money to give as a tool of engagement, because it means the social worker gets to interview the child and the parents who go to the Family Service Centre. Very often, you find out the financial problem is just the tip of the iceberg. There are usually bigger structural social issues behind it. So we will have to continue with our many-helping-hands approach, and we will have to use all our assistance schemes as an opportunity for engagement. Having said that, I think there is a need for us to change our relationship between MCYS and NCSS, and between NCSS and the VWOs. I have told the leadership of NCSS to actually go and study the unions. The unions on the ground are independent and the members vote for their leaders. But NTUC acts as an enabler, a central repository of resources and manpower. It has the economies of scale to train industrial relations officers and post these people out as a resource to the individual unions on the ground.”
“And these are the people whom we and our partners in the CDCs as well as in the Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) must help. It is our duty to help. But Members have also referred to many stories, and we all have our own war stories. The reason that old couple is in tears in front of us is because something has gone wrong in the family. Their children either do not want to support them or, as you said, sometimes the old couple does not want to impose on the children and they see the Government as the first port or first line of call. In fact, I was very alarmed. Let me share with you one more story. A young lady received a scholarship, was sent overseas, has come back and is now deciding which organisation to work for because she is bonded. But, in the meantime, she has decided that "I need some extra help" and has gone to the CDC to ask for assistance. I discovered this and I was absolutely shocked. A scholarship recipient, having a choice of jobs, is in between deciding where to work, has decided that there is a CDC, there are Government assistance schemes, "Let me access it". Maybe she has good reasons to do so. But the fact that this is the first response should ring alarm bells. But all of you, I am sure, will have your own version of these stories. So whatever we do, let us come back to these values – personal responsibility, family responsibility and, the third area, our organising principle which is for the "many-helping-hands" approach. I am also mindful, and I think even Ms Phua herself has said, that the real social work is being done by the VWOs. They are not the outsourced agents of MCYS.”
“The second objective of a social safety net is to ensure that no long-term harm comes about because of a short-term crisis, in particular that means focusing on children. Because in many countries, even today as we debate in this Chamber, there are children who are being pulled out of school to go to work, who have to work excessively long hours in highly risky environments because they need that extra money. It may be an adaptation to cope with a present, clear and imminent threat but there will be a very big long-term cost. So, remember, our social safety net is to achieve these two objectives: one, give you enough security to cope with change; two, make sure, especially, our children's future is not mortgaged. I totally agree with Ms Denise Phua about the principles behind our social safety net. The number one principle is still about personal responsibility. We must still be a people who has a sense of right and wrong, hard work, honesty, fairness and a sense of discharging our responsibilities to all people who depend upon us. If we lose these personal values, both at an individual, community and national level, no amount of tweaking, economic strategies, social safety nets or handouts will bring Singapore through this crisis. The second point is family responsibility, and I totally agree with Ms Denise Phua. Most of the people whom we see at our MPS are not a representative sample of Singapore. The truth is most people in Singapore cope, have tightened their belts, are working as hard, perhaps even harder than they should, but they are doing their best. For the people whom we see at our MPS, there are two categories. One is the group who truly cannot cope, who have no family support, and really are at their wits' end.”
“Koo Tsai Kee made yesterday, that we are not smarter, more hardworking or in any way superior to the people in Southeast Asia, India, China, or anywhere else in the world. And, yet, as Singaporeans, we have privileges. We get to visit and get access to leaders and places whom our ancestors would never ever have had the possibility of doing so. In fact, our distant cousins in their home countries probably would not have these privileges. So the question must be, why do we have these privileges. It is not genetic, it is not just luck. I believe it is because we have a system. It is because of our values, the way we are organised, the way we motivate ourselves, the way we nurture our children, and the way we bring the best out of each person. That is what allows us to punch above our weight, to go beyond the genetic and historical trajectories that otherwise we would have been condemned to. So in this whole debate, it is worth remembering that it is about how we are organised, primarily in three areas: politics, economics and the social safety net. Let me focus on the social safety net because I want to respond to the many MPs who have given comments, suggestions as well as criticisms of the work of my Ministry. The purpose of a social safety net is two-fold: first, to make sure that people have enough of a sense of security, so that they are willing and able to make the necessary adjustments to cope with change. Because if people are insecure and scared, no amount of cajoling, persuasion or encouragement is going to make them adopt the necessary adjustments, go for training, work harder and make all those changes to cope with challenges. You want to create enough of a sense of security, so that they can adapt to change.”
“Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak especially after a wonderful speech from one of my favourite Members of Parliament. An economic crisis like what we are facing right now is, perhaps, the ultimate stress test of a social safety net. It is well and fine to talk about it, to talk about principles, but to live the experience of our people at a time like this will determine whether or not this social safety net works, whether or not people believe in it, and whether or not it really achieves what we are after. I echo Ms Denise Phua's quotation of President Eisenhower, that if we value our privileges more than our principles, we are apt to lose both. So, perhaps, it is worthwhile reiterating what our principles are. Let me start with a story. About five years ago, I remember visiting Beijing and it happened to be their equivalent of National Day. I was invited to the Great Hall of People and had a wonderful dinner. A few months after that, I accompanied the Prime Minister to India and we went to the equivalent of the Istana, a full ceremony with horses and everything there, and, of course, met the President of India. At both these occasions, I remember the thought that emerged in my mind was that, on my maternal side, my great grandparents came from a poor sub-province within Fujian; and on my paternal side, somewhere in what is today's Andhra Pradesh. And I remember wondering if my ancestors had stayed put, would I be having dinner in the Great Hall of People or participating in a ceremony in the equivalent of the Istana in New Delhi? The answer clearly is "no". I was also reminded of a point, which I think Assoc. Prof.”
“I think Members would recall that I previously updated the House that the Consortium which was selected to build the Sports Hub had prepared its business plans at a time when the liquidity was much more abundant. Right now in the midst of the downturn and, in particular, the financial crisis, their plans which were predicated on the availability of significant sums of capital, obviously need to be reworked. We are still waiting for them to return to us with either new conditions or vary certain parameters of the bid in order for us to decide whether we can proceed. These are technical and complicated negotiations that are still ongoing and, hence, I do not want to make any specific commitments now to settle these negotiations by a particular date. I think Members will appreciate that putting artificial deadlines will weaken our negotiating position. Nevertheless, it is in all our interest to settle this matter as soon as possible and to commence construction of the Sports Hub. MEANS TESTING IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS 9. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Health with the adoption of means testing in all public hospitals (a) how successful is this initiative in meeting its objectives; and (b) what is the average hospital bill for a patient.”
“The challenge is that businesses would require some predictability and some certainty that the space would be available in order for them to put in the investment to restart their business plans at that point in time. So from now while the negotiations are ongoing – and frankly, once those are settled, we will begin immediately – it is better not to raise false hopes or to reopen up a place, only to shut it down again at very short notice.”
“The Oasis building was acquired by the Government so that a public Water Sports Centre could be incorporated into the Sports Hub project. Prior to the acquisition, it was leased out to commercial food and beverage operators. Reopening the building at this point would require much work and significant cost. As the preparatory ground work may start quickly once an agreement has been reached with the Singapore Sports Hub Consortium, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) does not have any immediate plans to lease out the Oasis building or use it for any alternative purposes in the interim. Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): I just want to ask the Minister notwithstanding that the Sports Hub could be activated soon, whether it is possible to make better use of the current premises by letting it out on a temporary basis, and to let the market decide whether tenants are prepared to take up the site based on market rates.”
“The current economic downturn has not affected the budget or the construction schedule of the *scape building in Orchard Road. The financial standing of the main contractor remains sound and the project is on schedule. The construction of this project began in March 2008. At present, the contractors are working on the structural works for the fourth storey of the five-storey building. We are still on schedule to officially launch this in the second quarter of 2010. We have projected that in the steady state, the commercial revenue would account for approximately 70% of the annual revenue. Revenue from programming and institutional spaces would account for approximately 20%, while sponsorship would account for the remaining 10%. The Government would provide transitional funding totalling $8.5 million for the next four years as the company that is managing this builds up its capability and revenue stream. OASIS BUILDING (Outline of plans) 8. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports in light of the delay in the completion of the Sports Hub and the reopening of the National Stadium for use, whether he can outline the plans for the nearby Oasis building which has been hoarded up since it was acquired by the Government.”
“The Public Assistance Scheme is one component of the overall system of 'many helping hands' that provide a social safety net for needy Singaporeans. Around 200 applications for Public Assistance are approved annually. Around 50% of applicants do not qualify for Public Assistance. This is usually because they have a regular income, personal savings or support from families and friends. Nevertheless, applicants who do not qualify for Public Assistance may receive support from the other ComCare schemes. In addition, the voluntary welfare organisations, charities and Community Development Councils also provide further assistance customised to the specific needs of the applicant. In 2008, six of the approved cases had adult children above the age of 40 years. APPENDICES Section Name: ASSENTS TO BILLS PASSED Filename : Annex to Assent to Bills - President's Opinion”
“Their top priority is to treat the emergency and save life, not to ascertain the full circumstances behind each incident unless they are relevant to the treatment. After the news of the Dutch national was published, I was heartened to see many Singaporeans offering to pay the bill. This is a good indication of Singaporeans’ social spiritedness and a better way for us to show our gratitude to someone who has risked his life to save another person. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ASSISTED CONCEPTION PROCEDURES (Take-up rate) 1. Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the take-up rate and how many people/couples have been funded for the Assisted Conception Procedures at restructured hospitals since September 2008; and (b) on average, how many cycles are they funded for.”
“Residents with psychiatric conditions are only discharged into the community if they have family or caregivers’ support. Those who are not discharged would remain in the welfare homes, or be transferred to nursing homes if their medical conditions deteriorate. If the community is aware of anyone with mental illness who is living alone and requires any form of assistance, they can call IMH’s helpline at 6389-2222. The majority of mentally ill patients can and do live meaningful and productive lives in the community; it is only a small minority who are at risk of being violent and aggressive. For violent or aggressive individuals who are believed to be a danger to others, the police are empowered to bring them for medical assessment at institutions such as IMH if they are suspected to have a mental illness. WAIVER OF MEDICAL FEE 46. Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Minister for Health why a Government hospital has no flexibility to waive the medical fee of a Dutch national who sustained injuries arising from his exemplary deed to save a drowning woman. Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Our hospitals do exercise flexibility to reduce or waive charges as they deem fit based on the circumstance of each case. Every year, many needy patients have their hospital bills waived or partially reduced. Such assistance to patients on ground of financial hardship is an acceptable practice in our hospitals. But should they extend such assistance to also cover heroic acts? There are practical difficulties on the ground. For the staff working in the emergency department with a heavy load of patients, they may not have the time to establish which cases are the results of heroic acts.”
“In the last three years, the number of persons residing in MCYS’ destitute welfare homes was 1,728 in 2006, 1,746 in 2007 and 1,785 in 2008. Each year, MCYS sees about 228 new admissions into our welfare homes. Of these, about 20% or 47 persons have some form of mental illness. Residents who have psychiatric conditions are reviewed by psychiatrists from the Institute of Mental Health, who visit the welfare homes weekly. If they are assessed to be unsuitable for residence in a welfare home, they would be hospitalised at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for treatment. Last year, there were five such cases. Most of the chronic psychiatric residents in the welfare homes were long stay patients of IMH, who had been transferred to the welfare homes as they no longer require hospitalisation, but did not have families to return to. The welfare homes provide basic care which includes meals, accommodation, social activities, training and job assignments matched to the residents’ capabilities. All residents staying in the welfare homes have an individual rehabilitation programme developed for them. Those who can do simple chores will participate in work programmes where they will receive an allowance. The more able residents are given opportunities to go out and work during the day, to prepare them for eventual discharge from the Homes. Residents will be considered for discharge if they have caregivers who are able to take care them or if they are able to find jobs and live independently. The social workers at the homes will provide the necessary assistance with housing or employment arrangements, and the discharged residents will continue to be supervised for up to one year after discharge.”
“The designated busking locations are spatially separated to avoid congestion at particular locations and to complement STB’s recent revamp of Orchard Road. I would like to assure Miss Low that the new rules will not adversely impact the cultivation of a vibrant streetscape. There are sufficient busking locations for our buskers to perform at. The number of people applying to NAC for the Letter of Endorsement to busk remains constant.5 4 This is because Orchard Road is a very popular spot for busking and NAC would like to spread out the opportunity to use Orchard to more buskers. 5 According to NAC, the number of applicants has consistently been in the region of 230-300 annually in the past three years. The number of applicants for January 2009 was 37 and remained the same for March 2009 when the new rules came into effect. CLOSURE OF POST OFFICE BRANCHES 31. Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (a) how many post office branches have been shut down in the last five years; (b) what provisions have been made for people who rely only on the post office counter facility to pay their bills for public services; and (c) whether the Ministry has considered asking other government offices with counter facilities (eg HDB branch offices, community centres) to take over such functions to serve areas affected by closures of post offices.”
“The Busking Scheme provides an opportunity for Singaporeans to exhibit their artistic talents by bringing arts to the public. These busking activities enliven our streets and add colour to Singapore’s city life. Since its introduction in 1997, the scheme has witnessed a steady growth in the number and diversity of performances. Busking activities have extended beyond singing, playing of musical instruments, balloon twisters and circus acts. We now see a wider range of acts that include magic shows, percussion groups, solo theatrical acts and craft. Busking activities should be carried out within a safe environment and in an orderly manner without creating disamenities to other users of public spaces. NAC has continually updated the designated busking locations to ensure busking contributes to a more conducive environment and complements the infrastructure and new developments in the area. It has regular dialogues with enforcement agencies such as the Police, the Land Transport Authority and the National Environment Agency, as well as site owners and partners such as the Orchard Road Business Association and Chinatown Business Association. Sites are chosen with adequate human traffic and sufficient space to minimise public congestion and inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists. NAC has recently completed a review of the Busking Scheme to streamline the conduct of the busking activities. At present, there are 109 busking spots islandwide and buskers have been asked to pick five locations for their performances of which three of the five spots can be along Orchard Road.4 NAC is aware that Orchard Road is especially popular with buskers. Fourteen spots along Orchard Road have been designated for busking activities.”
“Singapore Sports Council (SSC) stadiums are currently open from 4.30 am till 8.30 pm daily. The opening hours were calibrated to maintain reasonable utilisation. In response to residents’ feedback, SSC has initiated an ongoing trial to extend the opening hours of Queenstown Stadium. Under the trial, the stadium is opened up to 9.30 pm. From October to December last year, a daily average of only 10 visitors was recorded between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm, compared to 28 visitors during 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm timeslot. As an effort to improve the utilisation of the Queenstown stadium, SSC worked with grassroots leaders to increase publicity and also engage various sports interest groups to organise more activities in the evening. As the trial with the Queenstown Stadium is still ongoing and has yet to yield conclusive results, it is premature to apply the extended opening hours to other public sports facilities. Where there is strong demand, SSC will consider extending the opening hours. Meanwhile, SSC will continue to work closely with grassroots organisations to meet the sporting needs of the residents. RESTRICTIONS ON BUSKING ACTIVITIES 30. Miss Penny Low asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (a) how have buskers contributed to the vibrancy of the Singapore streetscape since the liberalisation of busking activities a few years ago; (b) what are the reasons for the move to restrict buskers' activities; and (c) how will the restrictions impact on the cultivation of a vibrant streetscape. Dr Lee Boon Yang: I would like to thank Miss Low for her interest in busking activities and how these have contributed to a vibrant Singapore streetscape.”
“Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports whether the positive outcome of the pilot run to extend the opening hours of Queenstown Stadium will be applied to other public sports facilities and, if so, how this will be applied.”
“Our public sports facilities are built, operated and maintained with public funds. As a general principle, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) will keep these facilities available when there is adequate demand. SSC will consider the option of closing facilities with very low utilisation despite efforts to promote usage, as they become too costly to maintain. For these closed facilities, SSC will explore leasing them out for alternative sports and recreation uses, or work with grassroots organisations to convert the facilities for community use. In instances where no good alternative use can be found, SSC would return the premises to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). A total of eight swimming complexes have been closed because of low utilisation. Of these, SSC has successfully sub-leased two swimming complexes1 to private organisations for sports related use. Two complexes2 have been returned to SLA upon expiration of lease, so that the sites can be considered for other developments. This leaves four public swimming complexes3 that have remained closed for more than five years, despite SSC’s efforts to put them out for sports or other uses. As a final round of effort, SSC is currently actively engaging private organisations as well as the Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs) and their Advisors, to explore alternative uses for the four closed swimming complexes. If there are no takers, the premises will be returned to SLA. 1 Farrer Park and Boon Lay. 2 River Valley and Paya Lebar. 3 Yan Kit, Bukit Merah, Jurong Town and Pandan Gardens. PUBLIC SPORTS FACILITIES (Extension of opening hours) 29.”
“So especially for people, like the PMETs who are unemployed or retrenched, this is a great opportunity to consider a career in the social service sector. 3.00 pm”
“NCSS is also exploring providing a coaching programme for new entrants to help them settle into this sector. MCYS and NCSS have been working with the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) in order to provide enhanced funding support for social service training under the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR). SPUR basically leverages on the extensive Continuing Education and Training (CET) system and includes Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses for the Community and Social Service sector. Currently, we have courses available within this sector which will enjoy support from SPUR, and that means people who go through these courses will enjoy a subsidy of 90% of the course fees. In addition, if the applicants are employed by the non-profit sector or the voluntary welfare organisations, SPUR also pays a training allowance of up to $1,000 a month. In other words, they can come onto the employee list of the non-profit sector, be sent for training, enjoy 90% subsidy and receive a training allowance. This is indeed a generous package which we hope will enable us to attract more people to go into the social service sector, especially at a time like this. As far as social workers are concerned, there is a shortfall of 100 a year. I also want to highlight that we will need about 2,500 new workers in the social service sector over the next five years. Similarly, in the childcare sector, you will know that we are expanding the number of childcare centres. We need 2,000 new people to come into this sector over the next five years. So, the bottomline is that jobs are available, training capacity is available, subsidies are available for training, and training allowances are available.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the current economic downturn has provided both a significant challenge to the non-profit and voluntary welfare organisation sectors as well as a great opportunity. MCYS and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) have therefore been using this time to step up our efforts to recruit, upgrade and retain talent within the sector. Let me cite a few examples. NCSS has been running a series of advertisements in the newspapers and also participated in career and job fairs in the last few months in order to highlight job opportunities in this sector. MCYS is also working with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to increase the number of places available to train social workers and other professionals needed in the social service sector. In order to make this sector more attractive, Members of the House will also recall earlier announcements to introduce accreditation for social work professionals and to improve their working conditions by ensuring that they receive competitive remuneration packages. There are also a slew of training opportunities in the schemes which we already run, for example, the $45 million allocated to the Voluntary Welfare Organisations and Charities Capabilities Fund. We also have new training initiatives, including an NPO Executive Director Mentoring Programme, and an experiential Social Leadership Singapore programme aimed at developing key leadership in this sector. In addition, there are also initiatives such as the Sabbatical Leave Scheme and the Professional Leadership and Development Scheme as well as the NCSS Scholar Management Programme which will facilitate scholars' transition into the social service sector. This programme provides mentoring for personal and professional growth.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2009/2010, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“But what has held me back, is my worry that if we do that, it just means the need to prioritise education will fall off the table.”
“And if you have a long-term relationship, after a while you know what are the true needs of this family and how can you best effect change in behaviour and change in mindset, because that is really what we are after. So, I would advise you to build long-term relationships even though the help comes in small doses. Treat each small dose as an opportunity to calibrate the medication in order to achieve the outcome that you want. But I know, that does not make the people who receive help happy, and that does not make my Ministry popular. But that is the design feature of our assistance scheme. This issue of pulling children out of school because the help given is interim pains me a lot. Because you and I know, the most important long-term investment is to put the child in school. And yet through some perverse logic, this person has decided it is better to pull the child out of school so that maybe, "I will have a few extra dollars to spend on something which I prioritise higher than my child's education". We have also heard from our presentations today that actually, you can send a child to school or kindergarten or even childcare for very, very small sums of money. Actually, we can make it free but we don't want to make it free. At least on paper, we don't want to make it free because we still want you to feel that you've got some commitment in this game. We still want some evidence of sacrifice so that the more important message is that this lady or this family has understood that the most important investment is a child's education, and I am willing to prioritise the child's education. Now, I thought very long and hard about making it free and telling them, "zero cost".”
“We do have the database, the ComCare database that we started two years ago. But like I said earlier on, the challenge is to make sure that the data is kept up-to-date. And that means, we got to get all the VWOs as well as the grassroots organisations who are giving money to actually log in that they have provided assistance to a person. So, we will make improvements on that. Like I said earlier on, all the advisors and key grassroots leaders have access to this database. There is a user password and an ID. We have to have some security because confidential information is being held in that database. But, actually, let me come back to your first question, which is actually more fundamental. Our system is one which provides conditional and interim assistance. The easiest way to make people feel secure is to give them unconditional long-term assistance with no strings attached, no bureaucracy, no questions. We have decided to deliberately not have such a system. So, you are right, people who are receiving assistance in Singapore do feel unsettled. They feel unsettled because they have to keep coming back to you. You keep asking awkward questions, you keep pushing, cajoling, persuading; sometimes pushing very hard to get certain behaviours which they don't want to embark on. So, there is a trade-off. There is a trade-off between comfort and security on one hand and leverage which the assisting organisations have on the other hand. So, you see, whether it is financial assistance, interim housing, school fees and the rest of it, it all comes with this characteristic. But having said that the help is short-term and interim, that does not mean the relationship between the person who is being helped and the agency which is primarily providing that help should be short-term.”
“In my reply earlier, I had indicated that mentoring is not a new idea and in fact, many organisations have already embarked on mentoring schemes with good results. But the key problem has always been sustainability. You get a few good volunteers with time and bandwidth and ability to connect, the scheme flies. After a while, when people get tired or the target group is no longer there, it eases off. But we believe in mentoring and I want to encourage VWOs and grassroots organisations, if you have started such mentoring schemes, let our Ministry know and we will certainly see if we can give you some additional help to upscale those schemes. The proposal I outlined was with respect to our overall proposals for healing dysfunctional families. And we felt that particularly for this group, the children in such families would benefit from mentoring and we will start such a scheme specifically targeted at these children whom we identified. But this is not an exclusive scheme. This is not the only scheme we are going to support. Please let us know if there are other schemes out there that who require additional support from us. We will be most happy to help.”
“The problem was with her eldest child who is now 17 and not doing well in school. And the third husband says, look, it is a discipline problem but I cannot control him because he says I am not his father; and he is just not going to do well in school. So, there is a real risk of a self-replicating, dysfunctional underclass, if we do not watch it. And dealing with this, is going to require all hands on deck. We are going to need the VWOs, the FSCs, the self-help groups, and we are going to need community leadership to be exercised on the ground. But the stories which I am telling today are not unique. I am sure all of you have seen such families. So this is an area of particular focus which we need to try to make a difference. Amy, I think, can you answer the question on Reach?”
“Madam, the first question: I am not sure I will call it a service gap. But our top priority this year is on dysfunctional families and particularly the children who are in such families. So, you will notice that a lot of the schemes - the amendments to the schemes - really devote more resources to families with children. And we got to make sure that that help is delivered properly. As Denise always reminds me - it is implementation. It is well and fine to declare an objective, it is all well and fine to allocate resources; but we need to implement it. And as I outlined earlier, whether we can identify these families, take appropriate upstream measures, intervene where it really makes a difference. If we can do all these and rescue at least some children, we would be all right. Let me share this. It is not a unique story - I am sure many of us have seen this. In fact, yesterday my wife came back from a meeting - she is patron to a VWO. There was a 53-year old lady with six children. The eldest is 31, the youngest is seven, and none of them work. And she pulled her seven-year old out of either kindergarten or school because she claimed she did not have enough money. When you think about a family like this, first you got to reach out and identify these families because some of these families may not even want to access your help, especially if your help is conditional. Because you tell them - yes, I will help you and I will pay for your child to enroll in childcare but you must go and work. So, reaching out, convincing, persuading is a problem. Then you ask her, why six children and from how many men? And it is usually more than one man. I had another woman who came to me, also with six children and her third husband.”
“I am glad that you agree that the early childhood sector is more than just providing a nanny service. My view is that the childcare centres are kindergartens plus plus. And kindergartens are pre-primary educational facilities. I do not think this is a fully settled debate. There will be still people who feel that education only begins at Primary One. I just take a more practical approach. I think it helps. Early environmental improvements make a difference to a child's outlook, a child's expectations, and ultimately, the child's destiny. So, both MOE and MCYS are investing heavily in the sector and you will see considerable allocation of resources, not just money, but also manpower, supervision and professional inputs into this sector. I want to reiterate that this is a growth sector. And if there are people who got the right attributes and attitudes and are willing to work with children, please sign up and we will provide the training and get you into this sector. As far as the Baby Bonus is concerned, I think most parents know, because I can tell you from experience, having one not that long ago. When my own baby was born, we immediately got the forms and all that. We know how much we are getting and we know what it can be used for, so I would be surprised if parents do not know. And we have also ensured that it is in all four official languages but I will go back and take a look at the form again.”
“But, clearly for those who are in leadership positions and will have to acquire these additional skills, we will provide avenues for them. But right now, what I want to establish is the social worker as a professional - no more and no less than a teacher, or a doctor, or a pharmacist, or a dentist. If we can get there, I think, and I hope, Prof Kalyani will agree we would have made one major step.”
“I am glad that you acknowledge that the Many Helping Hands model is still fundamentally the way to go. That is certainly one key pillar which I am not prepared to demolish, but I will concede that it is not perfect. There are both advantages and disadvantages to that, and I will also agree that we can do better. My staff and I will look at your suggestion of a system study. But let me just say that, frankly, I think the issue now is not more study; I think it is an issue of implementation, and we need to get good minds. Actually, we already have good minds in the sector but we need to get alignment of interests and our plans and our policies, and allocate resources accordingly so that we can implement better. I do not know if that is what you call a system study but I think we need to improve our implementation. On social workers, I will tell you that my views are somewhat coloured by my views as a medical professional. You want doctors, first and foremost, to know their stuff - that is what being a professional means. That means going to medical school, getting the proper qualifications, getting the proper training, getting the proper certification and then making sure also that they are the people with the right values, right hearts and right attitudes to deliver their professional services. Yes, it is true that with some doctors, you want them to do more. You want them to go into administration, you want them to be able to do healthcare financing, you want process mapping, Six Sigma, and you want market communications. But I do not see the need to equip every single social worker with that; and indeed, I think most social workers, as professionals, may not necessarily be interested in all those areas.”
“We will ensure that you can be a champion; and we will also make sure that you have got academic and professional avenues after your competitive career is over.”
“Madam, that is another very good question as well. The Sports School, when we first started, was meant to provide only secondary school education for four years. Increasingly, we are recognising the need for a longer programme. So, we are currently in discussion, both at the Board level as well as with MOE, to enable the Sports School to run a six-year programme. However, when we say through-train, we have to be a bit careful. Many people associate through-train as an opportunity to skip the "O" levels. I am being very, very careful about that, because my key objective in the Sports School is not only to produce sporting champions but to make sure they get the best educational experience possible. And if the best education experience possible for that particular person involves having to do the "O" levels, then we will provide that avenue. So, this is still in a state of flux and we will see how things unfold within the next couple of months. I think Members may also be aware that NTU is now also offering a four-year direct Honours course which will be an ideal fit for sports administrators as well as our athletes, post their competitive careers. And we will certainly ensure that our Sports School provides sufficient interdigitations with high opportunities for higher education. Currently, we already have programmes with the Auckland University of Technology. We have a programme with Republic Polytechnic and we already have an informal programme with NTU which we will formalise in the future. The key message for young athletes and their parents is that we will take care of both your sporting needs and your academic needs.”
“And I will give you this assurance that we will continue to monitor the needs of people in the Public Assistance category and those at the boundaries. Er Lee Bee Wah: Madam, I would like to assure SPS that definitely that there is good governance, there is honesty, and there is a plan, not just for 2012 Olympics but up to 2016 in Olympics in STTA. And just now you have not answered my following questions: What is the budget allocated for NSAs this year? How is it compared to last year? And what is your opinion on the through-train A-level for Singapore Sports School? And, please consider training in NSA to be recognised as CCA.”
“There is a key upper limit to how generous I can be, and I will tell you honestly, as the Minister, the easiest thing is to give more. I will certainly sleep better if I could give more. But there is a key upper limit. That key upper limit is that we cannot make Public Assistance more generous than what a menial labourer would earn in wages because, mind you, the person on Public Assistance has free medicine, free healthcare, free education for the children. Many of the other incidental expenditures in life are not his problem. So, the real focus, if I could focus the minds of the MPs here - is, quite frankly, the group beyond the Public Assistance category - the people at the boundary. So, a policy change that we have made is to be more flexible at the edges. To accept that even though some people have children, their children are unable to support them. Or to accept that some people may have a medical problem and they cannot work for six months, or even longer. So, this year, we say we can even go up to one year. And for work support, to recognise in this year that it may be difficult for some people to get jobs - no matter how much we train them. So, we have again provided greater flexibility, such that the duration on which they can stay on work support will be extended, up to one year. But, as I also said in the beginning, I cannot match the expectations of the middle-class or even the lower middle-class, because I have to peg the support that I give to everyone fairly, and it is pegged at that of Public Assistance. So, we will see how things evolve this year. Fortunately for us this year, inflation does not appear to be a major threat.”
“That is a very good question, and a fundamental point. There is no change in our policy, as far as pegging the rates for Public Assistance goes. It is not a generous amount. We are trying to create a scheme in which there are adequate resources for people who are most vulnerable in our society. The easy solution is to make it index-linked but I found that that does not work because the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is one number across society, while the expenditure of people at the very lowest end of our economic ladder is significantly different from others elsewhere. So for the last few years, we have been tracking - that is, within MCYS - what it actually costs to buy food and to make ends meet. I would say that the amounts that we have now - if you remember the presentation that Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon put up, supplemented with all the additional handouts that the Government gives and the support provided by the community - allow me to say quite honestly that we ensure that nobody should starve in Singapore. Nobody should be without a roof over his or her head. Nobody's child should be absent from school. And nobody should be deprived of healthcare. So, I am looking more at an outcome rather than an actual figure, because there is no magic figure. There will be other MPs like Mr Sam Tan who feel that it is still inadequate. I think we can debate this. But the key point is to look at the outcomes. What I do know is that if you have to be poor, it is a terrible position to be in. But if you have to be poor and you had to take your pick of any country in the world, even first-world countries - I dare say we look after our people well. I have also said that this is not a matter of lack of resources.”