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.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,437 lines we hold for Vivian Balakrishnan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 43 of 49.
“The answer is no. HDB FLATS (Repossession) 10. Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats have been repossessed by banks since bank loans for the purchase of HDB flats were implemented for purchasers who do not qualify for HDB subsidized loans; (b) if the Ministry knows how many more flats are pending repossession by banks as the purchasers are unable to service their loans; and (c) if HDB has assisted any of these cases by allowing them to rent a flat and, if so, how many.”
“Sir, I said earlier in my answer, the 50% cap is not a social safeguard. It was never intended as a social safeguard. It was an economic consideration and it was meant to send a signal that Singapore is not interested in a gambling hall. But when we say "integrated resort", we mean what we say. We believe the signal is clear. We believe that the potential investors know what they are looking for. And, in any case, we will make the final decision on which proposal succeeds. On that point, I want all Members to understand that we are not reducing our social safeguards. This has nothing to do with social safeguards. This is about an economic signal that is being sent and we believe now that we can achieve this without having to impose arbitrarily this 50% cap.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the IRs will certainly not be dominated by gaming facilities. To give Members an idea of scale, the floor area for gaming will not be allowed to exceed 15,000 square metres or, in fact, if you include circulation, 18,000 square metres. This is a very, very small proportion of the total development of the IR which will have, in terms of floor area, 500,000 square metres. So, there is no possibility of this dominating the development. In any case, all the investors understand that our intention is that this is not meant to be one big gambling hall. If any investor submits such a proposal, I can almost certainly guarantee that the Government will not select such a proposal. Remember that at the end of this, we are trying to ensure that an integrated resort is built, which will attract tourists, and gaming per se will not achieve that objective. So, let us wait for the proposals to come in, and you will see the basis on which we will select these proposals.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there will be no further delays in the Request for Proposals. Have there been conflicts between the agencies? No, there have been no conflicts between the agencies, but I am sure Members of this House will appreciate that in dealing with complex issues like these, it is beneficial for all the agencies to examine the issues from different perspectives. The examination of the issues from multiple perspectives, I think, will give us a more robust and a more sensible answer at the end of it. We are almost at the end of this process, and I can assure the House that there will be no further delays and that the RFP will be an exercise which will generate the optimal outcome for Singapore.”
“The intent was to signal that the integrated resorts should have a high component of non-gaming attractions in order to attract tourism. It was not meant to be a social safeguard. We have since decided not to impose this surcharge for the RFP. This is because in our consultations, most investors have indicated that they would not be able to generate non-gaming revenue exceeding their gaming revenue for the IRs in the initial years of their operation. Imposing a surcharge in these circumstances will unnecessarily reduce the viability of the integrated resort project, or result in a lower level of development investment. Instead, the Government's intention that the integrated resort should be more than just a casino has already been made very clear to the investors. Proposals that do not have substantial non-gaming attractions will certainly lose out when we evaluate the tenders. Dr Amy Khor asked about the RFP selection process. Our objective is to select the IR proposal that will maximise the overall tourism and economic benefits for Singapore, not just the value in the IR itself or the value of the land per se. Hence, we intend to evaluate the proposals based on factors such as tourism appeal, strength of concept and design, strength of partnerships and networks, as well as level of development investment. As we are still refining the selection process, we will announce more details later. We target to launch the RFP for the integrated resort at Marina Bay by end of November 2005. The RFP for the integrated resort at Sentosa will be launched in the first quarter of next year. I wish to assure this House that every effort is being made to ensure the success of the IR project.”
“Since the announcement to proceed with the Integrated Resort (IR) projects, STB and the relevant agencies have been actively engaging the potential IR investors and seeking their views on the draft specifications of the Request for Proposals (RFP). The investors have provided useful constructive feedback on a wide variety of issues, ranging from urban planning parameters to the legislative framework and RFP selection process itself. As a number of these issues are very complex, the agencies have been studying the issues very carefully to see how we can best address them. We want to optimise the terms of the RFP, in order to maximise the overall benefits for Singapore whilst ensuring that it is also viable for the investors. This is why, for instance, the Ministry of Home Affairs has come up with the casino legislative framework and, in fact, launched a public consultation exercise on the draft Casino Control Bill today. This exercise will allow all stakeholders to provide their comments to the Bill, before it is formally passed by Parliament. This will also give potential investors greater certainty when they tender for the RFP. Ms Irene Ng has asked if the social safeguards are being reviewed as part of this process. I would like to assure Ms Ng that we have no change in the social safeguards which were announced in April this year. The Government will put in place a comprehensive and stringent set of social safeguards, including a casino entry levy of $100 per day or $2,000 per year for Singaporeans. Ms Ng has also asked about the 50 per cent cap on casino revenue. In the Request for Concepts (RFC) exercise earlier this year, we had indicated that a surcharge may be imposed if the gross gaming revenue exceeded 50% of the total annual integrated resort revenue.”
“The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports supports the use of guide dogs as another form of mobility guide for blind persons. Guide dogs can help blind persons to negotiate their way in public places, so that they can better integrate into mainstream society. The dogs also provide valuable companionship for blind persons. Government regulations regarding the presence of guide dogs in public places are flexible. In the area of public transport, there are provisions in SMRT's regulations that allow a guide dog accompanying a blind person to enter our trains and stations. Guide dogs are allowed in bus interchanges. They are also allowed on public buses as long as they do not cause discomfort to other passengers due to close proximity. In the area of environmental health, the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations currently prohibit live animals or birds in licensed food retail outlets. This is also the case in various other countries for public hygiene reasons. However, some countries have exempted guide dogs from their regulations. The rationale for such an exemption is that being well trained, guide dogs are not likely to compromise environmental hygiene practices, so long as they are harnessed and kept at the owner's side at all times. The National Environment Agency has recently carried out a review, and has decided to grant licensees of food establishments the discretion to allow guide dogs in their premises, so long as the dogs are harnessed and kept at the owner's side at all times. This will come into effect before the end of the year. APPENDICES”
“We heard this debate so many times ad nauseam. Let me just say that this is a Government scheme being operationalised through a Government statutory board. 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. - [Dr Vivian Balakrishnan]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT TO A DATE TO BE FIXED Resolved, "That, at its rising today, Parliament do stand adjourned to a date to be fixed." - [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. ADJOURNMENT MOTION”
“But if you are a poor person, of all the places in the world to be poor or needy, I would put to you that Singapore is probably one of the best places to be in, in terms of being able to live a life with dignity, to look for a job, to bring up the family securely, to educate your children, to receive healthcare and to have a community that cares, not just the Government, but the community in the fuller sense of the word. Sir, on that note, I thank you all again for your support and suggestions.”
“As far as supervision and governance are concerned, there is a ComCare Supervisory Committee, chaired by my Minister of State, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon. All the five Mayors are on that Supervisory Committee and so are relevant people from the voluntary welfare sector. So we have a system in which there is supervision, a system of governance and outcome and process parameters being monitored. Whether I would need to expose that and have a certain amount of comparison between the CDCs is not something I am going to decide today. But I want to assure this House that we will make sure money is spent properly, money is not wasted and that there is no corruption or undue political influence in this process. This is a process for the Government to assist Singaporeans. I am very glad that Dr Amy Khor supports this fund to the extent of asking, if I got her right, even for an additional top-up to the ComCare Fund. I think that is something which we can discuss with the Prime Minister at some other date. Right now, we only have $500 million. We are trying to reach $1 billion. When we get there, we can talk about going beyond it. But the critical point here, and she understood it perfectly right, is that because this is an Endowment Fund, it is a sustainable source of income in good times and bad times. In bad times, when the Ministries' block budgets are cut, as it must be as part of fiscal discipline, the social assistance schemes will still be able to draw on the interest income from this Endowment Fund. So, in conclusion, let me say that this is work which will never be finished.”
“You persuade your neighbours and your neighbours who live with you are in the best position to decide whether or not you truly require or need that assistance. Yes, again, it means that, as Mr Sin Boon Ann brought up, there is a requirement for proper governance because we do not want corruption, we do not want money to be misused and we do not want money even to be politicised, as Mr Steve Chia has spoken about. We have deliberately chosen non-political organisations to do so. The People's Association (and the associated grassroots organisations) is a statutory board of the Government. If we were to appoint you or any of the Opposition MPs, that would politicise the exercise. So long as this is money - this is assistance provided by the Government - the Government then has a responsibility to channel those funds and operationalise it through the appropriate statutory board, in this case, it is the People's Association. So let us not rehash that old debate about whether the Opposition MP should be the Advisor. The point is that, if you are poor or needy in Singapore regardless of where you live, see your local grassroots organisations, explain to them your needs, let them evaluate it and let them help you. I am also cognisant of the fact that we need outcome measurements. I take the points that I think Dr Amy Khor brought up about whether we need performance measurement, how fast does the CDC take to evaluate the cases. Most of the time, I have been told, it is due to incomplete documentation, or when you call someone, he or she is not in, it is difficult to make sure that person keeps that appointment. I think you can speak to our five Mayors, they are working as hard as they possibly can, we do keep track of their performance.”
“There are a whole host of other schemes. But the point here is to ensure that it does not become an entitlement. So long as you want to keep that, then Members in this House have to live with the fact that there will be a little bit of messiness at the edges. But with the judicious application of flexibility, it is possible to ensure that nobody slips through the cracks. Even the examples which were cited about people either sleeping in car parks or parks in Singapore, let me tell you very categorically that, in Singapore, if you are poor, you will have a roof over your head, you will have food in your stomach, your children will get an education and you will get healthcare. I do not know the specific details of the case she brought up, but, very often, the people who are hanging out in parks and car parks are doing so because they refuse or do not want our assistance and do not want to take advantage of the homes for the destitute which we have in Singapore. And in those specific cases, you have not even yet evaluated the family circumstances and whether or not there is a family or family members who should rightly be taking care of these people. I want to move on to the next point about the role of community organisations. Because we want a "many helping hands" model and because we want peer review, we have decided that we will not deliver public assistance through the Ministry of Community Development. Instead, we work through grassroots organisations, we work through voluntary welfare organisations, we work through organisations on the ground, in other words, peer review of your needs. So you do not come and convince a bureaucrat as to what you need in your home or flat.”
“But there is a world of difference between that transaction and a transaction in the UK where someone comes to the dole office every month for a cheque. It is painful but it underlines the point that assistance is not necessarily an entitlement and you are going to do something about it. It also reminds everybody that, in Singapore, you are responsible first for providing for yourself and your family. The second line of support is your family. The third line of support is the community. And once you accept such a model, a "many helping hands" model, it necessarily means a holistic, comprehensive package becomes that much more difficult to fashion, not impossible, but more difficult because it means this person now actually has to decide and take the trouble to look for the agencies, look for the people who will help, look for a job if he or she can, and come to you as a last resort. Many of you have asked why short term, when sometimes it should be long term, and why flexible as opposed to a standard obligatory package. It is precisely for this reason. We have a combination which hopefully has the right balance between flexibility on one hand and the standard public assistance package on the other hand, and between short term and long term. The examples, which Ms Irene Ng brought up, are really that if anyone needs long-term assistance, that person should not be just going to you every three months for assistance at your meet-the-people session. That person should be evaluated by the CDC, and if that person and family are eligible for public assistance, they will be put on that scheme. If they are not eligible for public assistance, there are other schemes, including KiFAS which will help subsidise the kindergarten education for their kids, childcare, food vouchers.”
“If we are serious about the concept of workfare for everyone, including mothers, then we need to look at optimising the social support so that these ladies can get back to work. And I will take all her points about the availability and affordability of childcare, and this is something which, over the next few months, we will have to consult and we will have to try to see whether further refinements are necessary. In other words, we have to think of workfare and ComCare as complementary. Workfare is to get everybody who can work into a job; ComCare is to help those who really cannot get a job or to optimise the social support so that those who previously would have said, "I need to stay at home and look after my kids." can now go and get a job. If we can get this balance right, then we will be able to achieve a social safety system in which the work ethic is not eroded, in which a positive domestic environment will be created because we want children to see their parents working. We do not want children to see a dysfunctional family dependent on handouts. We also want children to receive the optimal educational experience possible. And this brings me to this point that Mr Sin Boon Ann brought up of defining "eligibility" and "needs". I accept the point that our criteria for eligibility for long-term assistance are strict. But I think you will all agree with me that if we are not strict, we will run the risk of tilting the balance into a welfare model where people will treat their assistance schemes as an entitlement. The psychology changes. Yes, it is now painful, awkward and tedious for someone to come to you every three months at your MPS.”
“The workfare concept is something which is still being fleshed out and we are, in fact, now engaged in a public consultation exercise. This is being led by an Inter-Ministry Committee, led by my colleague Dr Ng Eng Hen. But, fundamentally, workfare is based on the belief that the best form of welfare is a job - any job - even if it is a low-paying job. But having said that, we believe that there are things which we can do to optimise the situation. For instance, upskilling and up training workers so that they can get better paying jobs which are more productive. Redesigning jobs so that the jobs can also give a person an honest day's wage, and an honest day's wage which will hopefully be more than what he would get otherwise. It is also possible to look at various ways to make work pay or to make it worthwhile. But the key point here in workfare is to tilt and adjust the playing field in such a way that it is clearly in your interest to get a job, rather than to stay at home or to go on a protest march, as Ms Irene Ng talked about, after a hurricane and chanting "We want aid. We want aid." With workfare, it is to get a job. We will help you find a job. We will make it worth your while. Having said that, there will always be a small minority who cannot get a job. As some of you had said, if they are severely disabled, or they have major health problems, and if they are all alone and there is no family support, then these are people who truly need assistance, and it will be long-term assistance. That is what the public assistance scheme is for. There is also another group, and that is very eloquently described by Mdm Halimah Yacob, of mothers, especially single mothers, who have to look after their children.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank the Members for their comments and suggestions. Let me just deal with some of the specific questions raised by the Non-Constituency Member, since he said that is what is preventing him from giving unreserved support for this Bill. First question: are we discriminating between citizens and PRs? If you look at the fine print of our assistance schemes, assistance will be provided to a PR only if there is one or more Singaporeans in his direct family. In other words, we are treating this as a Singaporean family or, in his words, a true blue Singaporean family. And the reason for that is quite simple. The unit of assistance is the family. If you were to give this PR member of a family less, you are just imposing extra hardship on the Singaporean family. So, let me reassure him on that, and can I then take it that he will give us his unreserved support for this Bill? [Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong indicated in the affirmative.] Thank you. Now, let me now deal with the substantive points which have been raised by my colleagues. Dr Amy Khor talked about the impact of globalisation and income disparity. Let me state right at the onset, that ComCare, workfare and all our assistance schemes are not going to eliminate the income disparity. There are fundamental economic forces at work and these assistance schemes are not going to correct that. But what we are trying to do is to ensure that all Singaporeans, regardless of social/economic class, have a chance to live with dignity, have hope for the future and that their children can break out of the poverty trap. So, it is very important for us to state right at the onset what this is designed to do. The next point I want to explain is the complementary way in which ComCare will work with workfare.”
“Through ComCare, we will provide these vulnerable members of our society with the means to support themselves and their families. We will help to ensure that no Singaporean is left behind while Singapore progresses. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Clause 5 provides for the appropriation of moneys from the Consolidated Fund to form the capital moneys of the ComCare Fund. Clause 5 further provides that all gifts and bequests to the Fund are required to form part of its capital moneys. The capital moneys must be applied only for purposes of investment and if any part of the capital sum is spent, it must be made good out of the income of the Fund before the income can be paid out. Clause 6 sets out the objects of the ComCare Fund, which are to provide assistance to persons in financial or other difficulties to enable them to meet their basic needs; to address the developmental issues faced by children from families with financial or other difficulties; to provide financial or other assistance to persons who require help to integrate into society; and, lastly, to develop programmes to enhance the capacity of the community to undertake all these tasks, for example, giving funding to a voluntary welfare organisation to run a programme to help needy children, the frail elderly or the disabled. Under clause 6, the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports can authorise the income of the ComCare Fund to be paid out as grants to individuals and families through organisations, or to an organisation directly, in order to carry out the objects of the ComCare Fund. Conclusion Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as the Prime Minister said at the launch of ComCare in June, the ComCare Fund is an expression of our concern for the weakest members of our community. It reflects this Government's commitment to devote more resources and do more for those who are at risk of being left behind, but who want to get ahead and become fully participating members of our society.”
“ComCare will provide a safety net for this small group. It will focus on addressing the social and financial needs of these Singaporeans and their families, in particular the medically unfit, the severely disabled and the frail elderly. It will aim to look at the underlying problems faced by the needy and address them in a holistic manner. ComCare will be based on mutual responsibility. It will help those who are willing to do their part to help themselves. ComCare will complement the Workfare programme by focusing on the social support needed to enable low wage workers, especially women, to return to work. ComCare Budget ComCare will provide up to $55 million a year for assistance schemes. Apart from supporting the existing nationwide social assistance schemes which are administered by the CDCs, $10 million from this $55 million budget will go towards 'seed money' for pilot programmes initiated by the CDCs, the grassroots organisations or the voluntary welfare organisations. Another $4 million will be set aside for the Citizens' Consultative Committees to exercise flexibility in helping genuinely needy residents who may not strictly meet the criteria for social assistance programmes, or to set up local programmes to help the specific needs of their residents. Provisions in the Bill Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me now address the key provisions of the Bill. The ComCare Fund will consist of money from the Consolidated Fund and the Community Assistance Fund, which currently supports a number of social assistance schemes. Clause 19 provides for the termination of the Community Assistance Fund and for the moneys to be transferred to the ComCare Fund as capital moneys.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Objectives of the Bill This Bill seeks to establish the Community Care Endowment Fund. This fund was first announced by the Prime Minister in January 2005 in Parliament. The Fund will start off with a capital sum of $500 million and be built up over time to $1 billion. The setting up of a Community Care Endowment Fund (or ComCare Fund) will provide a sustainable source of income, in both good times and bad times, to run social assistance programmes that will help needy Singaporeans and their families to tide over difficult times. ComCare aims to help Singaporeans in a way that will enable them to stand on their own two feet eventually. Our objective is to help the needy to become self-reliant, to help the children from needy families break out of the poverty trap, to maximise the potential of the disabled so that they can be contributing members of our society, and to provide community care and support for those who need long-term assistance. There will be new money for new programmes. We will also streamline our existing assistance programmes. We will review the processes so that needy Singaporeans can receive help faster, and in a more effective manner. The Community Development Councils, together with the grassroots and community organisations, being closer to the ground, will be empowered to exercise more flexibility to deliver these assistance programmes for needy Singaporeans. The ComCare Fund complements the other elements of Singapore's social safety net, such as Medifund, Edusave and the Lifelong Learning Fund. With economic restructuring and globalisation, a small but growing minority of Singaporeans will face economic hardships from time to time.”
“Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, for 2004 and the first half of this year, (a) how many children from low income families had benefited from the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme and Centre Based Financial Assistance for Childcare; and (b) what was the total amount disbursed under these schemes. The Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon) (for the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports): Mr Speaker, Sir, Mdm Halimah would like to know how many children from low-income families have benefited from the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme and Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for Childcare. The Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (KIFAS) and the Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for Childcare (CFAC) are schemes under ComCare Grow, which is focused at the developmental needs of children from low-income families, and these schemes are also meant to encourage and support low-income mothers to work full-time or part- time. There were about 12,600 children from low-income families on CFAC and KIFAS as of end of December last year. As of end of June this year, there were about 13,200 children on the two schemes. Between January and December 2004, we disbursed a total of $10.76 million under CFAC and KIFAS. For the first six months of this year, we disbursed a total of $6.65 million under the two schemes.”
“The parenthood package was only announced in late August last year. Even if couples had responded immediately and if you take into account the gestation period, the question by the Member is a bit premature. The earliest cohort of babies that you would expect would only be born some time between May to June this year. Nevertheless, there are encouraging signs. We had around 3% more citizen births from May to July this year compared to the equivalent period in 2004. It is also heartening to note that the number of first-time visits for outpatient pregnancy consultations at the restructured hospitals has risen by about 4% for the first half of 2005, compared to the equivalent period in 2004 and 2003 respectively. These are small but modest gains. In addition, we have also exercised greater flexibility in the implementation of the Baby Bonus Scheme. For instance, from December this year, parents can use the co-savings to purchase MediShield or MediShield-equivalent insurance packages for their children. In addition, parents can also deposit any amount of savings at any time before the child turns six years old, and the Government will match the contributions dollar for dollar up to the maximum cap. From July 2005, parents of disabled children have been able to use the Baby Bonus co-savings for early intervention programmes for their children at centres which are registered with the Baby Bonus Scheme. I would like to assure the House that we have been and will continue to monitor, review and refine the Baby Bonus package to ensure its relevance for all Singaporeans. KINDERGARTEN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME AND CENTRE BASED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME FOR CHILDCARE (Total amount disbursed) 12.”
“We also have in place emergency rescue plans, daily inspection of the pools and the safety equipment, rules on the ratio of students to swimming instructors as well as ensuring that there are adequate trained lifeguards on duty at all times. By the end of August, every swimming pool will have a defibrillator and staff would have been trained on how to use it. I have also asked the SSC to work with the relevant agencies and partners, including the Singapore Lifesaving Society to consider other measures to improve swimming safety in private pools and other water bodies. At the same time, SSC is also looking at encouraging more youths to learn how to swim. If a person is able to swim, the chances of him drowning are that much less. The SSC is working closely with the MOE to encourage schools to make greater use of the SSC's pools for swimming lessons and we will also be working closely with the Singapore Swimming Association to encourage more Singaporeans to take up swimming. My Ministry and SSC will work with all the relevant stakeholders, both in the Government and people sector, to adopt a holistic and comprehensive approach to prevent this needless tragic death. 3.00 pm”
“Sir, there was an average of 17 cases of drowning per year between 2001 and 2004. 41% of these drowning incidents occurred at the sea or near beaches. A further 13% occurred in rivers while swimming pools and reservoirs accounting for 10% each. Every single death by drowning is one too many. What is especially tragic is that each one is potentially preventable. Therefore, a holistic and comprehensive approach is needed to address this problem. MCYS and the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) are working with the relevant agencies which include MOE and the Ministry of Health to do three things. First, to enhance public education about the danger of swimming in inappropriate locations. Second, to increase the safety of swimming facilities. And third, to encourage more young people to learn how to swim. A childhood injury prevention programme under the Health Promotion Board of the Ministry of Health has been emphasising water safety in its preventive and public education outreach programmes. Some of you may have seen the advertisements carried in the newspapers over the past couple of weeks. For 2005, the theme is "safety-at-play". This is aimed at disseminating swimming safety tips to parents, caregivers and children through direct public educational programmes, such as road shows, exhibitions, educational public shows, seminars, talks, interactive exhibits and games activities. The Health Promotion Board has also published advertisements. The SSC has implemented various water safety measures at its public pool facilities. For instance, it displays safety regulations prominently and advises pool users to exercise proper care.”
“Yes. You do not get to stay in there forever.”
“I said earlier that we would review our conditions from time to time. Let me just put things again in perspective. Why are we doing this? We are doing this because we want to attract tourists. If the integrated resorts are unable to attract tourists and they are going to have to depend on locals, we might as well let them go bankrupt. .52 pm”
“We will treat the integrated resort operators the way we treat all businesses in Singapore, which means whatever rules and regulations or moral suasion which the Ministry of Manpower and NTUC apply on our employers will also apply to them. This means that the majority of jobs will go to Singaporeans, because they will be subject to the same quotas that apply in the service sector. Beyond that, I think these are points which we can discuss in the House, but I do not want to over micro-manage the situation. If at that point in time we change our rules and our approach to the employment of older workers, then naturally these must apply across the board to all employers. But this is the subject of a tripartite committee which I believe has been formed between NTUC, the Government and employers. Let us wait for its recommendations. The problems of unemployment for older workers is a much bigger and more fundamental one which we need to fix and not just resort to a quick fix.”
“We will be very happy to treat him in the Institute of Mental Health, but we will not bail him out of his financial problems, otherwise he will have moral hazard, and every time someone faces problems, he will declare himself to be an addict and collect the whole lot of freebies which Mr Steve Chia would like to give away.”
“Services which are provided in the community by FSCs, CDCs and the voluntary welfare organisations are heavily subsidised and sometimes free. But let me actually pin Mr Chia down on this, because the working assumption behind his stand is that, if someone is an addict, it is someone else's fault. Yesterday, in his speech, he said that it will be the Government's fault because the Government allowed an IR-to-be and, therefore, needs to be compensated. And his call for free service is really a call for compensation. Let me put things in perspective. If you become an addict, you are at fault, and you should recognise that, and you should pay a penalty for it. Should your family pay a penalty for it? Regardless of how much help the Government extends, the truth of the matter is that your family will still be affected. So, let us not run away from this. Let us not duck responsibility. Every gambling addict has to own up to his own responsibility and be held accountable for it and pay the penalty for it. So, let us not get caught by red herrings about whether services will be free and whether compensation will be awarded. That is the wrong attitude to it. That would be akin to saying that, because I got photographed with my pants down, I want to sue the manufacturer of the camera for providing such technology. That makes no sense. So, let us put things in perspective. We will help, but we will not let people duck their responsibilities.”
“Not at all. Nevertheless, because of the exceptional circumstances under which FAS receives such a large proportion of its money from the football betting proceeds from Singapore Pools, I feel it would be wise for the Government to continue appointing the members of the FAS Council. This should not be misconstrued in any way as a reflection on the election processes in other NSAs. PROPOSAL TO DEVELOP INTEGRATED RESORTS Order read for resumption of debate on Question [18th April 2005], "That the Proposal to Develop Integrated Resorts be considered by Parliament.". - (Deputy Leader of the House). Question again proposed. 1.55 pm”
“The Code of Governance for National Sports Associations (NSAs) is meant to strengthen their governance and ensure the presence of a competent council or board that is able to provide sound direction and guidance to the NSA. Hence, the Government's decision to continue appointing the members of the FAS Council is entirely in line with the objective of the Code. The Government will ensure that competent and committed persons are appointed to the FAS Council to help the FAS carry out its work more efficiently and professionally. Every year, the FAS receives about $10 million, of which $8 million goes to the S-League, from football betting proceeds of Singapore Pools. This is on top of an average of $2.6 million in operating grants which it receives from the Government. The amount that FAS receives from Singapore Pools is much higher than the normal operating grants that other NSAs would get from the Government. The appointment of the Council by the Government is meant to ensure that these funds are managed well and responsibly. The Government will continue to appoint the members of the FAS Council, so long as the FAS continues to receive substantial funds from Singapore Pools annually. Apart from the FAS, no other National Sports Association receives such substantial funding from the Government or from Singapore Pools, and has its council or board members appointed by the Government.”
“Sir, we will take the Member's advice to heart.”
“As far as youth participation is concerned, I am convinced that the FAS has paid attention to this. And I will look into the specific point that the Member raised.”
“Anyway, we are in a generous mood today! I thought we are going to end early. I will have to look into the details of the arrangements between the schools and the local clubs. As a matter of principle, I think any scheme which allows more young Singaporeans to participate in football, watch it and train at the highest level is good. So we will look into it. Lest the Member runs away with the impression that the FAS is not interested in youth soccer, let me give him some background information. The system works this way. The SSC and the FAS will work with the schools to identify promising young talent. These students are then channelled into the centres which are called Centres of Excellence, which are run by the FAS, the schools and the S-League clubs. The National Football Academy then picks from this pool the most promising footballers and they then go on to become the backbone for the under-15 or the under-23 squads. And in turn, the best of these, when they become more mature, will move on to the national soccer team. I also want to emphasise the reason why we are quite optimistic about our current national team is that the average age of this team is 23. So it is basically a youth team but packed with talent and with the potential to do a lot more, and that is why we are confident about it. Another good reason to celebrate our current national team is that - not like what Mr Low suggests - in fact, I think there are only three players who are not born in Singapore - and there is a good representation from all the ethnic groups. So let us not get carried away with trying to identify ethnicity and source of the players. What we have is a good national team with great potential for the future and we look forward to many more good performances from the team.”
“I wonder whether there is a way to reorganise our housing at some point so that we would have the same kind of village or kampong mummy. It strikes me that my hon. colleague, Mdm Halimah, in the old days, would have been a great village mummy!”
“Overall, I see this as part and parcel of encouraging volunteerism amongst our youths and maybe some day, perhaps even a corps of youth volunteers in Singapore, who will have opportunities not only to contribute overseas but when they come back, they must engage with the local organisations - our grassroots organisations and voluntary welfare organisations. Because, to me, it is not sufficient if they say, "I built some houses in Aceh or Sri Lanka or anywhere else. I had a fulfilling time.". And then when they come back to Singapore, they say, "I have no further motivation to contribute.". So volunteerism must be a way of life and, like they say in charity, it should also begin at home. 2.30 pm On the Member's second point, since she and Miss Penny Low are so keen on this issue of space for youth at the neighbourhood level, my standard approach has been to say, why not develop it further, and then come to us and we will see how we can take it from there. Dr Loo Choon Yong: Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate. It is a clarification on teen marriages. I agree that it is a very big problem. We see it in our work as medical practitioners and in counselling drug addicts. I am gratified that the Government has done so many things - counselling, etc. But we all know that they become teen divorcees, teen mothers, and teen single mothers. They really cannot cope. I remember that in the old days, in every kampong, there was a mummy or auntie - a village auntie to all kids. Of course, she was a great cook and we all ate her food. With the way we run our HDB estates, we have broken this down. Agencies like MCYS, Family Service Centres, whatever, are a little bit far. The village auntie or mummy was close and she was there every day.”
“Thank you for the question on ensuring our youths have a global outlook. We are a very small country and I think it is essential for all of us, and especially our youths, to be aware of what is happening outside our borders. That is why at the National Youth Council, we have our motto, which is: we want world-ready youth. This has two dimensions to this concept of world-ready youth. One, knowing what is beyond our shores. The second aspect is to also know where we stand in relation to the world around us. What are Singapore's unique characteristics? What are our vulnerabilities? And, also, what are the special opportunities that we have? In other words, why is Singapore being our home, or the fact that you were born in Singapore, of such value to you? Related to this also is the second dimension of volunteerism, which I am aware she is a champion of. She would be aware that, for several years now, we have a Youth Expeditionary project in which SIF has been leading teams to perform services in various countries in the region. It benefits the participants in two ways. One is that it is an opportunity to contribute to the surrounding countries. But the other way in which it benefits the participants is that they also, I believe, get a deeper appreciation for what we have in Singapore and the system which we have built up in Singapore all these years. So we will continue to look for opportunities for our youths to participate in such overseas expeditions. But I want to add a cautionary note. I think we have to make sure we marshal our resources and spend money wisely because we do not want these to degenerate into paid holidays overseas. So having said that, I recognise the value, what I am now looking at is to make sure that it is carefully and judiciously implemented.”
“I am not sure whether Mr Chiam was in the House when I shared with Members how that list came about. This list came about entirely from the consultation exercise that we launched in August last year, followed by further elaboration by the work groups. So, what you have in your hands are not my ideas. These are the ideas and proposals put up by the youths, and you are welcome to speak to those who are involved in those ideas. You will find that all I am here to do is to provide support, sponsorship, seed funding, and help them get permission from the relevant agencies. This is what I mean by facilitating and promoting, and by encouraging youths to learn the lessons of life by doing it. So, I agree with the Member that youths must have opportunities to initiate and execute their plans. What you have there is precisely such an exercise.”
“I apologise for not answering her question. The Minister for Trade and Industry has announced that a Ministerial Statement will be issued, I believe, on 18th April. We will use that occasion, regardless of which way we decide, to address her queries. I think that will be a much better forum for that discussion.”
“I can only reiterate my arguments that I really do not think it is necessary. There is nothing stopping us from organising a Speakers' Corner festival for young people in Hong Lim, if we really think there is a demand. But my honest opinion is that it would not succeed because there is no need for it, and there are many more avenues. De facto, the situation now is that every indoor venue has the same rules as for the Speakers' Corner.”
“Sir, Dr Loo is entirely correct, that we need to move upstream. In fact, if you speak to the teachers or social workers, the warning signs are often there, much earlier before someone actually drops out of school. At MCYS, as well as at the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Youth Crime, and indeed VWOs like his, we are now trying to move upstream. What are the early warning signs? Who are the people who are most likely to detect these warning signs? In the case of schools, it is usually the teachers. To make sure that the teachers have the resources or people to contact, so that in the case of, say, SANA, they can actually move in and start counselling these students before they even drop out. So, I agree entirely with him that this is an area which we must focus on.”
“We have all been teenagers before, and I am sure all found places to hang out and people to hang out with. Let us not fall into the trap of saying, "I need to find a corner, a cage or a venue where I will know exactly where you will be all the time." I appreciate what the Member is saying. We want safe places where people can socialise, pursue their interests, and their interests are going to be very varied. There is no reason why schools cannot play a bigger role, especially if we move more and more schools into single-session schools. There is no reason why community centres cannot reinvent themselves and be hangouts for young Singaporeans. In fact, I see Mr Wong is already looking at me. So, I suspect that is going to come about. There is no reason why voluntary organisations on the ground cannot recruit young people to perform and help deliver the services which they are trying to deliver to the community. So, the point is that it is not lack of space. It is ideas and connecting these ideas to people and providing outlets for this energy to be expressed. And I am very hopeful and confident that, going forward, there will be many more outlets. Let us not just be fixated on the space. Perhaps it is because of my focus on Orchard Road, so people have been distracted. You now think that it is about space, whether it is politics, in the case of Mr Low, or a place to hang out for students after school. It is ultimately of ideas, organising and providing outlets.”
“It is $300 million beyond the first five years, after the first tranche has expired. As to why it is less, it is because we are not building another Sports School. So, this is meant more for the software aspects of it rather than the hardware. I have also said that this $300 million is not going to be used for the development of the Sports Hub, which has a much larger sum involved. So, all in all, the point is that we are not reducing our commitment to invest in sports, sporting infrastructure and sporting participation.”
“I do not think we need to gag the Member, or anyone else, for that matter. But it is worthwhile thinking why is the Speakers' Corner so under-utilised. Is it under-utilised because of something that we have done, or that we have fixed it, or that we have prevented him from speaking at it? I am not even sure that he has spoken at the Speakers' Corner. Ask yourself, why? The reason why it is not being used is because there is no need for it. In his case, he speaks in Parliament and he is on national TV. In the case of our young Singaporeans today, those who want to ventilate have more than adequate avenues to do so - look at the Internet, look at blogs, look at newspaper Forum pages, discussions going on in schools, pre-U seminars, ITE seminars, ministerial walkabouts and discussions. The fact of the matter is that there are more than adequate avenues. So to fixate himself on trying to create yet another physical venue for the so-called political expression is being misdirected. I put it to him that it is unnecessary. And it is not that we are afraid of the idealism of youth being expressed. In fact, as a party, we are encouraging that. But, as I said, the political contest, ultimately, for his party and my party, is who would attract the best leaders with the best ideas, and the heart and dedication to lead this country in the future. So it is not about space, it is not about the rules in the Speakers' Corner, or the rules and licensing requirements that MHA puts up. We have a system that works. We have more than adequate avenues for our young. Let us work on that. 1.45 pm”
“MCYS conducts a regular survey on the state of the youths every two or three years. I will take his suggestion and perhaps spend a bit more attention on the indicators of mental health.”
“I should have anticipated the question of why not more. First of all, I have to cobble together to even find this sum of money. Let us take it a step at a time. We will announce the details later. But the key thing that I want to emphasise is the need for this to be used on a matching basis. So if your grassroots organisation wants to do it, you have got the idea and you are willing to raise funds for it, then we will help. It is not meant to be a freebie that is given. Otherwise, there will be a long queue outside after this, and the money will not go very, very far.”
“I do not think the youths will oblige by going to wherever the teachers want them to go. The more important issue is for young Singaporeans to have wholesome activities to pursue, to have good friends and relationships within which to pursue these activities. Space, whether it is a void deck, a field or a venue, is secondary consideration. If you ask any parent, as most of us here are parents with teenage kids, or if I ask any of you, whether you know exactly where your son or daughter is, you probably do not know exactly where. But the more important question is: who is he or she with and what are they likely to be doing? That is the reason why we provide after-school centres, study centres and, ultimately, we need to go beyond just study but to also provide useful outlets for their energy. Let us focus upstream, find out what they want to do, then give them opportunities, and be aware of what our child is doing and who our child is with. These are basic parenting skills and approach which I would encourage all of us to embark on.”
“Mr Low is, I am sure, aware that our youths are not apathetic politically and our youths have avenues to express themselves politically. In fact, if you actually stop to think about the changes which we are instituting, these are upstream environmental changes which will create a much more well-informed and much more engaged youths. Some of these youths will, ultimately, perhaps express their idealism and ideas in the political arena. The contest in the political arena will be whether the Workers' Party or whether we in the PAP are able to attract the best, the most idealistic and the most sensible youths to our respective parties. There are proper venues for political contest. Let us not mix it up. There is no need to make the youth park in Orchard Road a political venue. There is no need for that.”
“I suppose he just could not resist. The Speakers' Corner is at Hong Lim. He is most welcome to go there and use it. I do not think we need another Speakers' Corner outdoors. With the changes that MHA made to the regulations on using indoor venues for seminars, forums and political activities, there are more than adequate venues for it. I do not think we should politicise this. This is an attempt to create an area where youths can pursue legitimate social interests which will be commercially viable and also attractive to tourists which will also help add to the buzz and vibrancy of Orchard Road. Do not try to politicise this. There are more than adequate venues for the sort of political activities that he is trying to champion.”
“I think Mdm Cynthia Phua has identified it quite correctly. We need to send this message out early, not after the second child; in fact, at the point of getting married or at the point of having the first child. I agree with her absolutely that we need to step up our efforts to send this message out. We will be redoubling our efforts to work with the CDCs, the VWOs, maybe even the hospitals, doctors and social workers involved in these families, so that we can advise them early enough in the process.”