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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“Also, we had a stellar cast of celebrities like Mariah Carey who gathered in Singapore last month for the MTV Asia Awards 2004, and this was beamed to 1 billion viewers across Asia. STB will continue to bring in more of such events to Singapore so that we will become the definitive events capital of Asia. Ms Irene Ng is right when she said yesterday that food is a very important attribute of Singaporeans. What makes us unique is not the individual dishes that Singapore is famous for, but the fact that we have an astounding array of cuisine, served in a variety of settings, from posh restaurants all the way to your hawker centre in Tampines. STB will capitalise on this to promote interesting food tours and specially packaged food gifts. This will cover the full range that we have available. For example, the Peranakan culture is indigenous to Asia, not just to Singapore. But we can package it as one of the key diverse experiences which visitors to Singapore can experience through artefacts, demonstration of traditions and food. The fourth prong is rebranding Singapore. You will recall that we used to have the slogan called "New Asia". This concept was, in fact, slightly ahead of its time in 1996. But we have been so successful in creating awareness of the transformation which is occurring in Asia that many other countries have leapt on to this same bandwagon. And it is now losing its edge as a distinctive theme. As the world evolves and Singapore adapts, we need to refresh our destination appeal and to highlight the unique Singapore experience that our visitors can expect. This is the genesis of the "Uniquely Singapore" destination branding, which was launched a few days ago by Minister George Yeo.”
“I think Members are aware that we intend to grow new visitor segments among international patients, students and business travellers. STB has therefore launched roadshows marketing our healthcare and education services in key overseas markets like Indonesia, India, Malaysia and China. To reinforce our position as a premier destination for business meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions, STB has also launched a $15 million global campaign to target event and conference organisers. Just last October, we had 11,000 international Herbalife delegates visiting Singapore at one of the largest-ever corporate meetings. And we will work to attract more of such corporate meetings to Singapore. The third prong is to develop compelling tourism products and attractions. We need to create, improve, remake and to widen the range of tourism products in Singapore. STB is drawing up a tourism development roadmap in consultation with industry partners. This roadmap will serve as a blueprint for the development of new attractions and infrastructure in the next 10 years. Minister George Yeo yesterday outlined the exciting plans to develop Sentosa and the Southern Islands. This roadmap will also look into remaking Orchard Road into one of the greatest shopping streets in the world, and to upgrade the Singapore River precinct into a thriving waterfront promenade. Apart from new attractions, anchoring high profile signature events will also be another key thrust of this roadmap. The aim is to have something exciting happening every weekend, all 52 weekends of the year. These will cover performance arts, cultural, music and sports events. For example, in October last year, Singapore hosted the F1 Powerboat Race 2003, an event watched by 70,000 spectators.”
“I also take the point that, where possible, we need to lower entrance fees and the package fees. But I also hasten to add that at the end of the day, tourism is a business. We can lower fees but we must ensure that the businesses remain viable. India is another country that presents vast opportunities for us. Indian visitors already rank among our top five highest spenders in Singapore. We intend to attract a greater number of Indian visitors to Singapore and encourage them to stay even longer by offering high quality tour packages. In the coming months, STB will be working with the travel industry in India to introduce more travel products that offer fun, educational and leisure experiences and which will appeal to families. To guide us in our tourism marketing efforts, STB has formed a Marketing Advisory Council comprising leading figures from Indian tourism, business, media and academic sectors. In May, Singapore will host the prestigious International Indian Film Academy awards. This is the Bollywood equivalent of the Academy Awards. Over 400 celebrities and film-makers from India and other parts of the world will gather in Singapore to honour the biggest names in Bollywood. Many of you may not be aware but Indian superstars like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan have the same drawing power as Tom Cruise or Ricky Martin, among the millions of devoted Hindi-movie watchers. This event will be beamed to 167 countries and is expected to reach more than 250 million households, mainly in the Asian region. The marketing value of this event to Indian nationals is incalculable. And we will leverage on more of such platforms to market Singapore in India and in other parts of Asia. The second prong is to grow new visitor segments.”
“And this means we need to compete with the rest of the world for Chinese visitors. Specifically, to tap the growing Chinese market, STB is taking a few steps. First, we will make it easier for Chinese tourists to come to Singapore. We have relaxed our visa rules. We have lengthened the visa validity period for social visitors from three weeks to five weeks, and the period of stay from 14 days to 30 days. We will also make available more channels for visa applications in China. 43 travel agents, with more than 320 branches, are now able to facilitate the application of Multiple Journey Visas (MJV) for independent Chinese visitors. And STB also plans to increase the number of authorised travel agents to 60 by this year. Second, we will step up marketing in Chinese regional cities in Zhejiang, Fujian and Yunan to build awareness for Singapore. To reach out to the high spending PRC tourists and business visitors, STB has launched a promotion scheme with VISA for their Gold and Platinum credit card members. STB is doing the same for members of airlines' frequent flyer schemes. Third, we will also make Singapore more visitor-friendly to Chinese tourists. STB will work with key agencies such as CAAS, LTA and the attraction operators to install more multi-lingual signages to help Chinese visitors get around. I agree wholeheartedly with Mr Ang Mong Seng and Mr Low Thia Khiang that we do need to make it easier for them to move around in Singapore. We will encourage the hotels to provide more Chinese TV stations and Chinese in-room directories. To enable PRC visitors to enjoy more of what Singapore has to offer, we will be introducing more value-for-money packages by bundling together more attractions.”
“Sir, I would like to thank Members for their many useful comments on tourism. Despite the impact of SARS last year, our tourism sector has actually bounced back and recovered very well through the joint efforts of both the private sector as well as STB. If we exclude Malaysian land arrivals, last year, we had 6.1 million visitors. For this year, STB aims to achieve 7.6 million visitor arrivals. This will be a 24% increase from last year if we succeed. These are very ambitious targets and all the more so because competition is intensifying. Let me just quickly spell out the four prongs of STB's strategy to achieve this objective. Firstly, to strengthen market promotion; secondly, to grow new visitor segments; thirdly, to develop compelling products; and, fourthly, the rebranding exercise. Let us come back to the first prong. Our key high growth markets are India, China and ASEAN. Their fast-rising middle class together with the emergence of low-cost carriers, as Mr Tan Soo Khoon has alluded to earlier, means that there is a huge surge of potential travellers within a 7-hour flight radius. To pursue this, STB has opened new offices in Medan, Jakarta, Chennai, Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City within the past 12 months alone. And we will open another two more regional offices over the next few months. China is a particularly important market for us. Outbound tourists from China are projected to increase six-fold between 2002 and 2020. And this number is estimated to grow up to 100 million annually. As Mr Ang Mong Seng said, we want to capture a slice of that pie. But we are not alone in vying for that slice. Just last month, the 12 EU-member countries were awarded the "approved destination" status by the Chinese government.”
“But the direction in which we are moving, the importance of the recommendations and the implications on Singapore society downstream are no less profound. I also want to emphasise that it is not just a matter of the Government saying yes to these recommendations. In fact, the fact that such an overwhelming majority of recommendations had been accepted proves the point that we need Singaporeans to remake our own society, Singaporeans to create a more self-reliant, vibrant, cohesive and confident society, and a home that we and our children will cherish. So, I am very, very optimistic, and I would encourage all of you to continue the good work which has been put in. Overseas and Electronic Voting”
“MITA has also set up two advisory committees for arts entertainment: one to help them evaluate the arts entertainment project itself and its suitability for public performance, and the second committee to advise the Minister in cases of appeal. In addition, MITA will no longer pre-vet play scripts, except where the content is about sensitive issues like race, religion, or could undermine core values or national interests. The MDA is also working out the guidelines for scripts that need to be pre-vetted. MITA has also accepted that the rules on busking will be relaxed, as Ms Irene Ng has herself mentioned. Another key Remaking Singapore Committee recommendation was to promote greater citizen participation, and one of those things we suggested was that there should be a code for consultation. DPM Lee himself, in his recent speech to the Harvard Club, elaborated on a set of guidelines which the Government will try to uphold in its consultation process. We also asked that the Government introduce philanthropy awards, and this is being implemented by the National Volunteers and Philanthropy Centre. There are many other recommendations which I do not have time to go into. Even as we discuss during the next few days in the Committee of Supply, let me assure Members that the Ministries will be making announcements, and some of those will relate to the recommendations which we made last year. I will give a fuller report after the COS debate in April, so that, as Ms Irene Ng mentioned, we will be fair to all those thousands of Singaporeans who had participated in this exercise. I want to emphasise that, yes, it may be a lower profile that we have adopted.”
“Sir, I would like to thank the Member for raising her questions. First, let me state categorically that there has actually been very much progress made in accepting and implementing the recommendations put up by the Remaking Singapore Committee. We presented the report to the Prime Minister in July last year. So far, about 50 of the recommendations have been accepted, either in whole or in part. Let me just cite a few examples. Ms Irene Ng has given some herself. Yesterday, DPM announced that the Goverment intends to amend the Constitution so that children born overseas to Singaporean women will be citizens by descent. The PMO and MITA have also accepted recommendations on relaxing guidelines for the use of national symbols like the flag and the National Anthem. The Ministry of Education has made several changes which have been announced over the last few weeks and months, including making changes so that the institutes of higher learning will have greater flexibility in admitting students. In October last year, MOE also announced that it would review the ranking system, and those of you who have seen the "O" and "A" level results will know that there is a significant change in the ranking system. In addition, the CCA points system has also been expanded to include activities outside the schools. Another cluster of recommendations relates to enlarging space for expression, experimentation and also encouraging greater participation in public life. The National Arts Council has accepted the recommendation to consider performance art and forum theatre for funding. Such performances will still be subject to requirements, but the $10,000 bond will no longer be mandatory.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I cannot make a definitive statement as to the extent of data which will be published because some of these are obviously commercially sensitive. However, let me give an assurance to Ms Lum, and indeed to all the big power consumers in Singapore, that if they need further advice, EMA will provide them with all the advice necessary, so long as we work within the rules of the system and we do not give any one party any unfair advantage. We have spent the last two years consulting industries. We have started another round of consultations in order to explain and inform, so that all the stakeholders will be fully cognisant of the facts before they enter into contracts or make commercial decisions. But ultimately, the responsibility for making these choices must lie with the companies. We cannot run their business for them. We can provide them data and information. They have to make an informed choice and take the market risk accordingly. HAWKER CENTRES UPGRADING PROGRAMME (Programmes to enforce housekeeping and hygiene standards of hawkers) 8. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for the Environment (a) if he will update the House on the number of markets and food centres that have undergone Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme (HUP) in the last five years; (b) what types of programmes are in place to enforce housekeeping and hygiene standards of hawkers in Singapore versus successful programmes in other countries; (c) whether his Ministry is satisfied that there has been overall compliance with the benchmark standards set for hawkers, for example, Singapore's OK and the grading system for hawkers; and (d) what more can be done to improve the overall image of our hawkers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the vesting contract price is pegged at the long-term running costs of the most efficient technology currently available. If and when technology changes and there is more efficient technology in the system, the LRMC price will come down. Generation companies with less efficient technology will be at a disadvantage. Indeed, this has already happened to companies which have older technology, for instance, the steam plants which are not as cost-effective as the combined cycle gas turbines. There are strong financial pressures on companies to adopt the latest and most efficient technology available.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, absolutely. LAW ON SEXUAL OFFENCES (Review) 4. Mr R Ravindran asked the Minister for Home Affairs in the light of the changed societal norms and values whether his Ministry will appoint a Committee to review the law on sexual offences in Singapore. 5. Mr Chandra Mohan K Nair asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether section 377 (and perhaps section 377A) of the Penal Code (Chapter 224) will be reviewed with a view to amending, repealing or clarifying by way of "Explanation", "Exception" or "Illustration".”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the definition of "wild" means it is caught in the wild. Definition of "captive bred" means it has been bred in a zoological facility. Of the six dolphins, some, we believe, would have been caught, and some are captive bred. The point is that it is a red herring - if you can pardon the pun - whether they are captive bred or wild. Under Appendix 1 of CITES, as long as AVA is confident, that the Underwater World Singapore is able to take appropriate care of these dolphins, they are allowed to be imported, regardless of whether they are captive bred or wild.”
“Mr Speaker, Singapore is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The CITES regulates the international trade in endangered species to ensure that they are not threatened with extinction. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority is the CITES Management Authority in Singapore. Under Singapore's Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act, any import of species that is protected under CITES requires an import permit from AVA as well as an export permit from the exporting country. AVA will only issue permits for imports that meet CITES' requirements. The consignment of CITES species will be inspected by AVA officers at the point of entry to ensure compliance with CITES and with AVA requirements before it is released to the importer. The acquisition of the six Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, or pink dolphins, from Thailand by the Underwater World Singapore (UWS) did not contravene CITES' requirements. CITES allows the import of both wild and captive bred pink dolphins for captive breeding and education purposes if it is approved by the exporting country and if there are sufficiently equipped facilities to house and to care for the animals in the importing country. Thailand, as a signatory to CITES, had approved the export of the dolphins to Singapore. The AVA had assessed that the Underwater World Singapore, as a zoological facility, had met all CITES' requirements and, hence, approved the application.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as this involves an international organisation and a foreign country, I am not in a position to make any commitment as to the timeframe. DOLPHINS ACQUIRED BY UNDERWATER WORLD (Investigations) 3. Ms Braema Mathiaparanam asked the Minister for National Development (a) if he will give an update on the investigations by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) following a report claiming that the dolphins acquired by Underwater World were not born in captivity but were illegally traded after their capture in the wild; and (b) how does the AVA ensure that animals brought in or bought by local operators do not contravene the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, to which Singapore is a signatory.”
“That is precisely the point. When you are dealing with 1,000 live pigs, you cannot hold them all out and test every single one of them for every single step. So the key point is you accredit the source, you accredit the transport system that brings them in, you accredit and check and audit the abattoir and then for those of you who have ever been to an abattoir, you will see our AVA officers at very odd times of the day, very early part of the morning, actually checking the carcasses. So there is, whether you realise it or not, a very stringent system of checks on our food supply, and this is something we should not take for granted. If we were to alter it and lower our guard, we will do so at our own peril.”
“All these things have contributed to the increase in the pork price over the last few months. I want to also assure Members that we are also getting large amounts of pork from Brazil and China and, in fact, the extent of supply from China is increasing. And as all these supplies come in, we hope eventually to stabilise and, hopefully, bring down the price of pork. But this is a commodity which is internationally traded. We cannot unilaterally force and artificially bring the price down. On the Member's point about advising the travellers, I think all of us are travellers and all of us need to take our appropriate precautions and, ultimately, take our own risks. The AVA, unfortunately, cannot and should not be in a position to certify the safety of all food all over the world. That is the job which we cannot perform. But in any country that you go to, be aware of what you are eating, what the regulatory system is and make your own informed choices.”
“That is why our caution with importing any animal from another country which is labelled as having endemic foot-and-mouth disease. Nevertheless, we are working with our Malaysian counterparts, in particular in the state of Johore. I am confident that as they raise standards there and we work together, when the international organisation is prepared to certify Johore for a start, as foot-and-mouth disease free and we are confident that there is no public health risk of Nipah, then we can start importing from Johore. I have personally met the representatives from Johore and I have told them that we will do this step by step. Get international certification first, then we will move on as our first step to look into the possibility of importing frozen pork. You will ask why frozen pork, why not chilled, why not fresh pork. The difference with frozen pork is that there is time for AVA to test the consignment to make sure it is safe. With chilled pork, you cannot hold it and test and then release it to the markets. And with fresh pork, you get all the other problems and potential complications that I told you about. So I want to assure Members of the House that we are actively looking to increase our source of pork. But we will do it safely, we will do it step by step, and we will do it in collaboration with potential exporters. The Member's point about the price of pork is a valid one, and that is why AVA is actively sourcing for more and more sources of exports, ie, from people who can export pork to us. The current major source of pork for Singapore is Australia and, as you know, the grain prices have risen because of the drought. The grain is needed to feed the pigs and also their exchange rate has increased compared to the Singapore dollar.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Member for the questions. I will handle them in reverse order. Our current consumption of pork can be classified into three categories: fresh, chilled and frozen. Today, it is one-third each. I appreciate the Member's preference, and many people's preference, for fresh pork. Currently, we import about 1,000 pigs a day from the island of Bulan. These pigs are imported into Singapore and they are slaughtered in order to produce fresh pork. The key thing which we have to remember when dealing with fresh pork - and you are importing live animals - is that there is a significant safety issue, not just for consumers but for everyone who is involved in the import, the slaughter and the preparation of that meat. The AVA has repeatedly checked and audited the conditions in Bulan. It is a quarantined island. In that sense, we are very confident that it is safe to import those pigs and it does not pose a public health risk to Singapore. When we talk about importing live pigs from other sources, we have to be equally sure that those sources are safe and will not pose a threat either as a public health threat or an economic threat. Nipah virus is an example of a public health threat. The foot-and-mouth disease in pigs is not the same as the human hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Let me emphasise that you do not catch hand-foot-and-mouth disease from contact with pigs with foot-and-mouth disease. Nevertheless, foot-and-mouth disease in pigs is an economic threat. Because once a country is labelled as having been infected with foot-and-mouth disease, it affects its ability to import, export or to tranship meat products. From that perspective, Singapore cannot afford to go on the red list of countries with foot-and-mouth disease.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has to ensure that all food approved for import into Singapore from a very wide range of sources is safe to eat. Pork can be imported from AVA-approved sources which meet Singapore's current food safety and animal health requirements. Import of pigs from Malaysia was stopped from March 1999 due to the outbreak of the Nipah disease which affected pigs and humans (farmers and abattoir workers) who are in contact with the infected animals. In addition, Malaysia has also not been recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as foot-and-mouth disease free. AVA is currently discussing with its Malaysian counterpart the requirements for the export of frozen pork to Singapore. And we will have to ensure that the requirements will be in line with international standards and practices. Singapore has an open market. There are 19 countries approved by AVA to export pork to Singapore. AVA has a programme to increase the number of sources that Singapore can import pork from. The availability of pork from multiple sources will help to ensure that pork prices in Singapore remain competitive.”
“Mr Speaker, I do not want to get too involved in a technical discussion which I can take off-line. There are many ways to help. If a person is just helping by contributing money to pay for the loan, he is not tagged as an owner. If he is not listed as an owner and is not using his CPF account, he is not tagged at all as having consumed his first bite of the subsidy cherry. But I think these are cases where we have to look at individually. And I would assure all Members that we will do our best to assist each and every family in the unlikely event that they run into problems. IMPORT OF PORK FROM MALAYSIA 2. Dr Teo Ho Pin asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether his Ministry has any plans to allow import of pork from Malaysia and (b) what are the measures in place to ensure that pork prices are competitive in Singapore.”
“If his name is added, it would be tagged as having enjoyed his first bite of the subsidy cherry. If he subsequently purchases a flat, then we would have to review the case again and make sure that he has not inordinately consumed housing subsidies. But like I said, I think the main point which I want to emphasise, and I want to repeat, is that although this policy is in place, the HDB is bending backwards to exercise flexibility to help people who truly need help. But let us also be cognisant of the fact that some people who, at a certain point in time, should not over-extend themselves and should not be purchasing a flat that is beyond their means. As long as we remember these two extremes and we help people in the most appropriate fashion, no Singaporeans would be deprived of housing; no Singaporeans would be turfed out unnecessarily. The key point is to help people appropriately.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we have assistance schemes. One of them is to include more family members so that they can help to pay for the loan. In those cases, we would certainly help them maximally, in order for them not to have any disruption and not to have to move out of the flat that they are living in.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think we need to study those cases carefully. Sometimes when a bank declines to issue a loan, it often indicates that perhaps it is not an opportune time for that person to purchase a flat of that size. He or she might be overextending himself or herself and really we are not doing them a favour. For cases like these, they often have to look either for alternatives or look for a smaller flat. Very often, the sales proceeds from the existing flat are sufficient for them to buy a smaller flat, although it may not be in a location or a size of their preference. But like I said earlier, wherever possible, we will exercise maximum flexibility in applying this policy.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we are aware that some need to downgrade because of financial circumstances. Our policy is to review each and every single case carefully. And, in particular, if any person has problems because of retrenchment, a severe pay cut, business failure, prolonged illness or death of the sole breadwinner, these are the types of cases which we would certainly look at very sympathetically. If any of the Members have residents in these circumstances, please support their appeals. Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang): May I ask the Minister whether he knows of cases where residents are unable to get loans from commercial banks and as a result wanted to have an HDB loan, whether it is concessionary loan or not, and they would like HDB to assist. Is there any policy regarding such cases?”
“The Taskforce also drew on the expertise of a resource panel of experienced HR managers. To tap the resources and experience of the industry, the Taskforce set up four working groups in the chemical, land transport, electronics and hotel sectors. The working groups were co-chaired by senior CEO/Human Resource Directors and union leaders recognised as leaders in these sectors. The working groups have finalised their respective studies and have submitted their findings and recommendations to the main Taskforce. We intend to form working groups for other industry sectors later. To gather feedback on the implementation of a flexible and competitive wage system, the Taskforce has conducted seminars and talks on wage restructuring for CEOs, HR practitioners, HR consultants and union leaders of various sectors. The response from the industries and unions has been very encouraging. There were clear consensus and readiness among the employers and union leaders to restructure their wage systems to improve their flexibility and competitiveness. The Taskforce will be releasing its recommendations by end January this year at a National Tripartite Conference. The conference will discuss the features of the flexible wage system, how wage payment should be tied to company and individual performance instead of the length of employment in a company. My Ministry will assist companies and unions to promote the implementation of a performance-based wage system to replace the seniority-based wage system. We will also monitor closely the take up rate of the companies for these initiatives.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are two sources of variability. First, there is fuel oil price variability that affects the general prices of electricity. In the case of Singapore where we do not have access to cheap fuel oil, this risk is something which all of us will be faced with. The Member's specific question on off-peak users refers to the fact that in off-peak periods, the price of electricity in the pool may fall. I think this is something which the EMA and the retailers will have to study, in consultation with the big users, to see how we can smoothen out our electricity demand. One way to do this would be to incentivise off-peak users by giving them the appropriate pricing signals. If we can smoothen out our demand for electricity, our overall system will become more efficient. WAGE REFORM (Status report) 10. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Acting Minister for Manpower if he will give an update on (a) the status of the wage reform exercise, including its related salary reviews, that was commissioned some months back; (b) the resources used for this exercise in terms of the experience of the people involved and the types of industries and companies that were invited to participate in the exercise; and (c) the take-up rate of companies embracing the new wage reform formula. The Acting Minister for Manpower (Dr Ng Eng Hen): Mr Speaker, Sir, in response to the National Wage Council's call for companies to restructure their wage systems to improve wage flexibility and competitiveness, the Government set up a Tripartite Taskforce in July last year to review our existing wage systems. The Taskforce, chaired by my Permanent Secretary, comprises key representatives from the Singapore National Employers' Federation, the National Trades Union Congress and the Government.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as part of the restructuring of the electricity market, the Energy Market Authority has introduced the vesting contract regime, which commenced in January 2004. Due to the small overall electricity market in Singapore, the three major generation companies (or "gencos" for short) could potentially exercise undue market power. Vesting contracts have thus been introduced to curtail such market power. They require gencos to sell at least 65% of electricity demand at no higher than the vesting price, which is the Long-Run Marginal Cost of the most efficient generation technology within the system. The price for the remaining 35% of demand will be determined by competition in the wholesale electricity market. The Energy Market Authority (EMA) conducted extensive consultations with industry participants between 2001 and 2003. It obtained feedback from the industry on market power analysis, as well as the design of the vesting contract regime in order to reduce risks and minimise costs. Vesting contracts will enable market forces to work better in the electricity market, as they will curb the ability of gencos to hike prices by withholding supply. This will encourage more competitive bidding among the gencos to sell electricity, and ultimately benefit consumers. The proper price signals will be established in the energy market, and this will in turn facilitate the decisions of gencos and their investors, and whether or not to invest in new capacity to meet rising electricity demand. The vesting price will be adjusted quarterly to reflect changes in fuel oil prices. SP Services Ltd will publish the vesting price for each quarter on its website, which is www.mssl.com.sg, one month before the commencement of the quarter.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member brings up a valid point and we will certainly ensure that adequate information is provided, so that people can make informed choices. ELECTRICITY VESTING CONTRACT REGIME (Benefits) 9. Ms Olivia Lum Ooi Lin asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the industry has been fully consulted on the decision to introduce an electricity vesting contract regime; (b) what benefits will the industry derive from such a regime; and (c) as vesting contract prices will change every quarter, (i) will these be published; (ii) how far in advance will these price changes be published and (iii) where will these be published.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, these are figures which are cause for concern. But they are not in themselves surprising. We know that our economy has gone through a tough patch over the last couple of years. I want Members instead to focus on what we can do and what we should do in order to improve and get ourselves out of this current trough. I want to urge Singaporeans and Members of Parliament not to indulge in, what I would term, as irrational despondency. We know we have problems. We are aware of our problems. We know the solutions. Some of these solutions are painful. We need to get on with it, do whatever is necessary and then we need time for these measures to bear fruit, and at that appropriate time, we will have proof of the pudding. It is no point now looking backwards and say, "Wah, we haven't done well. We should have done this. We should have done that." Let us focus on what we need to do, get on with it, do it and move on. That is something I would urge all Singaporeans and all Members of Parliament to focus our minds, our energies and our efforts on. OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT BETWEEN SINGAPORE AND AUSTRALIA 15. Mr Ahmad Khalis Bin Abdul Ghani asked the Minister for Transport with regard to the open skies agreement between Singapore and Australia (a) how will the Singapore economy benefit from it; (b) what is the chance that it will result in a net loss to Singapore if for instance SIA is unable to take advantage of the Australian airspace rights as much as Qantas can over Singapore's; and (c) how will it help to create more jobs for Singaporeans.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with the hon. Member that, wherever possible, we should not build basement car parks. We would only do so in exceptional circumstances because of site constraints. All the Member's other points about the fact that it is cheaper not to build a basement, it is also cheaper not to have to maintain a basement car park, are valid and he can rest assured that we will consider all these factors before we give approval for a multi-storey car park to be built with a basement. RELEASE OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI FROM HOUSE ARREST 8. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what has Singapore done, other than quiet diplomacy, to effect the early release of the Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the average construction cost per lot of a normal HDB multi-storey car park (MSCP), without a basement, is about $11,000. The construction cost per lot of a multi-storey car park, with basement, is higher, and can be higher by between 20-150%. This, of course, depends on the site conditions and whether the basement car park is naturally ventilated or fully enclosed. The HDB prefers to build normal multi-storey car parks rather than those with a basement. This is because the normal multi-storey car parks are more cost effective, easier to maintain and provide better security. The HDB will build multi-storey car parks with basements only where there are site constraints and where it needs to optimise land use, for instance, in certain high-density public housing and open green space. Thus, the higher cost of multi-storey car parks with basements is offset, in these cases, by the savings in land cost. In cases where HDB has to build multi-storey car parks with basements, its first option will be to build naturally ventilated basement car parks, as these are obviously more cost effective than fully enclosed car parks. HDB will consider constructing a fully enclosed basement car park, which will require full-scale mechanical ventilation, only if it has no other choice.”
“The HDB will also brief the MPs and grassroots leaders on the status of the project and on the actions to be taken to minimise inconvenience to the residents. The residents would also be kept informed of the status through circulars. Where necessary, HDB will also conduct house-to-house visits to the affected households to explain and give assurance and assistance to these residents. HDB MULTI-STOREY AND BASEMENT CAR PARKS (Construction cost) 7. Dr Teo Ho Pin asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the construction cost per car park lot for a Housing and Development Board multi-storey car park without a basement as compared to one with a basement; (b) why is there a need to build basement HDB car parks despite its high cost of construction and maintenance; and (c) whether HDB will review its policy on basement car park construction so as to cut waste and save costs.”
“As at 31st October 2003, there are 24 building projects with 15,000 new flats under construction, and 29 Main Upgrading Programme (MUP) precincts with 30,000 flats where upgrading works are in progress. The HDB monitors the progress of its building and upgrading projects very closely to ensure that they are running smoothly. Special attention is given to those projects which show any sign of delay. The HDB will monitor the progress of these projects on a daily basis to track things like the number of workers, the amount of materials brought on site and the progress of work done. It will also provide all necessary assistance to the contractors to enable them to expedite their work. Nevertheless, there may be contractors who are unable to keep within the project schedules despite HDB's assistance. For such cases, the HDB will terminate the employment of the defaulting contractor and proceed to engage a new contractor by fast-tracking the tender procedures, in order to complete the outstanding works expeditiously. To assist affected flat buyers, the HDB will write to them to inform them of the change in the estimated completion date of their flats, so that they can adjust their housing plans accordingly. Those who are in urgent need of accommodation can request to rent a flat from HDB in the interim or to transfer their flat booking to another completed new flat in the same neighbourhood or indeed anywhere else in Singapore. In cases where the contractor stops work for MUP projects, the HDB will immediately activate a contingency contractor to perform the essential services, housekeeping works and to complete the outstanding works within the flats. This will minimise inconvenience to the residents.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for bringing up this example, because very often people cite the converse. The point which I wish to make is that this is a policy which affects all races. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it is easier for you, sometimes it is more difficult. So, it proves the point that this applies equally. With respect to his secondary point about flexibility, whilst I do not want to reveal the exact numbers, I will tell him, however, that there is flexibility in terms of the actual cut-off before the limits kick into place, and these cut-offs do allow for some variation from the national ethnic proportions. So, to the maximum extent possible, we have taken his suggestion. But, again I must appeal to everyone here that this is a policy which we have taken in order to achieve a higher objective, which is to ensure an adequate and good ethnic mix in our estates. Yes, it causes problems. If we can ameliorate those problems, we will do so. If we can get the understanding of all concerned, I think we can move this forward. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Contracts for new flats and Main Upgrading Programmes) 6. Dr Teo Ho Pin asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many Housing and Development Board contracts for new flats and Main Upgrading Programmes are in progress; (b) what are the measures taken to ensure that the main contractors are able to complete these projects on time; and (c) what is the contingency plan to minimise inconvenience caused to residents due to the failure of main contractors.”
“Thank you for those two suggestions. I do not want to dismiss anything out of hand at this point in time. But right now, the first suggestion, which basically calls for a suspension of the policy at this point in time, is one which I would not favour, primarily because we are all aware that the resale market is still active. In fact, prices are moving up in the composite retail index for HDB flats. The other important point to note is that if we look at transaction volumes by ethnic groups, these are still consistent with national proportions. So it is not as if the market has suddenly dried up for any single ethnic group. As long as there is sufficient liquidity and sufficient volume of transactions in the market, I would be very, very reluctant to suggest that we suspend the policy at this point in time. The other suggestion about taking back the flat, yes, it is appealing in the short term. It does not solve the long term problem, which is again that we want to maintain an adequate and good mixture of the ethnic groups within our housing estates. Sooner or later, a transaction has to be made. Coming back to my earlier point, if any of the Member's residents really have financial problems, please use all the other avenues which are available to help them. This policy is not meant to disadvantage our residents. While we have access to other avenues, all of you as MPs and Advisors, please use these other avenues. Do not look for a quick and easy short-cut which circumvents the policy and opens up a whole new can of worms.”
“The HDB and MND monitor the situation all the time. However, I would say that at this point in time, it is far more important to maintain the policy, perhaps even more important that ever before, to maintain the policy, and to apply the policy fairly and consistently. Yes, there may be problems at certain times, in certain estates, in certain precincts, in certain blocks, and we will have to take time for these things to be resolved. It takes time, it may take a little longer for the flat to be sold, or the person may have to be a bit more flexible in his expectation of the price that he wishes to transact at. But I want to draw attention to the fact that the more important point here is the reason behind the policy. That still stays intact. The second point is that we must be fair and consistent. If we were to deviate from that, in order to make exceptions or for short term advantage, then we will be going down a slippery slope. Having said that, we are very aware that this sometimes causes inconvenience or problems for our residents. And, if there are ways in which we can ameliorate this, we will. Whilst we are open to suggestions, bear in mind these two principles - maintaining racial harmony and making sure that any system which we have in place is something which can be implemented fairly and consistently across the board, without making exceptions.”
“Thank you for that question. When the neighbourhood or block limit for any ethinc group is not exceeded, then there are absolutely no restrictions on the purchase in the open resale market. That was what probably happened at the time when your constituent bought his flat. However, depending on whether any particular ethnic group has now exceeded that limit, the policy will then come into play. So I think that was what had happened in this case. The policy has to be applied uniformly and equally across all ethnic groups. The same situation could have arisen for a Malay purchasing a flat from a Chinese, or indeed for a Chinese purchasing a flat from an Indian. The point I want to make here is that the EIP is applied fairly and consistently to all ethnic groups and we do not wish to make exceptions or to circumvent it because that would bring more problems into the equation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the EIP is applied consistently. In cases of hardship, we have other avenues to help residents. For those who are having arrears or difficulties making their payments, HDB has schemes for deferred payments, reduced payments, settling the payments by instalments later on and adding another family member onto the list of owners. I think there are sufficient means to address hardship problems and we should not try to subvert or circumvent the EIP policy in order to address problems of financial hardship.”
“Sir, once a household has made contact with the relevant agency and is being evaluated, SP Services will not rush in to disconnect. The crux of the point here is to ensure that efforts are being made to moderate usage and to restructure their finances so that this debt can be repaid. As long as genuine attempts are being made in that direction, SP Services has been and will continue to be very forbearing. NEW INVESTMENTS AND JOB CREATION (Strategy and plans) 4. Mr Gan Kim Yong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry if he will elaborate on (i) his strategy and plans to bring in new investments and create jobs and (ii) the progress made so far.”
“This is a chance for the new generation to pass our own test of survival, and we will be the better for it. Mr Speaker, I support this Bill. 4.15 pm”
“If I have to be here, then I must be honest and transparent about it. I must tell those around me of the added risk that I pose to them. They must have the chance to decide whether they still wish to be with me, or they may decide, as this Parliament has, that it is better for me to be in this room, speaking to you via a video link. Our social norms must change. Perhaps, shaking hands may not be as common. We will have to review and achieve the right balance between privacy and collective security. I hope Singaporeans will look beyond the fines and the penalties that are spelt out in this amendment to the Infectious Diseases Act. If you actually stop to think about it, this amendment places more, not less, responsibility on Singaporeans. There is only so much that the Government knows, or that the Government can do. But there is a lot more that Singaporeans have got to learn to do for themselves. I want to look beyond this crisis. What would we have at the end of this crisis? I think we will have a better society. Singapore will have a society in which we have learnt that taking risks is a part of daily life. But we would also have learnt that it is silly to take unnecessary risks. We would have learnt that we are responsible for each other's survival, and that we will live or die together. We would have developed a collective instinct, and we would have learnt that, yes, the Government can do a lot, but there is much, much more that we must do for ourselves. Ironically, the SARS virus would have re-made Singapore. Just like a patient who recovers has gained immunity and strength, I believe a post-SARS Singapore will be stronger, more cohesive and better able to face whatever comes our way.”
“What do you mean by that?" People want a "Yes" or a "No" answer. Unfortunately, life is not so simple. I wish to make two points to answer these questions. First, that it is impossible to totally eliminate the risks, but there is a lot that we can do to reduce the risks by taking sensible precautions. Second, it is not just a matter of personal risk. But our health has an impact on others around us. Consequently, we have an obligation to our families, neighbours and the community. And social norms must change. Let me deal with the first point. We cannot eliminate all risks totally. Any activity in life carries some risk. But it is possible to minimise that risk and get on with that activity. All of us need to review our personal thresholds for risk, and get on with doing what we need to be done. In the case of the healthcare professionals, we accept a higher risk, because that is our calling. For everyone else, we must carry on with our daily activities of life. Yet, we must have sensible precautions in place. The Ministry of Health has published a whole long list, and I do not want to belabour the point. But there is no point looking for absolute protection. It does not exist. But we can protect ourselves to a large extent by practising good personal hygiene, diet, exercise, self-monitoring of temperature, and the like. On the second point, it is not just a matter of personal risk. SARS underlines the fact that we are all interdependent on each other. Your health affects me, and my health affects my family. Even if I am willing to take the risk, my family and my friends may not. I have to think of others, and practise social responsibility in a very real sense and protect others where possible. If I am ill, I have no right to infect others.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the SARS virus has struck down more than its fair share of healthcare professionals. This is because it is most contagious in hospitals and, if you have unprotected exposure, it strikes otherwise fit young professionals in their prime of life. All of us practising medicine today have not faced such a situation before, and I can honestly tell you that the practice of medicine will be changed forever. I have spent the past one week in the Singapore General Hospital, and I can tell you that there is real fear in the corridors. This fear does not just affect the healthcare professionals themselves, but extends also to their families. And a few have made the ultimate sacrifice. They have died alone, without touching their relatives, and with indecently hurried small funerals. Yet, we must ask ourselves: why do healthcare professionals put themselves in harm's way? I can tell you it has nothing to do with money, nothing to do with National Day Awards. Healthcare professionals face these risks because of a higher calling, a deep instinctive sense of duty to care for their patients and for their fellow human beings. This sense of duty is so strong that I have had great difficulty forcing the doctors and nurses to stand down, in order to rest or to recharge themselves during this crisis. Our healthcare professionals do not deny their fears. But neither do they panic. They take the necessary precautions in order to minimise the risk and quietly get on with their duties. Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the example of healthcare professionals has some lessons for ordinary Singaporeans. Many of them have asked me, "Is it safe? Is it safe to do this or do that, or to go to this place or that place?" They asked me, "The Government says 'life must go on'.”
“With the cooperation of all the relevant Government agencies to embark on this upgrading, the residents of Sennett Estate can look forward to an enhanced living environment. The key thing here, however, is to make sure that as many people who are living in Sennett Estate as possible get involved in this process of deciding what necessary or desired improvements should be made, and then get it executed.”
“It is stated very clearly, around here, "the repair and replacement and painting of lamp-post, including faded lamp-post numbers and luminaries." Sir, if any corroded lamp-post in a car park maintained by the Hougang Town Council leads to any problems or loss of lives and limbs or property, the responsibility and liability will be entirely that of the Town Council. I would strongly suggest that Mr Low go immediately to rectify all those faults. If his Town Council feels that it is not able to maintain car parks, then, please do not enter into an agreement with HDB. The contract will expire at the end of this year. Consider, perhaps, excusing himself and handing over the job to someone else who can do the job more properly and competently. So, if his question was who is responsible, my answer to him, unequivocally, is that it is his Town Council which is responsible. And I think in the light of recent events, his Town Council, and indeed all Town Councils, better make sure that they address this problem speedily and comprehensively. I move on to Mr Chiam's point. I was not sure, at the end of his speech, what the real question was. The estate upgrading programme in Sennett Estate was approved by the Ministry of National Development in response to a request put up by the Citizens' Consultative Committee of Potong Pasir and, in particular, the neighbourhood community in Sennett Estate itself. This is also entirely consistent with the promise made by the Prime Minister before the election. The working committee right now is working on the details of the upgrading programme. As far as the Ministry of National Development is concerned, the faster they complete the planning and the execution of this upgrading, the better. We have already set aside funds.”
“For flat owners who have difficulties in finding a suitable repair contractor on their own, HDB will also assist to provide them with a list of repair contractors with whom they can negotiate the price on a private basis. Now, I turn to the first question, which is, what is the cause. I think the real question there really is who is responsible. I suspect that is what she is really after. I will not do anything here except to quote what my Minister said previously on spalling concrete. He mentioned two issues. The first issue is on the cause of the spalling concrete. If the cause of the spalling concrete is due to the design, as some Members suspected, or alleged, and if that can be proven to be so, then obviously it is HDB's responsibility to fix it, either in the flat that is currently affected or in future designs. But if it is a matter of natural wear and tear and a natural deterioration process which occur to all buildings, then obviously the responsibility must lie with the flat owners. Next, I move on to car parks and, in particular, corroded lamp-posts. I listened with great anxiety when I heard Mr Low say that he had noted corroded lamp-posts as far back as 1997, and subsequently in the year 2000, in car parks maintained by Hougang Town Council. I am not sure if Mr Low is aware, but his Town Council has signed a maintenance agreement with the HDB to maintain the car parks, and HDB pays his Town Council a monthly amount, I think, in excess of $22,000, to perform the maintenance of car parks. In this contract, an agreement, which I have a copy of, Schedule A lists the things which are supposed to be done by the Town Council.”
“Let me move on to the next question by Mdm Cynthia Phua on spalling concrete. I think Members would recall that there was a long debate on this issue last year. She has asked whether this is a natural deterioration process after a period of 3-5 years and what are the measures which can be taken to prevent this from happening. Let me handle the latter question first. Spalling concrete is a natural process which could potentially occur in all concrete buildings. It is due to deterioration, due to a process called carbonation, in which corrosion of steel bars within the slab occurs, followed by expansion and then cracking and falling off of concrete. To reduce or minimise the occurrence of spalling concrete, flat lessees are advised to seal any cracks or holes in their flats immediately, as well as to have their flats painted regularly. A few coats of quality paint will also help slow down the carbonation process by minimising the ingress of oxygen, moisture and carbon dioxide into the concrete. Without oxygen, moisture and carbon dioxide, the steel bars in the concrete will not corrode. In addition, flat lessees are also advised to keep the level of humidity low in wet areas such as kitchens, toilets and bathrooms by keeping the doors, windows and vents open wherever possible. Under the lease, HDB flat owners are responsible for the repair of spalling concrete within the flats. HDB flat owners who encounter spalling concrete problems can report to the HDB branch offices which can assist the flat owners to investigate the cause of the problem and recommend appropriate remedial action.”
“Sir, the first question was from Dr Tan Boon Wan. I share his support for maximum flexibility to be exercised wherever possible. As far as shopkeepers are concerned, the HDB does allow shopkeepers to change the use of their shops, except in cases where the conversion is likely to cause disamenity to their neighbours and to other HDB residents. The HDB has allowed shops to be converted into family restaurants. I want to emphasise that family restaurants are different from eating houses. In the case of a restaurant, it is managed by a single operator, with a single kitchen. However, the HDB does not allow the change of use of shophouses into eating houses. It is not a price issue. Eating houses are large, purpose-built premises where the operators will usually sublet the internal spaces to individual stallholders, and where transit bins and high electrical loads have to be provided, in order to ensure the smooth operation of these premises. As the retail shops are very much smaller in size, the conversion of such shops into eating houses is very likely to cause disamenity to their neighbours because of heat, noise and smell nuisance and because the premises were not designed for such uses in the first place. HDB does allow Outdoor Refreshment Areas (ORAs) for eating houses. The size of an ORA would depend on the location of the premises and whether it would cause obstruction along the walkways, and, in particular, on the volume of human traffic along those walkways. As far as family restaurants are concerned, HDB will have to evaluate such requests on a case-by-case basis. But, obviously, because of the smaller scale of such businesses, it would be inappropriate for a large outdoor refreshment area to be provided for such premises.”
“It will take something like 15 years before we work our way through the queue. I will not be in a position to give Mr Chiam, or any other Member for that matter, an exact position in the queue today. We have announced the Lift Upgrading Programme recently, and those blocks that have been announced will proceed. Every year, depending on the budgetary position of this Government, and on the needs and requirements of the population, we will work through those 3,500 blocks. I want to say categorically that, as a Government, we have said that we will look after all Singaporeans, and we will continue to look after all Singaporeans. However, it is not possible for Mr Chiam, or any other Member for that matter, to insist that simply because the lift is old, his residents must have eligibility or, in fact, must receive the Lift Upgrading Programme immediately.”
“Sir, I want to distinguish two issues: the cyclical replacement of lifts on the one hand, and the Lift Upgrading Programme on the other. The 12 blocks and 29 lifts that Mr Chiam brought up are old, and some of them are due for cyclical replacement. As far as the Ministry of National Development is concerned, the Town Council should proceed to replace those lifts according to schedule. The question of lift upgrading, whilst it may be related, is a separate issue. Let me first address Mr Chiam's question about whether there will be any wastage of resources, if the lifts are replaced first, and subsequently undergo lift upgrading. I have checked with the HDB and they have assured me that all work done by the Town Council to replace the lifts will not be wasted, because that same lift cabin and shaft will be used. But the Lift Upgrading Programme goes far beyond simply replacing the lifts. It will involve, depending on the configuration of the blocks, either the creation of new lift shafts, lift landings, mechanisms, etc. In fact, the additional cost incurred to do lift upgrading is significantly higher than that incurred just for the provision of a lift replacement. For that reason, we have decided to keep these two programmes separate. Lift replacement will be done on a cyclical basis by the Town Council using its Sinking Fund, as that is the correct position as it should be. The Lift Upgrading Programme is a national programme which will be funded by the Government, together with contributions from the Town Councils as well as the residents. This is a national programme in which there are 3,500 blocks in the queue. At the current rate that we are doing lift upgrading, it will not take 300 years.”