Wang Kai Yuen
Singapore
“Sir, would MDA not, in monitoring these sites and when they have found such a content on its own, make it as tenable evidence and pass it to the Police rather than have the complaint from the public?”
“I would like to find out from the Minister of State when will the content of these blogs start becoming from being just mere offensive to tenable and verifiable evidence that could be tendered in court for an act committed in Singapore that is punishable under the Penal Code, such as homosexual act, oral sex and sex with underaged ladies.”
“Once they are disqualified, they might as well close shop. Sir, I am sympathetic to their plight and that it is unfair to apply the demerit points to a single company as a whole, regardless of the number of ongoing construction projects. This could act against big companies with multiple projects.”
“Individuals just make less money when they sell their flats. Hopefully, if they were to buy another flat, they could also pay proportionately less as well. However, when the market is on the way down, like in the last few years, or stagnate like now, the loss would be substantial, as many would be saddled with negative equity.”
“Sir, would the Minister agree that since the Singapore law is primarily based on the common law and since the UK Parliament has found it necessary to legislate that glorification of terrorism is a crime, would he agree that there might be a gap in our laws that our current law would not cover where the current UK law would now cover?”
“Thank you, Sir. The Minister indicated that he would monitor and would plug the hole when the need arises. Would he want to follow the UK example that they would only pass such a law after a terrorist attack in the tube? If a similar event happens in Singapore, would it be a bit too late to plug the gap? Assoc. Prof.”
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“In other words, the Minister is saying that if we merge all the categories into one, the Government would collect less revenue, as I understand it.”
“May I ask the Minister, as a result of merger of those categories, how much additional revenue the Government has collected, because small cars are no longer being registered? Dr John Chen Seow Phun: Mr Speaker, Sir, there are a lot of factors that are changing, economic factors being one. But let me give him a theoretical answer. Assuming that nothing changes, everything remains the same, I would say that the Government actually collects less because our system is a Dutch system where the Government only collects the lowest successful bid from all successful bidders. So if I were to split one category into two categories, you will find that Government actually collects more, because successful bidders in the higher category are paying more than if they were merged into one category.”
“Sir, if I come across cases where the transaction cannot be completed because of circumstances beyond the control of the buyer, can I bring the cases to him for favourable review, and have the stamp duty refunded?”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether the Government had thought through the consequences of bringing forward the payment of the stamp duty. Because in the past, the fee was only paid upon completion of the transaction. Based on the reason that he outlined, for bona fide buyers who cannot complete the transaction for whatever reason, they are still obligated to pay the stamp duty, and that is surely not the intent of the anti-speculation measures.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether it would be more logical to revert to the original system of collecting stamp duty, in other words, at the completion of the transaction. Some of the letters and responses that I have received from IRAS to my constituents state that stamp duty is a processing fee. As such, regardless of whether a transaction is completed or not, it is collectable. If the fee is such a big amount and dependent on the value of the transaction, surely it is not processing fee.”
“The problems we face are difficult ones that require in-depth analysis and effective implementation of strategies. I am gratified that this Government is cognizant of the trends and is adjusting our policies to respond to it. And the new focus on the people to deal with the future that has already happened is the right way to do so. I am confident that under the able leadership of our Government, Singapore will continue to achieve its goals and to bring a better life to all Singaporeans. On this note, I would like to support the motion standing in the name of Mr Davinder Singh.”
“And no one could deny that when the PAP holds absolute majority in Parliament for so many years that the democratic institutions in Singapore are left intact. So, may I suggest to the NCMP that Mr Buruma adopt a provocative stance to gain a higher profile - in fact, this is the way he makes a living - and the NCMP, in his desperation for some justification for support, swallows the story line, hook and sinker. In fact, I have a copy of the review here. I took it from the Internet and printed it. In fact, if you read through the review, you will discover that the NCMP's speech is, by and large, Mr Buruma's speech but in a different form. The NCMP talked about Mr Lee Kuan Yew preferring to rule by fear and popular support is not one of his style. And that very sentence is in this Buruma's review and I quote, "Courting popularity never was Lee's style. He preferred to be feared." Further down the article, you will find that - the NCMP also said so directly - in the concluding remark, for instance, the various biases, "To call that "Asian values" is an insult to the rest of Asia." It is in the same article and reproduced from the review written by Buruma. Also, the reference to the Memoirs of a Mendicant Professor could also be found in exactly the same article. In fact, in the scholarly circle, taking major extracts from other people's reviews or articles can be called plagiarism. So, it is regrettable that the NCMP does not have a fresh look and original ideas but to take someone else's articles, couch it and come to Parliament to put it out as his own ideas. Mr Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, I have touched upon several trends with major impact on our nation in the next 10-20 years.”
“He quoted extensively from one Ian Buruma that Singaporeans cannot think or are afraid to think for themselves as if Mr Buruma is an expert on how Singaporeans feel and think about our country. Perhaps, we should ask ourselves: who is this Mr Ian Buruma? I looked up the Internet and found out that Mr Buruma is a freelance author and journalist, one time Resident Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. He is a frequent contributor to the New York Times Review of Books. He is said to have very sharp critical faculties and is described as a critic par excellence. The NCMP presumably also did the same search and found this one critic whose opinions are in resonance with his own prejudices and he holds up the words of this critic as gospel truth. My regret is that he did not consider the opinions of the hundreds, if not, thousands of Singaporeans who participated actively in the various Feedback Unit dialogue sessions, surveys and also in the S21 discussions. May I remind the NCMP that Mr Buruma is a columnist who makes his living writing provocative articles. I do not think Mr Buruma has ever even managed a company, let alone a nation. Actually, we can get a measure of Mr Buruma and his biases from the title he gave to a review of the book The Singapore History - Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew. And that title is "The man who would be king" to describe Mr Lee Kuan Yew. I think it is very provocative for Mr Buruma to do so. In this House, I think no one would agree that the word "King" can be used to describe a political leader like Mr Lee Kuan Yew, a leader who, at the peak of his power, arranged for the transfer of that power to his successor, our Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong.”
“Unless the Japanese have their own ideas about how life should be lived, the Japanese will never truly be able to have dialogues with people from other countries. He concluded that the Japanese perhaps would have to study subjects like history. I think the wisdom in these words would be of relevance to Singapore as well. Coming to education, I am glad to note that the Government is putting the highest emphasis on education as evidenced by the fact that the Ministry of Education has the highest concentration of Minister and Ministers of State. It has put together many programmes of improvement in curriculum and facilities, teaching, training and recruitment. For instance, we are aware of the PRIME programme for the rebuilding and refurbishing of schools. The Ministry is allocating budget by providing one PC for every two students in our schools, one of the highest, if not, the highest ratio in the world. The Government also realises that IT will be the key technology that will ensure whether a nation would forge ahead in the future or not. The Government is taking all the right steps such as the formation of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the establishment of IT infrastructure like cable network and broadband network like Singapore One. I think we have put all the pieces in place. As Dr Tan Boon Wan pointed out, the key thing is how to inculcate creativity in our young people. In the era of knowledge workers where creativity of people is a key focus of our education programme, it is absurd that the NCMP yesterday asserted in his speech that this Government is trying to stay in power by instilling fear in the people.”
“I think he is right on the mark. The question is how to turn these bright ideas into goods and services which the world is prepared to pay for. In this, it is obvious that we have only one option and, that is, the education of our next generation. This topic has been touched on earlier by Dr Tan Boon Wan. The question that I have in mind is: is the education system we have put in place still appropriate? Should we change that education system? I would point out that there is a movement in the United States' institutes of higher learning such as the Stanford University to revert to core curriculum. This curriculum is not to prepare students for a specific job in a job market but to enable them to create their own jobs in the future when they come to the job market. And what is to be included in this core curriculum? In this respect, I find the views of Yotaro Kobayashi, Chairman of Fuji Xerox and Founder of Aspen Institute, Japan, as expressed in his article "Education, Knowledge and Wisdom" featured in Look Japan magazine, April 1999, quite interesting. He felt that Japan has specialised in economics and technology but as a developed country, the Japanese education system should be more balanced. Japan should evolve into the kind of society that other people can honestly say that it is exciting to be living there or that the Japanese are interesting to interact with. When one specialises in economics and technology, it is acceptable to learn through memorisation. But what is needed is an education that encourages people to form and hold their own opinions. Unless the Japanese become people with their own ideas and philosophies, the Japanese are not going to be interesting and exciting people.”
“Jobs that are traditionally done in the home offices of corporations are being out-sourced to the suppliers with the best economic value-added regardless of time zone and location. For example, US companies and Japanese companies are engaging software professionals in Singapore via the Internet while Singapore companies are doing likewise in India and China. With Internet, the importance of companies and corporations as an employer will diminish over time. It is being replaced by the ascendancy of the individuals as agents working on contractual basis. The question is, if individuals can make a living from the world on the Internet, would they still feel an obligation to the society that nurtures and shelters them? In fact, the very concept of nation state might be an obsolete idea in the world of Internet. This is a very pertinent question as we try to build a society of active citizens. It is also a soul searching question that we must ask ourselves. Just as Singapore would like to migrate from labour-intensive industries to the knowledge-based economy as my good friend, Mr Ahmad Magad had elaborated earlier in his speech, the advent of Internet is bringing forth greater competition to our knowledge workers as large numbers of knowledge workers from countries like India, China and other European countries will become available on line. Yes, we are being squeezed on both sides, from the lower value skills side by cheaper countries, and also from the higher value side from more capable countries with more skilled workers. So, is the future a bleak one? Sir, I do not think so. I attended a seminar recently where Mr Lim Swee Say was the Guest of Honour. In his short speech, he said that the raw material of the knowledge-based industry in the future is bright ideas.”
“The phone sets are becoming more capable, allowing e-mail retrieval, Internet connections and even payment for goods dispensed by vending machines, also connected to the Internet. It is likely that mobile phones might be the most common platform for e-commerce, and not the PC. In Singapore, mobile phones have already liberalised a lot of the professionals and entrepreneurs from being bound to their desk. I am sure many of us have come across golfers who continue to engage in value-added activities while playing a round of golf. As penetration of mobile phones reaches a critical mass, I think society will be completely transformed. Again, how do you predict the future? I suggest we observe the Finns as they go onto this new technology. Most of us are already familiar with the spread of Internet and its importance. I do not have to dwell into it. We are all aware that the stock markets in the United States and also in Singapore are paying high premiums for companies engaging in Internet e-commerce, in particular, business-to-consumer e-commerce. What is not so obvious is the changing landscape of employment brought about by Internet. With Internet, individuals are able to sell their service directly to the consumer in the global market. There is less need for intermediaries like companies to provide employment. In fact, there is no barrier in the new Internet market such as national borders. For instance, India is already exporting its software services to the world via the Internet. Today, this export is worth close to US$2 billion and has been growing by more than 50% over the past several years. Other services are also available over the Internet.”
“In fact, we are referring to ourselves, the baby boomer generation, the generation in charge today but the senior citizens of tomorrow. Of course, we are not the only society where the elderly population is increasing at a very fast pace. Of the other countries with similar proportion that come to mind, ie, Japan, the European countries, United States and Canada, these are developed countries where a much higher proportion of their aged are educated or are already considered knowledge workers. For these countries, they could extend their retirement age for these senior citizens and turn what seems as a handicap into a comparative advantage. Unfortunately, for us in Singapore, a high percentage of our elderly are not very well-educated and as we are not yet a developed country, not many of our aged today and tomorrow could be considered knowledge workers. Thus, engaging senior citizens in a meaningful manner will be a very major challenge. Dr Ong Chit Chung had already earlier on touched on the problems faced by the elderly in going through training to acquire new skills because of their current inadequacies in educational background. Mr Lim Boon Heng had also touched on the need for life-long training and worker retraining. If that is his task, Mr Speaker, Sir, he has an unenviable task. The second trend I would like to touch upon is technology. Several technological developments are already obvious and have immense implications. For instance, mobile phone is one of these. Finland is a leading example where most teenagers today already possess their own mobile phones and they are willingly paid for by their parents who believe that technology will bring about unpredictable benefits as the new way of communication becomes second nature to the young.”
“But what is not so obvious, and that requires reinforcement, is that the aging of the Singapore society is occurring at a pace unparalleled in the history of mankind. We must be one of the fastest aging nations, if not, the fastest aging nation in the world. This is one important factor for us to consider because all our institutions, social systems and cultural instincts to respond to problems do not prepare us to handle this rapid pace. And to become a caring and loving society, we must harness the energies of the senior citizens in the future. In my mind, Sir, it is not so much to tap the senior citizens as a pool of human resource or a pool of labour since we are short of younger people. I think it is important to do so because of the fulfilment of the individuals and these senior citizens of tomorrow a job will bring. Yet, in catering to the needs of the senior citizens to stay involved and engaged, we must also remember that in Singapore, we have developed a culture of youth, a culture where high flyers in our civil service move up the ladder very rapidly. So, would we be able to continue this practice when the current generation could continue to work way past what we perceive today as the retirement age? This is but one example of what I meant by cultural shock of being one of the fastest aging societies in human history. I am glad that this Government is already taking concrete steps in this direction. Prof. Low Seow Chay yesterday spoke about the six Committees looking into the various issues faced by senior citizens and consolidating the views of close to 1,000 respondents. And when we talk about senior citizens, we are not talking about the generation before us, nor are we talking about the generation after us.”
“However, there are some fundamental trends in our society that could not be changed no matter what we do in the near term. In other words, these are trends that would predict the future of our society in the next 10 to 20 years. In effect, we can actually talk about the future that has already happened. This is a term I borrowed from the management guru, Peter Drucker. I think it is important to do so lest we collide into the future unprepared. It is almost like the recent train accident in Paddington Station in London. The outcome could be very unpleasant. Sir, may I have your indulgence to focus on two trends, namely, demographics and technology. The first trend is demographics. As we all know and as has been repeatedly said, Singapore's population will be ageing rapidly. This has already been touched on by several speakers, including Dr Jennifer Lee, who spoke extensively about care-givers yesterday. The youthful nation that we were just 15 years ago will have a more elderly look in the next 15 years. We are indeed becoming an old folks' home. The 4th October issue of Newsweek magazine reported that by the year 2050, Japan will have the world's largest share of old people, people aged 100 and above, followed by Singapore and Finland. There will be pressure to minimise discrimination in all fields of human endeavours by age in our society. In the future, we would be like United States today where discrimination by age will be illegal. There will be heightened demand on public services such as health care, transportation and recreation by the elderly. Those measures announced by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) on the accessibility of MRT for the elderly are just one very clear example.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the President's Address indicated that the Government is placing emphasis on people development. When this was published, some people questioned why the Government is focusing on people, seemingly for the first time. And this idea was verbalised by the article in Chua Lee Hoong's article "Mr Cynics meets Mr Govt" on 9th October in the Straits Times. Is that a fair comment? Surely, we all must agree that the Government policies, since the founding of Singapore, have always been people oriented. It was not explicitly stated so in the past. In the early years, in fact, the focus was on job creation and the idea was to allow the market mechanism to distribute the benefits to the people. The emphasis, as stated in the President's Address, simply means that the Government is now addressing the development and fulfilment of the individual in a more direct manner. Why is it necessary now and not so in the past? Is it because it is expedient to do so today as that would be in tune with the time when people are becoming more educated and enlightened? I think not, Sir. My colleague, Dr Tan Boon Wan has actually expressed it very well. He said that people and the economy are two sides of the same coin. Sir, the new emphasis on people is probably the right approach and perhaps the only viable approach to tackle the challenges of the future because the future is going to be very different from the past. So what is the future going to be like? At the dawn of the new millennium, I think it is tempting for many of us to reflect and forecast the future. As we all know, doing so is very difficult. Most of the forecasts made by very prominent people in the past were mostly wrong.”
“Let us therefore strive together with commitment to make the "Singapore Tribe" one of the Tribes that makes a difference in the 21st century - the next millennium - in the same way that our SM has raised our nation's international profile and put us on the global map this century. 4.55 pm”
“These two Acts alone have served Singapore well, especially the minorities - the Indians and the Malays. Sir, moving also foreshadows the resolve to meet new challenges. There will be many such new challenges in the next millennium. Time magazine reported that some of these challenges are the need for leadership, the use of IT, globalisation, ethnicity, the rise of fundamentalism and the environment. Indeed, as issues become more complex, strong leadership is crucial to steer our nation into a brighter future. SM and PM have set the pace as well as the style of leadership. Our future leaders may require a combination of both or may even need to develop a completely new style to cope with the changing times. It is my hope that our move into the new complex will signify both a continuation of what we have done so well in the past and a new starting point for tackling the challenges ahead. Finally, Sir, regardless of how vigorous the debates may be, let us do so with the primary objective of making issues clear in our minds first, so that sound decisions can be made for the good of the nation. Let us continue to carry out our duties and responsibilities faithfully as we move forward into the future, bearing the weight of our people's trust with sure and steadfast steps. A final note - let us remember that at the beginning of civilisation, Tribes such as the Incas, Mayas, Aztecs and Greco-Romans were at the forefront of progress. By the 20th century, Joel Kotkin, the author of Tribes, named the following new set of Tribes that have changed the map of the world, namely, the Jews, British, Japanese, Chinese and Indians.”
“I am glad to note that this process of self-renewal is still on-going today, as evidenced by the many young and promising Ministers and parliamentarians in our ranks. On a lighter note, I remember there was no opposition back then and the Leader of the House, Mr E.W. Barker, had to encourage us, the backbenchers, to take on this unpleasant role. Some of us were even appointed to speak when important issues were being debated, including what language to use. It ended up with three of us - Dr Lau Teik Soon in English, Dr Ow Chin Hock in Mandarin and myself in Malay. The younger parliamentarians certainly have it easier today and, ironically, they have the opposition, NMPs and NCMP to thank for that! Seriously though, I think they also have an unenviable task, as they now have to compete with the opposition, NMPs and NCMP to put forth their views. With the introduction of NCMPs, there is a possibility that the ruling party may lose some seats in future if the NCMPs did a good job. However, this is worth it as it shows that democracy works. In the end, democracy should be the winner. Sir, when one moves, one does not have to discard everything he had before that. Likewise, as we make the move today, let us hold on to that which was good. One of these is the multi-racial and multi-religious representation that we have in Parliament today. The recent conflicts in Serbia and Indonesia serve to highlight the fragility of non-homogeneous societies. I am glad that the Government had long recognised this and had implemented various measures over the years, such as the GRC concept to ensure adequate minority representation in Parliament. The introduction of legislation such as the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act has also helped to ensure peace in our multi-religious society.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, regardless of how impressive or functional is the new Parliament building, we all recognise that a Parliament does not a building make. What is important are the deliberations being conducted in the Chamber and the conduct of Members in such debates. Therefore, it is of great importance that the excellent traditions of Parliament be retained. Here, I echo the Prime Minister's wish that present and future Members will continue to build on past traditions to ensure that parliamentary democracy with the unique Singapore characteristics lives on. The Senior Minister of State for the Environment (Encik Sidek bin Saniff): Mr Speaker, Sir, moving house has always been, to me, a time of rediscovery and reflection. Often times, whilst packing for the move, I would chance upon some long-forgotten item and the memories that it has evoked - an experience that many here would have shared before. The momentous move today of this House has likewise evoked many precious memories for me, having spent almost 23 years serving in Parliament. I remember how the ruling party saw the need then to extend its reach to include those with differing opinions, so that a wide spectrum of views was represented in the process of nation building. That incidentally was how I - a teacher and critic of the educational system then - became involved in politics. The Senior Minister and the Old Guard also saw the need to gradually hand over the reins to a new generation of leaders, and they were always on the lookout for fresh talent. In the 1976 elections, there were 11 new candidates including, myself. Of that batch, one is yourself, the Speaker of the House today, another is a Mayor of a CDC and three became Ministers, one of whom is PM Goh Chok Tong.”
“As the majority of MPs in Parliament since Singapore's independence had been from the PAP party and the trend looks likely to continue in the foreseeable future, it is arguable that one of the other seating arrangements I mentioned might be more appropriate for our new Chamber. This is so because the Westminster model tends to foster confrontational debates in Parliament. It is therefore of paramount importance that the Cabinet has decided to retain the existing seating arrangement. It reflects the wisdom of the decision makers and the desire of most MPs to retain the fine parliamentary tradition we have established to date. It also does not preclude the emergence of stronger opposition representation in Parliament. Whether they will be here or not would depend on how they perform in the elections. Wise men have also decided not to accept some of the more restrictive features recommended on security considerations, such as bullet proof windows for the public galleries. Hence, the close and intimate atmosphere of the old Chamber will be retained in the new Chamber. The new Parliament is a building with a lot of new features and amenities. However, it is also simple and functional, without the excesses and opulence found in other Parliament buildings. For instance, there is no elaborate arrangement for the Members such as individual Member's rooms or a swimming pool, as is found in the Australian Parliament building. This is befitting as it reflects the basic philosophy of our founding fathers. I understand that you, Mr Speaker, Sir, have spent innumerable hours in recent weeks to decide on the proper level of furnishing, pitching just at the right level of quality without being opulent. I can see the imprint you have left in the building.”
“Hopefully, besides the mace it would also find a rightful place in the new building as well. I also appreciate several of the art pieces displayed along the building. I particularly like the various bronze cast human heads by Dora Gordine. I hope they too would find their rightful place. As we move into the new Chamber and enjoy all the new facilities, I would like to remind Members that you, Mr Speaker, Sir, have played a pivotal role in the planning, design and the construction of the new Parliament building. I was a member of the original team formed in 1990 to carry out the design of the new Parliament building. The study team went on several study tours of Parliament buildings in several countries. I participated in the 1990 visit to the Australian Federal Parliament in Canberra and several state parliaments. It was a working tour. The team visited three cities in five days. I think we spent more time travelling than anything else. The other members of the team, also led by yourself, visited several European Parliaments to acquaint themselves with the designs and features. I recall that the first item of business then was to deliberate on the seating arrangement. There are several models in the world - the circular arrangement, the horseshoe arrangement, the rectangular arrangement or the existing Westminister arrangement. As Members are aware, seating arrangements go beyond physical arrangements. It implies a fundamental belief in the nature of parliamentary proceedings and, that is to say, whether politics in Parliament is confrontational or by consensus. For instance, in the European Parliament, the seating is a circular one which tends to foster consensus building in parliamentary debates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this is an important day in the history of Parliament as we move into the new Chamber after the House suspends its sitting this afternoon. It is not just that we are occupying a more spacious and modern building, but the significance is that the transformation of a rundown hawker centre into a new Parliament building mirrors the transformation of Singapore from a sleepy colonial outpost to a bustling modern city. Mr Speaker, Sir, I first became a Member of this House in December 1984. I remember several major Bills and debates in this House that had changed the landscape of parliamentary democracy in Singapore. These include the Town Councils Act, the Nominated MP Amendment, the GRC Amendment, the Elected President Amendment, and the debate on Ministers' salaries. In my view, these are all improvements on the democracy in Singapore and we are all better off as a result of their implementation. I am glad to have contributed to these debates. The old Parliament building is a simple building but a building with character, a building rich in history. Through its portals had passed all the movers and shakers of Singapore politics. It was pointed out to me, when I was a young MP, that a certain room was used when the then Prime Minister Lee met the Plen. We even have a piece of Westminister parliament set in one of the walls in this building. It is the Tudor Rose from the debris of Westminister building that fell to the ground after the bombing raid in World War II. It was presented to this Chamber upon the establishment of parliamentary democracy, patterned after the Westminister model here. It is a symbol of the linkage between the Singapore Parliament and the UK Parliament.”
“Sir, is the Minister aware that there is a recent survey, a gallup poll survey, that 65% of the respondents considered themselves heartlanders and, interestingly enough, 35% considered themselves cosmopolitans. Would he comment on this?”
“Would the Minister disclose, by the Government's definition, how many percent of Singaporeans fall in the class of heartlanders; and how many percent consider themselves cosmopolitans?”
“On the same note, Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Government whether it is setting a precedent that good health is a key criterion for persons seeking high office in Singapore?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I too rise in support of the Bill. By and large, ever since the Public Transport Council was established, I believe the public transportation system in Singapore has been operating very well. Fares have been quite reasonable even though from time to time, I have spoken in this House regarding the lack of service in my constituency but by and large, things are going very well. But I think the Public Transport Council was established at a time when the public service providers are very distinctly classified - taxi operator, bus operator, MRT operator and so on. As we look into the future, we already understand from the LTA that the future operators will be different. The bus and rail will be merged and the geographic areas will be partitioned and competition will perhaps be restricted whereas performance measures will be slightly different. My question to the Minister of State is that, in the future regime, how would PTC play its role, or whether its role would be changed because of the new public transport scenario.”
“Would the Minister elaborate the experience of other countries that have compulsory education and give us their experience and see whether or not Singapore should adopt compulsory education? RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Many countries have compulsory education. But I do not have the data with me. I was trying to track it down to answer the NMP's question, and I would track down the data. But from what I know of education that takes place in a number of these countries which have compulsory education, it is a nice piece of legislation but not all the children are in school.”
“Would the Minister give his view regarding Dr Tony Tan's comment on the practice of safeguarding or "cold-storaging" job vacancies for scholarship holders as being too rigid? BG Lee Hsien Loong: It is an obligation which the organisation which gives the scholarship takes upon itself. When you give a scholarship, you must also bear in mind that the scholars are going to come back in three or four years' time and you will have to decide where you are going to deploy him and how you are going to use him. This is not just slave labour. This is a person who has been educated, whom you have invested in, and whom you have a responsibility to deploy to best purpose. It is not a light obligation, but it is one which the public service has taken on and, I think, has been able to fulfill in the areas where it needs this talent. The point is that a scholarship is not just a one-way obligation. The organisation awarding the scholarship takes on an obligation to look after the scholar and to deploy him and use him fruitfully, and the scholar who receives the scholarship receives the benefit because he gets his education and, at the same time, he takes on an obligation to come back and give his best to the organisation.”
“Sir, would the Minister explain why he finds it fit to levy a $70 compound fine when the current fine, I believe, is $30?”
“The major reservation I have is with the merger of four different classes into two and in so doing, giving up the social need to segregate the buyers of the different categories, the same problem that my colleagues have alluded to earlier. Hopefully, the Minister will take my point into consideration. I believe once we give up this fundamental principle to segregate buyers of different categories of cars, we have actually brushed off the political consideration that I have alluded to earlier. Once we have accepted this, in future, there is actually no reason why we should have two categories of lower and upper. In fact, we might very well end up with one altogether. I think it is important for me to reiterate this social equity factor and sometimes, it is this factor that separates a successful policy from one that fails.”
“The VQS Review Committee's Report has pointed out that the current system allows for too large a fluctuation in the yearly COEs released for ballot. I can identify one other weakness, and that is, the Open Category, which, by and large, favours the big cars or luxury car buyers. Why do I say so? If you look at how the Open Category COEs were used, I believe the majority of them were used for the registration of big and luxury cars. So, in effect, the Open Category increases the number of COEs available for these car categories. To address some of these problems I have identified, my preferred proposal would be to merge all the car categories into one but with one condition, and that is, a strike price of the COE is meant for the registration of a small car. To use that COE to register a car of a larger size, a fixed premium for the different classes can be pre-determined. For instance, we could establish a premium of 40% more for the registration of medium-size cars, 60% more for a big car and 100% more for a luxury car. This will address the problem of the freak tender result that I alluded to earlier, and yet retain the segregation of different classes of car purchases that we have found to be so desirable. The GPC Review Committee proposed two major changes on changing the open tender system to open bid system and merging the four categories into lower and upper categories. I understand the GPC actually carried out many sessions with many users and stakeholders in the transportation industry. So I think the recommendation does carry some weight. I have no major philosophical difficulty with the open bid system.”
“Sir, one of the features of the existing Vehicle Quota System is that there are four categories for cars. Based on the road space occupied and the congestion caused by cars, there is actually not much difference between a car of one size and a car of a different size. Why then did we have a system of four categories? Perhaps, we should take a moment to think about it. I believe that a lot of political wisdom has gone into that particular decision. Basically, I believe the society as a whole finds it socially acceptable to isolate the small car owners from the stronger purchasing power of the buyers of the bigger cars. It is also socially acceptable for larger cars to pay for its COEs. So, if Ministry of Communications will do a survey, it will find that almost every Singaporean, including those who have to pay more, will grudgingly agree that it is a fair system, that it is fair for big car buyers to pay more. Fundamentally, I think without these four categories, perhaps it would have been very difficult for the public to accept the VQS as they did. I would like to remind the House that many Backbenchers in this House have asked, for instance, to create a separate motorcycle category and this is to segregate the big leisure motorcycles like Harley Davidson from the workhorse individuals use for transportation. Segregation of the weak from being over-run by the rich is the characteristic of a sense of social justice imbued in the typical Singaporean. Therefore, as such, we should not modify the VQS system without revisiting this very fundamental rationale. Yes, the present VQS system has some weaknesses. It has shown up and reflected by the freak result of this $50 COE, but that freak result was a convergence of many factors, the economic recession being one of them.”
“May I ask the Minister to give us an assessment of the relations between Hong Kong and Singapore, and whether there is any strained relationship that needs to be looked into?”
“Sir, at the invitation of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, Parliament sent a delegation to Hong Kong in the last week of January this year. Seven Members of Parliament participated, and the Hong Kong Legislative Council arranged a full programme for the delegation. I am happy to report that throughout the visit, we could feel that the welcome extended to us by the Legislative Council, the various Hong Kong government departments, and authorities such as the Housing Authority, the Transportation Department, was warm and genuine. The Hong Kong government officials were friendly and open and were very willing to share with us their difficulties, problems and information. The delegation felt that to a great extent, the friendly relationship between the two territories owed much to the effort of the Singapore Consul-General, Mr Chan Heng Wing, a man of seemingly boundless energy. In our dialogue sessions at the stately legislative building, members of the two legislatures concluded that the so-called "tension" between Hong Kong and Singapore is more a perception, resulting from the reporting by the news media, in particular the foreign media, and that it does not reflect the true feelings of the people of Hong Kong and Singapore. As such, it is rather surprising to learn of the verbal outburst of Mr Chau Tak Hay, the Hong Kong Secretary of Trade and Industry in the Legislative Council when he commented on the extent of control in the Singapore society. Sir, with all due respect to the Secretary, I am afraid that his understanding of Singapore is rather shallow for a man of his standing and background. Perhaps we should invite the Secretary, Mr Chau, to Singapore, and spend some time with us. At the very least, we should send him a copy of SM's book, "The Singapore Story".”
“Sir, I too would like to ask the Minister what is the status of the package approach proposed by the Malaysian government to resolve the issues between Singapore and Malaysia. Furthermore, I would be interested to find out Singapore's position on the Malaysian proposal to build a bridge to replace the Causeway. From the press reports, Sir, one gets the impression that Singapore is neutral towards this proposal. We neither propose nor do we endorse this idea. Our position seems to be waiting for more information. I think Singaporeans will be very interested to find out the pros and cons of a bridge over the Causeway. In other words, conceptually, would the bridge serve Singapore's interest better? One positive effect in my mind is that pollutants in the Straits of Johor could be flushed away and the Singapore shore front facing the Straits of Johor will become a more desirable place to live. So this is only one aspect of the issues. Perhaps, the Minister could give us a more detailed evaluation of this proposal.”
“On the other hand, I detect a recent, but a discernible trend of PRs leaving Singapore for greener pastures overseas. I believe one of the reasons they left Singapore is that they discovered that their income has shrunk, as a result of our CPF cut, wage restraint policy and the weakening Singapore dollar. In comparing their income on a global scale, these professionals found that they are losing out to their friends who have settled elsewhere. While their behaviour is entirely understandable, but from those Singaporeans who have interacted with them, what I would call "fair-weather PRs", they lamented that Singapore is being used as a stepping stone. They believe that perhaps we should only issue PRs to those who are really committed to Singapore. I understand that it is a very fine balance between meeting the aspirations of new immigrants through issuing them PRs and also the need to inculcate a sense of belonging to Singapore. There is no easy answer. May I seek the Minister's comment on the issues I have brought up?”
“In so doing, it introduces the new classification of employment pass and I am referring to the P, Q1 and Q2. Perhaps, the Ministry believes that the new classification solves some problems in the old system but, unfortunately, it also introduces some undesirable effects. Firstly, many highly educated foreigners are grouped together, with skilled and semi-skilled workers in the Q2 category, primarily because their current income is not as high as they would like to have, especially in the current economic downturn. By bringing these new immigrants to our country, they have to adapt to our culture and, as such, it is not surprising that their income level tends to be lower than Singaporeans and PRs with comparable backgrounds. Some of these professionals take it as an affront to them to be lumped together with immigrants of lower educational levels. Furthermore, Q2 holders cannot bring their families to Singapore and that would make it very difficult for these foreigners to accept job offers in Singapore. As a result, some of them would ask for higher salary, just to be classified as Q1. To avoid this problem, I suggest that we go back to the principle that we determine the desirability of these foreign talents based on their educational background and their ability to contribute to Singapore on a long-term, and place less emphasis on their current income. The second item that I would like to bring up is that all immigrants to Singapore would like to receive their PR status as soon as possible. There are many advantages. Being a PR changes the whole orientation for them. For example, they would be able to buy HDB flats in the resale market. PR status gives them a peace of mind to settle down in Singapore.”
“In many areas where there is a shortage of people, foreign talents help in our economy. For instance, in the area of information technology, the industry is already very vibrant and the turnover too is high as it is. And in today's newspaper, we read about the story of IT professionals earning a very high income, and a lady professional who made dough in hard times would be able to buy diamonds as and when she prefers. So, even today, there are many cases of professionals changing jobs for a 20% jump in salary and after holding the job at the current salary for less than three months. Therefore, if we just depend on local manpower, I believe that the salary will escalate even faster and we would price ourselves out of the global market. And this is not a problem unique to Singapore. Even in the United States, with a population of 220 million, it is also unable to meet market demands by just depending on domestic supply alone. As a result, the United States is opening its market, and absorbing a high number of foreign IT professionals through increasing the quota of H1 visa in 1999. H1 is a US immigrant visa for skilled professionals. I think we could say that, in the short-term, some individual Singaporeans would face greater competition from foreign immigrants. In the long-term, foreign immigrants bring greater prosperity and diversity to our country. On balance, we should welcome foreign immigrants. Let me move on to some of the policies implemented by the Ministry of Manpower that would affect the induction of foreign talents. I am referring to the issuance of employment pass by the Ministry of Manpower when it took over that function from the Ministry of Home Affairs.”
“Sir, the exchange between Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Member for Ayer Rajah and BG George Yeo, Second Minister for Trade and Industry shows that the topic of foreign talent can indeed be laden with emotion. And earlier, my colleague, Mr Chay Wai Chuen, has also pointed out the same issue. But the fact is, by and large, Singaporeans welcome immigrants to our land, especially those who can contribute to Singapore and are prepared to sink their roots here. After all, most Singaporeans are descendants of immigrants ourselves. But, as Mr Chay pointed out, this is a question that should be brought out to the open, and that is, does induction of foreign talent introduce competition to our sons and daughters? To a certain extent, I believe it does. A fair number of Singaporeans find that they do have to compete with new immigrants for jobs and housing. In certain cases, they see foreign talents as taking away plum jobs as in banking and financial services, but of course, those are in small number and those people affected can take care of themselves. On the other cases, they see foreign professionals holding down wages in growth areas like information technology. So, obviously those affected would prefer them to be the king of the hill even though it is a small molehill. So, the affected would usually ask what is meant by the term "foreign talent". They would prefer the dictionary definition of the word "talent" as referring to people that Singapore, by itself, cannot produce and not just cannot produce in sufficient number, but cannot be produced at all. Whereas, I think the Government's definition is more like anyone who can contribute to Singapore in the designated areas. Let me state upfront that I support our existing foreign talent policies.”
“The Commissioner of Police, as the man in charge, has sent a strong message down to the ground. Indeed the fact that some Police Officers, the numbers are very small, have been prosecuted in court for abusing their powers, shows that this is taken very seriously. He asked this point about when and whether offenders can inform and contact family members. The principle is that the offender will be allowed to contact family members, or indeed have the family members visit him, when it does not hinder or undermine police investigation. It must be so. Otherwise if there is hard evidence outside, not all cases, but in some cases, some family members when contacted too early, before police investigations have completed or reached a stage when they feel comfortable in allowing such contact, such evidence can be dealt with by the family members. 2.30 pm His other point about whether there are guidelines, Police monitors all court judgements carefully. Judges have given very good guidelines over the years as to what is permissible behaviour when police interviews offenders. So these are looked at very carefully and complied. Recently, the police has put together an interview doctrine, putting together all these points which the courts have made.”
“Mr Sin can rest assured that Singapore Immigration and Registration would consider PR applications objectively in the best interest of all Singaporeans. So I think it is best not to let them know also of the weightage. Mr Low Thia Khiang made a point and asked whether or not the requirement where a Singaporean sponsors his foreign spouse is too stringent. I think we all know that marriage to a Singaporean does not automatically qualify a foreigner for PR status. The Singaporean sponsoring his foreign spouse would need to show that he is able to support his spouse financially; in other words, the level of his income as well as the fact that he must have a steady income. The foreign spouse would also have to fulfil a residential requirement after marriage before the PR is granted. So these two are the basic conditions which are known to Singaporeans. Here again, the cut-off should not be known because otherwise they will find ways to overcome the cut-off. Sir, let me assure Mr Low that all applications are again considered carefully and in the interest of Singaporeans and Singapore at heart. It could be that the case that he mentioned, ie, since 1987, could be a matter of whether or not his income has been steady all this while. His other point is whether we have quotas. The answer is no. We have no fixed quotas to the categories of PRs coming in. Finally, Mr Jeyaretnam once again brings up this issue of rights of accused persons. He wants to speak up for the offenders. Let me once again assure him that Police is very diligent in doing its job. It must be so. That is why we have got a high reputation not only in Singapore but world-wide. And Police will not do anything that will jeopardise this reputation.”
“In order to optimise the space and functionality of the HDB flats, the storeroom in a HDB unit was chosen and fortified so that it could double up as a shelter. HDB owners can also use the shelter for other purposes such as a study. Of course, certain restrictions will be necessary, for example, non-hacking of doors, thickness of the walls, and so on. Indeed, SCDF has helped house owners by issuing a list of do's and dont's guidelines on shelter renovation. Members of the public can approach SCDF with their queries, including any innovative proposals to use the shelters. SCDF continues to work with the respective agencies to ensure that the design of the shelter remains cost-effective and meets the public needs, functionality and aesthetics. Improvements made include surface wiring of earlier design to concealed wiring and the introduction of a lighter design protective shelter door. So whatever suggestions Mr Chng and Dr Wang would like to make on the design of the shelters will be welcome, and they can make them to SCDF. Sir, certain Members have asked about PR. We have got Mr Sin Boon Ann. His point is why do we not make it more transparent by letting the public know the weightage. Our PR policies are intended to attract foreigners who can contribute to Singapore. As the needs of our economy and society change from time to time, we will have to adjust our PR criteria and the relative weightage accordingly. Hence, the criteria and weightage would also have to be changed, depending on the number of foreigners we attract. Apart from avoiding possible abuse, letting applicants know what the broad criteria are is sufficient, and gives Government the flexibility to fine-tune policies promptly and effectively in response to changes.”
“The company's performance will be evaluated and reviewed regularly both to ensure that it meets standards set by Traffic Police before privatising this task of enforcing illegal parking island wide. Sir, Mr Chng also asked about CD shelters, together with Dr Wang Kai Yuen. I will take the points together. Communal residential shelters were first built in HDB void decks or basements in 1987. A 1994 review found that household shelters had significant advantages. Household shelters would offer immediate protection to each household whereas it may take too long a time for everyone in the home to make their way to a void deck or basement shelter. Household shelters would be especially vital to families with young children, senior citizens or infirm members. Household shelters would also allow the daily living routine to continue as normally as possible during an emergency. Sir, because its feasibility has to be tested, Government initially bore the construction cost. With the enactment of the Civil Defence Shelter Act requiring all new HDB and private dwellings to provide shelters in 1997, HDB and private dwellings will now bear the construction cost of their household shelters. So it is now borne by the owners, which I think makes sense because after all, it concerns their own safety. This ruling applies to all HDB flats open for public selection from 1st April last year. Both Mr Chng and Dr Wang Kai Yuen have made comments about the construction, the technical specifications and design of these shelters. Let me assure them that from the beginning, my Ministry was mindful of home owners' concerns about the space taken up by the shelter, its uses and its aesthetic value.”
“Police has advised the organisers of such foam parties against violating the law or allowing immoral or offensive activities on their premises. Police will closely monitor any of them organising such events. These parties, in fact, have toned down. Sir, as for 'all-girls' night parties, Police has been monitoring the entertainment joints organising such parties since 1997, to ensure that immoral or offensive activities do not take place. There was only one disco that organised such events. The operator was found to have infringed the licensing conditions by staging a dance performance by transvestites. He was charged in court and fined $2,000. His operating hours were also curtailed from 3.00 am to 1.00 am. The disco ceased operation in October 1998. Sir, let me assure Mr Peh that Police will continue to monitor these activities and will not hesitate to take tough action to preserve public law and order and public morals. Mr Chng Hee Kok's point is on privatisation of police services. Police has hitherto been the sole agency taking action against illegal parking on public roads. This is not an efficient use of limited police resources, as Mr Chng has said. Issuing illegal parking summons is a fairly straightforward task which does not require a fully trained police officer to perform. Police will look into getting suitable companies in the private sector to enforce illegal parking. This will free up scarce manpower to concentrate on critical functions such as attending to crime cases. Police will call for tender in the middle of this year inviting private sector companies to apply. For a start, the successful private agency will be tried out at certain locations where illegal parking is rampant.”
“Sir, my question is also similar to Mr Chng's. At the beginning when we developed our CD shelters programme, we started with the CD shelters at the void deck. The Government bore those costs and continues to bear those costs whereas, as at today, there is a requirement to build a CD shelter in every new HDB flat. When this matter was debated in the House, the Minister indicated that Government, and not the purchasers of the new HDB flats, would bear the costs of those shelters. I understand that for new private condominiums and landed property, it is also a requirement to build CD shelters in those dwelling units. But in the latter cases, the individual owners are required to bear those costs. May I ask the Minister why is there a discrepancy in funding CD shelters? The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee): Sir, let me first address Mr Peh's question. The Ministry has not relaxed its control over discos and lounges. Discos and lounges are still subject to licensing conditions which aim to prevent law and order problems such as fights, overcrowding and social problems, like immoral and indecent activities and under-aged drinking. There is no change to the licensing conditions. In enforcing the licensing conditions, Police conducts regular and random spot checks at discos and lounges. If the operator is found to have violated the licensing conditions, his licence can be suspended or even forfeited, or his operating hours curtailed. His security deposit can also be forfeited. For serious cases, the Police would prosecute the licensee in court who then faces a fine of up to $5,000. Mr Peh mentioned foam parties.”
“Members may be interested to learn that since its induction in Hong Kong, there was not a single incidence of mis-connection. In fact, today, over 70% of Hong Kong population are now supplied with sea water for flushing. In 1995, the average daily amount of sea water supplied was 434,000 cubic metres which is more than the combined total of all the three of our proposed desalination plants. As our average of water demand for fresh water was 2.5 million cubic metres in 1995, this means that we would have used, say, sea water like what we have used in Hong Kong, it would mean a saving of close to 14.6%. So you can look at it as a very substantial alternative supply of fresh water. Sir, I think this is one area that we could learn something from Hong Kong and I suggest that the Government seriously look into this matter.”
“In my view, JTC did not do a very good job to ensure success in that pilot project, because recycled water is corrosive and metal components that could not stand the corrosion were used in that particular system. As such, I think it was very regrettable because it turned us off from the use of alternative water supply for flushing. I came across sea water flushing in Hong Kong more than 18 years ago. I brought up the subject of sea water flushing in this House in my first term as Member of Parliament, about 14 years ago. Recently, I led a delegation of seven Parliamentarians to Hong Kong and I learned about the use of sea water for flushing. Like Singapore, the demand for water in Hong Kong for the past 20 years up to 1990 grew by 6% a year. Their water supply problems are also largely due to no appreciable underground water; no sizable lakes or rivers; and lack of catchment areas, which are very similar to ours. But Hong Kong has an advantage. It is part of China and the province of Guangdong is happy to supply it with water. By 1996, Guangdong provided about 720 million cubic metres of water to Hong Kong, about 70% of their total demand. But even with such an assured water supply, Hong Kong has built a separate system to supply sea water for flushing purposes in urban areas and new towns. This system was started in the late 1950s, close to 40 years ago. Though sea water is not treated to the same standard as fresh water, it is supplied through a completely separate system through pumping system, service reservoirs and water mains, from those used for fresh water. One of the main concerns I have heard repeatedly about dual water system supply is the possibility of accidentally mis-connecting sea water supply or recycled water to fresh water.”
“Sir, Singapore ranks sixth in the world as the most water-short country. The rate of increase in water consumption has been about 5% a year for the past decade. Today, we need 1.2 million cubic metre of water daily, about half of which comes from water catchment areas, and the rest comes from Johor. We all know that the water agreements with Johor will expire in the years 2011 and 2061 respectively. And the Government has planned to build three desalination plants, the first costing $1 billion will be built at Tuas and will produce 137,000 cubic metres a day when ready. Assoc. Prof. Low has already touched upon the various methods of desalination. I would not go into that. When all three plants are completed, the combined supply will be about 400,000 cubic metres a day. We all agree that Singapore should treasure its supply of fresh water. The image of DPM Lee at a press conference pointing to a bottle of mineral water, stressing that we should treat our tap water as precious as that bottle of mineral water, has left a very deep impression on my mind. However, by the same measure, I would also find it very unconscionable to use the same bottle of mineral water to flush our toilets. In fact, it would be very environmentally unfriendly when we consider that large scale desalination would consume a huge amount of energy which would in turn contribute to global warming. If we just focus on desalination as a source of fresh water, I think we have not done enough to explore the use of recycled water and sea water for flushing. I am aware of a pilot project several years ago to use recycled water in Teban Garden for flushing. However, the residents had tremendous problems with it. My concern is that that attempt was a bit half-hearted.”
“My question to the Minister is whether as a nation, we are spending our scarce resource in funding R&D in the right area and whether we are enabling our companies to cross the technology gate, using Mr Lim Swee Say's term, to grow into future knowledge-based companies.”