Warren Lee
Singapore
“Sir, there are 300 clan associations, approximately 200 of them belonging to a single umbrella for Chinese clan associations. They have played a significant role in the development of Singapore, especially for early immigrants, who faced hard times, financial assistance, job placement, building communal facilities, dispute resolution, sch…”
“With the community parent, children who need to work long hours or overseas need not worry endlessly about their elderly parents living alone.”
“Sir, I am really glad to hear of the Minister's vision for the revived waterways. Can I ask whether he might include plans for Sungei Sembawang or Katib Bongsu canal? Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Certainly, we will include all our waterways. I have been told that we have done something at Sungei Sembawang.”
“Preparedness Against Infectious Diseases Sir, during World War II, losses due to malaria and other preventable diseases among allied forces operating in the China-Burma and India theatre far exceeded the number of casualties inflicted by enemy action.”
“In fact, in the latest issue of Pioneer, which was just circulated by the Minister, on page 8, you will find these brighter, better gymnasiums. There are 12 of them, the latest ones, across the SAF camps. There are also the latest gymnasiums in the SAFRA clubs. Some of the machines emulate what Dr Warren Lee has been saying.”
“Sir, like other Members of this House, we have noted that relations between Australia and Singapore are broad-based and go back many years. Our troops train in Australia, Qantas uses Changi International Airport as a major overseas hub, and our two peoples have strong ties of friendship and family.”
The complete record
Every one of 191 lines we hold for Warren Lee, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 4.
“All these help to make it cheaper to produce these high-end articles back in Japan, in some cases, with a total savings of 10%. This article further noted that labour cost may only constitute 5% of the cost of these high-end products and further notes that one of the rationale, for one of these companies, is that workers in Japan could do the job of 22 workers in a neighbouring country. I think we should continue to encourage our manufacturing sector to upgrade and to continue to help companies find reasons to stay in Singapore, such as upgrading our workforce and also making a sustained effort to lower cost for companies and individuals through greater Government efficiencies and realistic pricing of Government services. I turn now to babies. Like many of my colleagues, this time, I would like to say that when we got married, my wife and I wanted three or four children. But after my daughter was born, my wife changed her mind. She was not convinced that I would have been able to share more of the responsibility of looking after the next baby since I had seemed very hands-off with the first. In her eyes, a disproportionate share of the responsibility for child-rearing had been laid on her lap. Sadly, I must confess the truth of this. On my part, I had always felt a struggle to balance the demands of career and family. If I look back, I would regret what I had done. As the years have caught up with us, perhaps the time has passed for myself. But I wonder how many other husbands in Singapore have been faced with this dilemma. I would call on other husbands not to make the same mistake but to find a way to convince their wives that they will do more, and after that, better keep their promise.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate as the last speaker before the Hon. Minister for Finance makes his reply. I would like to welcome this Budget for its stance of reminding all of us that, as a country, we must live within our means, while continuing to invest in our future, especially in defence and education. This year's Budget is clearly pro-business with the 2% corporate tax reduction and the removal of tax from personal income remitted from overseas is very well-received. What I hope would also come soon is the removal of tax from corporate income earned overseas and remitted to Singapore. I believe that this measure would encourage offshore funds to move back to Singapore to benefit our banking industry and our role as a capital-exporting country. Perhaps, the potential revenue forgone in removing this tax would be balanced by the downstream gains from these funds flowing in and through Singapore. I am heartened to note this Budget continues to pay attention to education and training and retraining of workers, rather than taking the populist way out of giving more rebates and subsidies for low-income families. I would like to draw hon. Members' attention to a heartening article in today's Straits Times entitled, "It's back to Japan for high-precision goods". In this article, on page 6, it reports that Canon, Kenwood, Seiko Epson and others are planning to move production of high-end consumer electronic products back to Japan from some of the factories in the surrounding countries because of the lower cost of procuring components in Japan, flexibility of workforce and proximity of R&D facilities plus the higher skills and productivity of Japanese workers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is repeatedly mentioned that if any school principal were to ask for arrangement to be made for "No Stopping" signs, this would be looked into. I have a similar problem in my constituency and the grassroots leaders and advisors have repeatedly written in to ask if something could be done, but apparently zigzag lines, and all that, could not be done. We face a lot of difficulties. Could the views of grassroots leaders and advisors also be considered?”
“To take up a point which has been raised by others about what risks are actually involved, I believe it is possible for competent authorities, such as the Ministry of Health, working with a respected body of experts, to put up on the web or in printed form, a set of information listing what are the currently accepted ranges of complications, mortality risks, possible long-term complications and such like, which will be considered to be commonly agreed upon at a given point in time, and revised from time to time. This, if given out and publicised widely, will make it possible for consent, counselling and such like to be given in a transparent way and with reduction in the risk of buyers. This will also make it easier for people to talk about what might be sufficient compensation should something go wrong. What then comes under the ambit of the law and what does not come under the ambit of the law in terms of monetary compensation could also be spelt out a bit more clearly. I believe that with this sort of clarity of information, people will be much more inclined to support the law in practice. I also hope that the ethics committees that would be constituted under the ambit of the law would not only do their work fairly and transparently but also in a timely fashion. Because in a lot of transplant cases, time is of the essence. Sir, on this note, I support the Bill.”
“Doctors and medical staff, whose responsibility it will be to speak to the next-of-kin of possible removal of donor organs in individual cases, will then face less difficulties and less misunderstanding. In time, we hope that the population's attitude will change such that there will be more support for donation of other tissues, such as blood samples for research or cord blood and placenta of new born babies for programmes such as a public cord blood bank, which can in turn help stem cell transplants and turn this concept into a reality for more Singaporeans. Transplant medicine is a difficult but established field of medicine. It is an area which will give Singapore a niche advantage compared to other providers of medical care in the region. But to progress, our people must have more experience. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this proposed law is also important in that it gives a legal framework for the donation of human organs for transplant from living donors. Many people have spoken about this point and we realise that the procurement of donor organs from live donors for financial consideration is very much a reality in many parts of the world. Some of these take place in very dubious circumstances. I am sure we in Singapore would not want to be in any way party to such exploitative practices. We also recognise that organ transplantation is a major procedure, not only for the recipient, but also for the donor in the case of living donors. Many have spoken about the possibility of coercion or pressure.”
“While it can be subsequently revoked, and the person can decide to opt in again, it would mean that under the provisions of the Act, he or she will no longer enjoy the original degree of priority in the queue for a suitable donor organ should he or she need one in the future. This measure is probably to prevent people from making frivolous decisions or deciding to defer entry into the donor pool until it is clear to them that they themselves will be needing a donor organ. My colleagues have spoken about the position of those in the Muslim community. But as has been pointed out, these people can also opt in. This is, therefore, fair to both groups of people, ie, those opting out and those opting in, as well as those who already, by not opting out, have presumed consent. It may be presumed that those who conscientiously object to donating their own organs will also similarly be strenuous in not wanting to receive a donor organ from another person. By the same reasoning, no one who does not want to be a potential donor should be able to benefit ahead of someone else who was willing to be a donor himself or herself. I hope that there will be ample opportunities for conscientious objectors to register their choice and that the provisions of the Act will be made known widely annually, perhaps during the annual volunteers week or some other similar occasions. We need to do more to ensure that not only are people aware of the issues when they sign the option form, but that it is clearly made known to the public about how and where they may be able to make the choice of opting out.”
“These organs and tissues include the pancreas, which can provide insulin for those with diabetes mellitus, the lungs and even the intestines. The transplantation of these other organs, while proven useful in certain situations, is still not yet widely established. Hence, I believe that this is why they are not listed in the legislation before us. Nevertheless, if someone is known to need such an organ and a suitable donor is found, having this current HOTA legislation will make it much easier for transplant coordinators, who will be speaking to the next-of-kin regarding the presumed consent of donation of their liver, heart, cornea and kidney, to also bring up the subject of possible donation of these other organs for the saving of lives. The Government has consulted widely with many sectors of the population and with religious leaders on the provisions of this legislation. I am pleased to note that this amendment has wide support. Yet, we recognise that not everyone will be willing to donate organs. There are some for whom the thought of a loved one being buried or cremated less than whole would cause extreme grief due to personal or religious reasons. We have to respect this and not make it difficult for people to opt out. We need to ensure that the public are clearly aware of what their decision to opt out or opt in entails. In this, I reflect what many of my other learned colleagues have said. At this age of 21, when a citizen is given a form to sign to make a choice of opting out of the organ donor pool, this decision is binding.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate. Sir, the inclusion of the liver, heart and cornea to the list of organs covered by the opt-out system or presumed consent system under Singapore law is to be welcomed. It has been long in coming, but Singapore is still one of the few countries in the world where this system exists. No doubt there are 20 countries, but we are still in the minority, happily so. Having presumed consent legislated will reduce wasted time and opportunities, when organs which would otherwise have been able to save lives, go to waste because people do not understand the issues involved. Transplantation of kidneys, hearts, livers and corneas is already part of the practice of medicine for many years. For those receiving kidneys and corneas, they receive additional life to the years, whereas for those receiving hearts and livers, it is often literally the gift of life itself. But cadaveric organ donation is not only the means of obtaining human organs. In reality, the number of cadaveric transplants may never be sufficient since Singapore has a low rate of deaths among otherwise healthy citizens since we have safe roads and safe streets. Nevertheless, I see many positive effects of this law. We need to gradually get Singaporeans used to the idea that donation of body parts for the common good is a worthy objective. Increasing acceptance of the idea of donating one's organs when we are dead, and these organs are of no longer any use to us, means more will come forward to donate, not just organs or tissues after death, but organs and tissues not covered under current legislation before us.”
“If you want a frontline counter job, you might want to attend a course that helps you project the pleasant personality and good inter-personal skills and also gives tips on dressing right. If you look frumpy and you sound grumpy, do not blame people for not giving you the job. Again, CDCs can help in this regard. The last bit is just a suggestion for HDB. As we have asked the people to cut their cloth as they are able to afford it, and cut their clothes according to what they can afford, perhaps now we are actually asking people to live more within their means. People who are downgrading and unable to service large housing loans need to be looking at cheaper alternatives. Between a highly subsidised rental market with arguably lots of necessary restrictions and the free market, I think a lot of people in distress would really look forward to an alternative where HDB will have minimally subsidised rental flats which are maybe a bit bigger but which would fill the need or gap, much in the same way that NTUC FairPrice supermarkets manage to moderate prices. Perhaps, that is one practical measure that would help many hard-pressed Singaporeans. On this note, Sir, I support the statement.”
“Having misplaced pride and a handout mentality would not be good for us in the long term. The effect of CPF cuts would be to lower our labour cost and make our labour more competitive. However, cost alone is not only the issue. Our products, as a whole, as a country, have to be cheaper and better, or at least give better value for the price. Factories in China, India and the former Eastern bloc have found out that when cheaper and better quality foreign goods started appearing in their markets, discounting obsolescent product lines alone did not ensure sales. As a potential employee, if what you have to offer is a set of old-fashioned and limited skills do not expect an easy time on the market for new jobs. Singaporeans like ai pea ai chi. Your potential employer is also looking for a better, cheaper, more reliable labour product, just as you want to have it cheaper and better. Many of our citizens decry the fact that many employers would like to have people to have facility in Chinese or other languages. Others find that employers want to have good looking frontline staff. Instead of complaining that people are discriminating against you, perhaps we should learn to give employers what they want. If you read in today's papers, people in the call centres are now learning how to speak American English so that they are actually able to do a better job even when they are far away from sight. In the same way that many older workers embrace computers to deal with marketplace realities, I think the CDCs can help non-Chinese Singaporeans get a working knowledge of Mandarin to make them more employable. The MPs who are not so good in Mandarin manage to learn a bit more too.”
“Other grassroots leaders tell me about difficulties with recruiting for shipyards, even when they are prepared to offer training. And when our Town Council decided to employ more Singaporean workers for cleansing operations, residents started complaining that actually local workers were spraying water and not scrubbing, unlike some of the foreign workers. When the water dries up, the corridors are still dirty. As we upskill the younger and more educated workers, I think the only way for us to maintain low unemployment for older and less educated workers is for them to accept the manual service and less convenient jobs that are currently being taken by some of our foreign workers. I think we need to relearn the dignity of honest manual labour. We can outsource a lot of jobs, but certain jobs cannot be easily outsourced and have to be done in the country and onsite. I do not think there is any shame in honest labour, even when some aspects of the job may be a bit demeaning. As doctors and healthcare professionals, this is the creed which doctors and nurses have to learn to accept - unpleasant sights and smells, and sometimes unreasonable behaviour of people who are ill and need our help. I do not think people think any less of our profession for the fact that we have to deal with all these unpleasant things. I call upon the Government to have a campaign to change societal values, to re-emphasise the dignity of labour, the principle that any job is better than no job, and it is better to be at least partially employed and to receive some help financially than to look out for handouts alone. We manage to change Singaporeans' attitude to a military career, and I think we can do the same for manual labour and service sector jobs.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate. The CPF cuts are bitter but necessary medicine and, in some ways, I believe that we can take this bitter medicine analogy a little further. The challenges we face are not going to be a simple flu. Recovery can only come when the patient, that is our people, acknowledges the problem and takes steps to address the problem. After acknowledging the problem, the bitter medicine may need to be taken over a period of time, and there may need to be more than one medicine with a bitter after-taste, no matter how sugar-coated. And after that, the patient may still need rehabilitation and physiotherapy to recover the use of flabby muscles, stiff joints and maybe a flabby mind. Some medicine may appear to be less painful but may not be so effective. Just as no physician can do a good job if he has an uncooperative patient, I fear that the Government's fiscal measures and CPF retuning will not bear fruits unless Singaporeans acknowledge that we as a people and a country need to recognise we have a problem in competitiveness and take all necessary steps to address the matter. Other MPs have spoken about the steps that the Government may need to take, but I would like to focus a little bit differently and say that the onus is now upon our people - our workers - to recognise the steps that the Government has done and to take their own steps to recognise the problem. My grassroots leaders still keep telling me how difficult it is to recruit waiters and waitresses, even when the pay is $1,200 a month. Singaporeans, it seems, are not prepared to put up with split shifts and having to work on weekends.”
“While this may not be applicable to SARS, there may be diseases where even well-looking people could be transmitting the disease. The law must therefore make the necessary provisions for this. I would urge though, that when an individual has to be jailed because he or she is in breach of the provisions of this Bill, he or she should still have to continue to have access to appropriate medical attention, and that the other inmates of the facility or prison be protected from the hazards of this disease. I would also urge that when the law is implemented on the ground, medical practitioners can be given practical assistance to help refer uncooperative members of the public to the proper authorities for appropriate actions. It is unlikely that medical workers would knowingly contravene the provisions of this amendment Bill. It would be helpful if the law were to assist them in this regard. As a doctor in a restructured hospital, I know my colleagues and I face the daily stress of SARS. Our patient load is down but the stress load is much higher. This Bill will help us to breathe a little easier. On behalf of my other healthcare workers, I would like to thank Members of this House and members of the public for their many expressions of support. These gestures are much appreciated. On that note, Sir, I support the proposed legislation.”
“One doctor close to me told me of a patient from Guangdong who deliberately coughed into her face and the receptionist's face when asked whether he had come from a SARS-affected place. This piece of legislation would help add the weight of the law to societal disapproval of this type of obnoxious behaviour. In normal circumstances, what a patient tells his or her doctor is confidential. However, the Bill would compel a doctor to release information about the patient's contacts, travel and illnesses to the competent authorities when the need arises, such as during this present SARS crisis. As a doctor, I see that the principle of confidentiality of information given to the doctor will, in these circumstances, need to be subject to the greater good of the majority. Some may also hold the view that post-mortems are against their religious beliefs. However, it may be crucial to know, through a post-mortem examination, whether the deceased has shown signs that a certain disease has affected the internal organs in a specific way not seen in other conditions. This information may be crucial in a disease such as SARS, where a reliable single test has yet to be developed, as it would then decide whether or not a large group of the living is or is not at risk, and whether this group needs treatment or quarantine. Even the process of grieving will have to be changed, as the authorities will be empowered to withhold permission for wakes for the deceased. However, we need to remind ourselves of the reasons why this is so. The body of the deceased and the personal effects may still be infectious. Persons close to the deceased may unwittingly be harbouring the disease in its early stages.”
“The Black Death of Europe, caused by Bubonic Plague has been immortalised by the nursery rhyme, "Ring a ring a rosy, a pocket full of posies, a tissue, a ah-choo, a tissue, all fall down." The advent of measles and other viral diseases among North American natives after the arrival of European settlers actually killed off many of them. The 1918 influenza pandemic also killed millions around the world. SARS, therefore, may be a new disease, but does not represent a new situation in the world. We all can learn from the lessons of history in dealing with this. The first lesson is whether or not we are able to save the individual patient. We must at least prevent the disease from affecting the entire nation. Contact tracing, quarantining and isolation of index cases and at-risk persons can only succeed if all were to cooperate. Firm measures then need to be instituted to ensure compliance, and the loss of some personal freedom would be a small price to pay for the survival of the nation. We would not need this legislation if everyone were to cooperate. Sadly, however, I and my medical and nursing colleagues will tell you that this is often not at all the case. Doctors are at the mercy of patients who may not always tell the truth. The provisions of this Bill will help doctors perform their duties more effectively simply because they are more likely to be told the truth by their patients. Some patients lie to the staff at triage points. Others try to sneak extra visitors past the hospital staff or argue with the staff. I have had patients telling triage staff that their kids are well and then admitted to me that actually their child has been coughing for days. Others can be downright anti-social.”
“Sir, I speak in support of the amendments, not only because its legislation is of public health importance, but because I believe it is an important step in the fight for public and international confidence in Singapore's future and economic recovery. I know many fellow Singaporeans would have lost out on business deals because they are afraid to travel to SARS-affected countries, not just because of the risks to themselves but because of the risks that they may pose by bringing the infection back. I and my colleagues have skipped medical conferences and speaking engagements for the same reason. If we do not tackle SARS and restore confidence in Singapore as a safe destination, not only will our tourism industry, but all of Singapore will face a bleak future. On the other hand, measures, such as a very simple temperature taking campaign, prescribe tangible, transparent, measurable and logical actions, would all help rebuild confidence and, in fact, position Singapore favourably as a safer destination in an increasingly dangerous world. The problem of SARS merely presages a brave new world where we can expect, from time to time, new diseases to appear. Some may be epidemics of well-known diseases brought to Singapore by the forces of globalisation; others may be caused by mutations of known pathogens; still others, completely new agents like SARS, and perhaps even biological agents conceived originally as weapons of terror or mass destruction. In such cases, conventional medical methods to treat and contain the disease may fail, as the appropriate cure will not yet have been found. If such new diseases are highly infectious, one patient appearing in our midst may kill many people. Indeed, history tells us of several instances of this.”
“Point of clarification, Sir. Just now I think Mr Lim Hng Kiang was under the impression that I questioned the validity of the home as a suitable place for home quarantine. I fully agree with that as a medical practitioner. I was actually trying to refer to people who were recalcitrant in trying to break quarantine, and Mr Wong Kan Seng has told us what he would be doing for that group of people. But, perhaps, he might want to address the group who is given a Home Quarantine Order because of a contact at work, and then because they are living with maybe distant relatives or actually renting a room, find that the relative or landlord saying, "Look. Please, I don't want you to be in the same household." What do they do then?”
“I would like to ask the Minister for Health if he could help clarify two matters that arose in the Sembawang area. I wonder whether the Minister could clarify the arrangements made for families who are under Home Quarantine Orders. Is it clear that groceries would be delivered and, if so, what types of groceries would be delivered to them? Would they be expected to ask their friends and relatives to help provide for their daily necessities? I think there is some confusion on the ground regarding the facilities being given. The other issue is the prominent space given in the newspapers one or two days ago regarding a person who came back from China and refused screening at the airport and a check-up. I understand that legislation may be introduced in this regard. But currently, can a person refuse screening? And if he or she has been screened somewhere else and has been given a clean bill of health, how much credence will be given to that clean bill of health?”
“Sir, may I ask DPM whether consideration may be given towards providing some form of residential facility for those who are unable to take home quarantine perhaps because they are renting a room, or for those who repeatedly seem to have difficulty keeping their Home Quarantine Orders?”
“So you will have a synergy of the various agencies within the MCDS where SDU might actually end up being a synergistic agency for the sporting excellence for Singapore agency.”
“Sir, I agree that funding is a very important point. But perhaps a broad base of support for sports from the population is just as important. From the perspective of myself, someone who only started being active in sports in my secondary school years, may I suggest the following, and I must say that this is also based on observations of Australia: Firstly, start them young. Again I make the plea for a broad-based participative approach even at the primary school years, especially since we know that many parents and grandparents have a rather over-protective attitude towards their children, while others may feel that this is a waste of time, which could be better spent on studies and assessment books. Secondly, I would say that we should not forget the parents and the adults because active parents, who are themselves into sports, are more likely to be able to persuade the young children to take up sports. Or, for those who already have sporting talent, to encourage their children and give them the practical support needed for them to develop, such as bringing them to the 5-11 training sessions a week, if we really want to get sporting excellence. Thirdly, I would say, do not forget the young people. We have often lamented the fact that young people tend to be rather inactive once they start their working years. But we must remember that things like extreme sports, golf, triathlon and trail biking and even rock climbing, tend to be taken up by people who are older teenagers or young working adults. Having opportunities for these young people to learn and take part in these sports would also give them an opportunity for interaction and, hopefully, this might lead on to marriage.”
“Sir, the Committee on Sporting Singapore (CoSS) was formed some years ago and included three Ministers and a Senior Minister of State. The CoSS made a number of recommendations to create a sporting population. Could the Minister give an update on the number of recommendations that have been implemented and also when will the rest of the recommendations be implemented? In particular, what are we doing with regard to participation rather than excellence in competition alone, as there are many health benefits to those who exercise regularly?”
“Just like there are women's clubs and men's clubs, perhaps we also need to have elderly activity clubs along the lines of SAGE and even our senior citizens' clubs, which would form areas of mutual support and help the elderly age gracefully together in small and closely-knit groups. Perhaps the Minister would also consider an elderly protection and care service along the lines of MCDS' Children and Young Persons Service. The emphasis is really not about wayward working adult children but finding workable solutions for families in need.”
“Sir, I recognise that there are provisions in our laws to protect the elderly, such as the Women's Charter, the Penal Code, the Maintenance of Parents Act and the Mental Disorders and Treatment Act. However, there is, currently, no over-arching legal framework, like the Protection of Children and Young Persons Act. There are, apparently, lots of complex grey areas and a lack of consensus about what constitutes elder abuse. There are difficulties about what constitutes a minimum standard of care for the elderly. If we are to go after family members for delay in seeking medical care, for example, do we also recognise that the elderly may refuse to accept medical care? If the working adults in the family can barely put food on the table for their own children, how much more can they be expected to provide for their elderly parents? There is a need to balance the independence and personal choice of the elderly who may choose to continue to live in an abusive situation at home, and the role of the State to uphold justice. Perhaps there is a place for a comprehensive Act to provide for the State to assume the role of guardian and protector in selected cases. On the other hand, laws are not enough. We need to provide practical help to families to help them to cope. I would urge the Government to consider two suggestions: firstly, increasing resources for the MCDS' Elderly Development Division to develop a whole new framework of care for the elderly, to increase detection and expertise and to develop a national consensus on the issue as well as to improve on existing institutional and VWO services for the elderly.”
“Relatives would disappear soon after the old person was admitted only to reappear after Chinese New Year, or whatever festival, was over. Thirdly, elderly people who, in the past, neglected or abused their family members. Others may have been too busy to bond with their children when they were young and may have left them to the care of maids or foster parents to an excessive degree. I think these people would have great difficulty in expecting a high degree of care and concern from their own children when they are old. Just as we have developed a legal and service infrastructure for child abuse and neglect, I believe, because of all these reasons, we should develop a national eldercare programme of support infrastructure for the elderly.”
“Sir, despite an MCDS' social attitudes survey of 2001 showing that 98% of Singaporeans polled agreed that they would support and spend time with their elderly parents, I believe the neglect and abuse of the elderly may be on the increase, because of increasing financial and other constraints within the family, and in changes in the sense of duty and filial piety to the elderly. What causes this? Firstly, some of the elderly do not have enough CPF asset or assets to last their remaining years. Others have problems after upgrading to bigger flats because of the downturn in the property market. Early retirement and retrenchment may take further toll not only on the elderly but also on the adult children upon whom they might have depended. The elderly may also be targets of schemes to relieve them of their assets, either from people within the family or from outside the family. Secondly, families are already under stress for time and caregivers' roles. Double incomes are a necessity and people face retrenchments and redundancy. Extended family networks are fast disappearing with increasing pressure on time for work, procreation, childcare, skills retraining, upgrading, continuing education. There is little time for people to spend with their elderly parents. When the elderly become frail, it is even worse. There is often no respite for those who have to look after the elderly. I think medical doctors in the House are familiar with the term "dumping syndrome" to denote the phenomenon of elderly patients with only vague medical problems being brought to A&E departments for admission during festive seasons. In many cases, the medical problems were stable, but the social problems were obvious.”
“Sir, in view of the aging population and the changes in the demographics that we are facing in the future, there is going to be a need for workers who are specialised in the areas relevant to the needs of an aging population. No matter how much we think the needs are, when it actually comes to absolute numbers, these numbers are relatively small, and training may be a little bit difficult to fund locally. Does MCDS have schemes in place for working towards greater numbers of people who have specialised skills for the management of the elderly? At the same time, I am heartened by the various schemes that have been put forward regarding the retraining of older workers as healthcare workers, and as just aides to help with the mobility and feeding of the elderly. I think schemes like these are very good, but I would also like to see whether there is actually provision for specialised manpower.”
“Try to allow for more beginners to take up sports and join the Beginners' League, and not only to focus on the star performers who can bring honour to the school. Perhaps, Parent-Teacher Associations can also help schools by running Beginners' Leagues, like the Little League in America, and maybe do so by weight categories - small, bigger, fattest! Or have beginner, intermediate and advanced levels for a variety of games. NIE can perhaps help by actually training and upgrading parent volunteers to run leagues properly. I think schools need to support the Sporting Singapore vision by not only betting on the sure winners, but also to water and fertilise the hidden and budding talents of all our children, thin or fat, short or tall. Late bloomers can sometimes really do our garden proud. Another short point is that some of these children would have medical problems as a result of their weight problem. I hope that these children will be appropriately channelled to the relevant medical channels for investigation and treatment. Our own research in KK Hospital suggests that at least a third, if not more, would have significant medical treatable problems. For some of them, the TAF club programme has not been able to help, for some reason or other. I hope that the Minister will support a more targeted approach to these children, in view of the serious health risks they pose to themselves and potential future burden to the nation.”
“Madam, by any measure, the Ministry of Education's Trim and Fit Programme (TAF) has been a success. It has resulted in both a reduction of obesity among school children from 14% in 1992 to below 10% today. It has also increased the level of fitness of pre-enlistees in the schools. I have also myself seen how MINDEF's very effective programme to slim down fat pre-enlistees before they begin their BMT proper has also resulted in much weight loss. Nevertheless, as a paediatrician who sees children referred for obesity, I keep hearing from children who say that they do not have an outlet for exercise, and that they have not been selected for the school's training programme. These children are often obese because they do not exercise very much. They do not get to compete because, being fat, they cannot run as fast as their friends, and so may not even get chosen to be on the team for games, and during recess time - always pasang during catching! To drown their sorrows, many of these children eat more! Others tell of PE lessons converted into additional lessons - as has also been brought up by other Members - because of the pressure to fulfill the academic curriculum. What about the parents? Research tells us that 40-80% of obese children will have at least one obese parent. It would be nice for the parents to exercise with the child. But my long clinical experience tells me otherwise. Unfortunately, fat families tend to stay fat together! This is not a happy situation, if we are trying to achieve healthy lifestyles for all and a sporting Singapore. I hope that the Minister will persuade schools to teach children how to play sports and games that they have never tried.”
“We should be able to prototype and produce and test everything from furniture to ships in Singapore. We will also need the legal, financial, IT and services sectors, while not being scientists themselves, are able to understand people in these fields and service these companies. Exposure, understanding and versatile enquiring minds, familiar with the technology of tomorrow - this is what our children will need. I am confident that MOE will continue to rise to the challenge.”
“Sir, at the recent visit to the National Institute of Education, I saw something that has increased my confidence in our education system. A lady teacher, with decades of service and one and a half years to go before retirement, was learning about cells and DNA, right along with colleagues who would have been her daughter's age. They were learning to make simple but effective and realistic models of cells and doing hands-on experience on DNA isolation, gene identification and gene amplification. Others were learning about using computer graphics to teach students concepts about molecular chemistry and biological compounds. In short, our education system is teaching our students how to make their living in tomorrow's world, by first empowering their existing and future school teachers. This is wonderful. However, I believe we should not put all our bets on the life sciences. The life sciences are important, but should not overshadow the exposure of students to other scientific disciplines. The petroleum and plastics industry is based on the once new and once existing chemistry of carbon compounds. The computer chip industry is based on the physics of silicon and the semi-conducting element. Yesterday's frontiers of science often will become the bases of today's industry, just to be put into consumer products built by factory operators. And DNA experiments might one day be as quaint as our memories of logarithm tables and slide rules. The education system, in my view, should not teach scientific techniques as ends in themselves, but to use them to inspire students to enter areas of the future, such as nano-machines, nano-tubes, gena-rays, perfume and flavour chemistry, industrial enzymes, drug design and industrial design.”
“Sir, one of the problems that we face in the current downturn is when people go and see a private practitioner and the private practitioner tells the patient that a specialist's opinion is needed. Up to now, the practice has been that if the private practitioner refers the patient to a restructured hospital, it becomes a private consultation with high cost. Usually, this is justified on the grounds that, after all, you are choosing to have a named specialist. Although I know this has been a perennial problem, I would still urge that, when a private practitioner refers a patient to a hospital to seek consultation on a given medical discipline, but not with the named specialist in mind, consideration be given for these referrals to be done at subsidised rates.”
“But what happens to some of these people who are already stuck, living in a flat that they cannot afford to continue to pay? Is it possible then for the young people to rent in situ, instead of having to move everybody out and get a new flat? Is it also possible for the lease term of these flats to be changed, in such a way that the lease becomes shorter and the young people are then not deemed to have taken a second subsidy? Perhaps, a creative solution could be found.”
“Madam, the HDB has, as part of its plans to help homeowners, encouraged the inclusion of more co-owners of existing flats when the original lessees have gone into financial difficulties. Often, these so-called new co-owners would be young adults helping out their parents. I foresee a problem in the future, as many of these young people eventually want to set up a family, or as family differences cause a falling out and the sale of the flat. This family nucleus could then set about eyeing another flat even before they get married, as one parent and child, in order to have a roof over their heads and some place to live. When it comes to the turn of the young person to apply for a flat, these people would be counted as second-timers, even when applying for what amounts to the first flat of their own. These people, arguably, would not have had a first bite of the cherry per se with regard to HDB subsidies in terms of their own families. Rather, they would have been pulling together to help each other out as a family. I understand the concept of fairness in terms of not wanting to have granted too many subsidies to these people. But should these young people, pulling together to help their families in a time of need, be penalised for helping their parents or siblings during a rainy day? I hope the Government could think of a creative solution to this problem. There has been this push for everyone to own a flat, and I think this has been a very successful Government policy. But if we look around, in other countries, many of the young people actually rent before they buy. In fact, our Ministers have mentioned something about this possibility of young people getting smaller flats before getting bigger ones.”
“Madam, Dr Maliki has covered my points. I withdraw my cut.”
“Madam, I would say that Mr Sin Boon Ann has actually brought up the majority of the points that I was thinking of. I am glad we share the same viewpoint. But I would just like to add two points ie, whether Singapore can continue to play a role with regard to international laws in the areas of civil aviation and the settlement of territorial disputes at sea. Our interests are quite evident, but I am wondering whether we can be a part of the multilateral process, overall. 6.00 pm”
“Madam, in 1995, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, in a speech to the leaders of some African nations said that Singapore had learnt a great deal from other countries in the course of our development. Not only did we learn real skills, we also avoided their mistakes. And if they thought our experience was relevant, we were happy to share with them. Singapore has had a Singapore Cooperation Programme since 1992, in order to share our technical expertise with others and institutions of higher learning, as well as the Singapore Port Institute and the Singapore Aviation Academy. In teaching our neighbours how to fish, we are doing good to the world. In doing so, however, are we also perhaps sowing the seeds of future competition for our own goods and services? Or are we sowing the seeds of future cooperation and mutual economic interest? If the latter, how can these programmes be further enhanced? Could we have more initiatives that will help ordinary Singaporeans give foreigners a positive impression of Singapore? Can these programmes also be opportunities for Singaporeans to become more aware of economic and social opportunities abroad? I hope the Minister could address some of these issues.”
“Madam, ASEAN's role and importance in the eyes of the world appear to be changing, as has been eloquently put by my fellow MPs. The vast differences that exist within ASEAN also appear to impede further progress, especially in the field of perhaps political opinion. Singapore has seconded the very able Mr Ong Keng Yong to be ASEAN's new Secretary-General. We have also continued to promote cultural and educational exchanges within ASEAN. How successful have we been so far in promoting the ideals of ASEAN and Singapore's interests within the context of ASEAN in the areas where ASEAN is still able to move? How can we ensure that ASEAN will continue to be one of the preferred baskets when major economic powers and players feel that they do not want to put all their eggs in the North Asian basket? Deputy Prime Minister Lee in his Budget Speech has spoken of the need to deepen our economic integration with our ASEAN neighbours and make ASEAN more attractive to foreign investors. May I ask the Minister how we are progressing in the ASEAN-China and ASEAN-India FTAs, and how successful have we been in promoting tourism within ASEAN?”
“Sir, I agree with my parliamentary colleagues that everybody's contribution matters in the total defence of a nation, whether male or female, young or old, and whatever roles we might play. In a conflict that we are increasingly going to be seeing in the world of tomorrow, there may be no frontline as such. With weapons of mass destruction, low level intensity, conflicts with terrorist acts, the role of homeland defence takes on a new importance. The lack of a front in the new types of warfare means that Singapore's approach of having total defence is absolutely correct. I would call upon our Government to review how we can improve the roles of the Civil Defence Executive Committees and their volunteers in our heartlands to see how they can be better trained and how their roles can be better integrated with the roles of our active civil defence forces, as well as the SAF forces charged with the protection of our homeland. I wonder whether there are also plans for a larger level and a larger scale exercises in the same way that the SAF built itself up from small, medium and, now, large unit exercises.”
“Sir, reservists have a duty to the nation during reserve ICT, which they fulfill gladly. However, as they progress in their careers, they also face increasing demands on their time from the families and jobs. I am glad that MINDEF has been moving towards a system whereby experienced reservists who have performed well in their individual units have been allowed to move towards individualised training for upkeep of their military skills, rather than having to take part in large-scale ICT all the time. This is a move in the right direction. When reservists go into in-camp training, I am also glad to note that the administration of in-camp training has been much improved, and the morale of servicemen is often very high. I had the privilege recently of observing a live-firing exercise in New Zealand. Despite having had to put up with cold and windy conditions in the field, the camaraderie, esprit de corps and morale of the servicemen concerned were very high, as their technical proficiency and standards. This is all very well. I would also hope that the SAF would do more to improve the administration and in-processing speed of reservists when they come for recall manning, because despite this being more low key, reservists also have to drop everything, get their uniforms and go back to camp. They answer the call of the nation. I think it behooves the organisations also to make sure that they are speedily in-processed and are able to turn out into their fighting units.”
“Sir, as my fellow MP noted, personal bankruptcies are on the rise. When my constituents came to see me, I noticed that some of them were in financial troubles because they had over extended themselves with renovation loans and other forms of consumer credit. I am worried about the easy availability of consumer credit and how these people have got into trouble. I realise that there are credit bureaus that will protect our banks. However, what can we do to protect the consumers? Perhaps, there might be a mandatory two-week cooling-off period before disbursement of loans for certain types of consumer credit, such as renovation loans. Perhaps, the cooling-off period might be used for people to undergo mandatory credit counselling and give them time to retract any unwise decisions. What comes under the ambit of these programmes could be taken up by CASE or the Ministry of Finance. But perhaps these services might even include help with the restructuring of consumer credit for those who come into trouble.”
“I support the statements by my fellow MPs to ask the Government to consider to continue with rental rebates for JTC and HDB commercial tenants for a longer period. However, like Dr John Chen, I would argue that with a situation of soft demand, where investors are weighing carefully the pros and cons of locating new investments, we should take an approach where we would adopt fixed rates or lower rentals for a longer period of two or even three years. Our emphasis should really be on making the sale and making a prospective investor sign on the dotted line. The effect of having predictable fixed costs for rentals cannot be under-estimated, given our generally high cost structure. Again, the knock-on effects of a hollowing out of our local industrial base are tremendous. Even if factories will come for the next three years, they may be persuaded to stay. If they do not come at all, we will not get the chance to renovate their premises, sell them new computers and create jobs for our workers even as we retool and remake our economy. In that regard, I am strongly in support of the incentives for uptake of industrial land with long leaseholds, as has been announced. I also hope that the Government will also make some lands available at short leaseholds to make it more affordable for businesses to set up shop and have a lower entry hurdle, especially where they think they can make their money back in a shorter period of time. For example, big electronic factories have been known to locate and even relocate in very, very short time-frames. Nevertheless, we benefit when investors do come to set up shop. At least we get the chance to persuade them to stay. Sir, I support the Budget.”
“As a doctor, I am convinced that smoking is clearly linked to cancer, heart disease, blockage of blood vessels and other medical ills. The downside of smoking is tremendous. The only upside is fiduciary. And, even so, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I doubt that the increased tax revenue could exceed the cost of increased medical care needs and social costs of smoking. While the loopholes in the cigarette size and length have been plugged by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, I still hear of young people banding together to share a pack of cigarettes. It is a difficult loophole. But I am confident that the Minister will find a way to plug this one as well. Perhaps, there ought to be a COE for cigarettes! The arguments for smokers to bear a greater burden of the true social cost for smoking are no less strong than the arguments for road users! Next, Sir, support for tax incentives to relocate foreign talent. I strongly support these moves to make it more financially attractive to locate talent and skill in Singapore, be they foreign or previously resident Singaporeans. Our property market, retail sector, entertainment sector, and even the little neighbourhood shops and eateries, are suffering from a lack of clientele. Singapore needs a certain critical mass to achieve this cosmopolitan buzz, and talented people, with their generally greater spending power, will make a great difference to the local economy. Can we also make it easier for these people to live in and perhaps own the bigger and less affordable - at least to current Singaporeans - HDB flats? I would also say that allowing these people perhaps lower tax rates may still benefit us, provided that the money is kept in Singapore and not repatriated back home.”
“We just need to dare to dream, to share our dreams, and believe that we can achieve these dreams, if we also dare to fail. Let me turn to another point - about whether we would be penny wise and pound foolish in some of the things that we do. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, can the HDB miracle of affordable modern homes for most Singaporeans be sustained? Will our clean and tidy neighbourhoods be also clean and tidy in five years' time, if we see increasing numbers of citizens with power and water supplies cut off? While there may be good reasons why this has to be done, it could be that these people would eventually live in squalor and lack modern sanitation, even within our modern HDB townships. How can we help them? How can we ensure that we will not get many ghettoes within our sparkling city? Could we not be innovative and have maybe a small timer switch that would allow just enough electricity to run lights between the evening hours when children need to do their homework and, perhaps, in order to ensure sanitation, that a thimble or some other mechanism might be found to let water supplies be given at low-flow rates, again in the interest of public safety? I understand that Singapore Power is now a commercial entity, but we should also consider public health and decency. It would not be helpful for our school children to go to school spreading lice and infectious diseases that used to be seen only in the kampungs of old. A dishevelled worker, unable to bathe for several days, would also find great difficulty convincing a would-be employer to employ him. On the other hand, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I strongly support the increase in tobacco duties.”
“While the SDU has arguably been successful in getting people to meet partners of the opposite sex, an organisation, eg, an Entrepreneurial Development Unit - to coin a phrase - could provide opportunities for like-minded people who happen to be professionals, or people who have marketing skills, or even people who have had technical training from various statutory boards, such as PSA, etc, to get started together to talk to each other and, perhaps, to listen to motivational speakers who themselves have started a business, about opportunities elsewhere, eg, in neighbouring countries, and those who share a common vision might start a company in someone's flat and, who knows, one day, this could be another Apple or Microsoft. Members might ask on what basis I make these suggestions. I have never started a commercial company, but I have helped to start up one professional association, two NGO organisations and two service centres, both in Singapore and in the region. In all these cases, these projects took off because, firstly, there was an opportunity for people to discuss these ideas socially. The people who discussed these ideas believed in them, believed that they would benefit people, and decided to run with the idea over a period of time, overcoming obstacles along the way. In Kandang Kerbau Hospital in 1998, a small group of staff from different professional disciplines also brainstormed, developed and patented a small device which we still use now for all children in KK Hospital. I am sure that Members of the House here, who have successfully started businesses, would have similar examples in mind. I am sure that Singaporeans are as capable and innovative as anyone else in the world.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate on the Budget. Over the next few years, as we encounter the same issues as other developed economies, we will face the problem of the lowly-educated workers who have limited skill sets. They may become our long-term unemployed. We need to think of ways to help them, without encouraging them to just sit back and collect welfare payouts. Can we think of ways to encourage them to earn at least whatever they can earn? For example, additional help with school fees for an extended period that our grassroots and Government agencies might offer could be contingent on the unemployed head of the household accepting at least a job, even if after accepting this job the family would still need some additional financial help, eg, with education of the children. Those who consistently turn down job matches that the CDC provides could then be given the least priority for extended help. The second point I want to touch on is about encouraging an entrepreneurial culture. Some of these unemployed would also be white-collar workers. While individuals may feel unsure of becoming entrepreneurs, community centres or other agencies could also help them to meet, after the manner of the Social Development Unit (SDU), so that they can network and form syndicates of people with complementary skill sets and who could either then strike out on their own as a group or seek venture capital to get jobs overseas. Recently, in the papers, there was a group of people who had done just that.”
“Therefore, we should choose the best model for our nation's needs and not be ashamed about it. I would also echo the call for a second chance to be made available for children who are brave enough to try this something new and who have made a mistake in perhaps making their first choice. It has been said that Singapore could not afford to give people a second chance in education because of scarce educational resources in the early days. This would have been true a generation ago. But what is scarce now is our young people. Our young people's innate potential should and must not be wasted. If we do not make some form of a second chance the cornerstone of these reforms, I fear that we would only perpetuate the tendency of Singaporeans to take only the safe route to success. We would then have failed in one of our most important tasks, that of nurturing the creative, entrepreneurial and 'never say die' spirit that we so much admire and strive for. I do not agree with those who say that we should not start off with the top 10%. We must not fear failure as a nation when we are changing the system. But I think, as Singaporeans, we are cautious. And it is perfectly reasonable to start off with the top 10% because these are probably the very people who are most likely to be able to cope and deal with change successfully. I am sure that MOE will make use of these experiences to make the changes down the line. As someone else has said, "Look, I understand what it is like to help my little girl with the project work in primary school." Finally, if these reforms succeed, I am confident that we can sell the product, call it the "Singaporean JC education", to paying students from around the region and, in doing so, enlarge our potential immigrant and talent pool.”
“We should teach them about circular arguments and concepts of management. This is about teaching our young to be educated consumers - educated consumers of information, of advertisements, of goods and services. Teaching them, as it were, to be a bit more street-smart in a structured Singapore way. I am also heartened that these changes will be implemented only in the year 2006. I am confident that this would give MOE the time to refine the syllabi and train the necessary teachers to undertake the new JC curriculum. I am confident that people described as old workhorses and old teachers actually will be able to meet the challenges. Because after all, we are trying to remake the whole of Singapore, why not the teachers? What I am perhaps a little less confident about is whether we can change parental attitudes. I think we should tell parents and students who are now in Secondary 1 or Secondary 2 that these changes would soon affect them. We can pilot some of these concepts now, maybe we do not have to make it an examination subject. We can also ensure that we will not inadvertently increase the tendency for people to take subjects that score more As by devising some sort of thinking skills type of questions so that, even in Science-based subjects, only those who can show independent thinking or higher order of thinking and deeper understanding can get this 'A'. That would perhaps balance the field for those who are taking the Arts type courses. In closing, we recognise the multiplicity of educational models out there in the world, and that this multiplicity of educational models suggests that there are either many ways to achieve excellence in education, or none of the methods out there really is foolproof.”
“Much has been said about learning how to be outspoken, but you know we live in Asia, and perhaps some of our English-stream students also need to learn a little bit more about the cultures in the countries around us, where it pays sometimes to be a little bit quiet at certain times - part of doing business, right? I am heartened by the introduction of this new subject called Knowledge and Inquiry, which will train students to evaluate the validity and relevance of new observations in theories and teach them how to defend their arguments, to apply their theories to present-day realities. We know, at a time when so many people claim to have a university degree, what makes people stand out is how well they can deal with changes, and actually apply knowledge, and also evaluate a statement that has been put forward to them. Prof Low Seow Chay actually pointed out that perhaps if one were to use this business of practical work or project, that soon there will be a whole industry, perhaps of people wanting to sell project work. But I believe there are new computer systems, smart systems, that can detect plagiarism of this nature. And it is not such a bad thing because, I think the Bible says that there are not that many new things under the sun. The challenge for us is actually to make use of the available knowledge that is out there on the web, everywhere, to rehash it, to look at ways to present it, so that it becomes something new. If our kids can learn to do that with commercial term papers, maybe that is not such a bad thing. That is called synthesis of knowledge. I think we also should consider teaching our JC students about basic statistical concepts, even if they are not headed for statistics as a course.”
“I think we really need to be finding ways to support those who come from households where English is not widely spoken, where the children actually already turn up in lower primary school and upper primary school with significant disadvantages, vis-a-vis language. Because with this new system, where you have to defend your thoughts and learn to present your ideas, if you have got a language difficulty, you have a double difficulty. Yet, I think the answer is not about levelling everybody down, but it is about levelling everybody up, and trying to narrow the gap where possible. I think that the introduction of specialised schools for sports and people who are talented in the arts, as well as the introduction of this through-train system, with the potential of not having to sit for the "O" level is wonderful, because we have been talking for so long about the lack of flexibility in our school system. And I think many of us would have heard from our friends that, "Well, we have decided to send so-and-so abroad because he could not cope with the lack of flexibility." Well, we are now going to have flexibility in our local school system. Let us see whether these children can cope. Yet the challenge, I believe, is not so much in setting up these schools, but in getting parents to buy into the idea of an alternative path to success. I am heartened by the new emphasis on socialisation and on learning of social skills in our new curriculum. This is very important. I would also argue that we should perhaps include some learning about cultural sensitivity, perhaps even religious sensitivity.”