Wong Kan Seng
Singapore
“We all want a better future for our children and the future generations. Amid the debates, let us not lose sight of what we are working for – we are working for the benefit and future of Singaporeans. Not for growth targets, not for foreigners, but for Singaporeans.”
“Mrs Mildred Tan also suggested doing a longitudinal study on the impact of new citizens on Singapore. I am told that there is a periodic study on the perception of integration and rootedness of Singaporeans and PRs. A study is now ongoing too.”
“All they need to do is simply declare that they meet the residential criteria. EASING IN US ECONOMY (Impact on Singapore) 9. Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Senior Minister what will be the expected impact on the Singapore economy arising from the US Federal Reserve's announcement on 3rd November 2010 of a "quantitative easing" of the US economy…”
“Well, from the data I have here, 553 registered to vote before the 2006 GE and this is the data I have but Ms Lim may be right. There may be 1,000-odd that Ms Lim had mentioned. From what I am told now, we have 1,325 Singaporean overseas who are eligible to register to vote have registered.”
“But, as I said, there are so many other possibilities that they could come in and there could also be many possibilities that we could have missed and they have entered or left Singapore. LAND SWAP AGREEMENT FOR KTM STATION AND RAILWAY LANDS 2.”
“They are also recruiting people by offering them scholarships. So, we hope more of our companies can do that. Hopefully they come here to work for a while and, if they like our place, they may want to settle down. This is a place which they can think about. POPULATION AND TALENT DIVISION 5. Assoc. Prof.”
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“For some, it is not just about the economic value that they bring to Singapore, but also the culture and tradition. If you are a carpet lover, you may have heard of Hassan's Carpets, one of the oldest carpet shops in Singapore, set up in the 1930s and it is now run by the third generation in the family - Mr Suliman Hamid, the grandson of the founder. When asked why he took up Singapore citizenship, Suliman's, who was born in Pakistan, immediate response was that "This is home!" Immigrants, such as Wong Ngit Liong, Harish Nim and Suliman Hamid, have made Singapore their home, and added much to Singapore. We must welcome more of them to come here. 12.45 pm Dr Lily Neo also asked about the progress of attracting immigrants to Singapore. We have done well so far in the last few years. In 2006, about 13,200 new Singapore citizens and 57,300 PRs were granted citizenship. We must continue to attract the right people to join our team. We have taken steps to pro-actively reach out to potential PRs and Singapore citizens. ICA recently launched an online self-assessment eligibility test. We call it the Naturalisation Eligibility Tool for interested PR and Singapore citizenship applicants. Information packages to promote naturalisation will follow in the middle of the year. Using the Naturalisation Eligibility Tool, anyone, whether in Singapore or overseas, can answer questions according to the questionnaire in the Tool and assess their chances of being considered to be eligible to apply for PR and citizenship. We are making it easier for those who are outside also because, for those already here, we have plenty of time and there are opportunities to publicise it to them. We also want those who are outside to be able to do this. If they choose to come here, what are their chances?”
“We do not want to bring in any Tom, Dick or Harry who says, "I want to work in Singapore and live here and bring up my family." To do so indiscriminately will simply do ourselves disservice. We have to be selective and choose what kind of people would settle here and contribute. What do we need? We need people with the relevant skills, experience and know-how to come to Singapore. We do not need all of them to have PhDs or Masters degrees. They can be specialists like aircraft technicians, or have other skills that will add value to our economy. That is why we have broadened our eligibility criteria to attract more skilled immigrants to sink roots in Singapore. We need to move beyond simply attracting talent to retaining talent. It is not just bringing them here. It is keeping them here so that they will stay here, marry here, bring up the family here, and eventually sink roots here. I think you know Steven Spielberg, creator of ET and countless well-known Hollywood movies and classics - his parents were Hungarian immigrants in the US. All over the world, immigrant talents have in turn contributed significantly to the community that first welcomed them to stay. This is also true for Singapore. For example, we have Mr Wong Ngit Liong. I think you may have heard his name, if not, you will have heard his company. He is the Chairman and CEO of Venture Group. Venture Group employs about 13,000 staff and has operations throughout Asia, America and Europe. In Singapore alone, Venture employs some 2,300 staff. We have an example in this Chamber - Mr Gautam Banerjee, who came here many years ago. We also have Mr Harish Nim from Emerio Corporation, an IT services company employing 1,000 people, with a strong presence in the Asia Pacific and Europe.”
“We are well-positioned to ride on this momentum to create an even more positive and exciting future. But we cannot just sit back and expect that new immigrants or foreigners will automatically come, work and settle in Singapore if we do not make an effort to attract them. Just about 10 days ago, on 21st February, I hosted a lunch for a group of about 20 Chairmen and CEOs in our companies. One of them told me that it was now increasingly difficult to attract middle-level managers coming into Singapore from India and China. Why? Because many of them now believe that their own countries would offer them better long-term prospects. The ones who are at very top positions will want to come because the pay is very good; and the ones who have just freshly graduated or those with a few years of working experience will come because they can get international exposure. The ones at the middle-level feel that their future can be made in their own country. So, it is not a given that we can attract good people to come here. We must try our level best. We have to be open and welcoming. I do not share the view of those who fear that immigrants are going to overwhelm us. I fear that the foreigners will instead bypass us and go to other more attractive countries. There are plenty of them also competing for talents - United States, Australia, even Europe and China, and you will be surprised that while China has a big population, many are unemployed and they still want foreign talents. We are only a small country. We are competing against the big players. So we have to do what we need to do to attract them here. Do we care about the quality of immigrants? Of course, that must be so.”
“There are those who say that Singapore is constrained by our physical space; we are after all just a "little red dot". Can we cater to a larger population size of 6.5 million, for example? This was a question posed by many in the last few days. In early February, MND announced a planning parameter of 6.5 million people for its new Concept Plan. In order to accommodate 6.5 million people some time in the future, we need to make our plans now. Let me emphasise that 6.5 million population is not a target. Since MND had released its planning parameter, many Singaporeans have assumed that the Government has set a 6.5 million target population size going forward. This interpretation is incorrect. Instead, it is an assurance from our town planners that we remain two, three steps ahead of the game - if our population grows, because we start producing more babies or because we are successful in attracting more immigrants to come here and set up their home, we will be ready. While our population growth will continue to be fuelled by both local births and immigrants, it is unlikely that we will suddenly face an influx of foreigners into Singapore. Even as we welcome more foreigners or immigrants, the Government will monitor our population growth closely to ensure that the quality of life and well-being of Singaporeans will not be compromised. Many also asked how many immigrants should Singapore bring in. I think the more pertinent question is: how many immigrants can Singapore attract? My bigger concern now is that we are not even replacing ourselves and we need to prevent our population from ageing rapidly and shrinking quickly. We now have a window of opportunity to attract immigrants who can contribute to Singapore. We had a good run of economic growth in the last three years.”
“If we did not have enough qualified engineers and operators here, these wafer fabs would have located elsewhere long ago. Thus far, the outcome of our open-door policy to support and stimulate economic growth has been positive. Many Singaporeans have benefited from this. In 2006, a record of more than 170,000 jobs was created. Locals took up more than half of them. With the upcoming IRs, we can expect more job opportunities in the services sector, such as tourism and entertainment, finance and hospitality. In the maritime sector, the labour shortage is so acute that Keppel Corp - Keppel Corp is our largest maritime ship repairing and servicing company - had to tie up with MediaCorp to profile this industry in a local TV serial, just to show Singaporeans what shipyard workers do. There are jobs available - but we must have the critical mass of able and willing people. Where we lack local manpower, we have to bring in immigrants. Even if we do not bring them in, they can and will still compete against us from their home countries. I empathise with the Singaporeans who have lost their jobs to foreigners or who cannot find a job. Our economy today is different from that of 10 years ago. Some Singaporeans found it difficult to compete or adjust. Their concerns and frustrations are completely understandable. But they are not forgotten. Although the Government cannot insulate them from competition, we will do our best to mitigate their problems. They must skill up and keep up. The Ministry of Manpower has facilitated various skills upgrading and training programmes. Some of my residents faced problems finding jobs too and when they came to see me at MPS, I advised them to go and upgrade and do something else. Those who heeded the advice were appreciative.”
“First, more jobs - a Pew report found that in most states in the United States where immigration levels were high, employment prospects were above national average. Second, a stronger economy - back in 1997, the National Academy of Science had already concluded in its report for the United States Congress that immigration had brought a net benefit of $10 billion to the US economy. Third, more births - the United States Centre for Immigration Studies estimated that 23% of all babies born in the US in 2002 had a foreign-born mother. Second example, Australia. Australia's net overseas immigration has accounted for more than 45% of its population growth since 1998. In 2005, 24% of Australians were born overseas. Yet in the same year, it embarked on its biggest recruitment drive for skilled workers, like hairdressers, mechanics, pharmacists and accountants, in more than 40 cities worldwide, including Chennai, Seoul, Manila, Bangkok and, of course, Singapore - targeting not only our university and polytechnic graduates, but also our ITE graduates. What does this mean for Singapore, or more to the point, can we afford to close our doors to immigrants? People are our key and only resource. Let me put it bluntly this way - we need all the talents we can get, be they locals or immigrants. We are not producing enough babies; we do not produce enough engineers, bankers, technicians, artists and even chefs of our own. Who gets to benefit at the end of it? Locals. Look at our wafer fabrication industry. As of 2005, there were 15,000 positions in this industry - 8,000 operators and 7,000 engineers. Singaporeans and PRs could only fill 80% of the higher-skilled engineer positions and one-third of the operator positions.”
“To do this, we need a critical mass of able and willing Singaporeans, able to adapt and meet the changing needs of the global economy; and willing to do what is needed to ensure a better life for themselves, their children and fellow citizens. Singaporeans are indeed able and willing. But, there is just one problem - there are not enough of us and our population is fast ageing. We have not been able to replace ourselves through local births since 1976 - 31 years ago. Even assuming current immigration trends with an average of 8,000 new citizens a year between the years 2001 and 2005, the number of deaths each year could outstrip births by as early as 2030. In fact, if we do not have an inflow of new immigrants, our population will start to decline even earlier, by 2020. Japan started to have its population decline in 2005. This is why we have decided that encouraging immigration has to be a key strategy in tackling our population challenge. Indeed, we are now in what I call a "BBC" world. What is "BBC"? One that is "Boundless, Borderless and Competitive". There will be "Boundless" opportunities for many in an increasingly "Borderless" world; at the same time, the stakes are much higher and a lot more "Competitive". Many countries are trying hard to attract people to sink roots in their country. Why? The answer is very simple - immigrants have helped many economies grow beyond their inherent potential. The United States, for example, attracted waves of immigrants since the 17th century. Europeans, Africans, Latin Americans and, in the last few decades, Asians - they have all come to call the US home over the years. What have they brought to the US?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, I would like to thank the Members for raising very important issues concerning our population growth, immigration and integration between Singapore-born citizens and new residents this afternoon, as well as the 15, or so, MPs who raised similar issues during the three days of the Budget Debate. Members have raised many key issues including the impact of significant increases of foreigners in our midst competing for jobs with Singaporeans, the impact of immigration on the social fabric of Singapore and the value of citizenship. Many Singaporeans have also given suggestions on how to deal with our population challenge. I am very encouraged by the responses and the personal interest they have taken in facing this challenge together with us. First, let me explain by putting the population challenge in the proper perspective. Dr Ahmad Magad said that we face a huge challenge in population issues. And Mr Gautam Banerjee and Dr Loo Choon Yong talked specifically about the need to attract and manage the right talents to come and sink roots in Singapore. Indeed, attracting the right talent into Singapore is an important part of our population strategy. We have developed our economy rapidly, and very successfully, in the past 40 years. Now, we have to scale new heights and multiple peaks; to keep our economy growing, to create more jobs and to provide a better life for Singaporeans. The only way for this to happen, and that is the only way to happen, is to ensure that we have continued economic growth. There is no other way.”
“Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Education (a) if he will provide data on how 'through-train' students of the current cohort are performing in their A level course as compared to students who did their O levels, the comparison being based on students who had similar PSLE results; (b) what was the rationale for introducing 'through-train'; and (c) whether its objectives are being met.”
“For young children below the age of 12, Traffic Police, in collaboration with DaimlerChrysler, reached out to 12 schools through the Mobilekids programme in 2006. Through this programme, children and youth learn about road safety in an engaging and fun-filled theme park, right in the compound of their schools. TP plans to take this programme to more schools this year. Conclusion Most road accidents can be prevented if road users exercise more care, caution and consideration at all times. I take this opportunity to remind all who use our roads, whether as motorists, motorcyclists, bicyclists or pedestrians, to embrace a safety-conscious and courteous mindset every time they share this critical common space. (4) Out of the 4,300 accidents , 110 were fatal, 50 serious injury and 4,140 slight injury accidents. (5) Out of 740 accidents, 10 were fatal, 10 serious and 720 slight injuries accidents. (6) Out of a total of 70 speed-related fatal accidents in 2006, 40 of these involved motorcyclists. (7) Out of the 510 accidents, 20 fatal, 10 serious injury and 480 slight injury accidents. (8) Other common offences committed by cyclists are riding on the expressways, riding against traffic flow and riding during hours of darkness without front lights. (9) Out of 910 accidents, 40 were fatal, 20 serious injury and 850 slight injury accidents. 'THROUGH-TRAIN' STUDENTS (Performance and objectives) 14.”
“Cyclists As for cyclists and pedestrians, two other vulnerable groups of road users, last year, there were 510 accidents(7) involving cyclists. 480 summonses were issued, of which 210 summonses or 43%(8) were for failing to ride in an orderly manner. For cases where cyclists have knocked into pedestrians, especially on pavements, investigation will be carried out under the Penal Code for offences of rash or negligent act or causing hurt by rash or negligent act. Traffic Police has introduced several safety education measures for cyclists. These include a Bicycle Training Course at South West CDC's Community Resilience Carnival in February last year which imparted safe cycling knowledge through practical training to some 1,000 participants. Pedestrians As for pedestrians, there were 910 accidents(9) last year. Traffic Police issued 6,970 summonses to pedestrians last year, of which about 56% were for failure to conform to the traffic signal at pedestrian crossings. Pedestrians remain the second most vulnerable group of road users last year, after motorcyclists. The number of pedestrians killed accounted for 22% of total fatalities. Traffic Police has introduced several measures and initiatives to reach out to pedestrians, in particular vulnerable groups like the elderly and young children. For senior citizens, Traffic Police has distributed 10,000 handy bags carrying the road safety message: “Be Seen, Be Safe, Walk Bright” to senior citizens through a series of CSSP activities and road safety talks. The good news is that the number of elderly pedestrians killed in road accidents last year dropped by 40%.”
“Motorcyclists In 2006, there were 4,300 accidents(4) involving motorcyclists of which 740 accidents(5) or 17% involved motorcyclists who were newly qualified and still on the 12-month probation period after obtaining their licence. Motorcyclists remain the most vulnerable group of road users, accounting for 48%(6), or almost half, of all road fatalities in 2006. The main cause of these accidents is speeding. 44 motorcyclist licences were revoked on medical grounds and under the New Driver Rules. In addition, 10 licences were suspended under the Driver Improvement Point System (DIPs) for 12 months or more and 1,050 motorcyclist licences were disqualified by the Courts for 12 months or more. A licence revoked on medical grounds will be reinstated if the licence holder produces a medical certificate to prove his fitness or ability to drive. Last year, no licence revoked on medical grounds was reinstated by Traffic Police. The period of revocation under the new driver rules is one year, after which the person has to pass the prescribed tests of competency, both theory and practical, to obtain a new licence. Besides enforcement, Traffic Police mounts public education programmes that target motorcyclists. Indeed, TP plans to do more to instil greater road safety awareness in newly-qualified motorcyclists. In April this year, TP will present a new Road Safety package for riders developed in collaboration with motorcycle clubs associated with the Singapore Bikers Forum at the Global Road Safety Week launch. Adopting the approach of "road safety education for motorcyclists by motorcyclists", TP will work closely with them to give road safety talks to students in ITEs and polytechnics.”
“Through their courteous acts, such as signalling early and giving way to other road users, the appointed taxi drivers help to spread the message of courteous driving. They also act to spot other courteous motorists, who would be awarded with prizes during our "Spot the Courteous Motorists Programme". Collaterals* carrying road courtesy and safety messages were also disseminated to more than 20,000 taxi drivers in 2006. *The collaterals include items like tissue boxes, tissue packs, note pads etc. FLEXIBLE WAGE POLICY (Update and implementation) 16. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the status of progress of the flexible wage policy made by employers; and (b) what is the percentage of companies, local and foreign, now implementing a flexible wage policy.”
“Last year saw an overall increase of 11.8% in the total number of fatal and injury accidents. Fatal and injury accidents involving taxis rose from 1,270 cases in 2005 to 1,420 cases last year. As a proportion of fatal and injury accidents involving taxis, the rate remained stable at 19% over the last two years. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) under the Ministry of Transport administers the vocational licence for taxi drivers. According to the LTA, 103 taxi driver vocational licences (TDVL) were revoked in 2006. LTA does not reinstate the TDVL once it has been revoked. The ex-TDVL holder will have to make a fresh application once the debarment period is over. In addition, the applicant will need to go through the taxi-driver course again and sit for a test. The duration of the debarment period would depend on the type of offence committed by the taxi driver. Traffic Police or TP recognises that, as public transport operators, taxi drivers have an added responsibility to safeguard the safety of their passengers. They should also exemplify safe driving behaviour and be role models for other road users, since they spend more time on the roads. TP actively engages the taxi operator associations as well as taxi drivers to promote road safety awareness. Regular meetings are held with the taxi operator associations to discuss road safety issues and initiatives, while road safety talks are conducted to educate taxi drivers on safe driving behaviour. Road safety advertisements are also put up on taxis to remind all road users, including taxi drivers. Since 2000, Traffic Police has been appointing taxi drivers to serve as road courtesy ambassadors.”
“No Restraining Order has been issued since the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act was enacted in 1990. We came close to invoking the Act on several occasions to stop local religious leaders from mixing religion with politics and putting down other faiths. These religious leaders stopped their activities after they were warned by ISD. Column No : 1319 ALTERNATIVE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS (Constraints in supply of sand) 2. Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim asked the Minister for National Development what are the strategies and efforts of the Ministry to prepare the workforce to make the transition to alternative building construction methods in view of the constraints in the supply of sand for construction works.”
“Column No : 1299 COURT MARTIAL PROCEEDINGS (Representation) 21. Ms Indranee Rajah asked the Minister for Defence whether, in cases where the accused in court martial proceedings has not engaged a lawyer to represent him in such proceedings, his Ministry will be willing to change the current practice of allowing the accused to be defended by a non-legally trained SAF officer and instead require that the Defending Officer should be a legally trained NSF or NSman.”
“Whilst Police regulates the sale of alcoholic beverages in licensed outlets, generally, it does not regulate the consumption of such beverages. Police had previously discouraged the consumption of alcoholic beverages in foreign worker dormitories to minimise possible law and order problems due to drunkenness, which can be difficult to tackle within the confines of a dormitory. It is for this same reason that some dormitory operators impose their own "house rules" to prohibit or restrict the consumption of alcoholic beverages within their premises. However, if the law and order concerns can be managed, we are prepared to modify the present policy and allow foreign workers to drink alcoholic beverages in designated areas within their dormitories. In a pilot test, Police has allowed beer to be sold in four dormitories*, and where the beer is then consumed at designated social areas inside the dormitories. The operators of these dormitories have to comply with conditions in the beer licence and take necessary measures to ensure that law and order within the dormitory is not compromised. They also have to ensure that they can effectively deal with any problem arising from the workers’ drunken behaviour. Thus far, Police has not encountered any serious law and order problems resulting from beer being sold and consumed in these dormitories#. Police is now conducting a review to assess if the sale and consumption of beer can be extended to other dormitories. * These dormitories are Acacia Lodge, Starlite Dormitory, Jurong Penjuru Dormitory and Toh Guan Dormitory. # Incidents involving intoxicated foreign workers at these dormitories generally arise from disputes. There was only one case of voluntarily causing hurt at Starlite Dormitory in October 2006.”
“Sir, knowing my colleagues, I know they take their jobs very seriously. They take a personal interest in all matters under their responsibility. Even in this area of disability, I am certain that my colleagues pay close attention to it. Column No : 1242 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROJECT (Effectiveness of initiatives in developing students' character) 12. Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the effectiveness of the Community Involvement Project initiatives in developing the character of students towards an inclusive Singapore; and (b) if he will consider implementing a special school within a mainstream school, to enable greater daily interaction between students with special needs and their mainstream peers.”
“Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for National Development what is the valuation method used by the HDB to set prices for its new flats and how does the HDB value its subsidised flats at market prices when new flats are priced by the HDB and land prices are also set by the Government.”
“The conclusion from this is clear – many countries are facing demographic challenges which will affect their economic vitality and viability if they are unable to augment their population and workforce. Immigration is a necessary and critical strategy in this regard. Rationale for encouraging immigration Our birth rate has been falling. In 2004 and 2005, we only had 1.25 babies born per woman, i.e. a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 1.25. This is way below the 2.1 level needed to replace ourselves. Falling birth rates is a common phenomenon among many other countries. Since 2004, we have put in place a comprehensive marriage and parenthood package to encourage more resident births. Nevertheless, it would require an attitudinal change towards a more pro-family mindset among Singaporeans. It is unlikely that we will be able to reach the TFR of 2.1 to replace ourselves. This is why our approach to augmenting our population is three-pronged: encourage more Singaporeans to get married and have more babies; keep our overseas-based Singaporeans connected and committed to Singapore; and top up our population and workforce with suitable immigrants. Singapore must and will continue to welcome immigrants who can identify with our way of life and whose diverse talents can contribute to the vibrancy and viability of our country. The Government will monitor our population growth closely to ensure that the quality of life and well-being of Singaporeans will not be compromised as our population grows through careful urban planning and development. VALUATION OF HDB FLATS (Methods) 4.”
“Projection on immigration From 2001-2004, an average of 35,250 new permanent residents (PR) and 7,130 new Singapore citizens (SC) were granted per annum. In 2005, about 52,300 new PRs and 12,900 new SCs were granted. The average numbers of new PRs and SCs are 38,700 and 8,300 respectively, for the period 2001-2005. We could expect to add about 200,000 new PRs and 40,000 new SCs in the next 5 years if we get the same numbers of new PRs and SCs as in the last 5 years. Profile of immigrants Many new PRs and SCs in Singapore were employment pass holders, usually graduates or diploma-holders who are skilled professionals or managers working in our strategic economic sectors such as the finance, biomedical sciences and creative industries. Beyond education qualifications, we also look for those with relevant experience and/or specific skills that can add vibrancy and diversity, and meet the needs of our economy. As the nature and needs of our economy change, we will adjust our requirements accordingly to ensure that new PRs and SCs fit the relevant profile. Competition for talented migrants Singapore is not the only country grappling with population issues. Many countries are seeking suitable migrants to augment their population. For example, the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong have programmes in place to target and attract suitable immigrants. Even Japan, traditionally a homogenous society, has begun to open its doors to non-ethnic Japanese immigrants. It was recently reported that there are more than two million such immigrants who are Japanese citizens today.”
“Police launched the Road Safety Outreach 2006 (RSO 2006) in conjunction with the Police Week Carnival in June 2006 as part of its on-going road safety public education efforts. The launch of RSO 2006 kicked off a year-long series of road safety activities, such as exhibitions and workshops, reaching out to all categories of road users to heighten their awareness on the importance of road safety, including the dangers of speeding. USE OF COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS COMMITTEE (CIPC) FUND 20. Ms Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for National Development whether the Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) Fund can be extended to include private estates so that they do not have to wait for the Estate Upgrading Programme to get the amenities they want in their estates.”
“Under the Road Traffic Act, a driving licence may be revoked if the driver is certified to be medically unfit to drive by a doctor. A driving licence can also be revoked if a new driver accumulates 13 or more demerit points or if he fails to display the Probation (P) plate twice within the 12-month period after obtaining his Driving Licence. If the driving licence is revoked, the person must wait a year before being allowed to take a driving test. There were 140 and 240 driving licences revoked in 2002 and 2003 respectively. In 2004, the number of licences revoked increased by 32% to 320. This was mainly due to new drivers who were caught for not displaying the P-plate twice or for chalking up 13 or more demerit points within the first year of obtaining their driving licences. Police has since worked with the driving schools to educate new drivers on traffic offences through their training packages, especially during the advance theory lessons. The number of driving licences revoked has since fallen to 170 in 2005, which is 48% lower compared to 2004. In 2006, the number of driving licences revoked was 90 as compared to the 170 licences revoked in 2005. This reduction was partly due to a significant reduction in the licences revoked for probationary drivers. Traffic Police takes a strong enforcement stance against those who drive dangerously, including those who speed on our roads, as they not only put their own lives at risk but also the lives of other road users. Suspension and revocation of driving licences take such errant drivers off the roads and help contribute to the safety of other road users. Besides enforcement, Police, supported by private sector partners, has been organising many public education programmes.”
“Traffic Police issued a total of 35,360 summonses for speeding offences in 2002. This number rose 38% to 48,930 summons in 2003, and a further 68% to 82,140 summons in 2004. This increase can be mainly attributed to the introduction of the portable Police Speed Laser Cameras (PSLC), which enabled more flexible and active enforcement by Traffic Police. In 2005, as part of Police’s overall enforcement strategy, more resources were diverted to ensure greater police presence on our roads to deter motorists from flouting traffic rules. The public had by then become more aware of the PSLC deployment through Traffic Police’s website and radio. This contributed to the number of summonses issued for speeding falling 37% to 51,800 in 2005 as compared to 2004. In 2006, the number of summonses issued for speeding decreased 13% to 45,130 compared to the 51,800 summonses issued in 2005. Under the Driver Improvement Points System (DIPS), a driver who accumulates more than 24 demerit points within 24 months is liable to be suspended. Over the last 5 years, the number of driving licences suspended annually has remained relatively stable, hovering between 400 to 540 per year, with 2005 registering a high of 587 suspensions. Suspension periods last from 3 to 12 months. Table 1: No. of Driving Licences Suspended Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 1st Suspension (3 mths) 315 249 269 419 381 2nd Suspension (6 mths) 125 131 157 145 134 3rd Suspension or more (12 mths) 28 29 24 23 28 Total : 468 409 450 587 543 In addition, a driver who is charged for very serious traffic offences such as causing death by dangerous driving (Sec 66 RTA) or causing death by a rash and negligent act (Sec 304A Penal Code) may have his licence suspended with immediate effect.”
“The dealers and the storage licensees will be required to maintain proper records for inspection by the Police. And in the event when they lose an item or when an item is stolen, they will have to report immediately to the licensing officer about the circumstances leading to the loss and to explain what further measures will be taken to tighten the security to safeguard the explosive precursors. There will also be specific requirements set down in the transportation of such explosive precursors so that they do not just go all over the place, like we require hazardous material vehicles or vehicles that convey hazardous materials. We can also impose further conditions, such as requiring them to have armed escorts, as we now do for the conveyance of arms, explosives and guns, for example. We can require them to get armed security guards to escort them. The Police will also implement an audit regime. That means, they will go round auditing, checking and ensuring that the licensees comply with all the conditions imposed on the licensees when they carry out their trade. This will be done on a surprise basis. We are very mindful that explosive precursors can be misused by those who have no reason to use it other than to cause harm to Singapore. Therefore, we will take steps to ensure that the problems arising from such misuse can be minimised by having a stricter control of the use of such precursor materials. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Bill considered in Committee. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair]”
“Sir, I thank Dr Teo for raising his concerns. In fact, I have given some information that is required by Dr Teo in my Second Reading speech. Indeed, Sir, the Police will adopt a risk-based approach to regulate the explosive precursors. The explosive precursors that have been included in the regulation were assessed based on their chemical properties and the widespread use in Singapore and also on potential use by the terrorists to make improvised explosive devices. We know that for some kind of explosive precursors, for example, ammonium nitrate, certain concentration levels are required in order for that to be useful. I have given examples of ammonium nitrate when we say that those with 28% or more concentration will be controlled. This is the same standard that other countries use. When we determine the kind of materials to be controlled, we will bear in mind the cost to the business in compliance. In terms of the control of explosive precursors, Police will be the licensing authority and they will be the single point of control to regulate the people who want to import, manufacture, export or to deal in such explosive precursor materials. Right now, of course, we have a system that only allows one type of activity to be reported and controlled. We will look at it. As I have said earlier, I have asked the Police to see how we can further improve the licensing process so that they only need to approve one licence for the purpose of either storage, transport, sale, etc, of all these explosive precursors. There will be regulations to control and monitor the movement and use of these explosive precursors. Dr Teo referred to it as the "traceability regime". In fact, that will be so.”
“One example is the three-month grace period that will be given to all non-licence holders who possess, import, export, manufacture or deal in any of the explosive precursors to apply for a licence after the amendments come into force. During this period, they will be deemed to hold a licence until their application for licence is approved or the application is refused or withdrawn. For persons who do not wish to apply for a licence under this Act, they will have a six-month grace period to use up their stock of explosive precursors or terminate their trade dealings in explosive precursors. For existing licence holders under the Environmental Pollution Control Act, they will be deemed to hold a licence under this Act. Conclusion Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the current security climate, we cannot afford to be lax about the control of explosive precursors. Time and again, terrorists are known to have exploited the ease of acquiring common dual use chemicals for nefarious purposes. We need to tighten and put in place a comprehensive regime to regulate security sensitive material. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“This, however, is still lower than the penalties for offences relating to breaches of licences for explosives, which attract a maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment. For offences with criminal intent, other legislation will be used. Definition of arms, electronic dart guns and stun guns The Ministry of Home Affairs is also updating other provisions in the Act to take into account changes in our security landscape. New definitions of “arms”, “electronic dart guns” and “stun guns” will be amended or introduced to provide for a wider range of new “arms”, “electronic guns”, “stun guns” and new weapon accessories in the market. The Minister will have the power, by order published in the Gazette, to specify any weapon, accessory, article or thing to be “arms” for the purpose of this Act. District Courts to have jurisdiction to hear offences Currently, offences under the Act can be heard in a District Court or a Magistrate’s Court. However, a Magistrate’s Court can only award fines not exceeding $2,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months. This restriction curtails the punitive effect of the Act. With the amendments, the offences under the Act will be heard only in a District Court, and the Court will be given jurisdiction to hear and determine all prosecutions for offences under the Act, and to impose the full penalty or punishment prescribed under the Act, notwithstanding the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code. Impact on industry Sir, MHA has consulted the industry players extensively and has taken into consideration their feedback.”
“To illustrate, only ammonium nitrate fertilisers with nitrogen concentrations of more than 28% will be controlled. This 28% threshold is consistent with the approach in other developed countries with similar legislation, such as the United Kingdom, which has identified ammonium nitrate with less than 28% of nitrogen content as not normally presenting an explosion hazard. The European Fertilisers Manufacturers Association grades ammonium nitrate with less than 28% nitrogen as Type C fertilisers and these are considered non-hazardous and non-dangerous. Moreover, there are also alternatives, such as calcium sulphate, that users can easily switch to so that the impact on the public will be negligible. For more information about the chemicals to be controlled, members of the public may contact the Police Arms and Explosives Branch or visit its website. Penalty for corporations or persons Sir, while it is not our intention to stifle the legitimate industrial application of explosive precursors, for example, in agriculture as fertilisers, the penalties for mishandling these must be commensurate with the possible threat it poses to society if it falls into the hands of terrorists. Owing to their dual use nature, explosive precursors could be licensed to corporations and companies or directly to individuals. Having separate penalties for corporations and individuals is to hold them accountable for securing and preventing the misuse of explosive precursors. Corporations may be fined up to $100,000 if they contravene any sub-provision. For individuals, the fine is $50,000 or/and a jail sentence not exceeding two years. The penalties are consistent with that of the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act and the Environmental Pollution Control Act.”
“However, if a licensee is involved in more than one type of activity, eg, storage and deal in, the licensee will require different licences, one to store the explosive precursors and another to deal in the explosive precursors. This is because of the current limitations in the Police Licensing Computerised System. Police will be reviewing this and make it easier for applicants to apply for only one licence for all types of explosive precursors and activities. The detailed regulatory provisions will be set out in the Arms and Explosives (Explosive Precursors) Rules. As new chemicals will be introduced in the market, and new synthesis methods will be developed with the advancement of technology, we will constantly review the list of explosive precursors and make appropriate changes when necessary. A new Schedule will be introduced to specify the explosive precursors that are to be regulated by the Act. There are currently 15 chemicals of concern locally, including ammonium nitrate, which are common explosive precursors used by terrorists. The Minister will have the power, by order published in the Gazette, to amend the Schedule, with the amendment of section 45, to add or delete chemicals according to the threat situation. Those chemicals currently controlled under Environmental Pollution Control Act will be taken off the Schedule once these amendments are brought into force. The Minister will have the power, by order published in the Gazette, to grant exemptions under the new section 44B, and make rules to regulate explosive precursors by the amendment of section 46. However, Sir, not everyone who uses fertilisers and the related chemicals of interest will have to be licensed.”
“However, despite their legitimate uses in different industries, they pose a security risk should they fall into the wrong hands. Explosive precursors were assessed based on their chemical properties and their widespread usage in Singapore and also on their potential for use by terrorists in improvised explosive devices. However, in determining effective enforcement controls over these substances, security has to be balanced against stifling the commercial and research activities related to their usage. Establishing a new licensing structure With these amendments to the Arms and Explosives Act, the Singapore Police Force will take over the control of explosive precursors from the National Environment Agency. The amendments will establish a new licensing structure for explosive precursors to prohibit the possession, storage, importation, exportation, manufacture of or dealing in any explosive precursor unless the person is authorised by the Police. To ensure that the appropriate security measures are in-place to safeguard the precursors, Police will conduct threat and risk assessments on the applicants and storage sites prior to the approval of the licences. New sections 21A to 21H will provide for the licensing of explosive precursors, with sections 21A to 21E providing for the regulation of explosive precursors while sections 21F to 21H set out the provisions that apply generally to licences issued under the Act. The types of licences required will depend on the activity that a licensee will be involved in. A single licence will cover all the explosive precursors for each type of activity, eg, storage, and it will state the description of the explosive precursors as well as their quantity cap.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, increasingly, terrorists are using explosive precursors like ammonium nitrate as substitutes for explosives. Palestinian terrorists started using these in the 1990s when controls on access to conventional explosives were tightened. The local Jemaah Islamiyah network that ISD disrupted in 2001 and 2002 had planned to procure 17 tonnes of ammonium nitrate for the manufacture of truck bombs to carry out attacks in Singapore. Overseas, the Jemaah Islamiyah successfully used explosive precursors, nitrate-based chemicals and potassium chlorate mixtures respectively, to carry out the Bali and Jakarta Marriot bombings in Indonesia. The seizure of large quantities of ammonium nitrate in London in March 2004 and the theft of 1,200 kilograms of the same material from storage facilities in France in May 2004 highlight the need for control over explosive precursors. The foiled UK airline plot, with the intended use of such precursors, uncovered in August 2006 further reinforces the need to control explosive precursors in Singapore. Background to the control of explosive precursors The Arms and Explosives Act currently regulates the dealing in, importation, transportation, storage, purchase and disposal of explosives. It does not include explosive precursors, such as ammonium nitrate and potassium perchlorate. Explosive precursors are oxidizing agents with legitimate industrial use that, unfortunately, can also be easily converted into improvised explosive materials. After a study in 2002 for dual use goods, a list of explosive precursors was identified for control. The explosive precursors that have been identified are widely used for research, industrial and agricultural purposes.”
“In addition, Police works closely with the members of public through its community policing initiatives, such as the Community Safety and Security Programme (CSSP) and Neighbourhood Watch Zone Scheme, to look out for suspicious persons loitering in HDB car parks. As police officers cannot be everywhere at all times, members of the public can do their part by alerting the Police when they come across suspicious characters loitering at car parks or in their neighbourhoods. FREE PARKING AT HDB CARPARKS (On Saturdays) 3. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for National Development whether his Ministry will consider the inclusion of Saturdays for free parking at HDB car parks and, if so, when will this be effected. Mr Mah Bow Tan: HDB car parks are provided primarily to cater to the parking needs of residents. As many families get together on weekends and public holidays, as a result, the car parks are heavily utilised on these days. Waiving the parking charges for HDB car parks when demand is high could compromise the parking needs of the residents. Nevertheless, to promote social interaction and foster family ties, the Free Parking Scheme (FPS) is implemented in more than 80% of HDB car parks on Sundays and Public Holidays (from 7 am to 10.30 pm). HDB is aware that with hourly parking charges, HDB is able to regulate the demand for short-term parking and ensure that residents need not compete with visitors for parking lots. However, currently, HDB has no plans to further extend the FPS to Saturdays. APPENDICES”
“The Police does not have the breakdown of figures for mischief to cars by punctured tyres at HDB multi-storey car parks. The data collated by Police for mischief to vehicle cases covers all vehicles, including motorcycles. These cases include scratches to the vehicles, cuts to the seats and punctured tyres at all locations and not restricted to HDB multi-storey car parks. Mischief to vehicle cases rose from 2,129 cases in 2000 to a peak of 2,510 cases in 2003. Nonetheless, we have seen marked improvements in recent years, as these mischief cases have fallen significantly, to an average of about 1,025 cases in the last two years (921 cases in 2004 and 1,128 cases in 2005) ie, a drop of nearly 60% compared to 2003. There were 853 such incidents in the first nine months this year which is comparable to the level recorded, ie, 850 for the corresponding period in 2005. See table 2 below. Table 2: Number of mischief to vehicles Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 No. of cases 2129 2156 2458 2510 921 1128 853* *Figure for Jan-Sep 2006 Most of the mischief to vehicle incidents appeared to be isolated and unrelated. Some common scenarios include disputes with neighbours, or unpleasant encounters with pedestrians, which led to vehicles being vandalised. The pro-active measures taken by the Police to keep the crime trends under check include frequent vehicular patrols, especially around HDB multi-storey car parks. Police has increased its patrols and checks at HDB heartlands, especially in areas such as void decks and multi-storey carparks.”
“In 2000, there were 200 cases of housebreaking reported in HDB estates and it increased to 256 cases and 316 cases in 2001 and 2002 respectively. The number of break-ins has fluctuated between 2003 and 2005, with a peak at 446 in 2003, followed by a decline the following year to 314. In 2005, break-in cases rose to 401 cases. In the first nine months of 2006, there were 177 cases as compared to 325 cases for the same period in 2005, representing a drop of 46%. See Table 1 below. Table 1: Number of housebreaking cases at residential premises in HDB estates Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 No. of cases 200 256 316 446 314 401 177* *Figure for Jan-Sep 2006 Efforts by the Police to heighten residents’ awareness on the protection of their own premises could have contributed to the decrease in the number of break-ins at residential premises in public housing estates this year. This is reflected in the reduction in cases where culprits gained entry through unsecured doors/windows or where there were no signs of tampering. There were 49 such cases in January to September 2006 compared to 97 such cases in the same period in 2005. This decrease could be attributed to residents’ vigilance in securing their premises so that opportunistic offenders do not have the chance to prey on them. Therefore, residents should take measures to protect their homes from theft. A second contributing factor would be the reduced activities of serial offenders targeting HDB flats this year. Between January to September 2005, there were eight serial offenders who were responsible for some 72 break-ins targeting apartments in HDB estates. In comparison, there were only six serial offenders in the first nine months this year who committed a total of 39 such break-ins.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That this Parliament, in accordance with paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 100, appoints the following as Members of the Committee of Selection: Mr S. Iswaran Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan Dr Lee Boon Yang Dr Ong Seh Hong Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo Mr Wong Kan Seng Mr Matthias Yao Chih. Sir, we need to have this Committee of Selection in order that we can appoint the other Standing Committees of Parliament, for example, the Public Accounts Committee, the Estimates Committee, the Committee of Privileges, and if afterwards Parliament approves the motion to have Nominated Members of Parliament, it will also appoint a Special Select Committee on Nominations for Appointment of Nominated Members of Parliament. Resolved, That this Parliament, in accordance with paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 100, appoints the following as Members of the Committee of Selection: Mr S. Iswaran Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan Dr Lee Boon Yang Dr Ong Seh Hong Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo Mr Wong Kan Seng Mr Matthias Yao Chih. NOMINATED MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT (Motion) 6.08 pm”
“Sir, I just want to move a motion to enable the Prime Minister to speak for more than an hour so that he will not be cut off midway through his speech. Mr Speaker, Sir, may I seek the consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the proceedings on the item under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No. 48(8) to remove the time limit in respect of the Prime Minister's speech.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I propose that Mr Matthias Yao and Ms Indranee Rajah be elected as Deputy Speakers of this Parliament. Mr Matthias Yao was elected to Parliament in 1991 and had sat on Select Committees such as the Standing Orders Committee and the Public Petitions Committee. He had also held several office-holding appointments. Ms Indranee Rajah had been in Parliament since 2001. She had participated in the work of the various parliamentary committees and parliamentary friendship and regional groups. With their experience, I believe that they will make good Deputies in discharging their duties.”
“We are elected by the people to represent their interest and we must perform our duties with a high standard of honesty and integrity. We must never abuse the privileges accorded to us as Members and must be worthy of the House which we are elected to. Indeed, I urge Members to maintain a measure of discipline and decorum at all times in this august Chamber, especially on occasions of robust or provocative debate, so as to uphold the dignity of the House. We eagerly look forward to the maiden speeches of the new Members next week and their contribution to the debates in this Chamber in the coming years.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of all Members of this House, I extend to you our warmest congratulations on your re-election as Speaker of the Eleventh Parliament. Sir, you bring to the office of Speaker a distinguished parliamentary record of some 22 years, with your experience on both the front and backbenches. Members have often benefited from your gentle persuasion and enjoyed the good humour, qualities which you have brought to the Chair since 2002. Sir, since your election as Speaker in 2002, your quiet patience and determination in discharging your duties fairly and impartially at all times has gained the respect of Members of both sides of the House. In presiding over the proceedings, you have upheld the prestige and decorum of this House in your rulings. With your firm hand in applying the rules and Standing Orders, you have also ensured that proceedings of the House are carried out expeditiously and orderly. Your unanimous re-election today reflects the confidence that the House has in you. We have no doubt, Sir, that under your guidance, the good standing of this House will continue to be maintained. On this note, I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the 24 new PAP MPs and one Non-Constituency MP to the House. With this new term of MPs, and another 17 and 21 PAP MPs elected in 1997 and 2001 respectively, this House has undergone a transformation. This group of MPs makes up 73% of the Members in this Chamber. As a result, Parliament is able to remain relevant to the people. Just one word of advice to our new Members. It is a privilege and an honour to be a Member of the Parliament. This role comes with a great responsibility.”
“Sir, on the last part of his question about how many of the serial house-breakers went back to serial house-breaking, I do not have the data. On what constitutes a serial house-breaker, when a person has done more than one, two or three times - I do not know the precise number - if there is a string of such offences, we will classify him as a serial house-breaker. On the involvement of businesses in dealing with security and counter-terrorism measures, yes, we do involve them. When it comes to exercises, of course, we also want to rope them in. But at that hour when we had Exercise Northstar V, not many shops would be open at 6.30 in the morning. But there would be those that opened at 9 o'clock or 10 o'clock when the exercise was at its tail-end. They were already briefed prior to the incident and they knew what to do. Of course, we want to involve them more and particularly, when we are going to have exercises, maybe not at 6.30 in the morning, then we will need to get these businesses and their tenants more involved in the planning as well as in the preparation for these exercises.”
“Sir, indeed, the Home Team department works very closely with the marinas. In fact, we are doing a review of all these places where people can come in by boat, pleasure craft or whatever it is, into our shoreline. A marina is like a building. It is no different from, let us say, Tanglin Mall or Ngee Ann City, except that this particular building is near the sea where, instead of people coming by car, they come by boat. So the security of the marina is also the responsibility of the marina owners and the operators. What the ICA and the Police can do and will do is to give them advice on how to step up such security screening measures. That is what the Police will be working with the marinas on.”
“We have taxi-drivers calling up the Police that they have ferried a passenger who asked them to get from a certain place to another and asked them to stop en route to the Embassy of a particular country or a particular key installation and took pictures. These are very useful tips from the public. We never know that such a tip can be very useful in preventing a terrorist incident.”
“Sir, Mr Ong has raised a point which is valid. Indeed, building security is a responsibility of building owners. In fact, the tenants in these buildings can and should also play a role, because we cannot expect the police to be guarding that property. A building is a private property. It is owned by a commercial organisation for business purposes. Therefore, the security of that building must belong to that of the building owner and the management. The police has indeed worked with the management of these buildings to tighten up security and help them with measures. In fact, we give advice. We go around Orchard Road and many other places in the key parts of Singapore where we have a lot of members of the public accessing them, to advise them on what sort of security measures that need to be taken on the outside as well as the inside of the building. The fact that a guard in a regional mall stopped that person from taking photographs shows that he is doing his job. He is doing his duty. If somebody is taking a picture of his building, surely he can ask, "What are you doing?" This is especially so when that person is inside the building, then, all the more he has the right to see to say, "Let me see what you are taking." Maybe he is taking something else that should not be taken. I am glad that the guard is vigilant enough to stop that person. 2.15 pm Sometimes, it is not just the guard who should stop that person. Even members of the public will call the Police hotline and say that they notice so and so, travelling in this car, taking pictures of this particular building and they give us the car number, and the Police will follow up too.”
“I think it bears repeating that counter-terrorism is the most important issue facing us today. If we have would-be terrorists slipping through our checkpoints, because, as some people prefer, to facilitate checks and make it easier for people to come through our Woodlands Checkpoint, like Mr Steve Chia has suggested, I think we will have a bomb or maybe guns in Singapore too. Do we want that? I think let us be more cautious about that, be stricter in our immigration and checkpoint measures, prevent such people from coming in or such guns from being smuggled in or, worse still, explosives from coming in, and we will be able to sleep better at night.”
“I have always said here that dealing with crime is not just a police responsibility. Everyone has a responsibility to prevent the crime from happening. For example, we have read of stories, we have seen Crime Watch programmes. Why do people lose handphones in hawker centres? They have such great confidence in the safety of Singapore that when they go to the hawker centre, some of them will leave their handphones on the table to reserve the seats. Then, merrily, they trot along to the hawker stall to queue for the food. Can you imagine, if we were to ensure that such crimes do not happen and we need police presence, how many more police officers do we need? Should we be putting police officers as security guards and standing watch at hawker centres for such people? Surely not. If a person has a home and he has valuables in his home, I would advise strongly that he installs an alarm system and turn it on at the right time when he leaves home. No point installing it and not turning it on. We have a spate of such incidents in the 1990s where some homeowners had their homes burgled when they did have an alarm system but they did not turn it on. So is it only a police problem that they did not turn on their alarm system? Surely not. It must be that of the homeowner. So, whatever it is, we are not advising them to walk into a robber. Nobody knows when a person is going to turn into a robber, unless they have the prescience to know that. So let us not try to "blur" the situation. I did not say that crime is no longer a problem. I said low crime does not mean no crime and that the crime situation is under control. The targets that the police has set have been met. In many years, they have over-achieved. That is the situation. On counter-terrorism, let me not under-state this.”
“Sir, Mr Low is seldom "blur". I do not know whether he is "blur" here because he wants to blur the situation. On the message I am sending, am I telling our police officers that busting crime is no more important but put all their time on to counter terrorism? I did not say that. What I am saying is that the focus of the MPs' speeches, and as reported in the English press, seems to be that crime is the most important thing of what MHA does. MHA has many roles. Dealing with crime is one of it. And dealing with that is not just the MHA's role. It is also the role of the public. Here, I am glad to say that 42% of the arrests of various types I mentioned were helped by the members of the public. I say again here that no country in the world has achieved this. When I mentioned this to police forces overseas, they said they wished they had the same situation. When I mentioned this to some people in some of our neighbouring countries, they said that they just encountered the opposite. When they see a crime, they would rather run away. So, our public is willing to confront a criminal, as can be seen in the case of the recent gun robber who went to an NTUC Fairprice outlet. At the carpark, a naval officer went around and assisted the security guard, who happened to be a retired police officer, in overcoming the suspect. So let us not under-play the issue of crime-busting. In fact, clearance rate by the police has been maintained at a very high level. In other words, when a crime is committed, the police managed to clear many of these crimes. Has there been a new philosophy where the police say, "Well, it is your problem, not ours, so please do not create the problem for yourself."? There is no new philosophy.”
“Sir, given the long-term terrorist threat that we face, the fall-out from a terrorist attack on our social cohesion as a multi-ethnic society can be very significant. Therefore, the Community Engagement Programme aims to ensure that communal relations in Singapore can withstand the strain of a terrorist attack. What we do today would increase and strengthen the network of trust and bond for the community, which will determine how quickly we, as a society, recover from such an attack. The Government will work closely with the community to coordinate, facilitate and provide support. The Government will also expand and deepen the network of community partners engaged under this programme.”
“15 pm Mdm Ho talks about getting women involved. Of course, we cannot forget the other half of our population. We have, I think, 51% women in our population, slightly surpassing the men in terms of numbers. They have a very important role to play. And as for the suggestion that all women should learn first aid skill, yes, I encourage that. We will try to facilitate that. In fact, the SCDF does run courses on first aid. I am very happy to read recently when the newspaper reported that a very young lady, 17 years old, Ms Esther Tan, who responded to a man gasping for air. She went to give him CPR before the ambulance arrived. I think that is a remarkable act and I hope more people will take up such life-saving skills. It is not just the SCDF who can run such first-aid courses. We have many other organisations. The Red Cross can do so too. So do St John's. They too can play their roles in helping to educate the people on first aid and CPR. Recently, I attended a women's Seminar on Terrorism and Emergency Preparedness. Ms Indranee invited me because this seminar was led by our group of women MPs and 400 other women leaders also attended it. The participants were given hands-on training on first aid and fire-fighting. I hope more of them will come and join us and we will try to do our best to accommodate their training needs. So the long and short of community engagement is that we need time to work on it. I hope we had done this two years ago. In fact, we had done it 40 years ago but I hope that we had carried on improving on it. It is not too late, but let us start now. I would hope that our people and leaders in the various positions would take an active interest in this.”
“So it is not just the Government's role and I would prefer that such an engagement programme comes from the bottom. They give us ideas, we help them piece together, we help them connect. Then, we will run sessions, courses, seminars, forums, to ensure that we keep updated and keep current on the terrorist threat issue. It is only when they own it that they will feel that they have a responsibility to carry it through. If it is dictated from the top and by the Government, they will say, "Let me wait for the Government to tell me what to do." So I would like to reach that situation where the people exercise initiative. Of course, we will work with them to make sure that they do. In a terrorist incident, should it happen, the people must first know what to do. They are the people on the ground. Let us, say, a bomb blast happens. If they all leave the scene, that leaves the scene quite free for the security forces to move in and investigate. But there could be situations where they can help. For example, when somebody is injured, that somebody needs help to be brought up, whether it is in an MRT station, bus or in any place, he needs to be moved away from the scene of the blast to avoid further danger. So members of the public who are there ought to help. We have seen this in other countries. And, in the case of London, for example, it is the first responder, not the government, their police or ambulances, but the people who were there in the same tunnel were the ones who helped one another. So, I am very happy to see that, indeed, we do have such people on the ground. As when they see an incident, whether it is a traffic accident, we have people coming forward and help, and that is the kind of spirit that we want our people to have. 1.”