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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“I would presume that should be the case.”
“It says, "In the case of husband and wife living together, the interest of one spouse shall if known to the other be deemed to be also an interest of the other." My explanation on this is subject to clarification. Sometimes, we may have a situation where the husband denies that the wife knows about it. So we have to deem that they know what the other party knows.”
“As regards the powers of the officers, I have explained in my speech that, with the two-men operation on fire bikes, most of the time, that will be adequate to deal with some situations, particularly the HDB flat fires or HDB rubbish chute fires. There is no need to have a big turnout of fire-fighters. But in case there is a fire in a flat and the SCDF fire bikes are the first to approach and they cannot get access to it because the officers are too junior and do not have the powers to enter, that is the precise reason why we are providing for this measure so that they can do their duties before the arrival of the senior team. It is for the good of the flat owner who is affected because many a time, we find that the more junior officers are the first to arrive. On the powers of arrest, I have mentioned in my speech that only Warrant Officers and above are empowered to do the arrest. This is not different from equivalent levels of ranks in the other uniformed services, like the Police. We need to give them the powers because right now, it is only granted to the Lieutenant. That is an extension to enable more officers to exercise their powers, just in case in the performance of their duties, our more junior officers are obstructed by people who want to prevent them from doing their job. I missed Mr Low's first point on section 22A. Can he please repeat?”
“Taking into account the need for fire safety engineers to deal with performance-based fire safety regulations, this should be adequate, because we expect the number of building plans that will use the performance-based fire safety approach will be a small one. We are talking about complex buildings, difficult to design buildings, etc. From our calculations, based on past plans, it is about 5% of the plans submitted. The number of engineers should be adequate to meet this demand. Over time, more will be trained and also others who have gone to courses overseas on their own and have returned, they will also form part of the pool of expertise. As regards the SCDF's extension of powers to regulate flammable materials, we are not extending to all kinds of vehicles. The Member was talking about the gas cylinders used for domestic cooking. Currently, these are already licensed under the Fire Safety Petroleum Regulations. It is not part of the new extended measures under this amendment Bill. It is also not practical to control small quantities of flammable materials or petroleum. We talk about reasonable bounds beyond a certain quantity that will be subject to these new prescriptions. I think there is no need to worry about the SCDF chasing all vehicles to make sure that they comply. But for those that convey LPG for home domestic uses or to our hawker centres, etc, they are already subject to regulation. As to whether we should make it easier and convenient for people so that there will not be too many places to apply for licences, currently there are only two authorities inspecting vehicles. One is done by the SCDF for vehicles that carry Hazmat and one is by LTA on the vehicle itself. We will work with LTA to see whether both inspections can be carried out at the same time.”
“Sir, the question of cost, of course, is always a big concern among our building owners and others who may have to spend money to improve or provide for fire safety. I think the cost should be justifiable, because we are talking about saving lives. Whatever measure that is needed to prevent a fire is a necessary measure that will prevent harm being done to unsuspecting individuals who may be victims of fire caused by whatever reasons. We have to take that into account when we talk about saving lives. Regarding industrial buildings that are already there now, the question is whether we immediately require them to put in all these fire safety measures or not. Through a period of inspections, I am sure our SCDF officers will visit industrial buildings to ensure that they have good fire safety measures in place. But we will not apply the Act retroactively to require all building owners to comply immediately. But, over time, through inspections we will give advice and require industrial building owners to comply with the new measures in protecting lives in their buildings. Prof. Chin said that the fire safety engineers is a new term. But actually it is not new. It is new perhaps to Singapore. In other countries, they have fire safety engineering courses. The SCDF has been working in conjunction with the University of Western Sydney to prepare for our people to take such a course. So far, 40 fire safety engineers have been trained and they have received their Masters degree from the University of Western Sydney. Another 21 have just taken their examinations and awaiting the results. Another 18 are on the first-year course and 18 on the second-year course. In November this year, they are going to have the next intake of another 20 students.”
“The Minister has referred to some of the qualifications necessary for such engineers, to be called fire safety engineers. But I wonder whether there are actually enough fire safety engineers in Singapore to carry out the purposes of the Bill. Thirdly, SCDF is now to take over the regulation of storage, transport and import of flammable materials. Does that mean that SCDF has the overall authority to prescribe conditions and give licences for such activities? And if so, what is the extent of this new regulatory scheme? For example, does this mean that even delivery vans of cooking gas cylinders will be subject to licensing by SCDF? If this is the case, does that really mean that more paperwork and more licensing authorities to go to, because such operators will now have to go to both LTA and SCDF to get such certification and licensing? Finally, the Minister mentioned that there will be extended powers of arrest without warrant extended to all SCDF Warrant Officers. What are the reasons for this? Will there be prescribed procedures to make sure that such powers of arrest, which are very wide, should be used with circumspection? Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the proposals that I have presented today are necessary to ensure that the Act remains relevant to our needs. They will enable us to maintain our high fire safety standards while offering design flexibility in buildings. The amendments will also allow us to maintain a high level of security by preventing flammable goods from being misused by terrorists. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung: Sir, this is an important piece of legislation for the safety of the public from fire and chemical hazards. From that perspective, it is to be particularly welcomed. The important issue, however, is to convince the public that the costs, which will be necessarily incurred, as referred to by the Minister, will need to be made. He said that it was a small cost to improve the safety of the public. But I think it has to be demonstrated that this scheme will definitely be necessary to upgrade the safety of institutions and buildings in Singapore. Sir, my questions, therefore, on the Bill, relate to the measures to be taken to implement these provisions, rather than the policies behind the Bill. One preliminary question is whether existing industrial buildings, which hitherto were not subject to fire regulations, may require to satisfy the new regulations under the Fire Safety Bill once enacted. That is my first preliminary question, ie, will the existing industrial buildings be subject to the new regulation and, if so, when will they have to satisfy such regulations? Secondly, the Bill provides for the setting up of a body of fire safety engineers. As I understand it, this is not a type of engineer that has hitherto been recognised. There is a new body of fire safety engineers to be put in place.”
“To plug this loophole, the proposed amendment makes it clear that any building that is wholly or partially owned or occupied by the Government is also subject to the provisions of the Act and empowers the SCDF to take action against Qualified Persons or fire safety engineers who do not comply with the fire safety requirements. Extension of powers Sir, the Act currently empowers any authorised SCDF officer ranked Second Lieutenant and above, with other members under his command, to take necessary action in the event of a fire, for example, entering or breaking into premises to prevent the spread of fire. The employment of advanced and more mobile fire fighting equipment by the SCDF, for example, its two-men fire bike teams, means that junior officers may arrive at the scene of the fire ahead of the main team and the senior officers. As quick action can make a difference in life and death situations, it is important to empower them to be able to take quick action at the scene of the fire. The proposed amendment empowers all SCDF officers to take the necessary actions in the event of a fire. Likewise, the Act empowers any authorised SCDF officer ranked Second Lieutenant and above to arrest without warrant, any persons whom he suspects to have committed an offence under the Act, for example, obstructing any SCDF officer from carrying out his duty in fighting fires. Such powers of arrests are necessary as calling for Police assistance may unnecessarily slow down the fire fighters in the performance of their duties. The perpetrator may also escape before the arrival of the Police. The proposed amendments will extend the powers of arrest to SCDF officers holding the rank of Warrant Officers and above.”
“This requirement currently does not extend to industrial buildings. Fires in industrial buildings have increased over the years. In 1998, 34 cases of fires were reported. It doubled in 1999 and 2000, reaching a high of 130 cases. For the year 2003, there were 93 cases. These industrial fires since 1998 have resulted in four deaths and 66 injuries. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that the fire systems in industrial buildings are functioning properly, so that life and property are not put at risk. For this reason, MHA proposes that the Act be amended to extend the Fire Safety Certificate scheme to industrial buildings to ensure that the owners carry out regular performance testing of all fire safety components within their buildings. Although it means an additional business cost to owners, it is a small price to pay to ensure that the fire safety systems in these industrial buildings are in good working condition. Fire safety requirements in Government-owned buildings MHA is also amending the Act to cover the fire safety works in Government-owned buildings. Currently, the Act requires plans to be submitted to SCDF for fire safety works done in any building, except those owned or occupied by the Government. Although Government-owned and occupied buildings submit plans of fire safety work, SCDF is not empowered to take action against the Qualified Persons engaged for Government-owned buildings if they fail to comply with the fire safety requirements or do not build according to the approved plans.”
“It is, therefore, necessary to address this threat arising from this fast-growing industry. To better deal with these threats, MHA proposes to extend its regulatory control to encompass other flammable materials. Clause 16 repeals and re-enacts section 35 with two new sections 35A and 35B to extend the regulation of transport and storage of petroleum to import, transport and storage of petroleum and flammable materials. The new section 35 disallows any person to store any flammable material unless the premises are licensed and the quantities stored are in accordance with the prescribed conditions in the licence. Section 35A requires a person importing any class of petroleum or any flammable material to hold a valid licence to import petroleum or flammable material. To ensure that Hazmat transportation drivers are security cleared and trained in handling emergencies while on the road, section 35B requires the drivers of road vehicles transporting any class of petroleum or flammable materials to hold a valid licence to transport such materials and a permit to drive the vehicle. It also requires the vehicles used to transport the petroleum or flammable materials to be licensed by the Commissioner SCDF. The Petroleum Act will be repealed consequentially as a result of these proposed amendments. It is obsolete as most of its provisions are already covered under the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Act. Extension of Fire Certificate scheme Sir, I will now move on to the amendments concerning fire safety in buildings. The Act currently requires offices and other commercial buildings to engage a Professional Engineer to certify that the fire safety systems in their buildings are in good working condition before Fire Certificates can be issued.”
“Registration of Fire Safety Engineers Clause 9 provides that a person with the necessary educational qualifications in the field of fire safety engineering and has at least five years of practical experience in the design of fire safety works can be registered as fire safety engineers. These criteria would be prescribed in the regulations. Formation of the Investigation Committee Clause 9 also empowers the Commissioner SCDF to take disciplinary actions against a fire safety engineer should a complaint be received against him. To ensure professionalism and independence in the investigation process, the Commissioner SCDF may form an Investigation Committee. Members of this committee will be drawn from the Fire Safety Engineers Discipline Panel, which the Minister will appoint, and comprise fire safety engineers and officers of the SCDF. For consistency, clause 5 amends the existing appointing authority or persons on the Inquiry Panel for registered inspectors from the Commissioner SCDF to the Minister. Amendments to extend regulatory control to flammable materials Sir, I will now move on to other amendments. The Act currently regulates the transportation and storage of petroleum-based flammables but does not include non-petroleum flammable materials, eg, magnesium and hydrogen. Presently, there are more than 2,000 companies handling hazardous materials, or Hazmat, in Singapore. This number is expected to increase with the rapid growth of our petrochemical, pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals industries on Jurong Island and other parts of Singapore. The rise of international terrorism has added a further dimension to the Hazmat threat. Terrorists could hijack vehicles transporting flammable materials for use as improvised weapons of mass destruction.”
“Sir, I would like to emphasise that the prescriptive measures will be maintained in the Fire Code because it will still be used in designing buildings that have less scope for design flexibility, eg, residential houses, apartments and offices. Developers who do not wish to incur extra costs in engaging fire safety engineers can also follow the prescriptive measures in the Fire Code. I shall now elaborate on the amendments required to introduce the performance-based approach. Duties and responsibilities of Fire Safety Engineers Clause 9 specifies that only Qualified Persons trained in fire safety engineering may design performance-based fire safety solutions. A Qualified Person who is not a fire safety engineer must be supervised by a fire safety engineer in the preparation of the plans. Clause 9 also requires the appointment of a peer reviewer. The job of the peer reviewer is to assess whether the performance-based solution proposed by the fire safety engineer satisfies the requirements of the Fire Code. This review by an independent and competent party acts as a safeguard to ensure that the fire safety standards are maintained. This peer review system is similar to the Building and Construction Authority's accredited checker system, where an accredited checker would check the calculations done by the structural engineer and conduct a separate analysis to verify if the structural design is sound before the structural plans are submitted to BCA. To ensure the integrity of the independent review, the peer reviewer must not have any professional or financial interest in the fire safety works he reviews.”
“For example, the types of construction materials and fire protection systems to be used are specified in the Fire Code and the Qualified Person, who is the registered architect or professional engineer, has to follow these specifications strictly. Such rigid requirements have led to feedback and requests from building designers and owners for more flexibility. In fact, some have hired Qualified Persons to propose alternative solutions that still meet the fire safety standards, and sought waivers from compliance with the Fire Code requirements. Examples of buildings where performance-based solutions have been used include the Singapore Expo and the Esplanade. In recent years, the trend overseas is towards adopting a performance-based approach towards fire safety. Countries that have adopted the performance-based approach include New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, USA, UK and Japan. In view of the feedback and developments in other countries, SCDF consulted the relevant professional bodies, such as the Singapore Institute of Architects and the Institute of Engineers, Singapore, as well as the academia, and has recommended the adoption of a performance-based approach towards fire safety in Singapore. The Fire Code will be amended to incorporate the performance provisions, which would specify the desired fire safety objectives. It would then be up to the fire safety engineers to devise fire safety solutions that meet these objectives. The proposed fire safety engineering approach will not compromise the current high standards and levels of fire safety, and is in line with the Government's approach to reducing over-regulation and be business-friendly. In some instances, there could be cost savings as well.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Fire Safety Act was last amended in 2000. Since then, the threat from terrorism has required us to put regulatory control on flammable materials under the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Building designers have also requested that more flexibility be given to them to design fire safety solutions. The SCDF has introduced new operating procedures, which require the delegation of more powers to their junior officers. To achieve this, MHA is now proposing several key amendments to the Act to enable: (a) the adoption of a performance-based approach towards fire safety; (b) extension of regulatory control to flammable materials, including petroleum; and (c) provision for other changes relating to fire safety in buildings and the extension of SCDF powers. Performance-based approach to fire safety I shall first touch on the proposed performance-based approach to fire safety. The Fire Safety Act provides for the fire safety regulations and effective enforcement of fire safety standards. Currently, fire safety standards for buildings in Singapore are governed by the Code of Practice for Fire Precautions in Buildings, commonly known as the "Fire Code". The Fire Code, first introduced in 1974 and last revised in 2002, prescribes specific fire safety requirements and measures without stating the intention or desired outcome. The prescriptive approach is rigid and restricts flexibility in building designs, as requirements specified in the Fire Code have to be strictly adhered to.”
“The Commission has proposed a new scheme to be known as the Language Executive Scheme (Parliament) which will follow the LXS scheme structure for interpreters and translators in the other Ministries and the Judiciary. With the implementation of the new scheme, the Language Services Officers can enjoy performance-based pay, clear and timely progression, and self-directed career development. Unlike the existing scheme, the Language Services Officers must possess graduate degree entry qualifications, with the additional requirement of a relevant language major. On conversion to the LX Scheme (Parliament), officers will retain their current salaries. The recommendation of the Commission is contained in paragraph 8 of the Report. The House is asked to accept the recommendation of the Commission. Madam, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That this Parliament, noting the Report of the Commission on Parliament Staff as contained in Paper Misc. 8 of 2003, accepts the recommendation of the Commission as contained in paragraph 8 thereof and resolves in accordance with such recommendation. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed. - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Adjourned accordingly at Twelve Minutes to Six o'clock pm to a date to be fixed. APPENDICES”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That this Parliament, noting the Report of the Commission on Parliament Staff as contained in Paper Misc. 8 of 2003, accepts the recommendation of the Commission as contained in paragraph 8 thereof and resolves in accordance with such recommendation." Madam, in accordance with Article 51(6) of the Constitution of Singapore, a Commission consisting of the Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, the Acting Minister for Education, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission and myself was set up to consider a proposal to adopt a new Language Executive Service (Parliament) for the Simultaneous Interpreters. The Commission has presented its Report to Parliament on 28th November 2003. The salary of the Simultaneous Interpreters has remained unchanged since 1st January 1994 when it was revised as a result of a civil service-wide salary revision. Since then, the job scope of the Simultaneous Interpreters has expanded and the existing scheme of service provides no progression in their salaries. To reflect the expanded job scope and the interpretation and translation skills of the Simultaneous Interpreters, their job title has been redesignated as Language Services Officers. The Commission also noted that the scheme of service for the interpreters and translators in the other Ministries/departments and the Judiciary has been recently reviewed and revised. Consequent upon the revision, an enhanced scheme 2003 and a newly created scheme known as the Language Executive Schemes (LXS) for these interpreters and translators came into effect on 1st June 2003 and 1st July 2003 respectively.”
“In 2001, there were 14 substantiated cases (substantiated cases refer to those charged in court and given warning) of foreign domestic workers abused by their employers or members of the employer's household. Of these 14 employer-related cases, the offenders for 8 cases were prosecuted in court. There was 1 substantiated case of a foreign domestic worker abused by the maid agency in 2001 and the offender was prosecuted in court. In 2002, there were 19 substantiated cases of foreign domestic workers abused by their employers or members of the employer's household and 2 substantiated cases committed by maid agencies. The offenders for all 21 cases were prosecuted in court. All these data should be seen in perspective. For each of the past two years, there were more than 140,000 foreign domestic workers. The percentage of foreign domestic workers who were abused represented 0.01% and 0.014% of the total population of Foreign Domestic Workers in years 2001 and 2002 respectively. Column No : 3247 MORTGAGE PAYMENTS FROM CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND 3. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for National Development if he will give the profile of the 35,000 households unable to meet their mortgage payments from their Central Provident Fund (CPF) Ordinary and Special Accounts after the reduction in CPF contributions, giving their (i) income, (ii) type of HDB flat, (iii) mortgage amount, (iv) duration and (v) amount of monthly instalments and the shortfall in absolute amount in each month.”
“Both the Singapore Police and the Singapore High Commission in Canberra have been in regular contact with the New South Wales (NSW) Police to provide whatever assistance required concerning the investigations into the murder of the two Singaporean students in Sydney on 15th September 2003. The NSW Police has informed us that investigations are still going on, and they are pursuing all possible leads. They are unable to release any information currently so as not to compromise the ongoing investigations. Column No : 3247 ABUSE OF FOREIGN DOMESTIC WORKERS 2. Ms Braema Mathiaparanam asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many police reports were filed in the last two years by foreign domestic workers alleging abuse by (i) employers, (ii) maid agencies; and (b) how many amongst these cases were filed in court.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move, That Parliament do now adjourn. Question proposed. Column No : 3224 MINISTRY OF HEALTH'S PRIORITIES 5.55 pm”
“Tomorrow, Sir. Mr Deputy Speaker: So be it. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Adjourned accordingly at Fourteen Minutes to Seven o'clock pm. Adequacy of CPF at 30% CPF Contribution Rate (2981 - 2982)”
“The recommended flexible wage system thus comprises 70% fixed basic wages, 20% AVC and 10% MVC. On the implementation of MVC, progress has been made in the unionised sector. As at December 2002, 39% of unionised companies have implemented the MVC. This compares favourably with 11% in 1999, 29% in 2000 and 34% in 2001. In the non-unionised sector, however, the implementation rate of MVC is significantly lower, registering only 3.9% of non-unionised companies surveyed, a marginal improvement from 3.4% in 2001. Based on feedback from employers, one of the reasons for the slow implemen- tation of MVC was the economic downturn in recent years, which saw many companies granting little or no wage increases. As MVC was originally recommended to be built up from future wage increases, many companies which did not pay wage increases were not able to implement the component. The concern that MVC could only be cut in a business loss situation also discouraged companies from implementing it. Other reasons inhibiting companies from implementing MVC include the concern that the introduction of MVC would make wage administration too complex. Due to our seniority-based wage system, individual performance and contribution are also not adequately recognised and rewarded. Changes should be made to replace the seniority-based wage system with a performance-based wage system. To help expedite the implementation of a wage system which could link rewards closely to company and individual performance, the Ministry has set up a Tripartite Taskforce to study the issues and make recommendations. It is headed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Manpower, with representatives from employers and trade unions and its studies are expected to be completed by the end of the year.”
“For any security guard agency to continue to hold a licence, they will need to certify their guards. A grading system will be given to the guard agencies according to the percentage of guards that they have trained under the skills certification programme. The information will be available to all users who want to hire security guards from such agencies. They will then have a better idea on who, among them, have better-trained or more trained staff to deal with the issues that they have in hand. FLEXIBLE WAGE SYSTEM (Implementation by the private sector) 2. Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) what are the main reasons cited by the private sector for not implementing the flexible wage system; and (b) what steps have the Ministry taken or will be taking to encourage more companies to adopt the flexible wage system. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Acting Minister for Manpower (Mr Hawazi Daipi) (for the Acting Minister for Manpower): Mr Speaker, Sir, wage reform has been carried out since 1986 when the then Wage Reform Committee recommended that our wage system should be made more responsive to changing business conditions and hence, a flexible wage system should be implemented. The flexible wage system should include an Annual Variable Component (AVC) constituting 20% of total wages linked to company performance. Since then, more than 85% of companies have implemented some form of flexible wage system. The average AVC varied from year to year, ranging from 13% to 16% of total wages, depending on economic conditions and profitability of firms. To further enhance the flexibility of our wage system, the NWC in 1999 recommended the implementation of the Monthly Variable Component (MVC) to form 10% of total wages.”
“I am sure Members would have read the newspaper reports of a visible increase in the security measures of hotels and other public places. However, much more can be done. The Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence, Dr Tony Tan and myself, will be meeting the top management of hotel operators, shopping centres, property holding and management companies, to impress upon them the need to work in partnership with the security agencies to further enhance security measures for their buildings. The briefing will be held on 2nd September. Dealing with the current security situation requires the collective efforts of the community, the private sector and the security guard agencies. The Police has put in place the National Skills Recognition Scheme (NSRS), an accreditation scheme where private security agencies will be rated based on the training and capabilities of their security guards. This grading exercise should motivate security guard agencies to enhance the training of their guards beyond the minimal level imposed by the Police. The grading system will also provide the customers with better information in their selection of security guard agencies. Besides encouraging private security agencies to upgrade their skills, the training provided would also upgrade the skills and competency level of the private security agencies. One of the core competencies identified under the scheme is the handling of bomb threats. This will ensure that security guards deployed at commercial buildings are equipped with the necessary skills to deal with the terrorist threat. Security is now everyone's responsibility. Only through working together can we weather this period of uncertainty to ensure better security in Singapore.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we have increased our security measures since September 11th. These have been further raised following the Bali bombing incident in October 2002. We now conduct 100% security checks on all arriving persons and their belongings at our land and sea checkpoints. All vehicles passing our land checkpoints are checked. Our vital installations and high-risk establishments are guarded round the clock. These include Changi Airport, Jurong Island and foreign embassies assessed to be under threat. We have also hardened the so-called "soft" targets such as hotels, pubs, large entertainment outlets frequented by foreigners and locals, as well as key commercial and shopping areas. Besides increasing Police patrols and deploying guards, road engineering and infrastructure works have also been carried out to enhance security. While the public may suffer some inconvenience, these works are necessary to enhance security. The community's partnership is important in our fight against terrorism. The Government cannot do it alone. While the Government would do all it can to safeguard the level of security in Singapore, business and building owners also have to safeguard the security of their own buildings. Each building's management has a part to play. My Ministry has been proactively engaging specific groups, such as hotel operators and owners of large commercial buildings to brief them on the current threat assessment and measures that they should take to guard against a terrorist attack. For example, following the Jakarta's Marriott Hotel bombing on 5th August, hotel operators and owners of large commercial buildings were briefed by the Ministry of Home Affairs the very next day on security measures to take. This had a positive impact.”
“Sir, pursuant to Standing Order No. 42, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." Question proposed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That Parliament do now adjourn. Let me remind Members that we still have one more Bill, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency Bill, tomorrow. Question proposed. PUBLIC INFORMATION PROCESSES 5.02 pm”
“We are working with other foreign governments to also tighten up security measures where our national air carriers fly to. 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; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT MOTION”
“But I can say that it will be very soon because we already have officers who are trained as air marshals and we have put them through training, not just with people who know the business, but we have consultants who come and help us to train. We have also sent our officers overseas to learn from other air marshal units the kind of skills, training and people that they need to have before they can be deployed as air marshals. In regard to the Israeli example, that is one of the countries that we have learned from, and there are several others. I quoted two countries - Israel and the US. But the Germans, Swiss and Australians also have air marshals. We have been in close touch with all these agencies to learn from them. We will learn and try to adapt it to our own situation. I hope this answers the questions by the two Members. But I also want to stress here that it is not just carrying arms on board that will cause a potential threat. The example I cited is Mas Selamat and his associates. They did not want to carry weapons on board. They are looking for some heavy-built individuals who can go into the cockpit to overcome the pilots. But SIA has, over the last year or two since September 11, started to harden its aircraft as well as its cockpit area. They have put in CCTVs and they have hardened the cockpit doors which cannot be easily broken into. So the airline operators themselves have also taken measures to strengthen security. But before anyone can carry weapons on board, the first thing we should do is to detect him at the check-in gate before we allow him to fly. That is the process that we need to do very stringently. As far as Changi Airport is concerned, we have been applying these measures very stringently.”
“But we hope that in a situation where they have to deal with a hijacking situation, that would be the last thing they need to do without endangering the safety of the passengers. So uppermost in their minds, when they exercise their powers, will be the safety of the passengers as well as the airplanes and an assessment would be made. Prof. Chin asked under what prevailing threat situations do we deploy air marshals in an aircraft. We will deploy air marshals depending on the global and regional security threat situation. Before we make any decision to deploy, we will, in close collaboration with many other agencies, determine the threat level. And once we feel that there is a need to deploy air marshals in the aircraft, we would do so. I cannot describe exactly under what circumstances will an air marshal be deployed because to do so would simply compromise our deployment plans. Mr Chiam asked about the jurisdiction of the air marshals. If they are on board a Singapore-registered aircraft, Singapore would have jurisdiction. When they arrive at the destination, then of course we will hand over that jurisdiction to the destination country. But all these are matters which are under negotiation and discussion with the countries concerned. And, indeed, before we fly an aircraft with air marshals to a destination country, we will have agreements with the countries concerned that they will accept the deployment of air marshals. I can assure the House that discussion is already taking place with several countries. Once we have firmed up and got the agreement, we will start deploying. I cannot tell exactly when that will take place.”
“Both Mr Chiam and Prof. Chin are concerned about the training and the selection of our air marshals. Let me assure Members, as well as the people outside, that the officers in the Air Marshal Unit are experienced police officers, and they are selected from specialised units and under stringent criteria. So whether they are from the Special Operation Force or whether they are from the Special Unit, etc, I am sure we have scoured the whole Police Force to look for the right people with the correct temperament to undergo the training. We will particularly train them on how to operate within the confines of an aircraft. It is quite different training a police officer to deal with ground situations, whether it is on the streets, in the markets, or whatever public place. An aircraft is a confined space, limited by its size, and there are many people in it. So the officers have to be trained on aviation security as well and how to cope with such a situation when they are in the plane with many passengers. They have to think calmly under stressful situations and there may be little time to react. But they will not just shoot on the count of one and just shoot. They will look and assess the situation carefully before they take appropriate measures to try to disarm the hijackers. They will employ unarmed and close-encounter combat skills first before they decide to use weapons as a last resort. The selection of weapons of course is another consideration. The Police will make sure that it is the correct weapon where it will not cause a disaster in the plane while it is in flight. Air marshals are very skilful people and they are marksmen. We want people who can really shoot straight, if they have to.”
“Does it mean that we will, as a matter of routine, put air marshals on board Singapore-registered planes? Or does it mean that only in very specific instances would you have to deploy such air marshals? Sir, the air marshals legislation is important because, as the Minister has mentioned, many countries have already put these air marshals into service. If I may put a scenario in this way. If in a whole row of houses, almost all of them, except one, had installed burglar alarms, then it is quite obvious that the burglars would choose the one without the burglar alarm. So I think it is obvious that we have to have such legislation. But I hope that the Minister would be able to reassure the people that, even with the deployment of such air marshals, safety and security in the planes would not be compromised by their deployment. Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang): Sir, I support this Bill really as a very necessary measure in the steps taken to enhance security, especially aviation security, in the post-911 era. However, there may be, instead of public confidence in this air marshal scheme, occasions where the public may be alarmed simply because hitherto our attention has been to focus on security measures on the ground to prevent guns and explosives from getting on board aircraft. However, with this deployment of air marshals, it means that the air marshals themselves would be bringing guns aboard, and the prospect of a shoot-out in a very confined space, of course, would give rise to alarm. So I think it is necessary in this House to reassure the people that this is actually a very important scheme in the context of security. To this end, I would like the Minister just to clarify a couple of points. First of all, I want to ask whether, with this scheme in place, the first priority of security in aviation is to prevent potential terrorists and offensive weapons from coming on board or being brought on board aircraft. And, secondly, the Minister has mentioned that the air marshals would be drawn from the Police and would be specially trained. Of course, there is a whole world of difference between training police officers for law enforcement on the ground and training them for enforcement in the air. So I would like to know whether air marshals would be trained in such a way as to ensure that the performance of their duties under such situations would be expertly done and with the safety of passengers, crew and aircraft in mind. Thirdly, the proposed Bill says that air marshals will be deployed when there are high security risks involved. So I want to know what actually does that mean.”
“This clause is to avoid situations where the airlines or their crew refuse to accept the deployment of air marshals, which may compromise security especially where there is intelligence of a terrorist threat to the flight and cause disruptions to airline operations. Powers As the air marshals are drawn from the Singapore Police Force, the officers will have the necessary police powers to act on board an aircraft when it is within Singapore's territory. To remove any ambiguity that these powers will not extend extra-territorially, the Government has decided that it would be prudent to introduce legislation to specify the powers of the air marshals on board our carriers outside Singapore's airspace. Section 48D will make it clear that police powers will be extended to the air marshals when they are on board our air carriers outside Singapore territory. Mr Speaker, Sir, by amending this Act, we would be taking concrete steps to identify air marshals as police officers with the powers pursuant to those of police officers. Furthermore, the Bill would guarantee the Government's right to deploy air marshals on board Singapore's national air carriers. The introduction of air marshals, in turn, will contribute to enhancing aviation security by making it more difficult for terrorists to carry out their acts on board Singapore-registered aircraft. Furthermore, it can help to prevent unnecessary loss of lives when people on the ground inevitably become "collateral damage" when the plane crashes. The deployment of air marshals is therefore a necessary measure to complement other security measures to counter a September 11th threat against our national carriers. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. Assoc. Prof.”
“Here, I must emphasise that the deployment of air marshals on our national carriers is not in response to any specific current threat to SIA or SilkAir, but as part of our overall strategy and package of measures to enhance our aviation security. Singapore is not alone in wanting to deploy air marshals. A number of countries have deployed air marshals on board their national air carriers, as an additional line of defence should terrorists manage to slip through intelligence and ground defences. The United States and Israel are some of the forerunners in deploying air marshals on their flights. Since September 11th, other countries have similarly begun exploring or are in the process of setting up air marshal units. An Air Marshal Unit (AMU) will be formed within the Singapore Police Force. The air marshals are handpicked officers and will undergo specialised training. Mr Speaker, Sir, I will now briefly highlight some of the main issues that are addressed by the Bill. Appointment and Training The new section 48B stipulates that the Commissioner of Police may appoint any police officer as an air marshal and ensures that the air marshals are provided with the necessary training. It is vital that the officers be adequately trained to deal with the range of complex situations that can occur on board an aircraft. I would like to stress again that every air marshal will undergo extensive training to enable him to operate effectively and professionally within the confines of an aircraft. Airline Compliance The new section 48C makes it mandatory for national air carriers to accept the deployment of air marshals on board their flights, with penalties for non-compliance. National air carriers are Singapore registered air carriers.”
“In order to counter a September 11th-style attack, security measures for civil aviation have to be tight. Although the key to mitigating any threat to civil aviation, including hijacking, is a combination of early intelligence and robust ground security measures, September 11th has reminded us that we must not overlook other measures that can effectively prevent an aircraft hijacking. Mas Selamat's plan of commandeering the aircraft without the use of weapons shows that the screening for weapons at the airports may not be sufficient. Comprehensive security measures at each possible stage of air travel are needed. Some of the aviation security measures already in place in Singapore include 100% screening of check-in baggage, strengthening of cockpit doors and installing close circuit cameras at the cockpit door and enhancing physical patrols of the airport compounds. Although our aviation security measures at Changi Airport are robust, the possibility of a hijacking occurring on our air carriers arriving from other airports cannot be discounted. SIA and SilkAir are considered at risk because they are icons associated with Singapore. The Government has, therefore, decided to deploy air marshals on board our national air carriers to secure our aircraft during flight against any hijacking attempt. Air marshals are armed and specially trained officers who will travel incognito, on board flights. Their task will be, principally, to thwart any hijacking attempts. Recently, in November 2002, an attempted hijacking of an El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Istanbul was foiled by Israeli air marshals on board the flight. Having air marshals on board serve as a deterrent to would-be hijackers.”
“Mas Selamat has since been arrested but his four associates are still at large. The September 11th incident and the Mas Selamat plan's are representative of the new operating environment facing us today where terrorists have no qualms about causing mass casualties and are fuelled by vague motivations such as religious extremism. These terrorists are also prepared to sacrifice their own lives in suicide missions. We will have to take these threats seriously. Although the Singapore JI cell has been crippled by the Internal Security Department's arrests to the extent that it no longer poses a serious threat to our security, the terrorist threat to Singapore has not ebbed. The Al Qaeda and regional militant groups like the JI continue to be active. The recent bomb attack on the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta on 5th August 2003 is a grim reminder that the JI is still a formidable threat despite the arrests of key members. The incident resulted in the first Singaporean casualties to terrorism possibly since the Laju incident of 1974. As regional governments continue to exert pressure on the militant groups through arrests and prosecutions, these groups will continue to try and intimidate governments. Singapore is no exception. Our actions against the local JI cell had triggered the unravelling of the JI network in the region. This can lead to reprisal attacks against Singapore assets here and overseas. So, we are a prime target. The terrorist threat to us is real and serious. Singaporeans have to learn to live with this threat. It will be with us for the long haul. We have to face it squarely and take steps to protect ourselves. Since the September 11th attacks, the Government has done what are practically possible to prevent terrorism.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, this Bill amends the Police Force Act: (a) To appoint police officers as air marshals; (b) To provide for air marshals to have police powers on board Singapore-registered aircraft; and (c) To make it mandatory for our national air carriers to accept the deployment of air marshals on board Singapore-registered aircraft. Sir, in the 1970s and 1980s, hijacking of aircraft was a common tactic used by terrorists to draw attention to a cause or to secure political demands from a government. Although hijackings became more difficult when airport security measures were improved significantly in the 1990s, there were still successful hijacking attempts. One such incident occurred here in Singapore in 1991 when SIA flight SQ 117 was hijacked while on a shuttle flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. The September 11th incident in the United States marked a radical change in the terrorist threat to civil aviation. The hijacked airplanes were turned into flying bombs to devastating effect with more than 3,000 people dead. Recently, Singapore was also the target of a plan for a similar styled attack. In early 2002, the Singapore Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader, Mas Selamat Kastari, clearly influenced by the September 11th attack, had plotted to hijack an airplane from Bangkok and crash it into Changi Airport. To circumvent stringent checks at airports, they did not plan to carry weapons on board but to use two physically stronger members in their group to force their way into the cockpit. Although the plan was aborted when Mas Selamat's name appeared in the media as being wanted in connection with JI activities, the group continues to harbour hopes of carrying out this plan one day.”
“Indeed, Singapore remains one of the safest cities in the world to live in. The Home Team will continue to ensure this to be so. MS AUNG SAN SUU KYI 18. Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what is the Government's position on the arrest and detention of democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her political party in Myanmar.”
“Let me reassure Members that the Police has not lowered its readiness to deal with the crime situation. The need to combat both crime and security threats after 9-11 has certainly stretched Police resources. However, the Singapore Police Force has reorganised itself and has drawn on additional resources to deal with these twin challenges. Following September 11, both anti-crime and security patrols were increased significantly. For example, Police crime patrols increased by 49% as compared to the period before 9-11. Police was able to achieve this by leveraging on every available staff including Police NSmen. Immediately after 9-11, Police froze all leave. For 2002, Police restricted leave to urgent cases. Police also scaled down non-essential services, such as the handling of lost and found reports and rescuing of trapped animals, in order to free up resources. In addition, the re-organisation of the Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) system to the Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) system in 1996 has enabled the Police to deploy more officers on patrols, thus increasing police visibility in the neighbourhood and to respond quickly to crime cases. More importantly, Police has been able to handle the twin challenges of combating crime and preventing terrorism because it taps the resources of other Home Team departments, as well as the community at large. Many Singaporeans are involved in the Community Safety and Security Programme and Neighbourhood Watch Zone activities such as Citizens-on-Patrol and crime prevention discussions for the elderly. Terrorism prevention, in particular, involves the Home Team and does not fall solely on the shoulders of the Police. Hence, the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority also play key roles.”
“The talks and exhibitions also cover basic do's and don'ts, such as using hand signals and not cycling on pedestrian pavements. The Traffic Police will continue to educate cyclists and other road users, including motorists, on safe cycling. Road safety is everyone's business. INTERIM AND ESTATE UPGRADING PROGRAMMES 2. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for National Development as regards Potong Pasir Constituency, whether Mr Sitoh Yih Pin or any of the grassroots organisations have asked for and obtained permission since November 2000, (i) to construct a river promenade or park at the waterfront in front of apartment Block Nos. 125-144 of Potong Pasir Avenue 3; (ii) for the Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP) for Potong Pasir estate and/or Lorong 8 Toa Payoh estate; (iii) to upgrade all lifts in all high-rise Housing and Development Board blocks and for lifts to stop at every floor; (iv) to carry out Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) at Sennett Estate; and (v) to provide better facilities to the surrounding areas at Avon Park and Euro-Asia Park.”
“The number of cyclists involved in traffic accidents rose from 266 in 1998 to 363 in 2002. However, the number of fatalities involving cyclists has remained consistently fewer than 20 per year for the same period. Table 1 shows the breakdown of cyclists involved in traffic accidents for the period 1998 - 2002. Table 1: Breakdown of cyclists involved in traffic accidents 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Number of cyclists 266 341 336 360 363 involved in traffic accidents Number of fatalities 15 19 15 12 16 involving cyclists Note: Under the Road Traffic (Bicycle) Exemption Rules, a bicycle is defined to mean a pedal bicycle and includes pedal tricycles and trishaws. The figures above reflect the number of accidents and fatalities involving bicycles, trishaws and tricycles. To address the rise in the number of cyclists involved in accidents, the Traffic Police conducts regular talks and exhibitions on safe cycling habits. For example, a total of 237 road safety talks and exhibitions, including a segment on safe cycling, were conducted last year. These talks and exhibitions are conducted at primary and secondary schools, community centres and SAF camps, and have reached out to more than 92,000 pupils, SAF personnel and members of the public. In addition, the Traffic Police also conducted 232 sessions of the Shell Traffic Game training at the East Coast Road Safety Community Park. These primary and secondary school pupils were put through practical lessons on safe cycling and taught basic rules while cycling on the road. The talks and exhibitions on safe cycling cover safe cycling tips, such as wearing protective gear, and taking extra care when approaching road junctions.”
“Sir, we have to see how we want to maximise this scarce resource. Since we do not have many of these around, we have to put them in places where we can create the most effect. So the idea now is not to deploy this in the companies. Just now I mentioned that I am encouraged that China and Hong Kong are attending the meeting. Well, that was my impression, but I do not think that has been confirmed yet. So I would withdraw that part of my statement.”
“Sir, this thermal imaging scanner is a scarce resource. Right now, we do not have many of them, and we have to depend on the company to produce this. But because of the urgency of this matter, we have decided to take from them first and started to deploy them at our airports and land checkpoints. How much does it cost? I was told it is more than $100,000 or thereabouts. So it shows that we are sparing no efforts, including the price of this scanner, to install as many as we can, because we have to deal with this immediately.”
“Sir, I was a bit interrupted there. But as I understand it, Mr Chia is asking how much does each thermal scanner cost. Is that his question?”
“Hence, the ASEAN Leaders will be meeting in Bangkok next Tuesday together with their Health Ministers and Ministers in charge of immigration matters, to discuss the measures that ASEAN member nations could take as a collective group to keep our borders open and to contain the spread of SARS. Ideally, we should also get to a position where we can assure the rest of the world that it is safe to travel in and out of ASEAN. Furthermore, it is encouraging to note that China and Hong Kong also recognise the importance of global cooperation and they may also be joining the meeting. Mr Speaker, Sir, whether we like it or not, SARS will be with us for some time. It is important that we do not allow ourselves to be defeated and continue with our normal life with suitable adjustments. As long as the necessary precautionary measures are taken, all activities can and should continue. I am happy to note that the majority of Singaporeans have already made the adjustments and are carrying on with their normal lives. This is evident from the many mass community events that are going on as planned as well as the crowds at hawker centres and food courts. I myself was at a restaurant last Saturday and it was full. In summary, Sir, the Government is treating this threat very seriously. Attention is paid at the highest level, and the Government will not let up on its efforts to contain and overcome the SARS situation. If all Singaporeans cooperate and stay united, we will weather this crisis like many others before.”
“We have identified and prepared two HDB blocks to be used as emergency housing in the event that we have to move a whole block of residents to another block should the need arise. I hope that this will not come about, but should it happen or has to happen, then at least we are prepared for this eventuality. This is to protect the residents. I know that they will be inconvenienced but that cannot be helped because investigations have to be carried out smoothly and without hindrance for us to identify whether there are other causes that could lead to, say, several cases of unconnected residents living in the same block having SARS. We hope that there would not be such a case. But should that be the situation, then we may have to activate a plan like that. The logistics and utilities as well as the operational plan to effect such a mass evacuation have already been worked out. So, while we take all precautionary measures, we cannot afford to be complacent thinking that everything is fine with all these measures in place. We still have got to think through and review and refine as we gain experience. However, the actions at the individual and national levels are not enough, because SARS is a global problem - in Asia, America, Europe. To fully contain SARS, international cooperation is essential. Such cooperation is already happening on the medical front where medical professions share information; they share the research that they have done and so on. The significant strides made on this within a short time in the fight against SARS shows what could be achieved if nations are prepared to work together to overcome this problem, provided we all work on it together.”
“And we also had Civil Defence officers to volunteer to become interpreters, because the people we contact may not speak Mandarin or English. So we had to have interpreters. This is just the immediate action that we took to trace, contact, to serve the Home Quarantine Orders and to put in the electronic cameras. But there are many regular retailers who go to the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market and we thought it would be a useful measure if we were also to do temperature taking at all our markets, and that is how we activated the PA network again with our community leaders, merchant and hawker associations, with Town Council staff and many others, to quickly help conduct temperature taking. And the briefing was done on Monday afternoon. Monday evening, they went back to discuss with their own people together with the hawkers themselves and the following day, some were ready to roll, and by now they have covered many of the markets and hawker centres. Because this is an effort that depends on the community, and we know that community leaders are volunteers, unless they are housewives or retirees. So it is not possible to make this a sustained effort in taking body temperature of every hawker or hawker assistant. From tomorrow onwards, National Environment Agency officers - although they were also involved in the earlier task - will take over the task of temperature-taking for about 20,000 stallholders and their stall assistants. This will then make it a sustainable effort. While the Ministry of the Environment and the Town Councils have done thorough checks and taken extra measures to ensure that the Hong Kong Amoy Gardens scenario should not occur here, we take no chances.”
“While we take all the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of SARS, we also plan for various scenarios for which quickness of response and the ability to muster resources at extremely short notice is absolutely crucial. Even when reacting to a situation, we have to be very fast. Let me just quote the example of the closure of the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market. Mr Lim Hng Kiang called me on Saturday at about 8 o'clock, and we discussed what to do about the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market in view of the number of cases there. After we assessed the situation, we thought that we should close the Wholesale Market, so that we can contain the spread of SARS, and that is the best course of action we thought we should implement immediately. So, I directed the Director of Operations, Police HQ, to marshall the Police officers to get to the ground with Environment, MOH and AVA officers to immediately quarantine the place; in other words, totally enclose the place. And then we cleared people out and registered them. We had to find about 3,000-4,000 people who were, in one way or another, involved, connected or doing business in the Wholesale Market, and it is a very large number of people to be contacted. So, to do that, the following day we again got together a group of officers, this time from the Peoples' Association, because they have a wide network on the ground, all the 84 constituency officers plus their staff were gathered together and they were given a list of names to do the contact tracing. While people are being traced with the names and once we know where they are and are actually in, CISCO officers, together with another 100 Civil Defence officers, went to the homes to serve them with Home Quarantine Orders and to fix the electronic cameras.”
“All Government agencies have also developed detailed operating procedures to safeguard the health of their front-line staff who may be exposed to SARS patients in the course of their work. These include the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority officers, and my Immigration officers were quite aghast when they found incoming travellers at the Airport pulling two hand trolleys and then putting their passport in between their teeth. So, we decided to take precautions so that they do not inadvertently get infected. We are also taking precautions for our Police officers, paramedics, soldiers and so on. The consequences of a SARS infection spreading through the public service will be a serious one and we cannot afford to shut down a Government department or a Ministry. The same applies to the others, particularly those that provide essential services, because essential services such as water, electricity and public transport must continue to be provided, even during an emergency. This is a very serious problem for us and we must continue to run these services in order to have life carry on as per normal. We have also identified a temporary office site that can be used for a Government department in the event that the whole department has to be vacated and we need to do some cleaning. Back-up information technology infrastructure has also been put in place to service this. Remote access and telecommuting work solutions are also being developed for the public service. The public are also being encouraged to make greater use of the various electronic services that Government agencies have launched over the years, so that they can minimise the level of physical interaction at the public counters.”
“So, for a few of our colleagues like Mr Khaw Boon Wan and the three doctors, Vivian Balakrishnan, Ng Eng Hen and Balaji, we have set up video conference facilities for them - for ourselves in the Cabinet room, and for them in a separate room. Should they decide to come to attend Cabinet meetings, but not inside the Cabinet room, they can go to this room and talk to us and we can see them just as Members are looking at me on the screen now. Even though the MOS says that they do not have a problem because they are fully garbed, gowned, masked, etc, when they walk around in hospitals, they decided to take this extraordinary step not to attend the Cabinet meetings while they are on this combat team, because if there is a minor possibility that we can get infected, the consequences will be quite bad for Singapore. This same isolate and contain strategy must also apply at the organisational level. I just described how the Cabinet is trying to do this, and how individual Ministries are also doing it. The Ministry of Trade and Industry has been working very closely with the businesses to advise and help them on the precautionary measures that they should put in place to prevent the spread of SARS in the workplace, such as temperature taking every day to check the staff and the visitors, segregation of their staff into two teams and not allowing cross-contamination and so on. They have also been asked to develop business continuity plans should something happen. Similarly, such precautionary measures have also been put in place for all Government agencies. For example, we take the temperature of ourselves every day. Every Government officer is now given a thermometer and he is required to take his temperature and he will be supervised by his supervisor.”