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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“So I think he has got to work very hard to find the right kind of constituencies to contest. On election deposit, the deposit is set at 8% of the total MPs' allowance for the year, which, I believe, now works out to between $11,000 and $13,000. And that is not a large sum of money. If a candidate is able to get one-eighth, about 12% of the votes, he can get his deposit back. So in a very unlikely event that a candidate just simply takes the gamble and hopes to be elected and only gets less than the required percentage to reclaim his deposit, then he has taken the gamble and lost. On the GRC being undemocratic and communal, I do not believe so. This had been fully explained at the time when we had GRCs, and we had gone to the Select Committee. GRCs have been in place since the elections in 1988. I believe Mr Chiam went to talk to some students recently and they raised the same point. And some students asked him, "Mr Chiam, we have heard all this before. Haven't you got something else more or new to say?" Well, I do not know what he said. But I believe that he must have said something. On broadcasting time, broadcasting times must be proportionate to the number of candidates that the party fields. It is definitely not a level playing field if he says he fields one candidate and he is entitled to the same amount of time as the one that fields 83 candidates. That is not level. That is very unequal indeed. So the policy will remain as far as the broadcasting time is concerned. Mr Chiam has asked that we do not spring any surprise on him. Let me tell him something in advance so that he would not be surprised. I would like to take this opportunity to inform the House that from the next general election, a central announcement system would be implemented.”
“Mr Jeyaretnam is not interested in my answer. He has already heard the answer before. So he just raised it perfunctorily. Anyway, we come back to Mr Chiam who has raised some very serious points. Mr Chiam made a number of points concerning redrawing of boundaries, new rules being set up, broadcasting time, election deposit, and so on. As he knows, all countries redraw the boundaries from time to time, and I do not believe that we call them gerrymandering. Boundaries are redrawn because population shifts and the pattern of residents moving into new housing estates also shifts. So we have to take that into account and provide for new constituencies or regrouping of constituencies, and that is done quite regularly and there is no surprise about it. Of course, Mr Chiam would like to be told way back in advance, as he says, a year in advance, when boundaries change. But unfortunately the Election Boundaries Delineation Committee does not sit so far ahead, as Mr Chiam would wish. But if the Committee sits and the report is completed, and eventually the report is submitted to Parliament, he can take a look at it, and that is when he can start to prepare the ground. Whether the party has enough time to go to the ground and contest or not, much depends very much on what the party has been doing during the period when there is no election. The party need not wait till election in order to go and find out about the ground, know what is going on the ground, or even cultivate the ground. He needs to have enough people to do that. And if he wants to zero in on a certain number of constituencies, by all means do that. If he looks at the pattern in the past years, some constituencies are contested and some may not be.”
“Sir, on behalf of the Prime Minister. Mr Chiam has made several points which I am sure if you have --- At this juncture - Mr Jeyaretnam left the Chamber.”
“Sir, we recognise that the last revision of the legislative and secretarial assistants' allowance was way back in 1993. And when we first started this scheme in 1989, or thereabout, it was only $250 for secretarial assistants and $500 for legislative assistants. Even in those days, the $750 would not enable the Member to employ somebody who is fully qualified to do the job for him in researching materials for his speeches, etc. So that allowance is actually a small sum of money to help him to defray part of the wages that he pays his legislative and secretarial assistants. It is not meant to be the full salary for a staff assistant for him. Of course, after eight years, I should say that we will look into that again and find an opportunity to increase the sum of money. But I hope that Members do not expect that we will revise the sum to such an extent that will enable them to pay for the full salary of the assistants. Members have an MP's allowance as well. Please make use of that as well to help in whatever constituency work that they need to do.”
“So while we want to evolve this, we should at the same time guard against limiting ourselves not finding the suitable candidate just because the person happens to be a member of a political party for some time and has only recently resigned.”
“Sir, the question of whether an NMP should be non-partisan or not, and whether this should be clearly stated in the Act, was fully debated in this House when the Bill was first read in 1989. The Bill was subsequently submitted to a Select Committee. We deliberated the matter quite extensively and, finally, we came back to the House for the Third Reading, and the matter was debated again in March 1990. And as the Prime Minister said, we want the Nominated MPs to be non-partisan and that we would prefer that to be written in the Constitution. But after deliberation in the Select Committee, the Select Committee felt that it was not necessary to have it written into law, but we should evolve this through practice and convention to make sure that the candidate or the person being nominated to be an NMP should not belong to a political party. We know from the nomination form whether a person belongs to any political party or not, because I remember there is a particular column that requires him to state whether he is a member of a political party. There had been, in the past, some candidates or nominees who were members of a political party and they had, by practice, resigned from the political party before they became an NMP. But to be so purist to say that we should not have anyone who has belonged to a political party to be even considered for an NMP unless he has resigned from the party for a certain period of time, I think we are just minimising the pool of people that we may have available who may represent a certain segment of our population from being present in this House to speak up on their behalf, or to state their views about certain issues.”
“Sir, the Police conducts raids from time to time and I have mentioned earlier on, they conducted about 280 or 290 operations last year, specifically to target at these areas. But in their normal patrols, they also look at the places where foreigners tend to congregate and, from time to time, check on those to see whether they are here lawfully or not. So the Police has done as much as they could. But the Police cannot spend all its resources just to look for illegal immigrants and overstayers because, as I have mentioned, a lot of people come through the Causeway every day, and even if we check everyone who travels with his papers, we also have others who hide in vehicles and specially-constructed compartments in trucks and containers, and so on. Unless we stop all vehicles and check every vehicle, it is simply not possible to screen out all who attempt to come in one way or another. Let me assure the Member here that we will do everything possible but within the constraints of our resources to deal with this problem. Ultimately, it must depend also on the public to help - 11.45 am”
“Ever since CNB took a very strict approach with the nightclub operators, they have been very cooperative in reporting any sign of drug trafficking among their clients. As regards Singaporeans trafficking overseas, yes, indeed, there was an increase of Singaporeans who were arrested overseas for drug related offences. Between 1998 and 1999, there was a significant increase from 65 to 132 last year. Last year, 98 were arrested overseas for drug related offences, of whom 53 were arrested for drug trafficking. Because of the lucrativeness of drug trafficking - very good for making money - many Singaporeans do get tempted to be involved as couriers for trafficking drugs for other people. But we will work very closely with the drug enforcement agencies of other countries, like Australia, America, Thailand and so on, to help in minimising this problem.”
“Sir, the drug situation has indeed improved quite significantly over the last few years, but that does not mean that we have no more drug problem. It just means that it is well under control, and CNB will continue to work very hard to crack the syndicates that bring in the various types of drugs. The majority of the drugs brought in are actually heroin, although we now see some increase in the trafficking of Ice and Yaba. But the percentage of Ice traffickers is actually not very large. Last year, only 9% of traffickers arrested trafficked in Ice. But the increase of Ice traffickers arrested last year is 74%. Ice is primarily brought in by the Filipinos who come to Singapore. So far, it seems that this drug is very much confined to the foreign community, just like Yaba for Thais, although some Singaporeans are also involved in it. Singaporeans are mainly involved in heroin, cannabis and Ecstasy. As far as rehabilitation goes, CNB, together with the other agencies in the Home Team working with the community, the voluntary organisations and the half-way houses, have seen a significant improvement in the rehabilitation rate of our drug addicts. For example, the relapse rate has gone down, from 80% or thereabouts many years ago to just about 44% last year. But, definitely, more can be done by working very closely with the community. Mr Chen is concerned about drug trafficking in the nightspots, nightclubs and so on. The National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) is fully aware of that problem. But let me say a word of caution here; it is not a significant problem. NCADA has launched an anti-drug abuse initiative this year in collaboration with the nightclubs, discos, KTV lounges, bars and pubs to promote this anti-drug abuse message among these nightspot goers.”
“I would like to assure Mr Lew and his constituents that SIR is always very compassionate in granting citizenship to Singaporeans who marry a foreigner and who happens to have children who are born overseas and requests for citizenship for their children are normally very favourably considered. Just looking at the data over the last three years, it shows that about 90% of such applications have been approved, whether it is a Singaporean woman or a Singaporean man married to a foreign woman or a foreign man. Only in certain instance when there are irregularities in the marriage or where they cannot prove that they were married that SIR takes a closer look to see whether indeed the child belongs to that Singaporean or not. There was one case referred to by Mr Lew and, unfortunately, I am not at liberty to disclose all the details here, but I think that particular resident did not fully disclose his relationship with his so-called wife, who bore him a child. Unfortunately, in that case, SIR could not grant citizenship to that child. But, in general, SIR always looks favourably in such cases and grants them citizenship, unless there is some doubt as to the legitimacy of the marriage. 11.15 am But SIR will take it one step further, and they have done so in a number of cases by asking the Singaporean applicant whether he or she is prepared to undergo a DNA test to prove his or her relationship with the child or not. And if the person agrees to do so, and if the test shows that indeed he or she is the natural parent, then SIR will be very sympathetic.”
“When we look at 4,800 overstayers arrested by the police, we found that more than three quarters of them (77%) were those who came in with a social visit pass. That means, they came in as visitors and were given 2-4 weeks, and they overstayed. The number of foreign workers who overstayed, including some who were given special passes, is only 23%. So the problem does not lie with the foreign workers. The problem lies with the social visitors. We have more than 7 million social visitors in Singapore. How do we decide who to go after? If he comes in, which is really for pleasure, etc, how do we ensure that he provides a bond or that he keeps his passport with us? I do not think Mr Ang's suggestion is a very practical idea. We have to find other ways. If Mr Ang has better suggestions to help us solve this problem on overstayers, I will be very happy to hear it.”
“But that does not obviate the need for the landlord to check the document himself because when the case goes to court, it is sometimes very difficult for one side to believe the other when one side's story is just as plausible that "He never asked me to check, etc." We would require both parties to be responsible. We are also now looking into amending the Act. Mr Ang Mong Seng has a few suggestions. One of his suggestions is that we retain the passports of these foreigners who come to Singapore to work. Firstly, no Government authority can retain the passport of a foreigner unless it is through a court order, because that passport is the property of a foreign government. Even if the law allows us to retain the passport of a foreigner, there is no guarantee that the person would not overstay. He can still run away. He can still disappear. And what it would mean is that we are landed up with passports which we do not know where to find the persons. The best thing is to ensure that we have a different method of making sure that the foreigners who come to Singapore go home. For a foreign worker, the employer has to provide a bond to the Manpower Ministry. He can only take the bond back when the foreign worker is repatriated. So, he has got to prove. The moment the work permit is cancelled, the foreign worker would be given a special pass of seven days, and then the employer has got to bring him to the airport and send him home. At the airport, immigration would check and take back the embarkation card and special pass from the foreign worker. Then that clears the record that that person has left. Those who have not left would then be the number of overstayers who were once foreign workers.”
“While the law requires due diligence requirements to be exercised by checking the passport, the original documents and also checking with the employer, last year, I announced that the Manpower Ministry and the Singapore Immigration and Registration Department would also provide information through the Internet for employers or landlords to check the status of these foreign talents. Since April last year, both MOM and SIR have received about 5,300 and 3,200 phone enquiries respectively. And since April last year also, 2,500 of them have gone to SIR personally to check on the immigration status of the tenants and 4,500 have gone to MOM to verify the authenticity of the work permit cards and other employment passes of the tenants. People are now becoming more aware, and that is good. If they do not want to go personally and they cannot make a phone call, they can also directly access the Internet. Since the launch in August last year, 15,000 users have already accessed the Internet system. SIR has also directly, or through the Inland Revenue Authority, distributed pamphlets to all homeowners to advise them on what to check when they let out their properties to foreign tenants. We have done as much as we could, but I am sure that there could be other ways of solving this problem or helping us to reduce this problem and I welcome any suggestions that Members may have. Prof. Chin suggested that we shift the burden to the housing agent whenever a landlord employs a housing agent. We are going to amend the Immigration Act to also enable the prosecution to prosecute the housing agent if he plays a major role in helping to secure that tenant, and that tenant happens to be an immigration offender.”
“We deploy the latest radar surveillance systems and electro-optic cameras at strategic locations to detect illegal landings at night. Last year, we detected 71 such landings and sea interceptions, compared to 52 in 1999. At the Woodlands Checkpoint, there are more checks now on suspected vehicles which bring in illegal immigrants. That resulted in the arrest of 87 illegal immigrant traffickers. Of course, many of the leaders of traffickers are not the ones who bring these illegal immigrants in. These syndicates operate in the northern part of Singapore, Malaysia. But no action is complete if we, say, just target illegal immigrants. We have to also target those who give jobs to the immigration offenders, as well as those who harbour them. Last year, 590 people were arrested for harbouring immigration offenders, compared to 306. So there is an increase. That is in answer to Prof. Chin's question. 572 were arrested for employing immigration offenders, compared to 388 in 1999. This increase in arrests can be attributed to the information provided by members of the public, the neighbours and others who know or who suspect that the employer or the landlord has given jobs to or harboured the immigration offender. Here, I cannot over-emphasise the critical role that the public plays in helping themselves and the Home Team to deal with this problem of immigration offenders. There are many avenues already available for homeowners and employers to check the immigration status of their prospective tenants. Prof. Chin suggested a one-stop centre.”
“But Singapore is a very porous place in that there are so many checkpoints and we also have a coastline that is not easy to keep watch on, particularly the stretch of water between Johor and Singapore, is barely three minutes away by speedboat. Despite that, we will do our best in making sure that the problem does not get worse. So long as Singapore's economy continues to grow and so long as there are employers and landlords willing to give jobs to or harbour these illegal immigrants, we will have illegal immigrants coming to Singapore, especially when it is so lucrative for the traffickers to bring them in. When these people come in, they do not know what they are in for until they are arrested. What have we done with regard to enforcement? We have got daily police operations to conduct spot checks on the ground against the suspected immigration offenders in public places or wherever these foreign workers or illegal immigrants are likely to congregate. We check them because legitimate and illegal foreign workers do mix around. These daily checks by the police resulted in the arrest of 15,000 immigration offenders last year. And altogether, the Home Team mounted 228 immigration offender operations throughout the whole of last year. Last year, the Home Team also crippled two syndicates that smuggled illegal immigrants into Singapore. These illegal immigrant syndicates provided the illegal immigrants with forged documents to find jobs. 17 syndicate members and 215 immigration offenders were arrested in these two operations. At sea, the Police Coast Guard has kept up its enforcement, both in the southern, as well as the northern part of Singapore. We have got high-speed interception boats, together with the latest surveillance equipment.”
“Sir, Mr Chen said that the illegal immigrant situation is not alarming but it remains a matter of concern. Certainly it is a deep matter of concern for the Home Affairs Ministry. I am sure it is also a great matter of concern for many Singaporeans, particularly if they have a neighbour who has rented out such properties to a foreign worker and they are not sure whether the foreign worker has proper work papers to work in Singapore or if he is just simply an illegal immigrant, and they are always very worried that something would happen in their neighbourhood. So this problem of the immigration offender situation is still with us although I would say that it is in a way under control. The numbers are still quite large. The number of immigration offenders arrested was about 16,500 last year. This is only marginally less than the 17,000 that we arrested in 1999. So, there is still a big problem with us and, in particular, if you look at the number of illegal immigrants who are arrested - they are not overstayers, overstayers are the ones who come in with proper papers, passport and so on, but they just overstayed - the number actually has not changed very much compared to 1999. It has increased very slightly from 11,500 to 11,650. Here, we are only talking about those who were arrested. There could be others who were not arrested. 11.00 am On overstayers, we have seen a decline by about 10%, from 5,400 in 1999 to about 4,850. Mr Chen asked whether the Home Team has done enough to stop these illegal immigrants from coming in. I think we have done quite a lot. We will continue to do more.”
“It is the result of the use of technology where we now do not store the water in the water tank to be carried to the scene of fire, but rather to make use of fire hydrants at the scene itself, and then have the pumps and motors to get the water from the hydrant to the fire scene. The Police Coast Guard also, for example, has made use of surveillance and radar equipment, electro-optic cameras, and thermal imaging equipment to detect intruders at sea, and imaging x-ray equipment to be purchased by SIR. Similarly, for the Prisons, the electronic tag is one example, and we are now looking at the new version of the electronic tag which may not be so large as the one that is being used now.”
“DNA, as a blueprint of living things, is a very powerful aid to criminal investigation, provided of course we get a sample. With the setting up of this database, DNA profiles will analyse from evidence lifted from the scenes of crime and be matched against those stored in the DNA database. DNA evidence is helpful not only towards solving major and serious crimes, but also routine crimes as well. DNA samples will be taken from persons arrested for registrable offences, suspects in relation to registrable offences who were placed under arrest, and also people, eg, the police officers who have access to the crime scene, so that they do not rule out any particular group of people, and they can have a comprehensive set of DNA prints for matching. The police is now working with the Attorney-General's Chambers, the Institute of Science and Forensic Medicine, and other relevant agencies to sort out the operational, technical, as well as the legal issues involved in setting up this DNA database. The database will be ready this year and will greatly enhance the police's investigative capabilities, especially in solving criminal cases that have few physical leads and few eye-witnesses to rely on. Technology will not only be used for crime investigation and crime detection but also for many other aspects of the Home Team's work. In our departments like Civil Defence, Central Narcotics Bureau, the Prisons or Singapore Immigration and Registration, there are quite a number of these examples where technology has been deployed to good use. One is the new Light Fire Attack Vehicle or what we call the "Red Rhino", the small compact fire-fighting vehicle.”
“Prof. Chin asked how technology can be used for crime investigation and crime detection. Certainly, as criminals become more sophisticated in their methods, the Singapore Police Force must also do likewise by making use of technology. And indeed, the Police will have to stay ahead of the criminals in order to do its job well. One recent initiative which the Police has undertaken to improve a crime investigation method, which is the old method of photo-fit, manual photo-fit, is to come up with a computerised photo-fit system. In the past, Police took many hours to ask the victim or the witness to reconstruct the possible facial features of a suspect and, painstakingly, Police has to search out for the many pieces before it can come to a composite photo-fit. But now, with the computerised system, it has reduced the amount of time taken to arrive at this photo-fit in a much faster time. 10.45 am Police is also updating and upgrading the automated fingerprint identification system, and this new system will have features that add greater value to the investigation process. For example, again, like the computerised photo-fit system, it will take a much shorter time to match fingerprints than the previous method of checking on the fingerprints. I mentioned some time ago that the police will set up a DNA database to complement the use of fingerprints and photo-fits as forensic investigation tools against crime. By having a DNA system, it does not obviate the need for the other traditional systems because we may not have DNA samples available all the time for analysis. So we may still depend on other crime investigation techniques like fingerprint search and photo-fit. The police is working to set up this DNA database by the latter half of this year.”
“In today's world of supercomputers and broadband communications, both law enforcement agencies and criminals are locked in battle using the latest and most sophisticated equipment - one, of course, to prevent detection, and the other to improve detection. Technology these days allows fingerprints to be lifted off fabrics, DNA profiles to be determined through saliva or a sliver of hair, faces to be reconstructed with sophisticated software and computers. At the same time, technology allows criminals to hide their tracks using encryption, and to coordinate their activities to use clone phones, to jam communications or radar equipment or to create counterfeit currency or false documents. I should like to ask the Minister how technology has been utilised to assist the Home Team, particularly in criminal investigations. For example, the Minister mentioned on a previous occasion the possibility of starting a DNA database for those with criminal records. Could he update us on how far this project has gone? And how this type of database would render perhaps other types of criminal records unnecessary? Could he also let us know how the Home Team has been reorganised to fight the techno-crooks? How has the Home Team leveraged on technology to make them more efficient and more effective in the investigation of crime?”
“It is only those who try to smuggle themselves in illegally and they eventually cannot find food, lodging and employment that they may resort to crime. I will talk about the illegal immigrant situation afterwards. But even then, taking into account that group of illegal immigrants, immigration offenders plus the legal workers, the number of foreigners who were arrested for crimes actually went down from 1,700 to 1,450, a drop of almost 16%, and they accounted for about 9% of the total seizable offences, excluding immigration offences. And this has been about the same over the last five years. So there has been no increase in the number of foreigners arrested for crimes committed in Singapore. As to how we can tighten border control, like improving security screening, for example, we have a very porous border and people can come in easily by hiding themselves in car boots and we have tens of thousands of vehicles coming in every day, it is not an easy task. But we will acquire X-ray machines by the end of the year at our Woodlands Checkpoint to help us combat this problem. But even with the installation of the X-ray machines, we cannot screen every vehicle. Because to do so, we will definitely have a very long traffic jam stretching all the way to Johor Baru. I think I have dealt with all the points raised by the Members. Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung: Sir, one of the other areas that the GPC has mentioned as a subject that should be brought up is the use of technology by the Home Team. Technology is an instrument for both good and evil.”
“In March last year, Blks 55 and 56 of Telok Blangah Drive in West Coast GRC, which is also Mr Iswaran's GRC, were hit by a series of deliberate fires that caused substantial damage to the common areas. More seriously, the fires were potential threats to the elderly residents living there. So the West Coast GRC leaders and the town council, together with the Bukit Merah West Neighbourhood Police Centre, implemented this Community Safety and Security Programme to deal with this threat. They found that there were many discarded mattresses, newspapers, furniture which had given the arsonists a lot of materials to burn. So they realised that these materials had been discarded by the residents at the staircase landings and lift lobbies, partly because the elderly residents cannot carry these materials, like mattresses and newspapers, down to discard them in the proper places. So once the principal source of the problem was identified, all the residents came to help and they quickly cleared the staircase landings and lift lobbies of all these flammable rubbish. Since then, no fire has occurred in these two blocks, Blks 55 and 56, and the elderly people there now feel much safer. So this is a simple example and yet very effective way of how residents can be involved in their own safety and security without too much of the police presence on the ground, or too much of the civil defence involvement in this. Prof. Chin expressed concern about foreigners committing crimes. Let me assure him that the great majority of the foreigners, who come and work here legitimately with work permits, come here to earn a living. They do not come to commit crimes.”
“With Mr Iswaran's support and involvement in encouraging them to be more active in looking out for issues and problems that concern them, they will be more effective in increasing the sense of security among the residents. It is important for the advisors on the ground also to play their role, and not just leave it to the RCs and the community organisations, to take their own initiative. If they take an interest, I am sure their residents will take an interest. In the case of schools, a year-plus ago, I have asked the Education Ministry to see whether we should not introduce a scheme like that to the schools so that, at least, within the school community, they can help to improve the sense of safety and security among the students and teachers. And the Home Team took this to the schools, to the Education Ministry, spoke to the principals and many principals were very supportive. Now, we have 42 schools directly involved in the school safety and security programme, and they have come up with many initiatives. Quite a number of them have been publicised, including the safe drive zone within the school's neighbourhood to ensure that when the children come to school, or when they go home, and when there are too many vehicles in the school compound and in the vicinity of the school, how they can ensure the safety of the children who leave or come to the school. But numbers alone are not enough, of course. We need to have quality programmes. With these new initiatives and when they come from the residents, they feel that they have identified the problems and found the solution, they feel quite proud when they have achieved something. Let me just quote an example here.”
“They also appreciated the fact that police centres deliver more services and have more police presence on the ground than before when we have the police post system. This means that this system is now gaining acceptance and it is only in the old areas where we do not have police centres yet, and people are very used to the police posts where they can just go and chat up with the friendly policeman, that they feel a bit uncomfortable when they see a bigger station with more officers and they do not know who to keep in touch with, and so on. Let me assure the Member that when we have a police centre, we will also delegate officers to work closely with the grassroots leaders so that the grassroots leaders will know who to contact when they have any request to make. Questions were also asked about the Community Safety and Security Programme and how much more involved are residents now in the safety and security of their own neighbourhood. As Prof. Chin has cited the numbers, there are now more than 500 such Community Safety and Security Programmes. This is a programme to directly involve the residents concerned in dealing with the problems of their own areas because each neighbourhood faces different problems. And it is better for the residents themselves to find out how to deal with those problems by working closely with the authorities, whether it is the police or whether it is some other Government agency. And the police will, together with the other Home Team partners, give them whatever resources they need to do their job. But the primary initiative must come from the residents themselves. Mr Iswaran's area in West Coast, for example, has a few Community Safety and Security Programmes. But they can be much more active than what they are now.”
“At least in the last survey that the Police conducted - the Police commissioned a private survey firm to conduct a survey in late 1999 - almost 96% of the respondents, including those from the new housing estates, feel that the general security of Singapore is good or, if not, better. 10.30 am Mr Goh Choon Kang is worried about the closure of the police posts when we set up police centres. We have to look at the overall deployment of the force, including the siting of the police centres and the police posts. In a few instances, I have noticed that the police post is just about 200 metres away from the new police centre. In fact, there is one instance where the police post is just 20 metres away from the police centre. It does not make sense to have a police centre and the police post almost within one minute of walking distance. So these posts would have to be closed. For example, the one in Braddell Heights will be closed when we set up a new police centre there. But the residents there need not be too worried because the police presence will still be felt on the ground. The experience of residents in areas where we have the police centres seems to suggest that they now feel quite comfortable with the new police centre system. And indeed, in those areas where we have the police centres, crime has fallen and more residents are also getting involved in ensuring the safety and security of their own neighbourhood. Two surveys conducted in 1999 and 2000 showed that almost 90% of the residents and grassroots leaders who live in these areas where we have the police centres supported the introduction of the police centres.”
“They are deployed to meet some very transient or very seasonal demands for Police presence, such as when there is a crime-prone area, we will set up a temporary or mobile police post in the particular area. We have now three such temporary police posts, and by the end of this year, we will have another three more. So we will increase the number of temporary police posts by the end of the year. Prof. Chin mentioned that the residents of new housing estates are concerned about the sense of safety and security. Let me assure him that the Police is very mindful of this and that is why we will try to build the Police Centres in the new towns such as Sembawang and Chua Chu Kang as soon as possible. By the year 2003, Police Centres will also be built in Sengkang, which is another new housing estate. Even before the Police Centres are set up, the Police will make sure that their presence is felt through the deployment of these temporary police posts. I have also asked our Police Officers to try to work together with HDB to find out who are the new residents who move into the new estates and visit them as soon as possible, to assure them that the Police knows that they have moved in and that they are around and if they need help, there is a particular number which they can call to seek assistance. So that is well in hand. Let me assure Prof. Chin and his constituents that the Police is well aware of their concerns and they will do what they can within the resources to cope with their demand. We know that the sense of public safety in Singapore is quite high.”
“So this NPC system has allowed us to pool more of our Police officers together in 32 NPCs, so that with the number, they can then do their job more thoroughly when they respond to a particular event or incident. Let me assure Members that with the phasing over to the Neighbourhood Police Centre system, there is no reduction in Police presence on the ground. In fact, the level of Police presence has increased with the NPC. And the Police will make their presence felt in the form of foot patrols, bicycle patrols, vehicle patrols, as there are now more vehicles on the road than when we had the NPP system. These vehicle patrols also allow our Police officers to reach a wider area, instead of just walking on foot and reaching a small part of the estate. With the communication equipment available in the Police vehicles, the patrol vehicles are also deployed to respond to `999' calls whenever there is an incident reported. In addition, the Police Task Force operations and the dog patrols also complement this regular Police force. Under the NPC system, we have four officers from each NPC conducting patrols compared to practically no one doing foot patrols under the NPP system. By July this year, we will have more than 124 officers from the NPC performing such foot patrols island-wide. So the public should see an increase in the number of officers on the ground. Prof. Chin asked about the temporary police post that we have deployed, or actually we call them mobile police post. We have deployed these temporary or mobile police posts since 1997. They are basically vehicles and they make stops at selected locations at different times of the day.”
“So we should leave it to such initiatives and not get the Police thoroughly involved in every activity or every crime that may impact the public. Really, in the case of young people, the parents themselves should play an important part in educating their own children and not leaving it to others alone. There is also a concern expressed by Members that the Police seem to withdraw themselves from the community by setting up Police Centres and closing down police posts, as Mr Goh Choon Kang said. Actually, this idea of a Police Centre increases the presence of Police on the ground. It does not reduce the presence of Police on the ground. The NPPs in the past, we still have them - and by the middle of this year, we would have concluded the phasing over of the Neighbourhood Police Centres taking over a large part of the NPC system - we still have these NPPs until July, and thereafter we will have the NPCs being the key nodes of the Police presence on the ground, supplemented by some other NPPs that are still in operation. But the difference between the NPP and NPC is that in the past, the NPPs were very static operations. NPP just involved a few officers sitting in the post and from time to time, they went on house visits, they went on their feet or patrolled on their bicycles. And even when they were requested to attend to a crime scene, they just went there and watched and waited for their divisional officers to come. So we thought that was not a very good use of Police resources. For every trained Police Officer should really be right there on the ground the moment something happens and do something about it, and not just waiting for an investigator or somebody else to come from the Division to start the investigation work.”
“While that is still quite a large number, I think that with enough of publicity effort on this on the part of the Police to educate the young people, particularly working very closely with the schools to ensure that the students know the rights and wrongs when they go to the shops, and not just be too quick with their fingers and pinch things that do not belong to them and not paying for them, the crimes involving youths and young people have actually not increased. But I think the perception that we have a problem among the young people that there is an increase in youth crime probably is due to the publicity given by the media whenever a case happens, and when it is reported, people get excited about it. When these cases are highlighted, then, of course people will be concerned. But from the number of young people arrested for crimes, we have not seen an increase but we have seen a significant decrease. Nevertheless, we pay very close attention to making sure that young people do not go wayward and we try to do as much as possible to educate them about the dangers of committing crimes. In my Ministry, we have formed an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Youth Crimes, chaired by Prof. Ho Peng Kee, working together with the Education Ministry, the Ministry of Community Development and Sports, and the other voluntary organisations. The whole idea is to engage the community, plus all those Government agencies that are involved in educating young people or making sure that they do not get into trouble, like MCDS. This multi-agency approach actually has worked quite well in that they have come up with many new ideas to cope or deal with this problem of young people committing crimes. They have also worked with this Parents Advisory Group on the Internet.”
“Mr Goh Choon Kang was concerned about youth crime and the situation of young people not knowing about the dangers of Internet chats, and so on, the same concern as expressed by Prof. Chin - that young girls are caught unawares when they engage themselves in IRC chats and eventually get taken advantage of. There has been a slight increase in the number of such cases reported, but the number is still very small. But the main part really is in not just Police having public education campaign on the young people but the parents themselves must play a very important part in ensuring that their children, when they get involved in Internet chats, know what they are doing and educate them of the dangers of meeting strangers in strange places and unaccompanied. There is a Parents Advisory Group on the Internet led by private citizens and the Police will work closely with them, together with the Education Ministry, on educating our young people on the dangers of such Internet chats, which may eventually lead them to trouble. But, on the whole, talking about crimes committed by youths, such as shoplifting, theft, rioting, causing serious hurt, these have decreased very significantly. The number of youths arrested for shoplifting, which is a major component of the number of crimes committed by the youth, has decreased by 16%, from 1,300 cases to 1,100 cases in the year 2000. The number of youths arrested for theft, which also includes shoplifting, has also fallen from 2,400 youths to 1,900 youths, and that is a decrease of about 23%. So we have seen a significant decrease in the number of youths arrested for shoplifting or theft which includes shoplifting.”
“Sir, I thank the Members for their comments on the good work done by the Home Team, and in particular the Police which they talked about - their presence and their relationship with the community, that there is now a very wide level of acceptance of the Police friendliness and the way they have been helping the public, and serving their security and safety needs on the ground. As Prof. Chin has mentioned, crime rate has indeed dropped very significantly last year. Last year was in fact a very good year for the Police in that the crime situation was under control, although we still have something like 30,000 cases of seizable offences reported last year. But as a percentage, this is a significant drop of something like 15% from that of 1999. On a per hundred thousand basis, the drop is even more significant, from 924 to 764 cases per 100,000. In the year 2000, eight of the nine index crimes fell, compared to 1999. Index crimes are those offences which are used for international comparison purposes on the situation of crimes in other parts of the world. These are selected for their reliability and higher reporting rates. In our context, the nine offences in the index crimes are murder, rape, outraging of modesty, robbery, housebreaking, motor vehicle thefts, snatch thefts, cheating-related offences and rioting. Property offences such as housebreaking, robbery, motor vehicle thefts and snatch thefts also fell very significantly, between 14% and 36%. The offences of murder, cheating-related offences, outraging of modesty and rape also declined. But the offence of rioting recorded a slight increase of 4%, after having dropped by close to 33% in 1999, compared to 1998.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That Parliament do sit on Saturday, 10th March 2001. This is because we have one public holiday between the Budget debate and the Committee of Supply and, as a result, we should make up for that one day. Resolved, That Parliament do sit on Saturday, 10th March 2001. - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS (Business Motion) Resolved, That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, the proceedings on the Estimates for FY 2001/2002 on 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th March 2001, be continued beyond 4.30 pm, and be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No. 1 until 6.45 pm on each day. - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2001 TO 31ST MARCH, 2002 (Paper Cmd. 3 of 2001) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [1st Allotted Day]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair]”
“Sir, I beg to move, That Parliament do now adjourn. Question proposed. HDB SHOP RETAILERS 4.00 pm”
“The statistics are as follows: Year Murder Drug Trafficking Firearms Total 1991 1 5 - 6 1992 13 7 1 21 1993 5 2 - 7 1994 21 54 1 76 1995 20 52 1 73 1996 10 40 - 50 1997 3 11 1 15 1998 4 24 - 28 1999 9 34 - 43 2000 4 17 - 21 CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY MANPOWER 2. Dr Teo Ho Pin asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the manpower projection (by professions and trades) for the construction industry over the next 5 years; (b) what are the plans or measures taken to upgrade the construction workforce in Singapore; and (c) can construction skills training courses be conducted in all ITE institutions instead of in only one training centre, the Construction Industry Training Institute (CITI), presently.”
“Since the increased publicity in April/May last year to advise homeowners on the need to check the status of their tenants, there was an increase in the number of persons who were arrested for harbouring immigration offenders. For the period January to March 2000, on average, about 41 persons per month were arrested for harbouring immigration offenders. From April to December 2000, this number increased to about 52 (about 27% increase). The monthly average number of immigration offenders arrested increased from about 1210 to 1430, for the same corresponding periods (about 18% increase). Given the enhanced publicity, coupled with increased enforcement efforts by Police and SIR, the increase in the numbers of immigration offenders and harbourers arrested is not surprising. Notably, the public has also contributed to the enforcement efforts. More have come forward with information relating to suspected cases of harbouring immigration offenders. The authorities have been meticulous in examining the circumstances and facts of each case before deciding to charge the harbourer or employer in court. Last year, about 42% of those arrested for harbouring immigration offenders were not charged in court. For those who were charged, more than 80% of them were convicted. PUBLIC SECTOR DOCTORS 23. Dr Lily Neo asked the Minister for Health (a) how many public sector doctors have been allowed to practise in the private sector; (b) what will be the number of doctors allowed to practise in the private sector each year; and (c) how does his Ministry ensure that the care of subsidized patients will not be compromised.”
“iii Sea and Coastal Enforcement The Police Coast Guard (PCG) has stepped up both sea and shore patrols to detect smugglers who attempt to smuggle in illegal immigrants by sea. PCG has acquired new high-speed patrol boats with better manoeuvrability and fitted with the latest surveillance and digital communications equipment. iv Technology We will employ new technology to detect such attempts at smuggling illegal immigrants. Specifically, SIR is acquiring mobile x-ray machines to detect illegal immigrants hiding in vehicles. PCG has already deployed state-of-the-art radar surveillance systems and electro-optic cameras at strategic locations to detect illegal landings at night. v Deterrent Messages In addition to rigorous enforcement, we have also constantly sent out deterrent messages through targeted public education. For example, SIR distributes pamphlets in 4 languages to foreigners coming through our land checkpoints. These pamphlets highlight the stiff penalties for trafficking illegal immigrants. The Home Team's multi-pronged approach and coordinated enforcement action has yielded good results so far. My Ministry will continue to take concerted action to stop immigration offenders and traffickers. If necessary, we will review the penalties for traffickers. With the support of the community, we will keep the immigration offender problem under control. HARBOURING OF ILLEGAL WORKERS 22. Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung asked the Minister for Home Affairs how many persons suspected of harbouring illegal workers have been (i) arrested and charged; (ii) prosecuted or are awaiting prosecution; and (iii) acquitted or convicted, since the recent campaign to warn flat owners of the need to check on the credentials of foreign persons who approach them for accommodation.”
“More cases involving the smuggling of illegal immigrants* were detected last year compared to 1999. * Traffickers attempted to smuggle illegal immigrants into Singapore by land via concealing them in car boots, tankers or in special compartments of travel coaches and factory buses (bus kilang) as well as by sea via speedboats. At the land checkpoints, 40 traffickers were arrested last year, as compared to 27 traffickers arrested in 1999, an increase of 48%. However, the number of illegal immigrants detected being smuggled into Singapore through the land checkpoints decreased from 197 in 1999 to 81 in 2000. There were no traffickers arrested at our ferry terminals. Out at sea, 16 Tekongs or boat operators were arrested. This was a 100% increase over 1999, where 8 boat operators were arrested. The number of illegal immigrants caught being smuggled into Singapore by sea increased from 153 in 1999 to 200 in 2000. The Home Team has adopted, and will continue to adopt stringent checks at our air, land and sea border entry points to detect the smuggling of illegal immigrants into Singapore. Specifically, the following actions have been taken at the entry points to counter the problem of human smuggling: i More Intensive Checks The expanded facilities at the new Woodlands Checkpoint have enabled immigration officers to conduct more thorough checks on persons and vehicles to deter illegal entry and departure through the land checkpoints, without adversely affecting traffic flow. ii Enhanced Intelligence Capability Intensified Police and SIR intelligence gathering has resulted in the higher number of arrests of traffickers operating across the land checkpoints.”
“Only 1 accompanying relative of the patient is allowed in the ambulance and he or she is required to use the seat belt in the ambulance. All ambulance drivers have to attend an Emergency Vehicle and Defensive Driving Course, where they learn how to handle the vehicles under adverse road conditions. They are also taught the safety aspects of high speed driving, which they have to master before they are allowed to drive ambulances. SCDF ambulances meet all the safety regulations stipulated by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). In addition, they also conform to the International Safety Standards adopted by leading overseas ambulance operators. These standards require, amongst other things, a body structure of the ambulance that can resist sudden impact, and features to safely secure medical and other equipment within the ambulance cabin, in case of a collision. SCDF Standing Operating Procedures require ambulance drivers to check daily that the ambulances assigned to them are in good working condition. HUMAN SMUGGLING 21. Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung asked the Minister for Home Affairs what is the number of cases involving the smuggling of persons into Singapore and what actions have been taken at the entry points to counter the problem of human smuggling.”
“The Emergency Ambulance Service (EAS) of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to about 190,000 ambulance calls over the past 3 years. During this period, SCDF ambulances were involved in 11 road traffic accidents. This works out to about 0.58 accidents per 10,000 calls. All the accidents were investigated by the Traffic Police (TP). The Traffic Police is currently investigating the cause of the latest accident between an ambulance and an SBS bus. The causes of the remaining 10 accidents, 5 of which were attributable to the ambulance driver, were overtaking dangerously, failing to give way or keep a proper lookout, changing lanes without due consideration to road conditions or traffic, and tail-gating. Other than 2 deaths arising from the latest incident, which TP is still investigating, there were no deaths in the remaining 10 accidents. In these 10 accidents, 17 persons suffered minor injuries, 8 of whom were SCDF personnel and 9 were civilians, and 3 persons, all of whom were SCDF personnel, suffered major injuries. Let me assure the House that measures are in place to ensure the safety of persons conveyed and ambulance crew alike. Indeed, their safety is paramount. Ambulance drivers are required to adhere to all traffic rules, including observing speed limits, while responding to calls. Even when conveying persons in urgent need of treatment, ambulance drivers are required to ensure that all other vehicles have stopped and given way, and it is safe if they have to beat a red light. Warning lights and sirens must also be switched on to alert other road users to give way. All patients are securely strapped to a stretcher, which in turn is held in place by a locking mechanism bolted onto the floor of the ambulance.”
“ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed. " - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Adjourned accordingly at Twenty-five minutes to Six o'clock pm to a date to be fixed. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER NOT ANSWERED BY 2.00 PM BROADBAND USAGE 19. Mr Chng Hee Kok asked the Minister for Communications and Information Technology how Singapore compares with Hong Kong and South Korea on the level of broadband usage and what is his Ministry's plan to promote widespread usage.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That this Parliament, noting the Second Report of the Commission on Parliament Staff as contained in Paper Misc. 7 of 2000, accepts the recommendations of the Commission as contained in paragraph 5 thereof and resolves in accordance with such recommendations. Sir, in accordance with Article 51(6) of the Constitution of Singapore, a Commission consisting of the Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Finance, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission and myself was set up to consider the revision of salaries for officers in the Parliamentary Service. The Commission has presented its Report to Parliament on 23rd December 2000. The Commission considered a proposal to increase the gross monthly salaries of Timescale officers in the Parliamentary Service by 5% with effect from 1st November 2000. It also considered a proposal to increase the base rate Performance Bonus by 0.5 month to Timescale officers in Grades III, IVA, IV and V in the Parliamentary Service with effect from the year 2000 Performance Bonus exercise. The Parliamentary Service adopts a structure which is common to the Senior Officer Scheme and the above proposals were made following a similar revision to the salaries of the Senior Officer Scheme with effect from 1st November 2000. The recommendations of the Commission are contained in the Report which I have mentioned. The House is asked to accept and approve the recommendations of the Commission. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That this Parliament, noting the Second Report of the Commission on Parliament Staff as contained in Paper Misc. 7 of 2000, accepts the recommendations of the Commission as contained in paragraph 5 thereof and resolves in accordance with such recommendations.”
“The burning of joss sticks and incense is governed by guidelines issued by the Ministry of the Environment. ENV does not object to the burning of joss sticks and incense in front of houses in a private housing estate as long as these guidelines are complied with. When a quarrel or a fight between neighbours is reported, the Police's main role is to maintain law and order and ensure that there is no breach of the peace. On Police arrival, if no fight has taken place, or a non-seizable offence such as voluntarily causing hurt has been committed, both parties will be interviewed and advised to observe the peace. Where appropriate, they will be advised to either seek a legal recourse or to go to the Community Mediation Centre (CMC) to resolve their dispute. On Police arrival, if a fight is taking place between the neighbours in a public area, an offence of affray under section 160 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224 would have been committed. In such a case, Police would be empowered to arrest both parties involved in the fight and initiate an investigation. MAINTENANCE OF EXTERNAL WINDOW SURFACES 4. Mr Goh Chong Chia asked the Minister for National Development, in view of many maids who have fallen off lately from window ledges that they were cleaning, whether it is the management committee's duty to maintain the external window surfaces since these and the external surfaces of buildings are considered common property under the Land Titles (Strata) Act.”
“When Police officers need to arrest a person, they will explore all available options for the immediate care of the person's children who are minors. If there is a responsible person* present, he/she will be given temporary custody of the children. If there is no such person present, Police officers will allow the offender to contact the spouse, next-of-kin or friend to look after the children. Alternatively, the offender would be asked to consider asking his/her neighbour to help take care of the children while waiting for the spouse, next-of-kin or friend to arrive. * An adult or older child assessed to be sufficiently mature. This judgement will be exercised by an officer. BURNING OF JOSS STICKS AND INCENSE 3. Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether believers are allowed to burn joss sticks and incense in front of their house in a private housing estate and how a police officer will mediate in a quarrel and a fight started by a neighbour who disagrees with such practices.”
“Sir, we have done about three-quarters of the order of business. Many of us think that we have made quite good progress for today. We will come back tomorrow for the remaining two items - the Traditional Chinese Medicine Bill as well as Dr Lily Neo's motion on the family, which I am sure many of us would want to hear and give more time to it. Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Adjourned accordingly at Thirteen minutes to Six o'clock pm. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PENSIONS 1. Mr Thomas Thomas asked the Minister for Finance (a) how many persons receive pensions from the various Government and Government-linked Pension Funds, and (b) what was the total payment made over the last 5 years.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That Parliament do now adjourn. Question proposed. ALLOWANCES OF MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT 6.45 pm”
“64 times the salary and allowances payable to a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service; (2) a non-pensionable annual fixed bonus pegged at the norm Performance Bonus rate of a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service; and (3) a GDP Bonus pegged at the GDP Bonus rates payable to a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service. COMPULSORY EDUCATION BILL Order for Second Reading read.”
“Consequential changes were made to the gross monthly salaries of the various appointments, whereas specifically, the salary and allowances of the Speaker are now to be expressed as a ratio of the minimum point of MR4, the salary range corresponding to the old salary grade, ie, Staff Grade IV plus 1%. In terms of quantum, there is no reduction in the monthly salary and allowances. The review also saw the introduction of the Gross Domestic Product (or GDP) Bonus, which was introduced to provide a direct link between the remuneration of officers and the performance of the Singapore economy. It is proposed that the GDP Bonus also be extended to the Speaker, as is the practice for other Statutory Appointments, such as the President, the Attorney-General, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission and the Auditor-General. Thus, Parliament is requested to approve the new formula that pegs the Speaker's salary and allowances to the minimum point of MR4, as well as for the introduction of the GDP Bonus for the Speaker. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That pursuant to Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the Speaker shall be paid with effect from 1st July 2000: (1) a monthly salary and allowances equal to 40 per cent of 1.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That pursuant to Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the Speaker shall be paid with effect from 1st July 2000: (1) a monthly salary and allowances equal to 40 per cent of 1.64 times the salary and allowances payable to a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service; (2) a non-pensionable annual fixed bonus pegged at the norm Performance Bonus rate of a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service; and (3) a GDP Bonus pegged at the GDP Bonus rates payable to a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service. Sir, on 23rd March 1995, Parliament had resolved that the Speaker's salary and allowances to be 40% of the Staff Grade IV plus 1%, as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service, as you are performing the duty on a part-time basis. This was done in order to obviate the need to move a motion every time the salaries of office-holders and senior public officers are changed. This principle has not changed. Arising from the review of the 1994 White Paper on Competitive Salaries for Honest and Competent Government, fundamental changes were made to the salary and grade structures of the Ministers and the Administrative Service. A system of salary ranges was introduced to replace the system of salary points and fixed salary scales in the Administrative Service.”
“Resolved, "That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, with effect from this day's sitting until 28th February 2001, - (a) Question Time may continue for up to one and a half hours from the commencement of a sitting; and (b) the existing time in Standing Order No. 88(2) be revised from "1.30 pm" to "2.00 pm". ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS UPSURGE IN OIL PRICES 1. Mrs Lim Hwee Hua asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether the upsurge in oil prices, if sustained, will (i) affect economic growth for Singapore; (ii) exert inflationary pressure; and (iii) lead Government to introduce measures to curb oil-related consumption. 2. Mr Leong Horn Kee asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what in his assessment are the various effects of rising oil prices on the economy and its various component sectors, especially those that are dependent on oil, such as transportation, public utilities and manufacturing.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, with effect from this day's sitting until 28th February 2001, - (a) Question Time may continue for up to one and a half hours from the commencement of a sitting; and (b) the existing time in Standing Order No. 88(2) be revised from "1.30 pm" to "2.00 pm". Sir, there have been requests by Members to have more time set aside for Question Time as many Members have asked many questions but there was not enough time for their questions to be reached. In March this year, when the subject was raised I said that we would leave the situation be until the Standing Orders are reviewed. There are currently no urgent matters that warrant a review of the Standing Orders. Hence, to wait for that would take a long time for us to look at this question of Question Time. Sir, in order to allow for more time for questions, I have therefore proposed the business motion which I have just moved as a temporary measure. Some of the reasons why not many questions could be reached during the one-hour Question Time were that the Members asked too many supplementary questions and my ministerial colleagues sometimes gave very long answers. I hope that Members will try to refrain themselves and keep some of their supplementary questions for other occasions when they make their speeches and that my colleagues will also keep their answers short. Otherwise, even with the additional half an hour Question Time many questions may still not be reached. Question put, and agreed to.”