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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“Mr George's criticisms of the proceedings of the Committee of Supply are therefore totally unfounded. I hope that Mr George, after reading this clarification, will withdraw unconditionally his criticisms of the proceedings, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and publish this retraction in the same "From the Gallery" column in the Straits Times. After I have read his response to my statement, I will decide whether it is necessary to make a formal complaint to the Committee of Privileges.”
“Many Members have submitted cuts on Ministries' budgets. To accommodate them, the Speaker has extended the debate on the Budget by one day. The sitting time of the debate has also been extended by 30 minutes each day. Despite this, it is necessary to regulate the time the Committee spends on individual Ministries. The "guillotine" is the standard Parliamentary device for doing so, not only in Singapore but also in other Commonwealth countries with Parliamentary systems. If the Speaker allows some Members to prolong the debate beyond the "guillotine" times, then less time will be left for subsequent and equally important items of discussion. Sir, the Committee of Supply is not the only occasion on which MPs can raise issues and hold the Government to account. Under Parliament's Standing Orders, Members who want to raise issues of public concern can file a Question for Oral Answer, or move a Motion of Adjournment when he can speak for 20 minutes, or move a substantive motion for a general debate when he can speak for two hours. If, even after speaking for two hours in a general debate, the Member still feels that the issue has not been fully discussed, he can seek the consent of the Speaker and the general assent of the House to suspend the Standing Orders, so that he can continue with the debate. Any Member not satisfied with a Minister's reply in the Committee of Supply may raise the matter for further discussion at any time, using any of these provisions in the Standing Orders. Hence the Speaker's and the Deputy Speaker's enforcement of the time-table for debate in the Committee of Supply will not and cannot prevent issues of public concern from being thoroughly discussed and answered.”
“' Sir, Mr George's article thus criticised the Speaker and Deputy Speaker for curtailing the rights of Members of Parliament to air and discuss issues of public concern, by exercising the guillotine "with ruthless efficiency". The innuendo was that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker had stifled debate and were not using the "guillotine" procedure in a fair and proper manner. This was an unjust reflection on the conduct of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the discharge of their duties. It thus constitutes a breach of privilege and a contempt of Parliament. However, we should give Mr George the benefit of the doubt, and assume that his criticism is born of ignorance rather than malice. Although Mr George quotes Erskine May on "the claims of business and the rights of debate" in his article, he makes factual errors. For example, in Singapore, the Budget Debate has never lasted 14 days or more. Sir, I am only raising this matter in this House today because I wanted to take some time to consider carefully how to respond to Mr George's article, to set the record straight without being too severe in our reaction. Instead of referring Mr George immediately to the Committee of Privileges, I am taking this opportunity to explain the Parliamentary procedures which apply to the Committee of Supply, and when Members wish to raise issues for debate. I expect this explanation to come to Mr George's notice and hope that it will correct Mr George's misapprehension. The Committee of Supply has to be conducted according to a set schedule in order to complete discussion of the budgets of Government Ministries within the seven days set aside for this purpose, so that Parliament can pass the Budget Resolution in time for the start of the new financial year on 1st April.”
“I wish to draw the attention of Members to an article entitled "Hold the guillotine when issues are of public concern" by Mr Cherian George, published in the column "From the Gallery" in the Straits Times on 10th March 1994, and I would like to quote parts of the article. I quote: 'Chairman Tan Soo Khoon and his Deputy Eugene Yap cut off exchanges with ruthless efficiency, keeping the Committee of Supply moving strictly according to the time-table on the first day. But the speed came at a cost. Some discussions that deserved more of a public airing had to be aborted, leaving many in the gallery feeling somewhat shortchanged. The strict time keeping is probably a reaction to the days when the Budget Debate lasted 14 days or more, and some MPs luxuriated in the time to make speeches that added little of substance. But one wonders whether if Parliament is in danger of swinging to the opposite extreme, such that issues of public concern do not receive adequate time. And this in a period of increasing public desire for accountable Government - which is of course what Parliament is all about. Clearly a balance has to be found between what Parliamentary authority Erskine May calls "the claims of business and the rights of debate". If the former takes precedence too often over the latter, this may result in public disillusionment with the country's principal democratic institution. Yes, on paper, the Committee of Supply certainly made progress yesterday, despatching the budgets of three government departments and three ministries by the 6 pm adjournment deadline. But in Parliament, efficiency cannot be measured only by the clock; the product must satisfy the quality control of an increasingly critical and demanding public.”
“Sir, may I have your permission and beg your indulgence to make a statement?”
“The answer is given in the table below. NO. OF SUICIDES BY AGE-GROUP (1989-1993) _______________________________________________________________ Year 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 __________________________________________ Total Age-Group Number Number Number Number Number _______________________________________________________________ Below 16 8 11 3 5 4 31 16 - 19 24 20 6 3 10 63 20 - 29 77 102 32 49 43 303 30 - 39 65 75 38 59 49 286 40 - 49 44 45 24 32 37 182 50 - 59 23 31 12 20 22 108 Above 60 75 52 48 69 65 309 _______________________________________________________________ Total 316 336 163 237 230 1,282 _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Year 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 ________________________________________________ Age-Group Number Number Number Number Number _______________________________________________________________ Per 100,000 population _______________________________________________________________ Below 16 1.2 1.6 0.4 0.7 0.6 16 - 19 13.3 11.3 3.5 1.8 6.1 20 - 29 14.3 19.8 6.3 9.6 8.4 30 - 39 12.2 13.7 6.7 10.2 8.3 40 - 49 13.5 13.6 6.9 8.6 9.2 50 - 59 10.6 14.3 5.3 8.6 9.4 Above 60 32.7 21.1 18.8 26.1 23.7 _______________________________________________________________ Total 11.8 12.4 5.9 8.4 8.0 _______________________________________________________________”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates for the financial year 1994/1995, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“As of February 1994, 110 such criminal law detainees or supervisees were placed on EMS. So far, only 17 or 15(r)% have been taken off the programme. As for the Naltrexone programme which the Prisons Department launched last August, it involves 60 volunteers who were required to consume a suppressant drug called Naltrexone three times a week for about a year. The drug works by blocking the effects of heroin and therefore suppresses the urge of these addicts to take drugs. It is not addictive like Methadone which is a substitute for heroin. So far, the results appear to be quite promising. Out of 60 emplaced, 52 or 86.7% have completed six months of treatment without suffering any relapse or misconduct. Some of them had to be taken off the programme because they just could not take the drug or for some disciplinary problem. Based on the preliminary results, therefore, we intend to involve another 120 addicts in two batches in this programme. The first batch will start in April this year.”
“In 1993, we had 2,155 third timers and 2,992 fourth timers. In other words, between 1990 and 1994, we see an increase in the number of third and fourth timers. We also see an increase in the number of second timers. Whether we should introduce corporal punishment on those who go to DRCs for the third time, I think if we were to do that, we have to change the law. Right now, under the DRC rules and regulations, we already provide for corporal punishment (caning) for those who violate the discipline of the DRC. If an inmate were to break something in the DRC and that is a disciplinary problem, then he can be caned. Regarding Mr Zulkifli's question about the progress of the electronic monitoring system (EMS) and the Naltrexone pilot programme, as he knows, the EMS was introduced in September 1991 as a tool for enhancing supervision of drug addicts on the residential Day Release Scheme (DRS). It also allows the curfew to be effectively imposed to reduce the opportunities for these addicts to mix with their negative peer group influence after work. This also facilitates the victim's return to normal family life. As at 1st January, we have already emplaced 2,815 addicts on the EMS. Of this number, 752 or 26.7% have successfully completed the DRS programme. Another 1,371 or 48% were taken off the DRS programme for various reasons, eg, they went back to drugs, misconduct or they have absconded. The relapse rate of these 48.7% for this programme is lower than that of a similar cohort of addicts who were not emplaced on EMS. The relapse rate of this latter group is about 57.4%. Mr Zulkifli also asked whether the Police has implemented the EMS for the criminal law supervisees. Yes, indeed, they have started this since April 1993.”
“Sir, I fully agree with Encik Ibrahim that we should make the DRC regime tough and not molly-coddle the drug addicts, particularly if they are hardcore. I have given quite a comprehensive reply earlier on to Dr Arthur Beng's question. We will continue to detain the hardcore addicts for longer periods and, if necessary, even sending them to jail, by prosecuting them in court and also toughen the regime for third and fourth timers in the DRC. For the fifth timers and above, we are also thinking about sending them to jail, as I said earlier, and, if necessary, introducing caning. Encik Ibrahim asked whether the admission of 4,740 addicts last year is a serious problem and whether we have other data regarding the third and fourth timers. Just for his information, in 1992, for example, we admitted 4,500 addicts into the DRC. In 1991, we admitted 3,823 and in 1990, we admitted 4,500. On average, we can say about 4,500 were admitted to the DRC. Last year's admission was 4,740. While it is an increase over the previous years, it is not significantly alarming. But compared to the earlier years, say, 10 years ago, 1985, where the number was 2,224, then, of course, 4,740 is more than double that number. The figure has fluctuated over the years and the last two years, of course, we saw more admitted to the DRCs compared to, say, the first half of the 1980s. The later half of the 1980s saw an increase. As regards the numbers of third and fourth timers, there are lots of data here, but just to very briefly mention a few of them. In 1990, going back four years, the number of third timers was 1,886; fourth timers, 2,228. In 1991, 1,814 third timers; 2,291 fourth timers. In 1992, we had 2,057 third timers and 2,195 fourth timers.”
“For those who have lots of experience in fire safety matters, but who do not have the requisite educational qualification, Ngee Ann Polytechnic is prepared to consider them if they have at least three `O' level passes in any other subject. As the duties of Fire Safety Managers are critical, it is in the public interest that only those who meet these minimum qualifications are appointed to the job. We should, therefore, not lower the entry qualification any further as I believe that most of those who apply have these qualifications. As for Mr Zulkifli's suggestion that the Fire Safety Managers be kept informed and updated in their vocation, the SCDF will assist in this through the Fire Safety Managers Association of Singapore.”
“Sir, I thank Mr Zulkifli for raising the point about how the Fire Safety Act provisions should be publicised and the Fire Safety Managers who will be required to help the building owners in terms of fire safety. Sir, the Fire Safety Act will come into operation on 8th April and the SCDF plans to educate the public on the new provisions of the Act. It is now working with the National Fire Prevention Council to publish materials like posters, pamphlets and other materials to inform members of the public on the types of fire hazards against which enforcement action will be taken by the SCDF under this Act. Professional bodies, such as the Institute of Architects, the Institution of Engineers, the Association of Consulting Engineers, the Real Estate Developers Association, and so on, have also been briefed so that they can, in turn, brief their members on the new provisions of this Act. The SCDF has also informed the building owners of the key requirements. Once the Act comes into operation, the SCDF will take enforcement action under the Act to deal with offenders, especially those who pose an imminent threat to life and property. The Fire Safety Managers have an important responsibility under the Fire Safety Act. Their duties include helping the building owners in the maintenance of fire detection and fire extinguishing systems, the formulation of fire emergency plans, the conducting of fire prevention education, and so on. Thus, it is important that such duties are performed by suitably qualified people. Only those with at least three `O' level passes in English, Mathematics and Science are eligible to be enroled in the Fire Safety Managers course, conducted jointly by the SCDF and Ngee Ann Polytechnic.”
“Sir, I am certainly aware that California has a lot of people, a lot of cars, and I am also aware that California is very large. I am not sure whether he is aware that Lake Tahoe is in California and Lake Tahoe is bigger than Singapore. It is a huge state and the population is quite spread out. As far as we are concerned, of course, we want to take all measures to prevent unnecessary deaths. I think the primary responsibility of preventing death must rest with the individual who holds the licence. The state cannot keep on protecting him, if he does not want to update his skill. If he has not been driving or riding, I would say the onus falls squarely on him. The state should not come up with a cumbersome measure to test every licence holder every three years or every five years.”
“The increase is due to a rise largely in the number of simple OM cases, where touching or rubbing occurs. The number of aggravated OM cases where, for example, the offender causes or attempts to cause hurt or wrongful restraint of his victim has, in fact, more or less remained unchanged over the last five years. May I assure the Member that the Police takes a serious view of all molest cases and will prosecute all offenders. If convicted, an offender for simple molest can be jailed for up to two years, fine or cane. For aggravated cases, the offender can be punished with mandatory jail term for up to 10 years and with caning. Police will work with the Attorney-General's Chambers to review the adequacy of these punishments. Sir, molest is a crime of opportunity. Police will continue with the educational efforts to advise members of the public on simple measures to take to avoid becoming victims of these crimes. I will agree, of course, that our educational efforts must be directed both at males and females. But practically speaking, the young girls that Dr Soin talks about and other women should be the main focus of these efforts. Therefore, for example, as she herself has mentioned, these ladies should be advised to dress more sensibly. Others may wish to avoid walking alone in dark places, or be extra careful in crowded public places. If a woman has to return home late, she may wish to arrange for her husband, friend, or relative, to meet her and accompany her home. All these may sound very commonsensical but you can be sure that if all these precautions are taken, there would be fewer molest cases.”
“It will continue to do so this year. Advertisements have been placed in newspapers and aired over the radio. Police has also participated in the just concluded annual Career Fair held at WTC in February. Police will, in addition, hold its own Police Career Exhibition 1994 at Ngee Ann City, Civic Plaza, later this week. In addition, career and promotional talks will be held at all secondary schools, pre-university centres, ITE institutions, polytechnics and the two universities. Members of the NPCC will be encouraged to consider Police as a career. Police may also organise familiarisation visits and school vacation attachments for interested students. This year, Sir, Police will also hold career exhibitions at the four polytechnics to publicise its newly introduced direct entry corporal scheme for polytechnic diploma and "A" level holders. Previously, they were recruited as constables. With the new scheme, Police expects to recruit more better qualified officers. With all these efforts, Sir, Police is confident that it will get its share of good officers. 5.30 pm Now, Sir, may I address the point raised by Dr Soin. First, let me clarify that when I advocated counselling for the battered wives - I think her point is valid - counselling must also go to husbands who batter their wives. But of course when I made that point, it was in response to her question where she focused on the psychological mindset of the wives. Therefore I talked about counselling for the wives. Sir, although the number of outrage of modesty (OM) cases has increased over the years, we believe that this is largely due to the high incidence of reporting as a result of greater awareness and confidence of the public in the professional manner with which Police handles such cases.”
“I am told that the Bukit Batok Driving Centre provides such a refresher course and I am also told that some private driving instructors also give such lessons. At the end of the day, all motorists must assume the full responsibility for their own action. They should be confident and familiar with road conditions before they get on the roads. It is their responsibility to go for refresher training if they have not driven or ridden for a long time, otherwise they will be a danger not only to themselves but also to other motorists. Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: First, let me take the question by Mr Choo Wee Khiang. Sir, he would like to know whether manpower shortage is a significant problem in the Police and what has been the result of recent recruitment exercises. Sir, over the last five years, from 1989 to 1993, the strength of the Singapore Police Force has increased by 386 or 5.5% from 7,052 in 1989 to 7,438 in 1993. This comprises 616 senior officers (SOs) and 6,822 junior officers (JOs). The present vacancy position is about 8.7% for senior officers and 3.3% for junior officers. Sir, this is a significant improvement compared to 1989 when there were about 24% and 5% vacancies for SOs and JOs respectively. Sir, Police is confident that it can reduce its vacancies further this year. Since January, salaries for its officers have been revised. Starting salaries for senior officers have been raised by between 5% and 10% and for junior officers by between 5% and 14%. With the salary revision in place, Police should be able to attract its fair share of talent. Sir, to be fully effective, the salary revision must be supported by a comprehensive recruitment policy. Since 1991, Police has been aggressive in its efforts to reach out to its potential target group.”
“Sir, I will reply to Dr Wang Kai Yuen and my Parliamentary Secretary will reply to the other two questions. Indeed when Dr Wang raised the question last year about requiring drivers to undergo periodic tests, the Traffic Police had looked into his suggestion. But our review shows that such a requirement is not really practical. Does he know how many Singaporeans have driving licence or rider's licence of all classes in Singapore? It is almost close to a million. More than 900,000 of them have such licence, and we issued 45,000 new licences just last year alone. On average, about 35,000 new licences are issued every year. So to require all licence holders to undergo periodic tests, let us say, even once every three years, will mean that we will need to test more than 300,000 such licence holders. I think that will be a very massive undertaking and also very costly. Of course, while we can cope with the cost I think the resources which would have to be used to cope with this will be very massive. Let me say here that many motorists drive or ride regularly. So if we were to apply this blanket rule on all riders or drivers to undergo periodic tests before their licences are renewed, I think it will be an inconvenience or an imposition on them, besides it being impractical. When drivers and riders have passed their tests, we deem that they are competent enough to drive or ride motor vehicles on our road. The onus, therefore, is on the drivers and riders to maintain their skills and their familiarity with the various road conditions. If drivers and riders have not driven or ridden a vehicle for a long period of time, then it is incumbent upon them to take up a refresher course to regain their confidence in driving or riding. These refresher courses are available.”
“Without doubt, Sir, Police is always continuously on the look-out for more sophisticated weapons system, but we must find the weapons that serve our needs. We do not have to go for the latest and the most modern and the most useful so long as the current ones serve our needs. If they do not, then, of course, we will find new ones.”
“The layout of the building will be user-friendly for the large crowds that come to Immigration and the NRD every day for the various services. There are many other examples, Sir, but I do not think I want to bore the House with each and everyone of them. But I can assure Mr Choo that my Ministry takes a long-term and comprehensive view in planning the infrastructural needs of the various departments to make sure that their operational needs are met.”
“Sir, I agree with Mr Choo Wee Khiang that departments of the Ministry of Home Affairs must have good and adequate physical infrastructures if they are to perform their functions and duties well and effectively. But the planning and upgrading of operational infrastructures in the Ministry of Home Affairs' departments is an on-going exercise. Where existing facilities have become inadequate or cannot be further upgraded cost effectively, then, of course, we will have to plan and build new premises and infrastructures that would better serve our purpose. The Ministry of Home Affairs and its departments plan on long term basis for the necessary operational infrastructure to enable them to meet the challenges of the coming years. 5.15 pm Now we have about 55 approved development projects in the pipeline at an estimated cost of about $1,600 million. Among these projects are the upgrading of the Police Coast Guard and the Civil Defence Academy. We have also begun work on the new Civil Defence Academy which is expected to be completed within the next four years. Planning for the new SCDF HQ has also started and it is likely to be completed in about five years' time. New buildings for the various SCDF Division HQs are also being planned. Police are also planning new premises for the Central Division HQ and the Traffic Police HQ. These buildings will hopefully be completed within the next five to six years. Planning has also begun for the Police Academy and we expect it to be completed by the early part of the next decade. It will then cater to the wide range of training needs for the Police. Work on the new Immigration Building at Lavender Street has also commenced and it is expected to be completed by 1996. This building will also house the National Registration Department.”
“And other measures such as requiring motorcyclists by law to ride bright will also be considered if these efforts in educating them fail. My Ministry will periodically review the effectiveness of these measures to improve motorcyclists' safety and implement further measures if there is a need to do it. And it is hoped that with all these measures, we could further reduce unnecessary deaths on our roads. Overall, I would say that we have a comprehensive system in place to keep our roads safe. Our testing and licensing schemes ensure that drivers and riders are competent before they are allowed to operate motor vehicles on the road on their own. We have an effective driver improvement points system which encourages motorists to continue to drive and ride safely after they got their licence. The Traffic Police also takes enforcement action to deter motorists from committing unsafe or inconsiderate acts on the roads and will continually improve the road infrastructure to enhance road safety. And finally, we go to great lengths to educate road-users on road safety, particularly the vulnerable groups, such as motorcyclists, pedestrians, the aged and the very young. What we need to do, of course, is to continue to fine-tune the system from time to time. But in the final analysis, let me stress that road safety must be a joint responsibility, both the authorities and individual road-users have a part to play. Road-users must do their part by conforming to traffic rules designed for the safety of all and by developing and practising safe driving or riding attitudes and habits and exhibiting these when they are driving on our roads.”
“Although these countries did not directly attribute any reduction of accidents to the scheme, their informal assessment was that it has contributed to a reduction in road accidents. For instance, in South Australia, there was a significant reduction in road accidents involving young drivers after the introduction of the P plate. We believe that such a scheme is beneficial and should help to reduce road accidents and fatalities involving new drivers and riders. This new measure will be in addition to the current policy of suspending the licence of a new driver or rider if he chalks up more than 12 demerit points. Coming to Dr Beng's other question on the particular vulnerability of motorcyclists to accidents, we are considering several other measures to address this situation. First, the Police is reviewing with a view to tightening the motorcycle testing and licensing criterion. Presently, motorcyclists are trained and tested only in the riding circuit or driving circuit. This is not adequate as it does not prepare the motorcyclists for actual road conditions which are quite different from those in the circuit. It will introduce testing on the roads for motorcyclists as is the requirement for the car drivers or learners. We will also be reviewing the minimum age which is now 16 for obtaining a licence. We are going to increase it - we are still studying it - to maybe 17, 18 or 20. The Traffic Police is not just concentrating on changing the rules and practices to improve riding standards. It will also be running a major education programme aimed at motorcyclists in the middle of the year. This campaign will cover aspects such as the need to wear the proper riding attire, to switch on their headlights during the day as well as safe driving.”
“And I would not rule out the possibility of legislating this requirement in future. In fact, it is through all these measures that our traffic accident and fatality rate per hundred thousand population is comparable to, and in some cases better than, that of many other countries. Nevertheless, I believe that we could do more. I would like to highlight a few areas where improvements can be made. Firstly, as pointed out by Dr Beng, studies by the Traffic Police show that newly qualified drivers, ie, those with less than one year's experience, are generally more prone to accidents. The accident rate for the probationary Class 2B motorcyclists is about four times higher than that of all Class 2B riders, while the accident rate for the probationary Class 3 licence holders (motorcar drivers) is about 1.8 times that of all Class 3 drivers. Secondly, among all road-users, motorcyclists and pillion riders as a group are the most vulnerable. They accounted for over 50% of the casualties and close to 48% in respect of fatalities. Since we have identified new riders and new drivers as a group that are more prone to accidents, then we must do something about this. For example, we plan to introduce special probation plates to be displayed by these newly qualified drivers and riders sometime this year. The details of this scheme will be announced by the Traffic Police in April. The purpose of the scheme is to remind such new drivers and riders to be more careful on the road and also to signal to other road-users to be more tolerant towards them. The idea of introducing this special plate to probationary riders and drivers is not original. It is not invented in Singapore. Countries such as New Zealand, Japan and several states in Australia have already instituted such a scheme.”
“As pointed out by Dr Beng, the Traffic Police has over the years introduced a number of measures to reduce road casualties and these include legislation such as those relating to drunken driving and compulsory seat belt wearing. We also mounted educational campaigns regularly to inculcate good driving habits among our drivers, including one which encourages the motorcyclists to ride bright. Dr Beng mentioned that there are some people who are cynical about the value of rear seat belts and the effectiveness of riding bright. The Traffic Police has informed me that from their experience, rear seat belts have saved lives and the data are as follows. Between October 1992, ie, when the law first came into force, and December last year, there was no fatality in all the 63 injury accidents where rear seat belts were used. This compares and contrasts indeed to the 18 fatalities out of the 479 accidents over the same period where rear seat belts were not used. So the fact proves quite conclusively that if you put on your seat belt, and you are a rear seat passenger and there is an accident that involves injury, the chances are that you would not die from it. But if you do not, then you have quite a good chance of being killed. As for riding bright or the Ride Bright Campaign, we do not have the data now. But I believe it has contributed to reducing motorcycle accidents if people practise "ride bright" in the day time. "Ride bright" means riding bright in the day time. For example, in a number of European countries such as Sweden and Finland, this was found to be so. And Malaysia recently also legislated the requirement to ride bright. They also found that there has been a decreasing trend in multiple and day-time motorcycle accidents since the ride bright law came into effect.”
“So the wife of a Singapore citizen will be granted PR so long as the Singapore husband is gainfully employed and is able to support the family. If the applicant is the husband of a Singaporean woman, then he must also be gainfully employed here. If he cannot work here, then he will be a burden to us and somebody will have to look after him. Apart from foreign husbands who are not eligible for PR because they are not even in Singapore, the foreign husband will also not be successful in the PR application if he is not employed. In other words, the husband is not in a position to support his family since he does not have a job. To put it simply, the criterion for foreign spouses, whether male or female, and children of Singapore citizens, is this: as long as they and their families will not become a burden to the State, PR will be granted liberally. Dr Soin quoted the case of an Indian girl. I do not have the details. I do not know the circumstances other than the brief facts given by Dr Soin. The Indian girl wants to be a filial daughter and therefore obeyed the father to marry an Indian national and now she expects the State to take on the burden of giving the husband PR. I am not sure the State should play that kind of role. What the State should do, and it is in the national interest of Singapore, is to ensure that whoever wants to come and live in Singapore and be a PR, he must be able to look after himself. So if Dr Soin can give me the facts of this case, I will look into it. On the question of traffic safety raised by Dr Beng, let me say that we also place great emphasis on traffic safety in Singapore. This is because every traffic accident fatality on the road is one unnecessary death too many.”
“The Immigration Department, as I said earlier, has been very liberal in granting PR to them if they apply. In fact, the Immigration Department also takes the initiative to encourage them to apply for permanent residence. If we know that they are here on employment pass and they are of value to us, and if they can add value to our human resource pool, the Immigration Department will write to them and ask them whether they would like to be considered for PR. The Immigration Department also helps other Government agencies, for example, the EDB and the National Arts Council, to devise schemes to attract suitable professionals who want to come and work in Singapore. 4.45 pm In short, I would say that our current policy pertaining to foreign professionals who want to become PR is quite liberal. And the Immigration Department will continue to work with others to attract these professionals to make Singapore their home. As regards the questions raised by Dr Soin of making clear the minimum economic and educational criteria for people to become PR and giving husbands, I presume she was referring to husbands of Singapore women, an amnesty so that they could become PR and she quoted the case of an Indian girl, let me deal with it generally first. We have made known our criteria for the grant of PR not too long ago. I believe it was in 1989. We announced that PR would be granted to foreigners who, firstly, have a secondary education, earn at least $1,500 a month and have five years of working experience; or have at least 5 'O' levels or equivalent qualification; or have acceptable trade certificates or equivalent qualification. The criteria apply to immigrants from all sources so long as they can integrate into our society without upsetting the present multi-racial character.”
“On the part of the Police, it is fully aware of its role in ensuring that the level of violence on TV is not excessive, especially for locally-produced contemporary programmes. It monitors all TV programmes and feeds back to the committee the SBC scenes which it considers to be violent. Here, I would like to reassure Members that scenes which encourage tolerance or disrespect for the female gender are also considered. Since last year, it has made five reports to the committee. The Police has also worked closely with MITA to ban video games which contain violent and gruesome scenes, such as Mortal Kombat. Finally, we must recognise that parental control is important and I would urge parents to exercise some form of control over their children, eg, the kind of programmes they see. This will ensure that the values of our society are enriched and not eroded by what the children see on television over time. Mr Robert Chua raised questions about encouraging the professionals to come to work in Singapore, granting them permanent residence (PR) status and tapping into the region to ensure that we have a wider pool of talents available in Singapore. The short answer is yes. The Immigration Department certainly makes it a policy to make it easy for the professionals and foreign talents, ie, people with skill, knowledge, expertise, and so on, to settle down in Singapore. We, therefore, welcome these graduates and professionals who can make a contribution to Singapore's economic development because it can help to add to the quality of our limited workforce. Currently, I would say that the professionals are eligible for permanent residence after they have worked in Singapore for some time.”
“But I believe that the long term solution to keep such crimes down among youthful offenders is to ensure that Singaporeans develop strong family values and preserve the moral fibre of our society. In our pursuit of economic goals, we should not neglect the development of the family unit as an important cornerstone of our society, one which is critical in maintaining the society's moral fibre. I understand that in February this year, the Chief Justice has also independently decided that a committee be established to review the Children and Young Persons Act. The committee chaired by a District Judge and with representatives from the Police will, among other things, review the measures that can be taken to reduce the incidence of delinquency in Singapore. With these efforts, we hope that a clearer picture of the problem of youthful offenders and its causes should emerge in the coming months. The various Ministries involved will then develop appropriate measures to address this problem. On the other issue of TV violence raised by Dr Beng, I share his concern regarding the powerful influence of TV on our children. We must remain vigilant and not allow TV programmes that portray violence to harden or imbue viewers with acts of violence. TV programmes come straight into our living rooms. We must ensure that SBC enforces strict censorship guidelines. During last year's debate in the Committee of Supply, we announced the setting up of a Standing Committee on TV violence, chaired by MITA, with representation from SBC and Police to address this concern. I will leave it to MITA to update you later on on the work of this committee.”
“For example, the Police has conducted talks in schools and to youth groups, advising them not to get involved in crime, counselling them before their parents and arranging for some of them to visit the prison to see what kind of life is waiting for them if they happen to be in prison. At the end of the tour, many of the boys said that it is a really scary experience and we hope that this will scare them from getting involved in crime. Despite these measures, juvenile offenders are still on the rise and it clearly shows that more needs to be done. I agree with Dr Beng that if we do not adequately address this issue, then it will add on to our burden of crime enforcement when these wayward youths become adults. But the problem of wayward youths is more than just law enforcement, or a law and order problem. It is part of a larger social problem that could not be solved by law enforcement alone. While my Ministry will continue to take tough enforcement measures, it is important to understand the root causes of this larger social problem. And in this respect, the Police will work closely with MCD and MOE. The first step has been undertaken to understand this problem. The Police is now conducting two studies on the question of problem youth. The first study is in collaboration with the National University of Singapore and it looks at the causative factors behind the youth crime and juvenile delinquents. The second study is a study to determine the profile of these youthful offenders. So the Police will be working with the MCD and MOE to see what roles they can play to help tackle this problem.”
“The Police has also worked with the Contractors Association and the insurance industry to see how these equipment can be better covered and protected, and ensure that contractors do not leave equipment lying around and tempt any would-be criminal to steal them. We are also considering whether, for instance, when we know or suspect that some insider information has been provided by the foreign workers in the work sites to the foreign criminals and they refuse to come forward, tougher measures should also not be taken against these foreign workers, for example, by packing them off, if they refuse to cooperate. I can assure the Member that we are taking a very serious view of this and we will do something about keeping this crime down. Regarding the disturbing trend mentioned by Dr Beng on the increasing number of juvenile offenders, yes, indeed, the number of juvenile delinquents has recorded an increase last year to 1,878 which is an increase of about 27% over the figure for 1992. The number of arrests has also increased from 1,205 in 1990 to 1,300 in 1991. And Dr Beng just recounted the incidents of a case where a 12-year old boy was arrested for molesting an 11-year old girl and a student who threatened his teacher with a pen-knife. There was also an incident where a boy set fire to his former school when he became bored. We continue to see such groups of youth hanging aimlessly around shopping centres and in public areas, some of them will, no doubt, succumb to the adage that an idle mind is a devil's workshop. The Police is aware of this problem and has adopted several measures to help keep these youths out of trouble and from associating with secret societies.”
“But let me also emphasise that we must look at these things in perspective. Indeed, compared with many other countries, the drug situation in Singapore is under control and we are determined to keep it that way. Regarding the questions on crime, Dr Arthur Beng brought up a few questions. They concern the crime situation and juvenile crimes, outraging of modesty, and construction work site crimes, and he wants to know our strategy. As I said about a couple of weeks ago, the crime situation in Singapore is satisfactory. For five years in a row, we have recorded a decline in the overall crime rate and significant declines were recorded for crimes such as snatch theft, motorcycle theft, robbery and housebreaking. But we see an increase in the outraging of modesty. Here, I refer to simple outraging of modesty. There is also aggravated outraging of modesty, but the number of aggravated outraging of modesty has been quite consistent. I will let my Parliamentary Secretary deal with this because there is a question to be raised by Dr Soin later on, and a fuller reply will be given. Regarding crimes and murders in the construction work sites, we take a very serious view of this. Last year, we noted that quite a number of murders were committed in the construction sites and many of these were foreign criminals who came here to steal quite expensive survey equipment in the construction work sites. The Police has mounted an operation recently. Last year, they also had a success, but recently, about a couple of weeks ago, they managed to get a group of Thai illegal immigrants, or overstayers, in a particular work site. The matter is now being investigated to see whether they are implicated in the thefts of some of these equipment as well as in the murders.”
“In addition, the Ministry will also try to strengthen the after-care support for drug addicts released from the DRC so that they can have a better chance of rehabilitation. However, this task should not be undertaken by the Government alone. The participation of the family and the community is essential and critical if an addict is to be fully reintegrated into society. We will, therefore, explore various ways to enlist the help of the drug addicts' families and the community organisations, such as, SANA, the half-way houses, and so on, to help to provide after-care services to these ex-addicts. But let me also say that, ultimately, it is the addict himself who must want to change. If he does not want to change, then no amount of treatment, rehabilitation by the Government, community help, or family support, is going to help him change for the better. To ensure that our efforts against drug traffickers and addicts are well coordinated and executed, the Ministry recently appointed a committee chaired by the Parliamentary Secretary, Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee, to look into the drug problem. The committee has submitted its report and the Ministry is now looking at the various recommendations with a view of implementing them. I have already mentioned some of these recommendations earlier, such as better preventive drug education and after-care as well as a tougher DRC regime to deter hardcore addicts. I want to emphasise that the problem of drug abuse will always remain with us so long as we are close by to one of the major centres of drug production and so long as there are people who want to take drugs and there are people who want to sell them. We must, therefore, be constantly on our guard and adopt new and innovative methods to counter this problem effectively.”
“Most of the offences committed were for property offences, which means robbery, theft, housebreaking and also for drug trafficking. 4.30 pm The Prisons Department recently did a random survey of 60 drug addicts - 20 first timers, 20 third timers and 20 fifth timers and above. These drug addicts are with criminal records and the results show that 65% of them had started with drugs first before they committed their first criminal offence. Another study of about 50 criminal law detainees who were ant traffickers also showed that 90% of them admitted to being drug addicts before becoming drug traffickers. All this evidence suggests that drug addiction leads to crime and if we do not control this situation, then definitely our crime rates cannot go down. So there is a strong correlation between hardcore drug addiction and crime. It also highlights the potential danger of drug abuse to our society, and I do not intend to let this happen. Besides the above enforcement measures, we will also be placing emphasis on preventive drug education programmes to reach out to the youths to make sure that before they start taking drugs, we try to get to them and educate them on the evils of taking drugs. But the Ministry alone cannot achieve this objective on its own. The community and the schools must also play their part in spreading the anti-drug message to our youths, especially those who are identified to be potential school drop-outs as well as those who have already dropped out of schools. Based on our studies, we know the drug addicts generally come from these two groups of youth. They are most likely to abuse drugs. We must find ways to prevent them from doing so.”
“In fact, under the Misuse of Drugs Act, anyone who is found guilty of drug-taking or smoking, self-administering, consuming controlled drugs is liable to be punished by up to 10 years of imprisonment or a fine of up to $20,000, or both. The minimum sentence for a second or subsequent offence where a person is sentenced by the court is three years' imprisonment. In the past, very few addicts were prosecuted because we have always treated them as patients and we try not to leave them with a conviction record. But if they choose to relapse repeatedly, then I do not see why they should not be sent to court and let the court send them to jail. If that is still insufficient deterrence, then we can consider introducing caning for such hardcore addicts, in addition to imprisonment. Some may probably argue that adopting such a tough approach or this option of sending the addicts to jail will mean that they will have a criminal record and therefore this will mar them for life and that will ruin the chances for full rehabilitation. Our records show that most of these hardcore addicts already have criminal records. Therefore, the argument of helping them to keep a clean record is not really valid. Our data show that for the more hardcore addicts, the more hardcore an addict becomes, the more likely he is to have a criminal record. For example, while 55% of the first and second timers had past criminal convictions, this figure rose to 64% for the third and fourth timers, and 75% for the fifth timers and above. In other words, three out of four fifth timers and above have a criminal record. In fact, for the 10th timers and above, I can guarantee that all of them have a criminal record.”
“We need to draw a line somewhere, given our limited resources and not let these addicts return to the DRC time and again. We now even have eight timers and above in the DRC. The number of such real recalcitrant and hardcore addicts will only continue to grow if they keep on relapsing. So we must adopt a tougher approach towards such drug addicts. We will continue to detain them in the DRC for progressively longer periods and to add to the deterrent effect, my Ministry is also considering incorporating some of the features of prison life in the DRC regime. For example, we will lock them up for a longer period initially and we will introduce tougher physical drills and exercises. We will also cut down drastically on the privileges and the opportunities for recreational activities for these addicts. I am also considering whether for the truly hardcore addicts (fifth timers and above) that Dr Arthur Beng talked about, they should not be prosecuted in court and let the court decide to send them to jail, instead of the CNB sending them to the DRC. Compared with the prison, of course, the DRCs are more like camps and addicts sleep in dormitories, and drug addicts feel a sense of community because they are meeting their own kind when they are together. Like Dr Beng said, there is a sense of home-coming whenever they get back to the DRC. I think this situation is not on, whereas in jail, and "jail" literally means behind bars, I think these real hardcore addicts should have a taste of it. The option of charging these addicts in court with a view of having them sent to jail is not new.”
“The relapse rate now stands at 70%, which means that 70% of these drug addicts go back to taking drugs within two years after their release from the DRC. And we also keep the repeater drug addicts longer in the DRC. This has therefore contributed to the increase in the DRC population which is now about 8,130 as at the end of 1993. This increase indicates that we need to fine-tune and make adjustments to the current two-pronged strategy of curbing supply and demand. On the supply side, I have asked the CNB to step up its enforcement action against all drug traffickers, whether they are big, small or ant traffickers. For those who cannot be prosecuted in court because their witnesses or their accomplices are not willing to go to court and give evidence, then we will detain them under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act. As at the end of December last year, we have 427 persons detained under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act for drug trafficking. We also need to consider the regime in the DRC. This will help to curb the demand, hopefully. CNB and Police will step up their efforts to round up addicts and send them to the DRC for treatment and rehabilitation. But in the end, it is really up to the addicts whether they want to be reformed or rehabilitated. We can only do so much for them. For those who are amenable to change and responsive to rehabilitation, generally we think these are the first and second timers, we can and we will adopt a compassionate and helpful approach. But for the hardcore addicts and recalcitrant addicts, that means, the third timers and above, I think we cannot keep treating them as patients who need assistance and help to kick off the drug habit.”
“Sir, I thank the Members for raising the various issues. I will try to answer all of them, except for Mr Koo's question on tests for citizenship, Dr Soin's question on spousal domestic violence and Mr Lau Ping Sum's question on training of police officers. I will leave these questions to my Parliamentary Secretary to deal with later. Sir, let me assure Members that the drug enforcement and control problem will always remain the priority area in my Ministry's agenda. As Dr Arthur Beng rightly pointed out, the problem cannot be completely eradicated. We must relentlessly ensure that the situation is kept in check as much as possible. The drug situation in Singapore, as in any country, depends on several factors, for example, the supply of drugs from external sources, the changing patterns of drug consumption, and our enforcement and rehabilitation programmes which must continue with vigour. Over the last six years or so, relentless efforts have been put into enforcement against drug traffickers and addicts. Much emphasis was also put on rehabilitating the addicts. There were many innovative programmes being tried out such as the exit counselling programme, the use of electronic monitoring system and drug rehabilitation programme tailored to suit the various categories of drug abuses. Recently, our drug rehabilitation centres (DRCs) have seen an increase in the number of drug addicts. In 1993, for example, 4,740 addicts were admitted into the DRC as compared with, say, 3,823 in 1991. That shows an increase of 24%. The number of hardcore addicts, and by "hardcore" I mean those who are third timers and above, amongst them has also increased due to relapse. The number of hardcore addicts has increased from 48% in 1991 to 51% in 1993.”
“(a) In 1992, 6,546 spouses of Singapore citizens applied for permanent residence. The figure for 1993 was 6,929. (b) The success rates for 1992 and 1993 for male spouses were 68.7% and 77.8% respectively. The corresponding figures for female spouses were 76.5% and 78.5% respectively. (c) Immigration Department does not keep data on the economic profile of unsuccessful applicants. However, a sampling of the rejected cases showed that: (i) Amongst the foreign husbands, 44% were unemployed while 52% were working outside Singpaore. (ii) More than 40% of the foreign wives could not obtain PR because their Singaporean husbands were not gainfully employed. The balance of 60% were not successful for various reasons e.g. they were ex-work permit workers and had married their Singaporean husbands without the prior approval of the Ministry of Labour. Official Report - REVISION OF TIMES OF PARLIAMENT SITTINGS (Cols. 551 - 552)”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I move the adjournment, I would like, on behalf of the House, to thank you for your patience in listening to us in the last four days. Sir, I beg to move, That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Adjourned accordingly at Four minutes to Four o'clock pm. POPULATION 65 AND OLDER PER CENT INCREASE FROM 1991 TO 2025, NO. OF YEARS REQUIRED FOR THE AGED TO GROW FROM 10% OF POPULATION TO 20%, AGED DEPENDENCY RATIO OF SINGAPORE, AGED DEPENDENCY RATIO, MEDIAN AGE OF POPULATION, MALE LIFE EXPECTANCY AND PENSION WITHDRAWAL AGE (Cols. 339 - 348)”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That this Parliament, in accordance with paragraph (1) of Standing Order 96, appoints the following as members of the Committee of Selection:- Prof. S. Jayakumar Dr Lee Boon Yang Mr Lim Hng Kiang Encik Sidek Bin Saniff Mr Peter Sung Mr Wong Kan Seng Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon. Sir, this Committee is to select the other Members of the Sessional Committees for the Second Session of Parliament. Resolved, That this Parliament, in accordance with paragraph (1) of Standing Order 96, appoints the following as members of the Committee of Selection:- Prof. S. Jayakumar Dr Lee Boon Yang Mr Lim Hng Kiang Encik Sidek Bin Saniff Mr Peter Sung Mr Wong Kan Seng Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon. ADJOURNMENT”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is also my pleasure to move, That, pursuant to Article 42 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, with effect from 1st January 1994, the Deputy Speaker shall be paid an allowance of $2,147 inclusive of a Non-Pensionable Component of $347 per month and all such pensionable and non-pensionable allowances as would be payable to office-holding Members of Parliament. Sir, this is also consistent with the recent revision of salaries. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That, pursuant to Article 42 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, with effect from 1st January 1994, the Deputy Speaker shall be paid an allowance of $2,147 inclusive of a Non-Pensionable Component of $347 per month and all such pensionable and non-pensionable allowances as would be payable to office-holding Members of Parliament. COMMITTEE OF SELECTION (Appointment of Members)”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am glad to move, That, pursuant to Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, with effect from 1st January 1994, the Speaker shall be paid - (a) a salary of $13,432 inclusive of a Non-Pensionable Component of $2,192 per month, being salary on part-time appointment; (b) all such pensionable and non-pensionable allowances as would be payable to office-holding Members of Parliament; and (c) a non-pensionable annual fixed bonus of four months. Sir, this is consistent with the recent revision of salaries for Ministers and civil servants, and I commend the House to support it. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That, pursuant to Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, with effect from 1st January 1994, the Speaker shall be paid - (a) a salary of $13,432 inclusive of a Non-Pensionable Component of $2,192 per month, being salary on part-time appointment; (b) all such pensionable and non-pensionable allowances as would be payable to office-holding Members of Parliament; and (c) a non-pensionable annual fixed bonus of four months. REMUNERATION OF DEPUTY SPEAKER”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we have heard quite a bit about IQ and SQ and we should now take the cue to call it a day after hearing 12 quality speeches. With the consent of Mr Speaker and the general assent of Members present, Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That the debate be now adjourned. - [Mr Wong Kan Seng].”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw the motion. Motion, by leave, withdrawn. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng.] Adjourned accordingly at Ten Minutes to Five o'clock pm to a date to be fixed. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS STATUS OF THE ASEAN FREE TRADE AREA 1. Mr Chia Shi Teck asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what is the status of the ASEAN Free Trade Area.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, under Standing Order No. 42(2), the motion for the adjournment of the House shall lapse at the moment of interruption. As the debate on the salary revision is likely to go beyond the moment of interruption, may I, therefore, seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move to exempt the motion for adjournment of the House from the provisions of the aforesaid Standing Order.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That Parliament do now adjourn. Question proposed. CIVIL SERVICE SALARY REVISION”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since Members have only heard this statement for the first time, and to allow Members time to prepare to debate this subject, I propose that we have a short suspension. When we resume after suspension, I shall move an adjournment of the House to enable Members to debate this Statement.”
“Sir, Mr Chiam will have more time to speak tomorrow. I beg to move, That Parliament do now adjourn. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn". - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Adjourned accordingly at Half past Four o'clock pm.”
“May I answer the question as Acting Minister for Information and the Arts? As far as the viewer is concerned, it makes no difference, because it is the same programme. The only difference is that he presses a different button. That is all.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That Parliament do now adjourn. Question proposed. COMPULSORY TEACHING OF HOME ECONOMICS AND TECHNICAL STUDIES FOR ALL STUDENTS IN LOWER SECONDARY CLASSES 4.23 pm”