Yaacob Ibrahim
Singapore
“Our museums can do more to have spaces that touch on the subject of precolonial history and to give people access to the archeological finds. At the same time, acknowledging how that history has impinged on our own history and the myriad strands of diversity of ideas, lifestyle, food, religions that have come together to enrich our own ex…”
“For instance, SingPost invested in a $45-million mail sorting machine that has automated 95% of the mail sorting process. To make it easier for its postmen to deliver mail, SingPost has also introduced more delivery vehicles, such as three-wheel scooters and customised mail delivery trolleys.”
“With cyber threats growing globally, this Bill is timely to empower CSA to safeguard essential services from disruptions by cyberattacks, prevent and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents, and to establish a licensing framework to improve the credibility of cybersecurity services in Singapore. Sir, I beg to move.”
“Our postal rates continue to be among the lowest among economies, such as the United States, Hong Kong and Norway. For parcel delivery, which does not require a licence from IMDA, it is fully open and competitive, and many local and international players provide services in Singapore today.”
“Factually aims to clarify widespread or common misperceptions of Government policy or incorrect assertions on matters of public concern that can harm Singapore's social fabric. Over the years, the site has addressed inaccurate assertions about various matters, such as housing, the economy and finance.”
“The amendment ensures that IMDA's regulatory framework for the deployment of telecoms cables stays relevant as copper cables are increasingly being phased out and replaced by optical fibre cables.”
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“They are now offered at three libraries – Orchard, Sembawang and Pasir Ris. And, Madam, there are plans to expand this to all branches by 2017. Page: 8 NLB also offers digital library services. It currently offers a collection of over four million e-books which are easily accessible through its website or the NLB mobile app. NLB will continue to monitor population and usage trends so as to optimise its library locations and digital services and to serve the needs of Singaporeans better.”
“Madam, the National Library Board (NLB) aims to make libraries as accessible as possible to Singapore residents, using a network of 26 libraries, including three regional libraries. Library locations are planned with reference to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA's) land use masterplan. NLB seeks to locate in a planning area where the population size has a minimum threshold of 150,000 residents. In addition, NLB looks for convenient locations, either within or near town centres, or in shopping malls with easy access to the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations and bus interchanges. This allows Singapore residents to visit their favourite libraries "at their doorstep". The three regional libraries house larger collections and offer enhanced services for specific segments, like seniors, teenagers or young children. For example, a resident from Sembawang can regularly visit the nearby Sembawang Public Library and head to the Woodlands Regional Library for a more specialised service, such as IT programmes for seniors offered at its Silver InfoComm Junction. The 26 public libraries are complemented by over 120 reading corners in community spaces and preschools across the island. These include reading corners at 11 Senior Activity Centres. Project Deliver Me and the Mobile Library (MOLLY) buses are two further initiatives through which NLB brings library content and services to the underserved. Project Deliver Me, in particular, delivers books to those who are less mobile and, hence, find it difficult to leave their homes. Beyond the physical libraries, reading corners and mobile library services, NLB has also made it easy for Singapore residents to access our services on the go. NLB started introducing self-pick-up reservation lockers in 2014.”
“Firstly, they may already be a pay TV subscriber and, hence, will not need a separate DTV set-top box. Secondly, they may have purchased newer-model TV sets that are DTV-ready. The third possibility may be that despite the letters going out, they may still be unaware of the transition to digital broadcasting. It is this third possibility that we are most concerned about. We will continue to engage the public and our stakeholders to raise DTV awareness. MDA plans to step up publicity in the lead-up to the cessation of analogue broadcasting at the end of 2017 and to track and encourage early adoption among households. Apart from public communications, MDA has worked with the voluntary welfare organisations and senior activity centres to reach out to the elderly and the disabled, to assist them with the digital switchover. We are confident that more and more households will switch to DTV as we near the shutdown of analogue TV broadcast. Page: 7”
“Madam, I thank Ms Sun Xueling for her question on our transition from analogue to digital signals for TV broadcast. Madam, we launched the Digital TV (DTV) Assistance Scheme on 29 September 2014. The Assistance Scheme is meant to provide about 160,000 low-income households with a free digital set-top box and indoor antenna, which will allow them to use their existing television sets to receive DTV signals. Once an estate is able to receive good indoor DTV reception, that is, they are DTV-ready, the Media Development Authority (MDA) sends notification letters to eligible households and makes available application forms for the Assistance Scheme at the community centres and social welfare offices. MDA produces DTV information booklets in four languages that are sent to individual homes once the estate is DTV-ready. MDA has also advertised the digital switchover initiative on TV, radio, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) trains, bus stop shelters, as well as print and online media. MDA is partnering retailers and organising roadshows in the heartlands to encourage early DTV adoption. Public response has been positive. In a survey conducted by MDA in December 2015, we were encouraged to note that 62% of households knew how to receive DTV channels. Since the launch of the DTV Assistance Scheme, over 84,000 households have been notified of their eligibility and close to 39,000, or 46% of these households, have received the assistance package. Madam, we are on track to notify all eligible households by early-2017 when all estates are DTV-ready. MDA assesses that the adoption rate of 46% for the Assistance Scheme is a good sign. There are several reasons why a household may choose not to accept the assistance package.”
“Madam, the 15,000 vacancies were based on the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA)'s latest annual survey on infocomm manpower for 2014, which is conducted with companies to track the state of infocomm jobs in Singapore. The 15,000 vacancies in 2014 were unchanged from 2013 and translate to an average vacancy rate of 9%. These vacancies were not just from the tech and information technology (IT) sector, but also from companies in other sectors, such as banking and finance, that employ infocomm professionals. More than two-thirds of these vacancies were for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) or technical specialists in areas, such as development, network and infrastructure, cybersecurity and data analytics. The rest of the vacancies were mainly in sales and marketing and infocomm operation job roles. The requirements of each job type differ. Development jobs require skills in various programming languages, as well as in emerging areas like agile method and user experience. Cybersecurity, network and infrastructure jobs require relevant industry certifications. Data analytics professionals require skills, such as statistics and machine learning. Demand for technical specialists has been growing by 6.3% annually from 2011 to 2014. We expect this growth to continue, given Singapore's push towards becoming a Smart Nation. Madam, I will share more about the new infocomm manpower programmes at the Committee of Supply 2016 debate.”
“PDPC has conducted briefings and workshops for organisations to explain how the Act would apply to various types of businesses and what organisations would need to do to ensure compliance. PDPC's online e-learning and educational resources have also been helpful, especially for smaller organisations. PDPC also collaborates with other agencies, such as the Law Society of Singapore and SPRING's small and medium enterprises (SME) Centres, to offer advice and consultation services to smaller businesses. As of end 2015, PDPC has engaged more than 23,000 participants from some 7,500 organisations. These efforts have allowed organisations to gain a better understanding of the Act, which has helped to reduce the number of DNC complaints in 2015 by more than 50%. I would like to assure the House that PDPC will continue to engage organisations, raise awareness and facilitate compliance with the Act. Organisations which require any guidance or advice can approach PDPC.”
“Madam, the Do Not Call, or DNC, rules under the Personal Data Protection Act came into effect on 2 January 2014. Over the past two years, the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) has received about 9,700 valid public complaints against some 1,500 companies. A majority of these companies were from the property, retail and financial sectors. PDPC's investigations revealed that most companies which flouted the DNC rules did not clearly understand the requirements of the rules and how to comply with them. Given that it was still early days of the Act and most complaints involved one-off breaches, PDPC issued advisory notices and warnings to about 3,000 organisations. These were meant to provide useful guidance to these companies on specific steps to be taken, in order to comply with the DNC rules. For the more egregious cases, PDPC prosecuted two organisations: Star Zest Home Tuition and its director, and a salesperson from Huttons Asia in 2014. They continued to send multiple, unsolicited telemarketing messages to numbers listed in the DNC Registry, despite being notified by PDPC not to do so. In addition, two others had their offences compounded in lieu of prosecution, given that the breaches were not as serious. Madam, PDPC has also received some 26,500 complaints on messages relating to illegal activities, such as unlicensed moneylending and illegal gambling, and the Minister is not exempt from these. As these activities come under the purview of the Police, PDPC has been referring such complaints to the Police. PDPC has been proactive in its public education and outreach efforts to organisations and members of the public.”
“IDA has also been participating in regular dialogue sessions held by agencies, such as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Energy Market Authority (EMA), with their contractors. These sessions are meant to educate the contractors on the established SOPs and the precautionary measures needed to prevent a cable from being cut. To aid efforts in locating telecommunication cables going forward, IDA has directed all telcos to indicate GPS geographical coordinates for new deployments of telecommunication cables and manholes on their service plans; and to install metallic tracer wires along new underground optical fibre cables. These measures will help facilitate the detection of new underground Page: 24 telecommunication cables and, hopefully, reduce the occurrence of cable cuts. At the same time, IDA will thoroughly investigate and prosecute those responsible for cable cuts, and will apply for deterrent sentences upon conviction. Mdm Speaker, frequent telecommunication cable cuts will diminish Singapore's reputation as a reliable business and financial hub, and undermine our efforts to build a Smart Nation. My Ministry and IDA will continue to work closely with other public agencies to reduce the frequency of such cuts. I wish to emphasise that the parties involved in road works or construction projects must also adopt the necessary precautions to avoid such incidents. Only through a concerted effort by all relevant parties can cable cut incidents be avoided.”
“In the remaining two cases, the contractors did not obtain the necessary service plans and engage cable detection workers to detect the cables. Madam, the Telecommunications Act requires any contractor who intends to carry out earthworks within the vicinity of telecommunication cables to take certain precautions. They have to: first, give seven or more days' notice to the relevant telcos before the proposed earthworks; second, obtain information on the location of telecommunication cables and consult the operators on appropriate steps to prevent possible cable damage while the earthworks are being carried out; and finally, engage licensed telecommunication cable detection workers to detect such cables so that contractors can avoid these cables when carrying out their work. Any contractor who fails to observe these precautions and damages any telecommunication cables while carrying out earthworks may be fined up to $1 million and imprisoned for five years. IDA has previously prosecuted errant parties in Court, which has imposed penalties ranging from $60,000 to $570,000. Given the rise in the number of cable cut incidents, IDA is doing more. It is working closely with public agencies and telcos on preventive measures. I understand that our telcos operators have agreed to advise contractors on the type of earthworks that should be avoided and the additional procedures to adhere to before and during earthworks. These include digging "trial holes" to locate any cables in the vicinity before commencing any earthworks and to contact the relevant telcos should they encounter any difficulty in locating the cables.”
“Madam, the number of cable cut incidents has increased in recent years. The number of incidents has grown steadily, from four each in 2013 and 2014 to seven in 2015. In 2016 alone, there have already been three of such incidents. Madam, the rise in the number of cable cuts has been due to an increase in the number of road works and construction projects across Singapore in the past few years. All 18 cable cuts from 2013 to 2016 were caused by third-party contractors involved in the construction of new mass rapid transit (MRT) lines, such as the Downtown Line and the Thomson East-Coast Line, power cabling, water and sewage piping works and other development projects. Of the 18, one was caused by Page: 23 contractors hired by a telecommunications operator (telco). The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) takes a serious view of all cable cut incidents. Such incidents result in significant disruptions to telecommunication and media services delivered to our homes and businesses, causing great inconvenience to thousands of subscribers for many hours. IDA's investigations revealed that most, if not all, of these cable cut incidents could have been avoided if contractors had exercised due diligence and caution when undertaking road works and construction projects. These contractors failed to comply with clearly established standard operating procedures (SOPs), such as ascertaining the location of telecommunication cables prior to commencing earthworks and protecting underground cables against damage when they carried out their earthworks. In 16 of these cases, the service plans and cable detection reports obtained by the contractors clearly indicated the presence of telecommunication cables.”
“Through regular dialogues and surveys, we aim to better understand our people's concerns and aspirations so as to develop policies and programmes that will improve their quality of life. We will also improve our capabilities in whole-of-Government crisis communications. MCI's strategic priorities and plans aim to build an Engaged and Connected Singapore in close partnership with our people and private sectors, in order that we may provide a good quality of life for all Singaporeans. Page: 23”
“As a start, we will develop a Constitutional Gallery, to be housed in the National Gallery Singapore, to showcase key constitutional documents of our nation. We will transform our public libraries to support Singaporeans' lifelong learning. Our public libraries will cater to different reading and learning preferences. We will offer differentiated collections, interactive technology and conducive library spaces to make learning more engaging and interesting. As reading is a gateway to lifelong learning, we will start a National Reading Movement to encourage more Singaporeans to pick up reading and promote a culture of reading. We will partner the National Library Board's network of volunteers and supporters to promote this reading movement. We will promote information, media and cyber literacy in a concerted way. We will do this by enhancing public awareness and through collaborative programmes with our communities, libraries, private organisations and other institutions of learning to promote these literacy skills to match Singaporeans' digital lifestyle. We will continue to invest in Public Service Broadcast programmes to develop more compelling and engaging local content on our free-to-air channels and suitable online platforms to meet the diverse needs of our local audience. We are reviewing Okto and Channel U, to provide more choices for young audiences. We will introduce subtitling progressively for our live broadcast programmes to be more inclusive and reach out to a wider audience. Page: 22 We will continue to engage Singaporeans on Government policies, especially in the digital space and on social media.”
“We will continue to ensure that low-income families and senior citizens have access to the broadband Internet and enjoy the benefits of Internet connectivity. While the Smart Nation opens up many opportunities, we must also ensure that it is built upon a secure, robust and resilient infrastructure. We will develop a national cyber security strategy to strengthen Singapore's information infrastructure. Priority will be given to our critical sectors of energy, water, transport, health, Government, infocomm, media, security and emergency services and banking and finance. To set an example, cyber security expenditure, as a share of the Government's IT budget, will increase to at least 8% in the long term. We will introduce a Cyber Security Bill that will give the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore greater powers to secure our critical information infrastructure. We will develop the cybersecurity ecosystem in Singapore and grow cybersecurity talent and manpower. We will also seek international cooperation on cybersecurity to overcome the transnational nature of cyber threats and work with the private sector to raise public awareness of the importance of cybersecurity. We will make Singapore's history and archival heritage more accessible to Singaporeans. Learning from the success of our Singapore Memory Project and Citizen Archivists experiences, we will continue to collaborate with our citizens to promote Singaporeans' appreciation and understanding of our history and heritage. Together with the people and private sectors, we will curate our archived materials better and co-create presentations from our National Library collections for wider public access.”
“Through design, enterprises can be more responsive to customers' needs and innovative in their product and service offerings. We will launch Design 2025, a long-term plan to make Singapore a hub for design, build up the design sector and encourage the adoption of design to transform our economy and society. The growth of the infocomm, media and design sectors and their adoption by the rest of the economy, will create good jobs for Singaporeans. We will help Singaporeans acquire the skills that will be increasingly important in the future: computational thinking, coding, design thinking and story-telling. We will expand existing initiatives to equip our young with the skillsets needed to thrive in the future. Through SkillsFuture, we will support the development of manpower for the infocomm, media and design sectors. We will continue to support start-ups and entrepreneurship in the infocomm, media and design sectors. To encourage innovation through experimenting, tinkering and risk-taking, we will set up more prototyping laboratories, provide greater access to networking opportunities and co-locate mutually-supporting expertise and services. We will roll out the Smart Nation Platform, a network infrastructure of sensors to enable us to build a Smart Nation. The platform will support sensor-based services and smart system solutions Page: 21 and facilitate greater sharing of data to improve Government operations and the delivery of public services. At the same time, we will release more public sector data to encourage private sector development of applications that can improve our quality of life. We will leave no one behind in Singapore's Smart Nation journey.”
“MCI's mission is to connect people to community, Government and opportunity. The infocomm and media sectors are converging due to rapid technological advancements. These technologies have the potential to drive innovation, enhance productivity for economic growth and improve the quality of life for all Singaporeans. We will restructure the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), so as to reflect the converged nature of the infocomm media industry and in order to seize new opportunities more effectively. The Government Chief Information Office functions within IDA will be restructured as an independent entity – the Government Technology Organisation (GTO). GTO will focus on building engineering talent for the Government and support its digital transformation efforts. This will help the Government deliver world-class digital services to Singaporeans. The industry development and regulatory functions of IDA and MDA will be combined to form the Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA). As a unified authority, IMDA will be able to enact competition and consumer protection regulations in a more holistic and progressive manner. We will also update our Telecommunications Act, Broadcasting Act and Films Act to keep pace with the demands of the converged infocomm media space. We aim to complete the nationwide transition to digital broadcasting and switch off analogue broadcast in end-2017. The freed-up spectrum will provide more capacity for mobile broadband and better support our Smart Nation development. In the future economy, design will become an increasingly important enabler.”
“Madam, the Media Development Authority (MDA) classifies arts performances in accordance with the Arts Entertainment Classification Code, which reflects generally accepted social norms. Where the content is contentious, MDA consults the Arts Consultative Panel (ACP) and other relevant agencies before making a decision. "Chronology on Death" dealt with the issue of religious conversion and the resulting impact on the convert's family. ACP recommended classifying the performance under the highest rating of Restricted 18 (R18), given the potential sensitivity of its religious themes. MDA agreed with ACP's recommendation. In addition, MDA required the licensee to conduct a post-show dialogue with the audience, so that the religious themes in the play can be better explained. Madam, this does not mean that all plays with controversial content can be given more leeway by virtue of the inclusion of post-show dialogues. A play that intentionally seeks to denigrate another religion, for example, would not be able to repair the damage caused by Page: 32 the mere addition of a post-show dialogue. Ultimately, MDA will have to assess each performance on a case-by-case basis and classify them under the appropriate rating.”
“Mdm Speaker, the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) issued a public consultation in April last year seeking views from the industry on potential interest to enter Singapore's mobile market. A new entrant would further spur competition in the mobile market, benefiting consumers through more attractive pricing and innovative services. Should a new mobile operator be interested to enter the Singapore market, they will need to take part in a spectrum auction. IDA has yet to determine the rules for the next spectrum auction. Nonetheless, in previous auctions, IDA has stipulated qualifying criteria, which include the requirement for applicants to have strong technical capabilities and financial positions. This is to ensure that only serious and capable players participate in the spectrum auction. Any new mobile operator will also have to comply with IDA's regulatory obligations, including its Quality of Service frameworks.”
“Thank you, Mdm Chair. I thank Members for their comments and suggestions. The ICT revolution continues to unfold with new services and products that have transformed our lives. Today, we can read the news while travelling, watch our favourite shows on the go, video chat with our overseas friends, buy things online and even arrange our vacations without going through travel agents. The way we live, work and play is being transformed as Page: 13 we speak. The end goal must be to bring about a substantial change to the quality of our lives. Here in Singapore, the Government has made great strides in shaping the infocomm and media or ICM sectors, to take advantage of opportunities from the advancement of technology. Our efforts have been recognised. Singapore tops the latest Digital Evolution Index developed by The Fletcher School at Tufts University in the US. They have assessed that we are most ready to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital future, by having infrastructure and policies spurring greater innovations. Our earlier Intelligent Nation 2015 plan has contributed to this achievement. We have also actively supported enterprise development in the ICM sectors under the Singapore Media Fusion Plan. For example, we provide physical spaces for our start-ups to build and nurture their ideas with mentors and potential investors. With your permission, Madam, may I display some slides on the LED screens?”
“Mr Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?”
“This is why I have asked IDA to continue to ensure that our telco networks function optimally. I would like to assure the House that we remain committed to strengthening the resiliency of these networks, together with the operators. We expect operators to make sound technical decisions when designing and operating their networks. At the same time, we do not assess their culpability with perfect 100% hindsight. That would not be fair. Instead, we look at whether the decisions taken at the time were reasonable, based on the information available then to the decision-makers. While no network service is immune to failure, telcos can definitely improve the way they update and assist their customers when disruptions occur. We should expect better service, and I have told IDA that M1's public communications during the incidents should have been better managed. Operators must provide early and timely updates to its Page: 28 customers when outages occur.”
“This assessment was corroborated by IDA's third-party external consultant, whose advice IDA had sought for this case. Mdm Speaker, on service restoration which I elaborated upon earlier, IDA also assessed that there was no undue delay by M1 in troubleshooting, isolating and restoring services. For the 4 February 2014 incident, investigations started as soon as M1 received feedback from some subscribers that they were unable to make calls and send messages. M1 found a software bug which caused the mobile site switches to perform in an unstable manner. This, in turn, led to congestion at the various network layers. As this incident was not triggered by any network changes or recent software installation, roll-back was not necessary. To rectify the situation, M1 re-initialised the switches, as well as other critical network elements, and services were fully restored thereafter. In its assessment, IDA also found that there was "no undue delay" in service restoration during the 4 February 2014 incident. M1 promptly activated its vendors upon discovery of the incident. Given that neither M1 nor its vendor encountered similar issues previously, there was no workaround solution readily available. This meant that M1 needed time to locate the cause of the incident before deciding on the correct restoration action. It should also be noted that until the disruption on 4 February 2014, the same set of mobile site switches were deployed in many overseas operators' networks and were also deployed in M1's network for several years without incident. Madam, both my Ministry and IDA fully appreciate the critical nature of mobile services and the importance that people place on these services for their everyday communication.”
“Madam, IDA has completed its investigation into the two M1 service disruptions which occurred on 16 October 2013 and 4 February 2014. Summaries of the cases, the investigation outcomes and IDA's determinations were published on IDA's website on 5 January 2015. Mdm Speaker, allow me to explain to the House what happened in both incidents. The first service disruption occurred on 16 October 2013. New software was being installed onto one of M1's core network elements, called RNC. Upon installation, M1 observed abnormalities in the network and immediately started investigations. After carrying out initial diagnostics with its vendors, M1 could not identify the cause. Hence, M1 decided to uninstall the new software in the RNC and to "roll-back" to the original version. This step is a common industry practice when trying to isolate a problem that could arise from new software installation. The "roll-back" was done about two hours from the time of the disruption. However, I understand that the problem persisted and so, logically, M1 started to troubleshoot the other network components associated with the RNC. M1 subsequently established that there was a software bug in the Media Gateway and the disruption was subsequently resolved within an hour thereafter. Page: 27 IDA assessed that the preventive measures undertaken by M1 for this incident were reasonable. Firstly, M1 had carried out thorough testing of the software, including interoperability and compatibility, prior to the installation. Secondly, M1 successfully attempted the same software upgrade on another RNC in September 2013. Thirdly, the test cases adopted by M1 were extensive and comprehensive as M1 combined different test scenarios into each test case.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, S21 means different things to different people. My colleague, Mr Inderjit Singh, and I chaired a feedback session on S21 recently. We had calls for greater creativity in schools, changes in our education system, and balancing the needs of Singaporeans and foreign talent. But along with these calls, there was a sense that we should not throw out the baby with the bathwater. Participants want changes in the education system but do not want to imperil the strengths of the system. They acknowledged the need to recruit world-wide, as this will boost our own local talent. In other words, the participants knew that we need to tread carefully with S21 so that we will not undermine what we have achieved thus far. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, S21 has been an interesting and rewarding experience for me. It has helped to remind me of the core values and ideas that hold this nation together. It has helped me to place the key ideas in the context of a larger and wider spectrum of ideas and values which have shaped this nation. As we begin to innovate and find new ways to strengthen the social glue that binds as a nation, we cannot forgo the strong traditions which we have built over the years. I am confident that the key ideas of Singapore 21, taken together with our commitment to ideals such as multi-racialism, meritocracy, honesty, hard work and a sense of excellence, will provide a powerful framework for our nation building effort. Thank you.”
“It is the family that is most tolerant of failure and most able to nurture the child. Our parents are more firm than our teachers and also more forgiving. A child grows up according to the values and the signals he receives at home. If his family values excellence and hard work, the child will invariably have those values in him. Similarly, the family also provides a zone of comfort for our old. I have met many older residents of my estates who want their children to live near them. Some may want to live near so that they can help take care of their grandchildren. In this way, they transmit the values which will help our young and also our families. Others help the family stay strong by assisting in some household work. I believe our older citizens help out because they believe that it is the right thing to do to strengthen the family. In return, many young parents understand that the responsibility of taking care of their aged parents essentially lies with them. This sharing of responsibilities between the young and the old has proven to be successful. Hence, as the family comes under stress, we must continue to find ways to ensure that these roles continue to take place albeit in different forms. As more Singaporeans seize the opportunities abroad, the family will come under increasing stress. Yet, these opportunities will provide the material comfort which many families yearn for. Many families, no doubt, will need to perform a balancing act, as they pursue these opportunities. But my one sense is that the family ties are indeed very strong in Singapore. We must make sure that the ties continue to be strong as the forces of regionalisation and globalisation will bring new challenges to the institution of the family.”
“Hence, everyone matters because everyone gives his best to the nation. Like other social arrangements in Singapore, the institution of the family is being reshaped by very broad social trends. In particular, we are seeing a shift from multi-generational families towards nuclear ones. These changes in the family form will no doubt have an impact on the types and number of tasks performed by the family, but they need not spell the death of the family as the centre of emotional well-being of its individual members, or as a "place to come out of the storm". When I was in the US, I was amazed at how the American students would find all sorts of ways to get back home during Thanksgiving to spend time with their families. It was not the turkey dinners and the cranberry sauce which pulled them back. It was the sense of family and the ties which these students have with their parents and siblings which brought them back together every November for this annual ritual. Similarly, parents in the US make sure to attend their children's graduation. It is a proud moment for the family to have a member receiving a degree. These displays of family affection belie the strength and robustness of the institution of the family. Families will need to make adjustments to the changing demands of society. But we cannot afford to lose that sense of the family as a place of support, nurture and renewal. I believe it is the family that shapes the community. How a child feels about himself depends largely upon how he is made to feel about himself at home. It is the home that provides the comfort and the solace for facing failure and the sense of triumph when a child has achieved something. It is the family that provides the safety net for the child to experiment and fail and try again.”
“These groups provide grants, welfare services and run other programmes because they believe that it is for the public good. Today, as we encourage more Singaporeans to be active citizens, we must continue to emphasise the need to take heart the interests of the larger Singaporean community. Being active means different things to different people. Some may volunteer their time to a charitable cause while others may actually start a new movement to address problems such as child or spousal abuse. Many others also contribute by giving ideas and suggestions, as can be seen by the many articles that appear in the forum pages of the Straits Times. So there are ample opportunities for Singaporeans to be active and to be a part of the process of nation building. Many Singaporeans have laboured and given their best to help meet the needs of others. For example, we are seeing in the Malay community many undergraduates and even JC students giving free tuition to those who need it. They do so because they want to help their community and help the nation. These are active citizens. Every Singaporean is important to us, and everyone matters to us. But everyone has the duty to put his best foot forward. We will continue to need to balance the needs of the individual against the needs of the nation. In a family, everyone matters and everyone is important. But most of us would agree that parents should not go out of their way to reward a child who makes no effort to fulfill his potential and who refuses to contribute to the family's well-being. Indulgence spoils a child. Yet, at the same time, most of us would agree that overly strict and over-bearing parenting approaches kill the creativity and the spark in a child.”
“The Singapore 21 process is, therefore, a work in progress. It is an iterative exercise in nation building. We have been able to improve the material well-being of our people, to create jobs, to build homes, and to give pride to a people of a new nation. Now, it is time to deal with the emotions and the attachments that we, as a people, have for this country, what we call and what Dr Lee Tsao Yuan calls the "Singapore Heartbeat". How do we make our people feel for our country and their fellow citizens? This is the challenge of Singapore 21 and of every Singaporean. I support the five key ideas of Singapore 21. But I think these ideas must be tempered with the basic realities of the Singapore that we know today. Some have argued that the five ideas amount merely to motherhood statements. I would rather see them as statements that reaffirm our basic core values. In our eagerness to infuse the nation with a new sense of optimism and enthusiasm, we cannot afford to forget the strengths and constraints that continue to define our life as a nation. Our proved policy and programmes aimed at ensuring that every community progresses and retains their own cultural identity cannot be undermined. The concerns of the various communities cannot be glossed over. Our emphasis on meritocracy and multi-racialism must remain the cornerstone of our existence as a people. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, one of the key ideas which have attracted some attention is that of active citizens. We want to build a civic society, but we have always had a civic tradition. There are many groups and civic organisations which have emerged and have done their part to develop a civic movement.”
“One polytechnic student, for example, told us how she is already facing the challenge of having to take care of both her parents and grandparents. Others told stories that reminded us of the strong gotong royong spirit which we, as Singaporeans were, and, I believe, are still famous for. To me, this exercise, though time consuming, was necessary, because we needed to hear from Singaporeans themselves how they felt about the dilemmas posted to them. For me, this exercise proves that Singaporeans have a lot to say about their country and, more importantly, that Singaporeans care about their country. We have put in a lot of effort to elicit wide-ranging participation and views. Let us build upon this effort in inclusiveness. When we started the S21 exercise about a year and a half ago, we were mindful of the trends and challenges facing our society. We have an aging population; there are calls for a more relaxed lifestyle; increasingly, Singaporeans leave home for jobs overseas, while many foreigners settle in Singapore to work; and there are indications that our upwardly mobile population wants to play a greater role in nation building. Casting these trends as dilemmas forced people to think hard about the choices that will need to be made. In the discussions, forums and seminars which we conducted, we found ourselves going over old ground. I realise that for us, as a nation, to move forward, we have to look backwards and re-learn the lessons of the past. The values, strategies and visions which have served us well thus far are still relevant and, in fact, very important for us to move into the 21st century as a nation. The emphasis on family, meritocracy, consensus, multi-racialism, hard work and perseverance remains central to our S21 discussions.”
“I stand by the same position given by the former Education Minister - I presume he meant Dr Tony Tan and also the current Education Minister, RAdm Teo Chee Hean - that it does not serve us well to have compulsory education. The numbers are small and I think given the thrust that we have in Singapore, very few parents would opt out. And even if they do opt out, they do go to an alternative system. At the end of the day, there is no reason for us to have an administrative mechanism to ensure that the 2,900 students receive compulsory education. As the Minister said, what are you going to do? Are you going to arrest the parents because they do not send their kids to school? We have to better utilise our resources to serve the greater good. RAdm Teo Chee Hean, in one of his many e-mails to the Singapore 21 Committee members, referred to us as his co-conspirators. I am one of the co-conspirators. It was a conspiracy but of a very different kind from those which we have lately heard of in the papers. It was an openly held and transparent conspiracy which everyone in Singapore was involved. And I think for many, it was a liberating process which allowed them to discuss and think about how our nation will develop and evolve. Many heeded the call of our Prime Minister to search for, and develop, the "heartware" of the nation because how our nation grapples with its own challenges, constraints, and strengths mattered to them. Allow me first to thank the many Singaporeans that my co-chair, Mr Chan Soo Sen and I met in the many focus group discussions for their candid views and suggestions. We spent many nights listening to stories and suggestions. Some stories were poignant.”
“Sir, we are aware of the congestion taking place at the Boon Lay Bus Interchange and MRT station area. I am sure Mr Ravindran is familiar with what is happening in the area. I would not go into the details. But we have taken some measures to improve accessibility to the area. LTA has constructed an extension to Boon Lay Way from the cul-de-sac (Boon Lay MRT station) to the west to connect with Pioneer Road North and Upper Jurong Road. This extension, in fact, will be opened tomorrow, Friday, 16th April 1999. When it is opened, it will allow traffic to directly access the Boon Lay Bus Interchange and MRT station area from the west. The bus operators are also looking into how the bus services to the bus interchange could be better routed to run along the newly completed road to further reduce congestion along the existing stretch of Boon Lay Way. REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST 19. Mr Shriniwas Rai asked the Minister for National Development whether the Government will allow real estate investment trust in Singapore.”
“Sir, when new housing estates are being developed, LTA and the bus companies will work with the HDB to study the public transport needs of these new estates and draw up a conceptual bus plan for the town. The bus services are introduced in tandem with the growth and development of the housing estates. LTA and the bus companies monitor the usage of the bus services to ensure that they are adequate to meet the transport needs of the residents. In the case of Jurong West Extension housing estate, SBS has worked out a conceptual bus plan to serve the estate. Its immediate plan is to amend its Service 243 to a dual service loop to serve the residents along Jurong West Street 62, as Street 62 is a new road that was recently completed. As the town develops and demand for services grows, SBS will improve the bus services.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in 1995, when Temasek Polytechnic shifted to its present campus at Tampines, SBS introduced new bus services and improved the existing ones to serve the polytechnic. Since then, SBS has beefed up these services to cater to the growing student demand. Today, there are four bus services (SBS 8, 15, 23 and 69) with a total of 67 buses serving the polytechnic. These services provide easy access to nearby Bedok and Tampines MRT stations, and to major roads such as Eunos Link, Paya Lebar Road and Bendemeer Road where transfers are readily available. In addition, Townlink Service 291 which serves Tampines is available at Tampines Street 81 which is within walking distance of the Polytechnic. LTA has asked SBS to monitor the demand for bus services by Temasek Polytechnic students and to increase the number of buses where necessary. JURONG WEST EXTENSION HDB ESTATE (Study of public transport needs) 18. Mr R. Ravindran asked the Minister for Communications whether the Land Transport Authority has undertaken a comprehensive study of the public transport needs for Jurong West Extension Housing and Development Board Estate and, if so, what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations of such study.”
“To ensure that Medisave is not prematurely depleted, it is important that we extend Medisave coverage only to treatments that are proven, cost-effective and are expensive in terms of the patient's out-of-pocket payments. My Ministry is looking into the possibility of extending Medisave coverage to mammograms. In considering this, my Ministry will bear in mind that charges for mammogram range between $100 and $170 and that screening by mammography is an important measure for the early detection of breast cancer, which in turn contributes to improved survival and well being of the patient.”
“We are working hand in hand with relevant organisations like the Singapore Cancer Society, the Breast Cancer Foundation, the National Cancer Centre and hospitals, on further expanding our programmes to control breast cancer. These programmes include health education, promotion of regular screening for the early detection of breast cancer and updated treatment modalities aimed at improving the survival and well-being of breast cancer patients. Over the last 10 years, my Ministry has held two large National Cancer Education Programmes, in addition to the on-going public education to reach out to the target population. During the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, jointly launched in October last year by my Ministry, the Singapore Cancer Society and the Breast Cancer Foundation, several innovative and interesting programmes were used to highlight the importance of breast cancer and of regular screening. My Ministry plans to organise this Breast Cancer Awareness Month as an annual event. Last year, MOH also set up a Breast Cancer Workgroup involving leading authorities in breast cancer control from both the public and private sectors. This is part of the MOH Committee on Women's Health, which is chaired by myself. This Workgroup is tasked to recommend measures to further improve the control of breast cancer in Singapore and to improve acceptance of programmes for early detection and improved cure of breast cancer, by women in Singapore. Medisave is designed to help patients pay for acute hospitalisation expenses. Exceptions have been made for certain expensive outpatient treatments, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy for cancer, and renal dialysis.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Bus Lane Enforcement Camera System (Buscam) was first introduced on two bus services (Service Nos. 51 and 97) in April 1997 to discourage motorists from encroaching into dedicated bus lanes during the peak hours. In February 1999, Buscam was extended to cover 10 bus services (eight SBS services Nos. 7, 8, 51, 67, 81, 93, 97 and 147, and two TIBS services Nos. 854 and 855). Currently, LTA processes about 950 violations each month, or about 4 violations per service per day. Buscam has been effective in assisting scheduled buses to travel more smoothly in the bus lanes during peak hours. According to the bus operators, buses have been able to improve on their schedule adherence and bus journey time. LTA, however, will continue to monitor the effectiveness of Buscam with the bus operators and extend the system to more bus services as and when necessary. mammograms) SCREENING FOR BREAST CANCER (Use of Medisave to pay for mammograms) 16. Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon asked the Minister for Health what measures are being taken to educate women on the importance of regular screening for breast cancer; and whether he will consider allowing women to use their Medisave to pay for mammograms. The Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Aline K. Wong) (for the Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry recognises that breast cancer has been increasing steadily and is now the commonest cancer among women in Singapore. Our polyclinics have run Well Women Clinics for over 10 years which include screening for breast cancer and health education on the disease.”
“Sir, on the whole, we have been fair to all users of the ERP. As and when they have committed an offence, LTA has exercised a lot of flexibility in their appeals. In fact, just to add to the numbers that I have mentioned earlier, out of the 6,000-odd motorcyclists who committed ERP offences, about 1,500 appealed and 725 were actually successful in their appeals. MAINTENANCE OF PARENTS TRIBUNAL (Number of cases) 9. Mr Shriniwas Rai asked the Minister for Community Development if he will state the number of cases dealt by the Maintenance of Parents Tribunal.”
“Sir, I am sure that if there is such a unit in the market, we will consider it seriously. But the best way to prevent theft is actually to remove the card after it has been used.”
“Sir, from November 1998 to January 1999, out of a population of 132,385 motorcyclists, only 6,740 have committed ERP offences.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, concessionary travel for senior citizens is granted by the public transport operators to help senior citizens defray some of their transport cost. This concession is for travel during off-peak hours, buses and trains are usually crowded at peak hours, which makes travel for senior citizens more difficult. Any decision to change or extend the concession as suggested by the Member is a matter for the operators to make. They will need to study the implications of the request carefully. This is because the cost of such concessions is borne by other passengers who pay the full fare. COMMITTEE ON SINGAPORE'S COMPETITIVENESS (Motion) Order read for Resumption of Debate on Question [23rd November, 1998], "That this House endorses the strategies and policies set out in the Report of the Committee on Singapore's Competitiveness, contained in Paper Misc. 3 of 1998, as the basis for strengthening Singapore's competitiveness.". - [Minister for Trade and Industry]. Question again proposed. 1.30 pm”
“Sir, I do not have the exact answer. If the Member is interested, he could file a Question and I will answer at the next sitting. CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND ELECTRONIC ROAD PRICING CHARGES (Payment by taxis) 4. Mr J. B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Communications whether the policy of requiring taxis to pay Central Business District and Electronic Road Pricing charges defeats the Government's purpose for introducing such charges. The Minister of State for Communications (Dr John Chen Seow Phun) (for the Minister for Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, the primary objective of the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system is to bring about smooth traffic flow. With ERP, motorists are charged for their use of congested roads. This will make the cost of travelling more evident and encourage drivers to consciously plan their trips and consider alternative modes and times of travel. This is the rationale for the ERP system. This way, we can keep the crucial arterial roads and expressways relatively smooth flowing. For road pricing to work, it must apply to all vehicles in order to be fair and effective and to keep road pricing charges to the minimum. Taxi drivers and commuters would then decide on the best route to take, as well as the basis of cost-sharing for road pricing, in order to enjoy the benefit of faster travel on the roads. To help taxis and commercial vehicles, I would like to inform the Member that the ERP charges are phased over three to four years.”
“Sir, the system that we have in place is extremely reliable. Any errors that have occurred during the test run have already been rectified. Nonetheless, we will be very vigilant to prevent any mishap that could happen, be it human or otherwise, and we will continue with our vigilance, as we do daily in Singapore.”
“As I have said earlier, Sir, it is possible to download, but we do not do that except for those who have violated the ERP.”
“Sir, as I have said earlier, we only retain the data for a maximum of 24 hours to allow us to settle the transaction with NETS. After that the data is deleted.”
“Sir, every in-vehicle unit (IU) has its own unit identity code which is indexed to the registration number of the vehicle. So when a vehicle with an IU passes under the ERP gantry, this unit identity code will form part of the normal ERP transaction. Usually, we will keep this ERP data for only 24 hours in order to allow LTA to settle with NETS. For that particular instance, we downloaded and retained the data for the express purpose of identifying the affected motorists so that the $10 CashCards could be sent to them.”
“Sir, we have conducted an internal inquiry into this incident and we have found that the party responsible is the ERP contractor and, as such, we would be claiming all costs incurred due to the incident from this ERP contractor. This would include the cost of the CashCard that we have sent out. Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, how did the LTA know who are the motorists who are overcharged and how were the CashCards sent to them? Were they sent to them or they came to collect them?”
“Sir, on the morning of that particular day, we deducted between 50 cents and $3 accidentally from 1,562 motorists. We could have chosen to refund the exact amount. However, as a gesture of goodwill and to compensate for the inconvenience and the confusion caused, we have decided to give each of them a $10 CashCard.”
“It will give the opportunity to the wider Muslim community to express their concerns. It will also just as importantly give us the chance to hear views outside this House. In dealing with such a Bill which will affect the religious life of the Muslim community in Singapore, let us take every step possible to ensure that the concerns of the minority community, of which I am a member, are addressed completely. Ultimately, I believe this Bill is about the identity and self-confidence of a community within the context of a larger Singaporean society. How that community, my community, sees itself is important to all of us here today and outside this House. If my community feels that its private space, its ability to practise its own religious beliefs, is at risk, then the common ground that we share, as Singaporeans, can be diminished. However, if my community feels secure in the belief that it can be both Muslim and Singaporean, then we would have all served the interest of the community and nation wisely. Thank you.”
“This amendment establishes a stronger linkage between the Syariah Court and the broader legal system in Singapore. Under it, the Syariah Court can more easily and fully tap the expertise and resources of our legal system. But, Sir, could we not find ways to make the link stronger? With a stronger link, for example, the training and the professional career track opportunities of the Syariah Court judges could more closely mirror those of the judges and legal staff within the broader legal system. The sharing of resources would be more complete and comprehensive and could include the location of the Syariah Court within the same legal complex as the Family and other Civil Courts. Sir, I believe this amendment in its net effect is beneficial to the Muslim community. Some have criticised the amendment, arguing for the creation of a separate Syariah Court system unto itself. Creating an entirely separate system would not only demand very large financial outlays but substantial commitments in training and recruitment. Much of these outlays would merely go into duplicating services and competencies already available in the larger legal community. Creating such a system would also require time. One needs to ask whether such outlays and commitments are the best use of our limited resources. The present amendment, by taking an approach which taps into existing resources, eliminates this resource allocation issue. It does, however, raise concerns about the dilution of Islamic law in Singapore. As I mentioned earlier, safeguards are needed to address these concerns. Sir, I support this amendment. The original AMLA Bill in 1966 was sent to a Select Committee. I am glad that the Minister has decided to send this amendment to a Select Committee.”
“Could we not consider outlining some conditions under which leave could be granted or otherwise? While I am confident that the Syariah Court judges would decide such applications wisely, I am sure that a transparent process would reassure the community that leave will not be granted solely in the interest of bureaucratic expediency and not on the merits of the case. Sir, this amendment also makes the Muslim couple responsible for deciding which system they want their case to be heard in. I believe this is a very good approach. Divorcing couples must be made aware of the repercussions of divorce, especially on the children. The amendment would allow the divorcing couple to decide which legal avenue would most effectively serve their personal and children's interest. But measures must be taken to ensure that the Syariah Court's role in divorce proceedings is not undermined by our ever growing hunger for expedient quick fixes. Sir, the Syariah Court is a very unique institution. The lawyers who appear before the judge are trained in civil law and not in Islamic law. The judge, however, is trained in Islamic law. This anomaly perhaps reflects our position as a minority Muslim community within a larger multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural society where the law of the land is not based on any religion. Hence, Sir, in reflecting upon the impact this amendment will have on the Syariah Court, I have thought more broadly about the position the Syariah Court has within the context of the larger legal system in Singapore. The Syariah Court plays a special role. It occupies an institutional niche, dealing as it does with Muslim personal matters - a substantive area which other courts do not have the professional competency to operate in.”
“If the couple has a young child, it is very likely that the Syariah Court would grant custody to the Muslim wife. But what happens if the non-Muslim husband makes a better parent? What happens if the Muslim party is a drug addict? In such a case, the Civil Court would most likely give custody to the responsible parent. Of course, when the Syariah Court grants custody to the Muslim parent, I believe it takes the view that the raising of the children according to Islam is to be done by the family and community and not only by the parent. The Minister has given us the assurance that the religion of the children will be considered by the Civil Court. Perhaps the public is looking for further guarantees. In Islam, conduct is an important criterion in determining custody. A bad wife, as an example, is unlikely to gain custody of the child. In the civil system, conduct is quite immaterial. An adulterous wife may be given custody of the child. Hence, this is another instance where you may get a different ruling from the Civil and Syariah Courts. In view of these differences, great pains will need to be taken to address the concerns recently raised about the dilution of Islamic law under the amendment. In particular, we need to examine carefully whether the amendment provides for an adequate gate-keeping mechanism to prevent such differing outcomes. Requiring a couple that disagrees on proceeding to the Civil Court to apply for leave from the Syariah Court can, in fact, work to ensure that problematic cases are dealt with appropriately in the Syariah Court. But this raises another concern. While I believe that it is good to give powers to the Syariah Court to decide on leave applications, it is important that we make this process transparent.”