Yeo Cheow Tong
Singapore
“Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Health in light of the recent report on fungal corneal infections (a) whether those who contracted the contact lens related fungal corneal infections will suffer permanent damage to their eyes; and (b) how long will his Ministry take to conclude its investigations into the causes of these contact le…”
“My Ministry performs a regulatory role and what we do is that we try to ensure that we have a conducive regulatory environment for the growth of this industry in Singapore. Let me tell him what we are doing in some areas.”
“Sir, on her two questions, whether we are satisfied that the school buses are collecting fares during the school holidays, as I mentioned just now, the school bus service is a contractual service between the parents and the service provider. It is therefore up to them to work out the terms and to abide by the terms.”
“Sir, on the first question, whether there is any abuse by owners of buses while using the 50% rebate, the answer is no, because LTA monitors very closely.”
“Sir, I have to repeat my answer. We are not responsible for regulating school buses and therefore will not be involved. SCHOOL BUSES (Installation of seat belts) 5. Assoc. Prof.”
“Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) if his Ministry will increase the cap of $10,000 per disabled person over their lifetime for the Assistive Technology Fund scheme; and (b) if not, whether there will be a flexibility to adjust the funding cap for this scheme based on the applicant's need, as j…”
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“Sir, the oil spill took place in Singapore waters and therefore we were obligated to undertake those investigations and enforcement actions. In the case of the fires, they took place in Indonesian territory and we have no resources and capabilities to go into Indonesia to investigate, firstly, who started the fires; and, secondly, the ownership of those companies that were involved in those fires. I think it is best that we leave it to the Indonesian government to undertake those investigations and to prosecute those companies. We are, in fact, monitoring the efforts at prosecuting those companies.”
“Sir, these companies are operating in Indonesia, be it wholly-owned Indonesian companies or Indonesian companies that are in partnership with nationals from other countries. And they must comply with the laws of Indonesia. Therefore, if they break any Indonesian laws, it must be up to the Indonesian government and authorities to take the legal action.”
“The investigation of such activities must necessarily be done by the Indonesian authorities, and we have requested our counterparts to keep us updated on the progress of their investigations.”
“I will definitely consider Mr Tay's suggestion. HAZE POLLUTION (Involvement of Singaporean companies) 6. Mr Simon S C Tay asked the Minister for the Environment if there are any Singaporean companies involved with activities causing or contributing to the haze pollution, directly or through subsidiaries and partnerships. Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, we have not received any official confirmation of Singaporean companies being involved in activities causing or contributing to the forest fires in Indonesia. I understand that the Indonesian authorities are investigating some Indonesian companies for their involvement and we would have to await further word from them. Local companies doing business overseas, be it directly or through subsidiaries or partnerships, must comply with the laws of the countries that they operate in. They will have to face the penalties of the countries they operate in for breaking any local laws.”
“We will support the other ASEAN countries in their implementation of the plan in areas where we have the technical expertise. During the last haze period, we had helped by sending teams of experts with high-tech equipment to the Haze Command Centre in Jakarta. We will continue to do so if requested in the future. We will have a clearer picture of what total support is needed from Singapore and what this will translate into in monetary terms when detailed discussions on the action plan are completed in April.”
“Sir, the ASEAN Regional Haze Action Plan sets out the cooperative measures needed among ASEAN member countries to address the problem of smoke haze. While it may not be legally binding, the plan specifies the national and regional efforts needed in each member country to prevent the recurrence of smoke haze due to land and forest fires. The plan was developed by the ASEAN Haze Technical Task Force chaired by Indonesia and unanimously adopted during the ASEAN Environment Ministers' Meeting on 23rd December 1997. There are no mechanisms under the plan for any member country to ensure that the other member countries fulfil their obligations. However, the lead countries in the plan are the countries that were badly affected by the smoke haze last year. They therefore have a vested interest to make their best efforts in preventing the recurrence of the problem. The Task Force would be meeting regularly to coordinate the implementation of the plan. Under the action plan, Singapore's role is to spearhead efforts to strengthen the region's early warning and monitoring capabilities. To this end, the Government would provide the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) based in Singapore with the necessary manpower and technical expertise for it to fulfill its role and functions under the plan. We will install an Intranet system in the Centre at a cost of about $300,000 to enable ASEAN countries to expeditiously share meteorological forecasts and satellite monitoring information. We will also be hosting a regional workshop in Singapore next month where meteorological experts in ASEAN can discuss weather forecasts for this year and compare forecasting techniques with international experts.”
“What is being proposed in this Bill is not a new way of determining death, but a legislative definition of death for all purposes which formalises what is the currently accepted medical practice. Even so, I propose to refer this Bill to a Select Committee to ensure that an opportunity be given for members of the public to express their views. Sir, I beg to move. Bill accordingly read a Second time. Resolved, That the Bill be committed to a Select Committee consisting of Mr Speaker as Chairman and seven Members to be nominated by the Committee of Selection. - [Mr Yeo Cheow Tong]. PLANNING BILL Order for Second Reading read. 2.15 pm”
“It will also not prevent the certification or determination of death in a case where the body of a person is not found or recovered. Consequential Amendments Sir, by having a definition of death for all purposes incorporated in the Interpretation Act, it will no longer be necessary to define death in any other legislation. The Bill proposes that the relevant section and subsection in HOTA will be repealed and deleted respectively. A minor change will be made to the Medical Therapy Act to ensure consistency with the Interpretation Act where determination of death is concerned. Conclusion Sir, doctors have been certifying death since time immemorial. The traditional common law definition of death is the cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions or cardiac death. We have had a decade of experience with the brain death definition since HOTA was implemented. The concept of brain death has gained general public acceptance. We should no longer limit the use of the brain death criteria as a definition of death just to organ donors under HOTA. The law must allow the doctors to certify death when a person's brain has ceased functioning totally and irreversibly, even though the heart is kept beating through artificial means. This will redress an anomalous situation created by medical science. When the Bill is passed it would allow for either brain death criteria or cardiac death criteria to be applied for all deaths including organ donors under HOTA and the Medical Therapy Act. Sir, death is mentioned more than 1,200 times in the Singapore statutes, and yet it is only defined in HOTA.”
“Additional Provisions in an Organ Donation Situation There are additional provisions in the Interpretation Act where death is to be certified in a potential organ donor. This is to assure the family and the community that there are adequate safeguards to prevent untimely removal of the donor's organ. For deaths which result in the removal of organs for transplant purposes, two medical practitioners are required to certify the death in a prescribed form. The two doctors certifying cardiac or brain death should not have been involved in the care of the donor and in the selection of the proposed recipient. They should also not participate in the harvesting and transplant operations and after-care of the recipient. These requirements have been included to ensure independence of the determination of death and to guard against any conflict of interests. Circumstances where Certification of Death would not be Possible There are certain circumstances where it may not be possible to produce the corpse as physical evidence that a person has died. One example would be if a ship were to sink in such a manner as to make recovery of the bodies of the trapped crew not possible. These special circumstances have been addressed under existing laws. In order to avoid doubt, it is made clear that the new section 2A shall not affect the operation of section 110 of the Evidence Act which addresses the burden of proving that a person is alive who has not been heard of for seven years. It shall also not affect section 100 of the Women's Charter which addresses proceedings for decree nisi on presumption of death and divorce or any other written law relating to the presumption of death.”
“Criteria for Determining Death To provide for the criteria for determining death for all purposes, clause 2 inserts a new section 2A which states that a person has died when there has occurred either: (a) irreversible cessation of circulation of blood and respiration in the body of a person (referred hereinafter as "cardiac death"); or (b) total and irreversible cessation of all functions of the brain of a person (referred hereinafter as "brain death"). In about 95% of all cases, cardiac death precedes brain death and can be readily diagnosed without elaborate tests. As this is the simple means of certifying death, there is no need for a set of criteria to be prescribed by law. Only one doctor is necessary to certify cardiac death except where an organ is to be removed. The determination of brain death on the other hand will be in accordance with the clinical criteria as prescribed in the regulations under the new section 2A. These criteria for the determination of brain death will be the same as those currently prescribed in the HOTA Regulations. These criteria are a refinement of the diagnostic criteria for establishing death which were unanimously adopted by the Royal Colleges and Faculties of the United Kingdom in 1976. Because of the many criteria required for determining brain death and to ensure absolute certainty, all cases of brain death have to be certified in the prescribed form by two medical practitioners who possess prescribed postgraduate medical qualifications. Also, one of the two certifying doctors must not have been involved in the care or treatment of the person certified to be brain dead.”
“The brain death criteria as defined in HOTA have been applied for the past 10 years in Singapore and have gained public acceptance. It is therefore timely to legislate a definition of the criterion of death that would be applicable for all deaths. The main objective of this Bill is to provide a legal definition of death that would allow doctors to use either the cardiac death criteria or brain death criteria to determine when death occurs under any circumstances. This would allow for the determination of death to be made in a consistent fashion. Let me briefly explain why there is a need to define precisely the time of death. Firstly, techniques have been developed for the prolonged maintenance of circulation, ventilation, alimentation, and excretion of the human body by artificial means. This makes possible the creation of a situation in which the bodily functions continue to operate while the brain is dead, and the person is for all purposes "dead". Secondly, the increasing use of organs, such as kidney, liver and heart, for transplantation, requires an accurate and timely determination of when the donor has died so that the organs may be removed. In addition, numerous other legal and social considerations require a precise and definite decision that death has occurred. For example, the family of a brain dead person can be spared unnecessary anguish and financial burden if brain death is determined and the patient certified as legally dead. Mr Speaker, Sir, I shall now highlight the major new provisions that are being introduced in this Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." This Bill seeks to amend the Interpretation Act (Chapter 1 of the 1997 Revised Edition) to provide criteria for determining when death occurs, and to make consequential amendments to the Human Organ Transplant Act (Chapter 131A of the 1988 Revised Edition) and the Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (Chapter 175 of the 1985 Revised Edition). Sir, traditionally, death is considered to have taken place when a person's heart beat and respiration cease. This is termed by the medical profession as "cardiac death". However, this concept of death can no longer be applied in every case nowadays because of advances in medical treatment and technology. In particular, resuscitative and life supportive technology has enabled a patient's heart beat and respiration to be maintained indefinitely, even when there is not the remotest possibility of the patient's brain ever functioning again. The result is a warm corpse with a beating heart. For the last two to three decades, "brain death" has been accepted by the medical fraternity worldwide as a more precise determinant of death. The common law has accepted the concept of brain death. There is, however, no certainty in the common law on the criteria and tests to be applied before brain death can be certified. Therefore, when the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) was enacted in 1987, death was defined according to the brain death criteria in the Act. HOTA is currently the only legislation in Singapore which contains a definition of death. HOTA, however, has a limited scope of application. It is only applicable to non-Muslim Singaporeans, 21 to 60 years old, who had not objected to kidney donation and who died as a result of an accident.”
“Mr Inderjit Singh asked the Minister for Finance if he will elaborate (i) how CAM International got through the supposedly stringent SES listing criteria; (ii) what were the issues that led to the suspension of trading of CAM International shares in the stock market; and (iii) what will his Ministry do to avoid similar companies from getting listed so that small investors will be better protected.”
“Improvements in facilities and services in AH Alexandra Hospital is an acute hospital where the range of specialties such as general medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, is comparable to some of the restructured hospitals. Over the past few years, new medical equipment and facilities have been provided in the hospital. For example, a new X-ray department has replaced the old, and last year, a new hi-speed CT scan was introduced . As a government hospital, more than 80% of the beds in AH are subsidised beds and these have been completely refurbished since 1995. With AH currently under the management of NUS, patients have access not only to the expertise of AH's in-house doctors and nurses, but also to NUS doctors. AH has also developed expertise in the area of geriatric medicine. The Alexandra Geriatric Centre was set up in 1994 and comprises an inpatient geriatric ward, Specialist Outpatient Clinics and a Day Hospital. New Facilities coming up For continuous service improvement, my Ministry has embarked on renovation works at AH at a total cost of $15 million under Phase IV of our renovation plans which is in addition to the $16 million we have already expended under the first three phases. These works will commence shortly. The outpatient clinics, A&E services and rehabilitation services will be upgraded and the public can expect better service delivery and physical environment at AH when the renovations are completed by end of 1999. CAM INTERNATIONAL 54.”
“Since 1994, SGH and TTSH have been operating walk-in clinics that are open from 8 am until 11 pm. This means that these walk-in clinics operate only 2 hours longer than most GP clinics. Between 1994 and the end of 1996, the total number of emergency cases in SGH increased from 138,100 in 1994, to 161,900 in 1996. This is an increase of 17% over the 2 years. However, the number of non-emergency cases jumped from 27,600 in 1994, to 63,500 in 1996, an increase of 130%. For TTSH, the emergency cases increased by 12% between 1994 and 1996, while the number of non-emergency cases jumped by 76%. It would appear that the walk-in clinics may be giving the public the wrong impression about the role of the A&E departments in SGH and TTSH. Some people may be using the A&E as a convenient screening service, knowing that if considered non-emergencies, they can still seek treatment at the nearby walk-in clinics. However, by using the A&E as a screening service, they unnecessarily increase the workload of the already hard-pressed A&E staff, and worse, delay treatment for the emergency and more deserving cases. In view of the experience with the existing walk-in clinics, the other acute hospitals have no plans to set up similar clinics. RETIREMENT OF POLICE OFFICER 50. Mr J B Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Home Affairs if he will state under what circumstances the former Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Ong Seng Chye was retired from the Force and the terms of the retirement.”
“One indicator is the increasing number of parents who bring their children for psychiatric consultation as new consultations have increased significantly from 1,500 in 1993 to 2,358 in 1996. I would like to assure Members that my Ministry will continue to promote lifestyles for good mental health and provide quality mental health care for our people under the National Mental Health Programme. UPGRADING OF COMMON AREAS IN PRIVATE CONDOMINIUMS 30. Mr Lew Syn Pau asked the Minister for National Development whether he will consider making it easier for major upgrading of common areas in private condominiums to be effected.”
“Woodbridge Hospital has also intensified its ongoing medical education programme for doctors, nurses and other support workers. v) Public Mental Health Education Programme Ministry of Health has launched an annual Mental Health Education Programme to: encourage adoption of lifestyles that will promote good mental health; encourage the public to seek treatment early; and educate the public about the common mental illnesses and the services available for treatment. In addition to on-going programmes throughout the year, the Ministry organises an annual Mental Health Week to promote good mental health through activities such as public forums, exhibitions and seminars for special groups, including principals, teachers and personnel managers, symposia for doctors and nurses, feature articles for radio, TV and newspapers. Pamphlets are produced and distributed to reinforce the mental health messages. vi) Epidemiological and Clinical Research A Clinical Research Division is being set up at Woodbridge Hospital. $2.8 million has been allocated for clinical research in mental health over the next 3 years. vii) Closer Working Relationship with Voluntary Welfare Organisations Woodbridge Hospital continues to work closely with Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) such as the Singapore Association of Mental Health, the Anglican Welfare Council and the New Horizon Centre. Psychiatrists from the hospital train and act as part-time consultants to these VWOs. Some even sit on the boards of the VWOs which provide residential care, outpatient counselling and day centre rehabilitation to complement the public mental health services. There is now a greater awareness of mental health amongst Singaporeans.”
“The Mental Health Education Programme has made good progress in the seven areas identified at the launch in February 1993. The achievements since then are: i) Convenient community mental health clinics Apart from the main outpatient clinics at Woodbridge Hospital, the Ministry of Health has established 5 adult psychiatric outpatient clinics and 4 child guidance clinics in HDB estates to provide mental health services closer to where Singaporeans live. ii) Modern hospital inpatient service The new Woodbridge Hospital, opened in October 1993, provides up-to-date facilities for patient treatment and rehabilitation. It also has clinical sub-specialities in Geriatric Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. iii) Rehabilitative and Home follow-up programme Woodbridge Hospital has stepped up its patient rehabilitation programme. More patients are being discharged to the 4 Day Centres for follow-up rehabilitation and to prepare for their gradual assimilation into the community. To complement this effort, the hospital has also expanded its community psychiatric nursing service, which provides trained nurses for home visits to review the progress of patients and to give advice and support to those caring for them. Support groups for the family members on patient care activities have also been formed. iv) Expanded training programme for psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and Continuing Education for doctors and nurses More psychiatrists and clinical psychologists are being trained. The number of psychiatrists has increased from 65 in 1992 to 88 in 1997, and clinical psychologists from 8 in 1992 to 13 today.”
“As our blood transfusion service rely on voluntary blood donation from the public, we have to maintain a fine balance between imposing criteria on blood donors that are overly inquisitorial, and having an adequate supply of blood in our national blood bank to save lives. DAMAGE CAUSED BY COLLISION OF TANKERS 27. Mr Cyrille Tan asked the Minister for Communications (a) if he will give an assessment on the amount of ecological damage caused by the collision of the tankers off the coast of Singapore; (b) what is the long-term ecological impact on the wildlife concerned; and (c) how much it cost in cleaning up the oil spill.”
“Until technological advancements can detect HIV infected blood during the "window period" of two to three weeks, we need to rely on other means to ensure that our national blood supply is safe. The most important are continually educating the public on blood donation, and encouraging those who do not engage in high risk behaviour to come forward to donate blood and help save lives, and ensuring that we have effective screening procedures for blood donors at the blood donation centres. The Ministry has reviewed the process for screening blood donors and will be taking measures to further strengthen public and donor education. The aim of such education is to raise public awareness on AIDS and other infectious diseases which are transmissible by blood transfusion. Persons with high risk of exposure to infectious diseases, including AIDS, must not donate blood, and we must strongly discourage them from doing so. The Ministry will also embark on a programme to train our counsellors at the Blood Transfusion Service to improve their effectiveness in interviewing potential donors. They need to be discreet, yet effective, in conveying the message to intending donors that they have to withdraw from the blood donation session if they are in the high risk group. My ministry will also be improving the blood donor questionaire to enable donors to withdraw discreetly, and without embarrassment, at the end of the interview. The Ministry is very appreciative of the selflessness and civic-mindedness of the very large number of regular donors who take time to donate their blood at the BTS.”
“The incident of the two blood transfusion recipients contracting the HIV virus has indeed raised public concern over the safety of our blood transfusion service. To address these concerns and to assure the public of the safety of our blood service, my Ministry has explained several times through the mass media our comprehensive blood collection procedures and the safeguards that have been put in place. We have presented the relevant facts to the general public in a concise and easy-to-understand manner to avoid undue alarm and to maintain confidence in our blood transfusion service. At the hospital level, our doctors are also re-assuring patients needing surgical operations that the blood transfusion, should they need one, is safe. The Singapore Blood Transfusion Service (SBTS) has continually introduced new measures to improve the safety of our national blood supply as and when these are available and approved for use in the developed countries. The safety standards of our blood collection system are comparable to those used in developed countries including USA, UK and Australia. Besides adopting stringent procedures to screen blood donors, state-of-the-art methods of laboratory testing are being used to test donated blood at the SBTS. In addition, an independent external agency from Australia carries out annual audits of SBTS' blood collection and processing procedures. However, due to the limitations in currently available technology, there is an inherent risk, one that is extremely low, of contracting HIV through blood transfusion. All blood transfusion services in the world face these limitations.”
“The Indonesian State Ministry for the Environment has, in fact, been providing weekly situation updates on efforts to control land and forest fires since the beginning of October 1997. The problem has not been providing information, but implementing effective measures against the fires. As stated several times by the Indonesian State Minister for the Environment, the Indonesian authorities face problems enforcing the laws against the use of fire by big plantation owners to clear plantation land. And once the fires take hold and rage over a large area, they are very difficult to put out. The problem has also been exacerbated by the drought brought on by the El Nino phenomenon. STEPS TO ASSIST/PREVENT FOREIGN WORKERS STRANDED IN SINGAPORE 18. Mr Shriniwas Rai asked the Minister for Labour what steps the Government is taking to assist and prevent foreign workers from being stranded in Singapore by the premature termination of their services.”
“And I can assure Mr Tay that if we do in the future, we will ensure that these agreements comply totally with the requirements of the Basel Convention. His last point is that with the passing of this Bill, it is likely that there will be a greater tendency to treat wastes locally, since now a company that intends to export it to another country may face problems with the requirements of the Bill. Sir, as I have explained earlier, we already have very tight controls on import and export of hazardous wastes and therefore having this Bill will in no way change the situation. In any case, our requirements are that any wastes which are to be treated locally have to be treated in such a way that the outcome of the treatment poses no threat to human health and the environment and we will continue to monitor the technology for treatment and ensure that the most appropriate technology will be applied in Singapore. He has also asked that we harmonise penalties under the existing Environmental Health Protection Act and this Bill. Sir, they are focusing on two different areas but I take the point that the existing penalties in many ways are inadequate and we will definitely be reviewing them and harmonising them. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Yeo Cheow Tong]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. RECLAMATION (PULAU MERLIMAU)”
“Sir, that again is already available today under the existing Regulations and we will promulgate such regulations under this new Bill. He has commended the Ministry for having consulted with the industry. I thank him for that. He has also asked whether existing companies would be required to alter their operations or processes arising from the passing of this Bill and how would this impact on new investors. Sir, the passing of this Bill will have no impact because under the existing Regulations, we only regulate investors and operations that are already here, ie, the existing operations all comply with our very strict environmental requirements and therefore they comply with the Bill. Similarly, for new investors, we will process their applications in the same way that we are processing them now and we will apply our existing very tight requirements on them too. His third area was that he hopes that there will be clarity for applicants and that the application process will be simple, transparent and even-handed. Sir, that indeed is already so currently, and it will continue to be so in the future. He has also asked about the Australian regulation, section 17, which he has read out, that the Australian Minister must grant permit if all the conditions are complied with. In Singapore, the permit will be granted and issued by the Director of Hazardous Waste, and the Director will definitely grant the permit if all the conditions, as stipulated under the Basel Convention, are complied with. His fourth point was on Article 11 which relates to bilateral, multilateral or regional agreements with non-Parties to the Convention. Sir, Singapore does not at the moment have any bilateral, multilateral or regional agreements with non-Parties.”
“Mr Simon Tay has also supported the Bill and he has asked quite a few questions. Let me deal with them one by one. He has asked questions on five broad areas. The first is his observation that many of the key requirements in the Basel Convention are not actually covered specifically in the Bill. Sir, the Bill is a broad format which gives us the framework to promulgate the specific regulations which will allow us to comply with each of those regulations in the Convention. So let me take him through. The Prior Informed Consent, that will also be included in the Regulations. In fact, as I mentioned in my Second Reading speech, we already have this practice today. We already require companies which have to bring in hazardous wastes or export hazardous wastes to either furnish the Prior Informed Consent of the receiving country or where they are bringing in those hazardous wastes into Singapore, we will then give them the Prior Informed Consent, provided we know that those wastes can be treated and disposed of safely in Singapore. So that is already in practice, and this will be continued resulting from this Bill in the Regulations. He has also asked about the prohibition of export to non-Parties, that this is not specifically covered in the Bill. To export to a non-Party, the intending exporter must get a permit from us and this will again be covered in the Regulations. The application for the permit would of course include things like the receiving country, whether it is Basel Convention Party, and whether they have the approval of the receiving country to import those wastes from us. So this would also be covered by Regulations. The other point is the re-import of wastes that have not been properly exported.”
“So in this way we ensure that whilst, as I mentioned just now, about 64,000 tonnes of hazardous wastes were created in Singapore, we have full control over all these wastes and we are able to ensure that they are disposed of in a manner which does not pose any health hazards to human beings as well as to the environment. Sir, Mr Heng has also talked about the punishments which are not adequate. The penalties, as contained in the Bill, are quite hefty compared to what we have in our existing Environmental Public Health Regulations and Act. And I can assure Mr Heng that we will monitor very closely whether these penalties are deterrent enough and, if not, I can assure him that we will be prepared to further enhance these penalties. Prof. Low Seow Chay has asked that since the penalties apply to both the company as well as to individuals involved in the company, whether we will charge both the company and the individuals involved. Sir, this will vary from case to case. If we are able to prove that both the company and the individuals involved are guilty, of course we will bring charges against both the company and the individuals. He has also asked whether the polluter will be required to pay for the cost of clearing the wastes and damage caused because the penalties themselves may not be very significant compared to the damage. Under the Bill, we do have the authority to require the polluter to pay for cleaning up the damage caused by pollution and if the company is not able to do it, we will do it on the company's behalf and we will charge the full cost of the work to the polluter. He has also asked for information about the regulations for controlling ship-borne and radioactive wastes. I have just given that in my answer to Mr Heng.”
“There are other items, of course, which have very short half-lives. We will allow those to be dumped because the half-lives could be in terms of a matter of days and therefore they do not pose any health hazard to Singaporeans if they are dumped. In terms of equipment with hazardous chemicals, similarly, we will require the user, when he imports such equipment, to undertake to have those chemicals disposed of either internally within the company or disposed of through the registered toxic waste collectors. So in this way we ensure that all those equipment that either result in the generation of toxic waste or which require chemicals which are toxic are properly controlled. He has also asked how we register those companies that are generating hazardous wastes. Sir, as part of the duties of the Ministry of the Environment, we require all new industries, before they set up their operations in Singapore, to obtain clearance from the Ministry. And as part of the process of obtaining the clearance, we will require them to furnish to us full details of the chemicals they use in the process, the process itself and the chemicals that are released as a result of their manufacturing processes. In this way, we are able to track both toxic chemicals that have to be used or imported as well as the toxic and hazardous substances that are the result of the processes. We will also require them to let us know how they intend to treat the hazardous materials that are released as a result of their processes. They can either do it in-house or they will have to get the services of one of their licensed toxic collectors who will then dispose of the chemicals for them.”
“First, let me thank the three Members of the House who have spoken in support of the Bill. They have recognised that the Bill is a very important one because it safeguards not just Singapore from hazardous wastes but also safeguards the region from wastes which are transhipped either through Singapore or which originated from Singapore. Sir, Mr Heng Chiang Meng has raised quite a few points. Let me answer them one by one. As he has rightly pointed out, the Bill does not cover hazardous wastes which are related to either ship-borne wastes or radioactive wastes as well as wastes which are contained in instruments which may not have been generated by the user but which are inherent as part of the features of the equipment. Sir, these items are controlled under other legislation. For example, ship-borne wastes are controlled by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships or MARPOL and this comes under MINCOM. Radioactive wastes are governed by the International Atomic Energy Agency and its regulations and conventions. In Singapore, radiation and radioactive products are covered under the Radiation Protection Act, which is under the privy of the Radiation Protection Inspectorate of the Ministry of Health. Let me explain how these items are controlled. In terms of radioactive equipment, all imports of radioactive equipment require permits to be granted or issued by the Radiation Protection Inspectorate. As part of the granting of the permit, for those radioactive substances which have long half-lives, and therefore cannot be dumped, we will require that the country of export is obliged to take back the radioactive wastes that result from the use of this instrument. So we are covered.”
“With the Bill, we will be able to fulfil Singapore's obligations fully under the Basel Convention. My Ministry has actively sought the views and inputs of MTI, MinCom, the Maritime Port Authority, PSA, EDB and TDB as well as the private sector during the preparation of the Bill. All parties have given their general agreement and support to the Bill. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Enforcement Clauses 28 to 34 empower the Director and other authorised officers to take enforcement actions against persons engaging in activities that could be or are in contravention of the provisions of this Act. Regulations Clause 48 empowers the Minister to make regulations on matters under the Act. The maximum penalty prescribed for the regulations shall not exceed a fine of $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both. In the case of a continuing offence, the penalty is a further fine not exceeding $1,000 for every day or part of the day during which the offence continues after conviction. Conclusion Sir, my Ministry has always been conscientious in regulating the generation, movement and disposal of hazardous and other wastes. We have ensured that no hazardous wastes generated in Singapore have been exported to other countries without the consent of the receiving country. We have not allowed our industries to dump their toxic wastes overseas, as we follow very closely such wastes from generation to treatment to disposal. The enactment of this Bill is timely as Singapore enters the next lap of industrialisation. Other countries, particularly those in this region, are also undergoing rapid industrialisation. More and varied hazardous wastes will inevitably be generated from the new industries in Singapore and other countries. This Bill will tighten the control of import, export and transit of hazardous and other wastes. Proper control will minimise, if not prevent, illegal trafficking and indiscriminate dumping of such wastes. This Bill is of particular importance also as Singapore is a major transhipment centre. It will enhance our enforcement powers against unauthorised transhipment of such wastes through Singapore.”
“This is because the Basel Convention is not meant for the control of movements of naval vessels or military aircraft. In line with the Basel Convention, clause 12 exempts any vessel or aircraft belonging to the naval, military or air forces of Singapore or any other country from the provisions of this Act. Act Binds the Government Sir, clause 13 of the Bill binds the Government. In other words, Government departments and statutory boards are not exempted from compliance with the provisions of the Bill. Prohibition of Import, Export and Transit Clauses 25 to 27 of the Bill prohibit the unauthorised import, export and transit of hazardous or other wastes. Any person who imports, exports or transits hazardous or other waste without a Permit shall be guilty of an offence. In the case of an individual, the maximum penalty is $100,000 or an imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both. In the case of a company, the maximum fine is $300,000 and the directors, managers or other similar officers of the company may also be charged in court for the offence. Sir, the stringent penalties are necessary to deter illegal trafficking and dumping of hazardous and other wastes. Liability and Compensation Currently, a Legal Working Group has been set up under the Basel Convention to develop a protocol on liability and compensation to deal with damages arising from the transboundary movements of hazardous or other wastes. The protocol has yet to be completed. Clause 17 enables ENV to make regulations to give effect to the protocol when it is completed and accepted by Singapore. Notwithstanding this, clause 48(d) allows the Minister to make regulations to deal with such incidents and recover costs from the offenders.”
“ENV will issue a Transit Permit to the applicant provided that - (a) the applicant has the proper documents pertaining to the export and import of the wastes from the States of Export and Import; and (b) the wastes can be transported safely through Singapore. Trading of Hazardous and Other Wastes with Non-Party States Article 11 of the Convention allows for a Party to trade hazardous and other wastes with a non-Party provided that both Parties enter into a bilateral agreement or arrangement whose provisions are not less environmentally sound than those provided for by the Convention. Clause 7 provides for Singapore to enter into an agreement or arrangement with a non-Party to trade in hazardous and other wastes. Such agreements or arrangements, if made, shall be published in the Government Gazette. Clause 19 of the Bill allows the Minister to make regulations to give effect to such Article 11 arrangements. Environmentally Sound Management of Hazardous or Other Wastes The Convention requires that Parties treat and dispose of hazardous and other wastes in an environmentally sound manner. This means taking all practical steps to ensure that the waste is managed in a manner that will protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects that may result from such wastes. This requirement is provided for in clause 8 of the Bill. Clause 17 provides for the Minister to make regulations for guidelines and standards for any person who intends to carry out treatment and disposal of hazardous or other wastes in an environmentally sound manner in Singapore. Exemption of Naval Vessel, Military Aircraft, etc. The Convention does not apply to any vessel or aircraft belonging to the naval, military or air forces of Singapore or any other country.”
“Environment will issue an Export Permit to the applicant provided that - (a) the State of Import is a Party to the Convention or has a bilateral agreement to trade hazardous and other wastes with Singapore if the State of Import is not a Party to the Convention, as allowed for in the Convention; (b) there are no suitable treatment and disposal facilities for such wastes in Singapore; (c) a Prior Informed Consent from the Competent Authority of the State of Import as well as the States of Transit, if the wastes are transited through other states, must be obtained; and (d) the wastes can be treated and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner in the State of Import. Similarly, any person who intends to import any hazardous or other wastes into Singapore will need to apply for an Import Permit from my Ministry. ENV will issue an Import Permit to the applicant provided he is able to comply with all the specified conditions. Control of Transit of Hazardous and Other Wastes Sir, under clause 6 of the Bill, transit means to bring hazardous or other wastes into Singapore for the purpose of being carried to a foreign country. Under clause 27, any person who intends to bring such wastes into Singapore for transit to another country will need to apply for a Transit Permit from my Ministry. The requirement will cover the following situations: First, vessels bringing in hazardous and other wastes into and leaving Singapore waters without unloading the wastes. Second, vessels unloading hazardous and other wastes in the port and the wastes are subsequently re-loaded onto another vessel for another country.”
“Such wastes are exported with the prior approval of the environmental authorities of the importing countries. The Environmental Public Health (Toxic Industrial Waste) Regulations were promulgated for the control of hazardous wastes within Singapore. They are consequently limited in scope and intent. This Bill enables us to fulfil our obligations under the Convention. In preparing the Bill, officials from my Ministry and the Attorney-General's Chambers studied the legislation of developed countries, like Australia, and adopted or adapted provisions which were relevant and appropriate. This Bill will provide a legal framework for the control of hazardous wastes and regulate the transboundary movements of such wastes through Singapore. The Bill also sets out the requirements and procedures for the export and import of hazardous wastes with non-Parties of the Convention. It will act as a deterrent against illegal trafficking of hazardous wastes. Sir, I shall now highlight the major provisions that are being introduced in this Bill. Definition of Hazardous Wastes and Other Wastes Clause 4 of the Bill covers all the hazardous wastes that are listed in the Basel Convention. Under the Convention, if a Party to the Convention classifies as hazardous, a waste which is not listed in the Basel Convention, the waste shall be deemed to be a hazardous waste. This requirement is provided for in clause 5. Control of Export and Import of Hazardous and Other Wastes Clauses 25 and 26 of the Bill allow ENV to impose full and complete control on the export and import of hazardous and other wastes. Under these clauses, any person who intends to export any hazardous waste or other wastes from Singapore will need to apply for an Export Permit from my Ministry.”
“Fourth, we will consider that illegal traffic in hazardous or other wastes is criminal. Fifth, we will not permit hazardous and other wastes to be exported to a non-Party or to be imported from a non-Party. However, Article 11 of the Convention allows us to trade hazardous and other wastes with a non-Party if we enter into a bilateral agreement with the non-Party. The provisions of such agreement must not be less environmentally sound than those provided for by the Convention. Sir, although Singapore only acceded to the Convention in January 1996, the Government has all along been deeply concerned with the potential threat posed by hazardous wastes. My Ministry has been regulating the generation, collection, transportation and disposal of such wastes through the Environmental Public Health (Toxic Industrial Waste) Regulations. In 1996, about 64,000 tonnes of hazardous wastes were generated by a wide range of industries, ranging from motor vehicle workshops to the large petroleum refineries and petrochemical complexes in Singapore. The hazardous wastes included spent acids, solvents and etchants, waste oils, pathogenic wastes and so on. These hazardous wastes are a potential public health problem. We need to comprehensively manage them to avoid contaminating our precious water resources, waterways and scarce land resources. Currently, most of the hazardous wastes generated in Singapore are collected for specialised treatment and disposal locally. However, small quantities of wastes, such as PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl), spent Nickel-Cadmium batteries, spent catalysts, chlorobenzene wastes, and so on, are exported to countries such as the United Kingdom, France and Japan for treatment and recycling. We lack the facilities to treat and recycle these wastes here.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, this Bill seeks to provide for the regulation of the export, import and transit of hazardous and other wastes, and for related purposes. On 2nd January 1996, Singapore acceded to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. The Convention came into force in Singapore on 1st April 1996. Currently, 113 countries and the European Union are Parties to the Basel Convention. Besides Singapore, four other ASEAN countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam have also ratified the Convention. Sir, this Bill will enable us to fulfil our obligations under the Basel Convention. Before I proceed to highlight the major provisions of the Bill, I would like to inform the House of our obligations under the Convention. First, as a Party to the Convention, we will not permit the export of hazardous and other wastes to Parties which have prohibited the import of such wastes. Second, we will take appropriate measures to ensure that the generation of hazardous and other wastes within Singapore is reduced to a minimum. We must have adequate facilities to treat and dispose of the wastes in an environmentally sound manner. We will ensure that transboundary movements of hazardous and other wastes are reduced to a minimum. Transboundary movements will be conducted in a manner that will protect human health and the environment against any adverse effects which may arise from such movements. Third, we will prevent the import of hazardous and other wastes if we have reasons to believe that the wastes in question will not be managed in an environmentally sound manner.”
“There is no need for polyclinics to provide 24-hour non-emergency medical services. After the operating hours of polyclinics, patients with non-emergency conditions can either use GP clinics that are open till 9 pm, and after that, use 24-hour GP clincs and 24-hour outpatient clinics in private hospitals or wait till the next day. Emergency patients should go directly to the A&E Departments of acute hospitals for treatment. CAST-IN-SITU RUBBER FLOOR MATS FOR HDB PLAYGROUNDS 16. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang asked the Minister for National Development if he will consider recommending to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) that, in view of our children's safety, to turf all the playgrounds of the future HDB estates with the cast-in-situ EPDM flooring - a rubber-like surface which cushions a fall better than the sand based material.”
“All the A&E departments already conduct preliminary screening, or triage, to determine if a patient is a true emergency case. At the triage station, patients who are assessed to be non-emergency cases are advised to go to the walk-in clinics if the hospital has one, nearby polyclinics or GP clinics. There is, therefore, no need to set up a 24-hour Medical Services Centre for this purpose. PROVISION OF 24-HOUR NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES BY POLYCLINICS 14. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Health whether he will consider requiring polyclinics to provide 24-hour non-emergency medical services.”
“Based on that starting point, GP clinics should all close because every patient would then be very worried about his condition and he would go straight to the A&E clinic. Most patients and Singaporeans in general are quite careful and aware of what are emergency and non-emergency cases. 1.30 pm”
“Sir, as I have stated in my answer just now, if they are non-emergency cases, they can afford to wait to the next morning. If the pain or the condition is hurting them so much, and they are considered emergency cases, they can go to the A&E department. There is nothing to prevent them from doing that.”
“Sir, may I have your permission to answer Questions 9 and 10 together?”
“Sir, I wish I had a crystal ball. The meteorological experts have told us that normally by late September, we should be experiencing the early effects of the north east monsoon. However, because of the El Nino effects, this would be delayed between a month and six weeks. What we can expect is that probably by the end of October, we should be getting the benefit of some changes in wind direction during the inter-monsoon period, in which case the smoke would be blown away from Singapore, rather than towards Singapore. As to whether there is a likelihood of the haze going above 200 or even the 300 region, gauging from today's report in the newspapers of the press interview carried out by Environment Minister Sarwono and five of his Ministerial colleagues, I think the commitment of the Indonesian government towards solving the fire problems has been well reflected. And I hope they are able to now translate that commitment into enhanced actions, which again I am quite hopeful about because President Suharto has told Abri to chip in and do its best. So with all the immense resources that Indonesia has, I am quite hopeful that the problem will be kept under control and that the risk of the PSI going above 200 would be fairly minimal. STABILITY OF SINGAPORE DOLLAR 7. Dr S. Vasoo asked the Minister for Finance what steps are being taken to maintain the stability of the Singapore dollar in the light of the recent currency turmoil in the region. CURRENCY CRISIS (Effect on economy and investors' confidence) 8. Mr Ang Mong Seng asked the Minister for Finance to what extent the currency crisis has affected our economy recently and what plans the Government has to reassure our investors' confidence and to further attract new investors to invest in our economy.”
“Sir, the current problem is dust particles. The major dust particles are really from the fires in Indonesia. In that context, the differential between, say, areas in Jurong and areas in the East would be extremely small or negligible.”
“Sir, I would like to remind the hon. Member that my constituency is also Hong Kah Constituency and that I am equally concerned. As I have explained just now on whether there is a need to have multiple readings for different locations, because the haze is so pervasive that if the wind is blowing from the Marine Parade side to Jurong and is blowing in a heavy intensity of haze, then the Marine Parade side will get a higher reading first followed shortly after by the Jurong side, and vice versa. This haze is affecting the whole region and therefore geographical distances of 3-4 kilometres will not make much of a difference, other than a few minutes of time lapse.”
“Sir, whilst the average American may be a little bit bigger, I would expect that Singaporeans and Americans are similar, and the impact on us will be very similar too. And they have devised this PSI system after many, many years of epidemiological studies. It is now a worldwide standard. So I think we are on strong grounds to adopt this system for Singapore.”
“Sir, the most effective way is to solve this problem at source, and that is what we have been doing all along. For the past few months, we have been sending to the Indonesians satellite photographs which show the hot spots so that they can quickly get to the hot spots and put out the fires. And we have observed that a few days after, those hot spots did disappear, except that other hot spots appeared in other locations as well. So, it is an ongoing fight which the Indonesian government authorities have been actively engaged in. We have also provided them with various equipment which enhance their enforcement capabilities as well as help them to more accurately identify where the hot spots are. And these are all activities which will help put out the fires and therefore reduce the haze. As regards cloud seeding over Singapore, cloud seeding is actually most effective if done over where the fires are, because you want to put out the fires. Seeding in Singapore, first, is not feasible, because we are very small. It is very difficult to predict the wind directions and how fast the effect of the seeding will take impact. We may seed here expecting that it will take effect maybe in half an hour's time and that the wind will blow here, to find that actually the effect takes place only in three hours' time, in which case the rain will be falling in the ocean. Singapore is too small a place for cloud seeding activities to be effective, and that is why we have not engaged in such activities. Dr Toh See Kiat (Aljunied): Sir, the Minister has said that the PSI standards are taken from the US EPA. May I ask the Minister whether and how these standards are relevant in Singapore and whether there have been any studies on this?”
“Sir, there are two parts to the question. First, whether we should have PSI indicators for different parts of the island and, secondly, the correlation between the PSI reading and a person's perception of visibility. Firstly, in terms of the need to have multiple PSI readings for the whole of Singapore, the answer is that there is really no need, because the haze is very extensive. It covers the whole region. With the prevailing winds blowing into Singapore, the haze situation equalises very quickly. There may be some time lapse between, say, Jurong and perhaps Marine Parade. But over a very short period of time, the haze really equalises throughout the whole of Singapore. So there is really no need to have different PSI indicators. Secondly, in terms of correlation between PSI reading and visibility, Members should also understand that the PSI readings are taken over an average of three hours. So what you see on the TV screen does not reflect the PSI reading as at present, but the PSI reading of the preceding three hours. So if the pollutant levels are increasing, then what you are seeing is a time lapse between what you see and the PSI level. If the PSI is actually on the downward trend, what you see with your eyes and what you see on the TV screen are again different. Because we may think that the sky is clearing, but the PSI reading is still showing a fairly high reading. That is one. Secondly, the visibility perception is also quite deceiving. Because in the early morning hours, after a rainfall and with the mist in the air, the visibility impact is enhanced, in the sense that it appears to be more misty than the figures show otherwise.”
“Sir, the ASEAN Ministers of the key countries that have been affected, I understand, have been in close contact with the Indonesian Minister. For example, I have been talking to my counterpart, Minister Sarwono, on the phone over the last few days as well. And we are all offering to the Indonesians assistance in areas that we have expertise or resources in. I have also discussed with Minister Sarwono that it may be useful for the ASEAN Ministers of the countries affected to meet together after the haze problem has been solved, maybe at the end of the year or early next year, to discuss how we can better address this issue in future years and to prevent future recurrences of the haze problem of this extent.”
“Sir, I can assure the Member that we have taken measurements of the major pollutants. The PSI system measures not just the dust particles in the air but also the level of the five major air pollutants, namely, ozone, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. So all these pollutants are measured.”
“Sir, to explain this, I should also explain to Members the basis for the PSI readings. The PSI readings that we are using are taken from the system that has been drawn up by the US Environmental Protection Agency and they have drawn up this PSI system based on research over many, many years of prolonged exposure of populations to pollution levels at certain ambient levels. For example, they have rated PSI 101 to 200 as being unhealthy. But that is only unhealthy if the population is exposed to this level of pollution for 24 hours each day over many, many years. In that context, in Singapore, the PSI level has gone up above 100 only on eight occasions this year and even then, it is for very short periods of time. In the context of epidemiological research which has been carried out by the US, which assumes exposure over many years, I think Singaporeans are quite safe because our exposure has been very limited. Dr Tan Cheng Bock (Ayer Rajah): Can I ask the Minister whether his Ministry has done any in-depth study of the air pollutants? You cannot talk about the effects unless you know what is in the air. You cannot assume that there is only wood burning. There could be other things that are being burned. I think it is important that this House should have an idea of what are the air pollutants present.”