Zaqy Mohamad
Singapore
“Deputy Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the Question Time at this day's Sitting be exempted from Standing Order No 22(1) so as to enable questions for oral answer to continue until the completion of Question Nos 7 to 29, including relevant supplementary questions, until 12.45 pm?”
“Mr Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the proceedings on the item under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No 48(8) to remove the time limit in respect of the Minister Tan See Leng's speech, please?”
“I think on the hawker front, we keep our rentals as low as possible to sustain our hawkers. But for food prices, we continue to monitor. My colleague, Minister of State Gan mentioned about how we are monitoring food supply of food prices, and I think that we will continue to do so.”
“I thank the Member for his question. On seafood specifically, we do not see immediate risk. We have diversified our food imports. We have also got local production of seafood readily available. At this point, as both the Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister have shared, our main risk for agriculture lies in fertiliser.”
“Mr Speaker, as I shared, we are monitoring the situation. The Government is monitoring at this point. There is no need at this juncture, because we have not seen the price hikes hit the hawkers in the same way as yet. There will be downstream impact. I think that is quite sure.”
“For us to also look into buying local produce, that helps our farms to increase capacity at this point, helps them build resilience over time and should there be disruptions or should there be a need for us to divert supplies or look to ramp up local production, I think they would be in a better position if we do what we can today to supp…”
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“I thank the Minister for the clarification. Just a couple of supplementary questions. I am glad that the Minister mentioned about keeping SMRT focused on operating guidelines and requirements. To keep SMRT focused and to ensure that its he profits every year are not misconstrued as profiteering from passengers, what is stopping the regulator – LTA or the Ministry – from ensuring that for every new non-fare business that SMRT undertakes, it has to set up a separate subsidiary? Or even for existing non-fare business, should SMRT then move these entities or businesses to a separate subsidiary? On the Minister's reply earlier regarding the fines review, when he said the fines are a proportion of operating revenue, is that just operating revenue from the fare business or does it include total operating revenue that includes all the non-fare business as well?”
“I just want to ask a couple of questions. One, for evaluation, what is the weightage we place on the tender price as well as the innovations that we can expect from such bidders? The bidding should not just be based on price considerations, I suppose, because that would also increase the price. With increased competition, what is the Ministry's long-term strategy to enhance the telecom users' experience here in Singapore? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: That is exactly the intention, Mdm Speaker. We do have a variety of criteria. I am not at liberty to declare the weightage that our regulators will use to decide. But certainly, we will take into account not only pricing but also the ability to innovate. To the Member's second point, clearly, we believe that there is space for a fourth telecoms company (telco). But we do not want just another telco. We want a telco that can bring innovation to the market and therefore, cause the existing incumbents to also innovate. We want to spur competition. Certainly, we will bear all these factors in mind to ensure that it will spur growth to benefit consumers.”
“Have the measures taken, for instance, to undertake efforts to increase understanding and hold dialogues or discussions, been able to manage such differences?”
“Madam, in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Chair, as Singapore celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, it is the perfect time for us to not only reflect and think about our future direction as a community and a nation, but also to discuss it. One key pillar in building our success and prosperity is the cohesion between different religions and races that was nurtured over a long time. This harmonious relationship will continue even though, from time to time, it will be tested by many developments, including incidents that happen around the world. Differences will not only exist between races and religions, in fact, it can also exist within the same race and religion. Whether it is due to opposing views or beliefs, different interpretations, lifestyle and others, differences will occur. These diversity and differences will shape a particular race or religion. We cannot deny that these things happen, but it would be wise for us to give and take and mutually understand these diversities and differences, and ensure that it will not lead to quarrels that can polarise the community and destroy our solidarity in Singapore. We have seen for ourselves several issues that can result in fragmentation, emotional discussions, and actions that, at times, invite controversy. Such matters clearly can affect the unity and harmony in society, which is something that we have fostered for 50 years, and if it is not managed well, it will cause a split in the community. I would like to ask the Minister what are the efforts and the position taken in terms of the developments that occur from time to time that can affect our solidarity, and create misunderstanding and discontent amongst certain segments of society?”
“Madam, generally, I just want to thank Minister Yaacob, Minister Wong as well as Minister of State Sim Ann for giving us very good answers to the Budget and also the COS debate. We have covered topics ranging from cybersecurity to the Smart Nation Masterplan, our Public Service Broadcast, media and, of course, translation as well. It is certainly a broad range of topics. Page: 48 I am happy that we are seeing the industry developing quite nicely. With the hard work of the Permanent Secretary, the Ministry and the staff of the various agencies as well, I am sure this would be a fruitful Budget and COS, with lots of projects to come. I also thank my fellow Members in the House for all their speeches and my fellow "brolls", as Mr Baey Yam Keng has mentioned earlier. I hope we will continue to support and "broll" together all the MCI policies and initiatives. Madam, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $911,002,200 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $264,133,000 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)] Page: 49”
“Certainly, we want to keep our ICT talent fresh and relevant because, as he pointed out, the landscape is evolving very quickly.”
“Madam, I have a question about cyber security. Many Singaporeans are today using technology pervasively, including businesses. But the awareness, in terms of cybersecurity knowledge and how to protect themselves, is not extensive. I was just wondering whether the new Cyber Security Agency will be providing educational awareness for Singaporeans and what are the plans. There was another question I have raised about talent development, in terms of ICT talent in Singapore. I know we have got very good programmes in schools. But seniors really have challenges because it is a very fast-paced environment and very fast-paced industry. Are there plans to engage our seniors and see how they can keep relevant and continue in the sector? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: To the first question, the answer is yes. That is part of the role of the CSA, to increase awareness, not only with the public but also with the industry players. It is important, as I had mentioned in my speech, that this is a responsibility that is carried by everyone in the community and, therefore, we have to make sure that everyone is upskilled as quickly as possible. At the same time, we recognise that, in certain sectors, they will have to work with their own sector champions to make sure that they can level up as quickly as possible. On his second question about talent development, especially for seniors within the ICT sector who may feel that they are left out, there are programmes where we work together with WDA and where these professionals are able to get sponsorship if they want to. At the same time, with the SkillsFurture credit coming into place, I am sure that our ICT professionals can also tap on the SkillsFuture framework to ensure that they remain relevant. IDA is happy to explore this.”
“Also, what does MCI view as its indicators of success? Does the Government set targets, in terms of outreach per initiative per policy? And how does it measure success? For example, how does the Government measure how citizens find the messaging useful or their buy-in for Government policies? I would like to ask MCI what are some of the challenges in getting information on the ground, despite "coffee shop talk" and "Internet buzz" that may run counter to the Government's intentions?”
“Madam, I am heartened that some of our free-to-air programming has continued to improve its outreach among Singaporeans, such as the Mandarin and Malay channels. It is commendable, given the many diverse options. There are many different programmes and movies that are now available on the Internet. There is no doubt that media consumption habits have changed with the increasing reach of the Internet that competes for our citizens' attention span. How have our various PSB channels performed over the past few years since the PSB panel review? What are the Government's plans to ensure that our PSB programmes continue to reach out to Singaporeans, especially among the young and IT-savvy? What are some of the successes of PSB where we have seen significant growth and support and what are the success factors? I understand that PSB programming may also expand beyond MediaCorp today. Can the Ministry update how the outreach would be expanded and whether the funding would benefit and grow more local content providers, as well as opportunities for media professionals and production houses? Effective Government Communication Madam, my next cut. The Government has invested in many policies that benefit a wide spectrum of our citizens. And this is something my constituents have pointed out to me, too. The Pioneer Generation Package (PGP) is one such example where we have seen communication developed from many platforms in various languages to find their way to the heartlands, as well as cyberspace. The Government has invested substantial resources in communicating the PGP. But besides that, there are also many other Government policies which may need a communication boost. How is MCI contributing to these efforts and what are some of these campaigns – recent and upcoming?”
“Mr Chairman, as we grow the use of technology and cyberspace in Singapore, we must also expand in tandem its protection. In the past year, we have seen enough examples in Singapore and elsewhere on how cyberspace security may Page: 165 be breached and exploited. The Sony hacking case was an illustration of how this has now become an international cross-border threat. Our Government agencies were not spared either. And I hope that our Government cyber defences and internal security risk management has been strengthened since then. I would like to ask the Ministry how we have progressed since these incidents. I am encouraged that the Government has also recently announced the establishment of a Cyber Security Agency (CSA) here. Can the Ministry share its plans on how the Government plans to strengthen Singapore's resilience against cyberattacks? 7.30 pm How does the Government plan to engage citizens to also improve their understanding and better protect themselves from cyber threats? As an economy, the Government must provide this infrastructure to ensure that companies here feel safe. What resources would be made available to protect key sectors that are critical to Singapore's economy? The Government also needs to play an important role to engage our businesses, especially SMEs, to understand data protection as well as cybersecurity threats. Increasingly, employees are working from home, using cloud services and also bringing their own devices to the office. Thus, companies need to be educated on not just technology security but also on risk management and legal implications. Cyber Security Agency”
“Many senior ICT personnel leave the industry when they are unable to adjust or have difficulty finding their way with the new ones, once they are in the 40s or 50s. How can IDA help older professions adjust and ensure that they have a sustainable and fulfilling career into retirement? Are there areas where we can guide them within the sector or help them with transition, hopefully as last resort, because we want to keep them in the sector, as I believe that many still have the experience to continue and develop the sector? As technology and digitalisation is becoming increasingly pervasive in Singapore and elsewhere, it is imperative that we have the right ICT manpower talent. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Page: 158 ICT Talent”
“For a period, there had been concerns that trends such as outsourcing and easy access to cheaper ICT resource in the region have held back development in high value local talents. This led to the industry not being attractive to many young Singaporeans, as junior jobs were often taken by cheaper manpower, leaving the sector with a talent gap for the future. However, in recent years, we are seeing an insurgence in the lure of ICT companies, and we also saw a high number of ICT start-ups springing up last year. Even so, we need to do more to develop a pipeline of local talent in this sector, especially future leaders in the ICT sector. I would like to ask MCI how Singapore intends to promote ICT as an interesting and fulfilling career choice that will lead to a strong and sustainable pool of ICT talent. What are some of these programmes and career opportunities that the Ministry and industry are working on together, now and in the near future? It is essential to develop a Singaporean Core in the ICT sector, being a key enabler to our economy. On grooming tomorrow's leaders, what is the Ministry doing to develop future ICT leaders today, and how is it working with the industry to retain them in the sector? One area that the industry also concerns with is helping order ICT professionals stay relevant. This sector moves at light speed as digital technology evolves very quickly and often technology becomes obsolete in the very short space of time. Their requirements on existing lifelong skills training will needed added help. Skills need to be upgraded as soon as new technologies or new innovations are introduced.”
“How is the Government using these capabilities to enhance Government policymaking and service delivery, as well as help businesses to make use of Government data to help them adapt to economic and consumer changes better? The Ministry also looks into operations and the development of ICT services across the Ministries. Today, Government's e-services are benchmarked by end users in these capabilities and richness compared to a slew of private sector equivalent services such as e-commerce and the many mobile applications available at our consumers' disposable. Most recently, LTA's Taxi-Taxi@SG app did not go down too well with consumers who were expecting it to also include booking services. How can the Ministry advise Government agencies on the usability of applications and better develop services that balance what the Government aims to achieve yet meet citizens' expectations? How can the Government better use its ICT capabilities to dovetail challenges in Public Service in servicing citizens? As Singapore hits a milestone year, it is time to consolidate our technological advancements and move up the value chain to the next stage of development. These MCI initiatives will help take us there. I foresee an exciting chapter ahead that awaits Singapore as far as technology and infocommunications are concern. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Talent Development My next cut. As Singapore embarks on its Smart Nation plan, it is important to ensure that we develop the ICT core with Singaporean talent, so that Singaporeans can benefit from Page: 157 the value-added jobs that will be created.”
“Technology enhancement, advancements can also help reduce cost, but the few businesses have been able to achieve significant breakthroughs in productivity using technology, especially sectors that are still productivity-challenged. I am also keen to know if there is a SME-specific strategy for this. Moving on to entrepreneurship in the ICT sector, we also saw the ICT sectors seeing the highest, or if not among the highest growth in the number of startups here in Singapore last year. The initial success of the Plug-In@Blk 71 initiative has shown that Singapore is Page: 156 beginning to mature as a hub for startups. We are not yet the Silicon Valley of East, but we are maturing and continuing on this path, and hopefully will generate more home-grown ICT businesses and world-beaters as well as more jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans. What is the Ministry's game plan in this respect as part of the masterplan? How many start-ups and companies we seen grown in recent years and the number of jobs created for the ICT sector? Moving on to Smart Nation, I would like to know to how the masterplan complements the Smart Nation vision that the Government has laid out last year. Following up on last year's Budget, can we also have an update on the heterogeneous network and the above ground box ideas that MCI and IDA shared last year? What are some of the developments that the industry can look forward to, with regards to these initiatives? Sir, analytics have been mentioned as part of the Smart Nation visions that can help the Government and businesses analyse key trends.”
“Deputy Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Estimates be reduced by $100". The Infocomm Media Masterplan is crucial for Singapore's economic and social development going forward as it will lay out the strategies for industry development for the ICT and media sectors for the next 10 years. Along with the Smart Nation initiatives, the new cybersecurity agency and a vibrant start-up in Plug-In@Blk 71, there have been a lot of buzz generated in the ICT sector in the past year. I would like to seek some updates on the infocomm sector which is key to Singapore's competitiveness and a means for our citizens to be connected to the globe. Can MCI provide us with the update on the progress of the Infocomm Media Masterplan? What are the benefits that Singaporeans and businesses can anticipate from the masterplan? In addition, to the many measures to encourage technology adoption in Singapore's productivity drive, there are many sectors looking to enhance the capabilities in the areas of media technology and innovation and perhaps even R&D. I am aware of IDA's role to promote industry development. What are some of the new products, projects or even ideas that the Ministry is helping to co-develop in the industries? There is certainly a strong role that the Ministry can play to help businesses and whole industry sectors come together to drive innovation in productivity beyond just the simple touches that we have seen in sectors, such as F&B, like self-service ordering automation using tablets and so on. There is a treasure trove of data in customers. SMEs can also use analytics, mobile applications and e-services to grow revenue share by better understanding the customers to serve them better.”
“Madam, in the last couple of years, the Government has taken many steps to ensure fair employment practices in Singapore and that there are ample opportunities for jobs for Singaporeans. This includes the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) which puts in place fair employment, hiring and staff development practices that are open, merit-based and non-discriminatory and to advertise job openings in the Jobs Bank, as the Members before me said, for 14 days, to open job opportunities for Singaporeans. Broadly, I would like to ask how effective these measures are in providing new jobs and whether Singaporeans now feel that they are getting a fairer deal. Has MOM seen complaints reduced, in particular, PMETs competing with Employment Pass holders in technical fields? How many complaints have MOM received, particularly involving EP-related cases and how many companies were involved? How has MOM handled these cases and what are the outcomes to assure PMETs that the FCF is working in their favour? Specifically, we also need to zoom in on various industries and determine the sectors where fair employment practices need to have the most improvement. For example, I have Page: 88 come across cases at Meet-the-People session where a local was hired on a part-time or a daily rated basis, while foreign workers were used full-time in some technical lines in order to manage costs while employers can still keep the local workers quota. I know this is on a case-by-case basis but we need to work on more areas to create a fairer workplace for Singaporeans. Legislate Caregiver Leave”
“The Government must put in more resources to engage citizens in depth, not just mass communications, especially amongst the older, less educated workers, but we should also try to engage those who are new in the workforce and also those in schools who will be joining the workforce in the future. What resources will MOM make available to win over the hearts and minds, to gain citizens' buy-in for this already complex but well-intended retirement plan? Repackaging of Minimum Sum”
“Madam, I am heartened by the recommendations to introduce more flexibility in the CPF scheme, as recommended by the CPF panel, so that it can be used for diverse retirement needs. Following the Budget debates, I noted the continued reactions in some segments of the community seeking the Government to allow higher or full withdrawal of CPF savings upfront. Of more concern is that many of these calls also come from PMETs of different segments, who should have understood the logic of forced savings for retirement and also retirement adequacy. My concern, Madam, is that many Singaporeans do not fully understand the working mechanics of the CPF – how it benefits them, retirement-related schemes such as the CPF LIFE and MediShield Life, and why it is also a system of collective responsibility that protects them as individuals and protects our future generations too. My concern is how the ordinary citizens can maximise the retirement savings for the long haul if they do not understand the CPF framework. Simply, if one does not understand the system, the Government puts itself in a risky position relying on goodwill and trust for support. It should be increasingly difficult for an educated population that needs to be convinced and rationalised. So, you see a gulf for a system that is widely recognised by governments all over the world as well as many academics. Our system is admired but at the same time you see that there is a gulf in expectations between Singaporeans and what others see.”
“Madam, I would like to applaud the Government for the SkillsFuture Credit initiative in Budget 2015. The Government has shown that it is willing to put its money where the mouth is. In reality, the responsibility of lifelong learning and skills upgrading should lie with the employees and the employers. However, the business environment is challenging, as we understand, at the moment. So, it is difficult for them to spend extra in non-operational costs. In that regard, by stepping up to take this responsibility, the Government has alleviated this cost from them and yet ensured that the workforce is constantly upgraded to remain relevant to the changing needs of the economy. Employers may still find that certain courses may require more funds than it is provided for by the SkillsFuture Credit. Will the Ministry allow employers to ask employees to co-fund course fees for work-related training? It is good to have both employers and employees to also take ownership of the process as long as we ensure that there are relevant safeguards for employees and that the employees feel that the benefits they receive from co-paying is justified. I feel that this will help provide greater diversity to the courses the employees can consider so that SkillsFuture Credit will achieve its desired aims. Skills Upgrading and Training for Adults”
“I am glad the Minister of State spoke about MTI being the first-stop. On my question of R&D, I spoke about R&D at quite some length. I just want to know, being the first-stop, whether MTI will be facilitating more R&D adoption claims, because 1% of PIC is certainly a low number. Is there any target to grow the adoption of R&D in the SMEs? That is my first question. 12.45 pm The second question is with regard to productivity. Senior Minister of State Lee mentioned last Friday in terms of secondary indicators, that there are some set by with BCA, for example. Is this also across all the major sectors where we can look at secondary indicators? Because one of the key feedback from industries is that they have no idea how far they are from the end and what is the end state for each sector. What is important for many companies is to know what is the Ministry's or Government's definition of success in productivity for each relevant sector.”
“I understand that R&D definitions are fairly similar across mature economies, so the level of rigour should be similar. Assistance to SMEs”
“Mdm Chair, I believe the Ministry is heading in the right direction to recognise R&D as one of the key drivers to help SMEs sustain and compete. Page: 13 A recent Parliamentary Question (PQ) by Member Assoc Prof Randolph Tan just last month, revealed that just 500 claims were made on PIC amounting to $619 million, which is less than 1% of the 75,300 claims made in total. This is a small take-up rate by businesses. What are the Ministry's plans to boost R&D adoption by SMEs? Many businesses that submitted technology-related R&D claims gave feedback that the overall process, especially the many queries from the officers, is often tedious. Often, the officers did not understand the subject matter involved and these businesses either got rejected or gave up mid-way. Perhaps, having the IRAS or the tax officers fronting this scheme may not be the best interface for the industry. I would like to propose that MTI consider allowing a different agency, perhaps, even SPRING, as Member Mr Inderjit had just suggested earlier, to make the technical assessments because they understand growth requirements of businesses, to front the R&D claims and then pass over to IRAS for processing. Based on the Australian government Department of Industry's Innovation Australia Annual Report of 2012 to 2013, they processed about 11,000 claims amounting to A$19.69 billion. While Australia's GDP is four times that of Singapore, the number of claims lodged in Australia was about 20 times greater and the total expenditure claimed was also about 35 times greater than Singapore. In such environments, are there more businesses claiming because there is a simpler, more business-friendly evaluation process?”
“For example, the use of central kitchens as a shared service will see productivity improvements to manufacturing scores, rather than the F&B sector. Productivity and Employee Engagement”
“Mr Chairman, many businesses are trying their best to get in line with the Government's productivity drive. However, many are unable to envision what Singapore's definition of success is in this productivity drive. MTI releases its productivity results regularly. However, this single measure is too broad-based and not specific enough for businesses to relate to for them to benchmark where they stand and how far they are from the Government's goals. I propose that MTI defines a clearer vision of its productivity end-state that businesses can relate to. MTI should also work out secondary measurements that are better defined and more tangibly understood by the sectors. These could be things like target wages or value-add per skilled or unskilled workers, foreign worker or local worker, or certain targets at the sector level. For example, in F&B, it could be workers per table targets or turnaround times per table. In the construction sector, it could be value add in terms of metrics per square development, for instance. I know MTI tracks secondary indicators, but I think these benchmarks are probably not well made known to the industry sectors for them to benchmark. Benchmarking top, median and low performers by industry will also allow businesses to look at their current performance and see how much more they need to improve. This could also hopefully enable incentives to be awarded to firms that have performed well and lead the way. Secondly, indicators will also help sectors such as the F&B sector who often come under the spotlight. Many businesses I know put in effort, but the gains are seen in other sectors that subsequently benefit from a relaxed stance on policies.”
“The Government is investing in these areas and so the Malay businessmen and Chamber of Commerce must give consideration to further develop entrepreneurial talent with potential at that level and also promote growth and confidence within our community, in terms of business. Overall, Budget 2015 does not just provide assistance and incentives, but it also opens the doors wider for every Singaporean to take advantage of all the opportunities and make meaningful contributions towards the prosperity of Singapore, for the present and for the future. (In English): Mdm Speaker, in a momentous year when Singapore celebrates its jubilee year, the Government has marked this with a Budget that throws many sceptics off their tracks. Where some asked if Singapore would be around for another 50 years as if to cast a doubt on the viability of our country, the Government has given optimism and hope to Singaporeans that there is much more to aspire towards. This is because, just like our founding fathers – like Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr S Rajaratnam, Mr Goh Keng Swee and others before us over the past 50 years – this Government is committed to building a democratic society based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation. As long as the Government and the people of Singapore use these dreams as a compass, I have faith that Singapore will grow from strength to strength. Mdm Speaker, I rise in support of Budget 2015. 1.58 pm”
“Workers would have more value in the job market if they have specialisation that is useful in a management career or if they become entrepreneurs. Basically, we must do our best to obtain specialisation training, to build our skills and upgrade ourselves. Despite a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive environment, we are happy and proud to see many more Malays succeeding in their careers, including those in international companies. In this regard, besides Government incentives and encouragement, community leaders and organisations must also enhance their efforts to further build up the talents in our community. These should not just come in the form of programmes and services, but also in terms of leadership that can provide a vision and the will to succeed. In the business and entrepreneurship sectors, the business community should not just focus on enhancing productivity, but also on innovation, which is an important area that was also highlighted in this year's Budget. The old method that emphasised the burden of business costs must be put aside and we must continue to explore new ways to further improve our competitiveness, while reducing costs and enhancing our income. Page: 48 This Budget provides opportunities for the business sector to build expertise in this area. Most Malay businesses are in the services sector and they must find ways to take full advantage of schemes, such as the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) scheme and the Capability Development Grants (CDG) to implement innovation and to further improve their branding, as well as to expand their markets overseas.”
“It is also a philosophy embedded in the Singapore Pledge, which is equality, or the equality of opportunity to progress, for instance, through education, with help from schemes like SkillsFuture and others. As stated in Berita Harian's editorial, the philosophy of continuing education and training is increasingly being widely implemented. With lower costs and better affordability, combined with subsidies and various assistance schemes like SkillsFuture Credit, it is hoped that this philosophy will be Page: 47 accepted by the people. As for the Malay community, these opportunities must be fully utilised. Beyond that, the other measures provided can also reduce the burden on Malay families, including the middle-income and especially those with children. They will no longer be burdened by certain costs, for instance, the examination fees of their children. A number of incentives, such as the reduction of foreign domestic worker levy, will help to reduce the cost of living. With such incentives, families will be able to focus on other important aspects of their lives. These include preparing for the future through skills upgrading and taking advantage of the subsidies and assistance provided. Speaking of talents, the Malay community also has many potential talents among its youths that can be further upgraded. For example, we can see many Malays in the ITEs and the Polytechnics who are capable, not just in technical careers, but also in entrepreneurship. I hope they can also take advantage of SkillsFuture, including participating in mentorship training offered by selected companies, to build up skills and expertise. For example, jobs requiring general skills in retail and F&B are uncertain in nature.”
“Budget 2015 has seen the Government do that as it strives to achieve the general betterment and happiness of Singapore, even though this may be challenging, considering that there are many different constituents and their wishes, which can sometimes be contradictory, to take care of. A responsible government will do its utmost to balance all of its citizens' needs and I am sure this Government will do its best. Mdm Speaker, please allow me to continue in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I am very happy, not only with what has been presented in the Budget, but also with the community's positive reaction, with many applauding the measures and incentives that provide greater opportunities for them to improve themselves along with Singapore's progress. For example, the SkillsFuture initiative is well received, with discussions focused on how the community needs to take full advantage of the opportunities offered. At the same time, many agree that there are various incentives in Budget 2015 that meet the needs of every Singaporean, today and tomorrow. Hence, Singaporeans should take the time to study, one by one, what is being offered by the Government. I suggest to the Government that more effort be made to provide information and guidance to everyone, so that they can understand the details of the Budget and the long-term future direction of Singapore. For me, this Budget is meant to further reinforce our fundamentals, to meet today's needs and tomorrow's challenges. The SkillsFuture initiative, for instance, is an important indication and philosophy of the Government on how it values and highly regards its people as human capital and important talents, to ensure the survival of the nation. Every citizen is an important member in this relationship.”
“They also do a lot behind the scenes in helping to preserve the harmony and stability of the region we live in. But as the world becomes a more complicated place, with newer and more complex threats and challenges, we need to ensure that our internal and external defences all have enough resources to help them be effective and efficient. So, in this regard, the Government's continued allocation of substantial resources towards defence and homeland security is essential. How can we have more prosperity and progress – if our peace and stability are ever in doubt? I applaud the Government for not taking its eyes off these areas, even in years when the economy had less rosy prospects. We cannot compromise peace for anything else. Moving on to happiness: some have asked if Singapore should include happiness indicators as a barometer of how our country is doing. However, if you look at the Pledge closely, we have already inculcated this into our dreams and aspirations for a united Singapore. Page: 46 By building a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation; by creating the other elements and strengthening them, the Government has provided the basis for happiness in our society. As individuals, we should set our aspirations, moral compass and personal goals right and try to find happiness, hopefully, in our journey in life. We have many things that are going right for us. Life is never perfect, not here, not anywhere else in the world. So, celebrate our achievements, every little goal and dream we fulfil. And never let envy or others who only strive to put us down get in the way.”
“We are hardly a welfare society and I am glad we are not, because we also have to be mindful of other aspects of our Pledge – a point that I will expand on shortly. But the Government's approach of targeted help, especially in terms of education, healthcare, Page: 45 housing and balancing our costs of living, is a much better approach of ensuring that social justice is meted out to Singaporeans. Mdm Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to move a little away from the Pledge to touch on another aspect that is important to Singapore and Singaporeans – peace. I dare say that peace, security and stability make Singapore stand out from the rest of the world and differentiate it from other countries. But, as a country, we must not ever let this get to our heads and take them for granted. We have lots of work to do, both for the Government and the rest of us as a society, in preserving the peace and harmony in Singapore and the region. Here, I would like to take a minute to thank and commend our uniformed services – the Armed Forces, Air Force, Navy, Police, Civil Defence, ICA and Customs – who have worked tirelessly to ensure that we can have a good night's sleep, who help us have the comfort of thought knowing that when our loved ones are out, that they are generally safe. There are very few places in the world that provide you with such assurances and I am thankful that Singapore is one of them. So, we are grateful to all of these organisations and their staff for creating this environment for us. We also have to thank our Foreign Service, which does an amazing job in maintaining and expanding Singapore's sovereign right and space in international circles.”
“And the Government is not even placing the burden of this retraining on the individual Singaporean or on businesses. Through Budget 2015, the Government has backed Singaporeans to chart their career directions and acquire the requisite skills along the way. In doing so, the Government has helped Singaporeans pursue the dream of equality that Mr Rajaratnam had enshrined in the Pledge. The PAP Government is committed to providing such equality of opportunities to Singaporeans. Moving on to justice: but even as the nation prospers and everyone gets equal access to benefit from this progress, there may be a segment that needs more help. In any meritocratic society, it is inevitable that some may gain more than others. But as a nation, Singapore has committed in its Pledge that it will build a society based on justice and equality. While I have explained earlier that the Government has ensured that Singaporeans gain equal access to opportunities, we may inevitably get a situation where the outcomes are unequal. We all take examinations, for example. Same opportunity, but the outcomes are different grades, depending on effort and talent. This is also the same at work. We all work hard and do our best, but outcomes we expect are also dependent on many other factors. This is even though the Government tries to level up all Singaporeans in terms of skills and education. Nevertheless, within the context of a nation, a responsible government has to do as much as it can to ensure that no one gets left behind as the nation prospers. This can be best seen in Budget 2015, where the Government extended help to a cross-section of society, from the low-income to the middle-income and, certainly, the elderly, indeed.”
“In this regard, through Budget 2015, the Government has invested substantial resources in education and skills upgrading to ensure that Singaporeans will have access to affordable and good quality education, and have ample opportunities to upgrade themselves to be relevant to the workforce. By addressing fees for key national examinations and transport costs for students, the Government has reduced cost and affordability as barriers to education. Therefore, in this regard, I have to disagree with the hon Member Ms Sylvia Lim's comment earlier that the Singapore Government has always been calculative, that it charges even for school examination fees. Examination fees have always been a common practice. Personally, I have not seen any student being barred from examinations or being unable to take national Page: 44 examinations when they could not afford it. We have always had the heart to help the young in their education, as well as those who cannot afford it. Therefore, I think the Government has always had the heart to help any citizen in need. This measure reinforces the Government's belief that education is a great social leveller and embodies our value of equality. So, I hope the hon Member Ms Sylvia Lim can give credit to the Government for this significant move to help parents and students, where credit is due. At the same time, I also hope that the Government will continue to do what is right when it is right to do so, regardless of those who take potshots at our policies. The SkillsFuture scheme is another important initiative in this regard. By highlighting the skills needed, especially in the clusters that have been identified, the Government is already helping to develop the pipeline of talent that is needed.”
“This year, the Government has moved to the next level of its productivity push by focusing on innovation and the internationalisation of companies. This will help companies to be more productive about their top-lines and increase their revenues. This will also increase income levels for our companies and create jobs for Singaporeans. Not only are these ordinary jobs but, by first focusing on technology and now on innovation and internationalisation, the Government has ensured that the jobs for Singaporeans are going to be very much up the value-chain and the better-paying ones. Even as global economic conditions continue to remain uncertain, the Government has taken steps to ensure that the current jobs of Singaporeans remain safe. The Wage Credit Scheme has been extended in this regard so that employers can sustain their manpower headcount and not have to cut jobs. SMEs have also great reason to cheer because the Government has extended the corporate income tax rebate and introduced a 100% rebate for road tax on all commercial vehicles. By keeping our economy vibrant, strong and resilient, sustainable and progressive, the Government has made sure that we have "prosperity and progress" for our nation. Next, moving on to equality. It is important that Singaporeans can have a shared stake in this prosperity and progress created for our nation. For that to happen, Singaporeans must have opportunities to be a part of this success. Since Singapore's economy is moving up the value-chain and our companies will also upgrade themselves to be innovative, technologically-driven and outward-looking, then it will also demand a workforce that can be adaptable to these skills.”
“Mr Rajaratnam, who developed the National Pledge on behalf of the newly-formed PAP Government in 1966, believed that it would not only be an oath of allegiance to Singapore, but he wanted it to encapsulate elements of a common dream and a common vision to build a Singapore we can be proud of. A dream that would match the aspirations of Singaporeans and remain a common denominator among them throughout Singapore's history. A dream that the Government, which he was part of, was confident of providing for Singaporeans and would strive to improve on. This dream that the Government had was: "to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation". There is no doubt that during Singapore's short history, we have seen the nation achieve these things. But the PAP Government is not one to rest on its laurels and is always looking to give Singaporeans a better quality of life and something higher to aspire towards. In this context, Budget 2015 has helped hit the right notes, by taking the dream embodied in our National Pledge as a compass. Allow me to explain. Let us start with prosperity and progress. There were many measures in the Budget that focused on helping businesses in Singapore. We are in the middle of Singapore's economic restructuring drive and the initial segment of replacing foreign labour with innovative, greater technology has yielded some results. We are getting companies here to be less reliant on cheap foreign labour to enable higher wages for our Singaporean workers and to Page: 43 be more conscious about being more productive and innovative.”
“Mdm Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts on this year's Budget. Budget 2015 is not like any other fiscal policy announcement. It is more than that and I would like to share with the House my thoughts on what it means in the grander scheme of things. The nation today is in a celebratory mood this year for 50 years of our Independence. Many Singaporeans have come up with various initiatives to commemorate and celebrate this milestone – some on their own, while others in groups. This goes to show the amount Page: 42 of love and adoration Singaporeans have for their young nation. A nation that they have grown up with quality education, a comfortable home, a safe and secure environment and sound infrastructure – all of which have been achieved in the short space of 50 years. But while it is a year for celebration and rejoicing, it is also a year for reflection. The reflection of all these efforts that Singaporeans are putting into celebrating the jubilee year brought me to ponder over a question: what is it that binds Singaporeans together and to Singapore, their homeland? Fortunately, I did not have to go very far to search for the answer. It was right there in our National Pledge – something all Singaporeans are familiar with. Because, "We, the Citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language, or religion". In many societies around the world, such commitments may be made as well, but, in Singapore, we truly are a society where we stand united in diversity. That is why, when the late Mr S Rajaratnam wrote the Pledge, he made this as the first commitment that Singaporeans would make.”
“I thank the Second Minister for his clarification. Just a quick question. The number may not be huge, as the Minister said. But the question is: is the CRA or Ministry satisfied that the systems are in place, that when these breaches happen, these are already in the system or that they were not deliberately allowed to go in? Is the Ministry satisfied that the systems are in place to prevent future breaches?”
“So, what it can do is to look at alternative loading tiers for low-income earners, for example, paying a lower loading, and the high-income earners paying a different loading, and the medium income, perhaps, keeping your 30% loading, for example. Madam, I move on now to my Malay speech. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] MediShield Life is a scheme that will benefit Singaporeans and permanent residents from all walks of life, not only as a form of protection, but it also brings relief to several groups like the needy and those with pre-existing conditions. For the Malay community that is always concerned with health and healthcare cost issues, this scheme is a welcomed one. I suggest that the community study this scheme in detail and make use of it, even if they already have their own health insurance. In this regard, I propose that the Ministry and related agencies increase efforts to explain to Singaporeans the details of MediShield Life so that everyone will be clear and everyone will understand it. Their concerns in terms of affordability and subsidies that are provided must be addressed. The implementation of this scheme must be reviewed so that it will not burden certain groups too much, including those with pre-existing conditions. Page: 75 (In English): Mdm Speaker, on the whole, I support the Bill. 3.09 pm”
“Come 2019, when the transitionary subsidies fade out, the increase in premium payments then can be quite steep, especially if you are a low-income earner with some pre-existing ailments. The strength of the MediShield Life system will be in its long-term sustainability, that is, for Singaporeans to remain on it for their lifespan. If more of them are going to find it difficult to keep up with the steep increase in premiums from 2019 onwards, then we may need to Page: 74 review to see how it can be made more affordable then. I would like to suggest that the Government do a mid-term review before 2019 and identify those low-income individuals whose Medisave may fall short when the subsidies are phased out. For this group, the Government may wish to consider a Medisave top-up so that their risk of not meeting premiums is significantly lowered. Among residents, there is also a common perception that with the Integrated Plan, one has to continue to pay two premiums rather than one. How does the Ministry plan to address this and how can we improve public understanding of this rather complex policy? On the issue of pre-existing illnesses, for those with pre-existing illness conditions, the Bill stipulates that they need to pay 30% more on their premiums than others. On the one hand, this may be fair based on the principle of equity. If someone is going to draw more from MediShield Life, then they should be expected to pay higher premiums, and that is what private insurance plans are likely to impose as well. I would like to propose that the Government review the requirement for low-income earners to pay additional premiums at a tiered level.”
“Even though they can pay for their own MediShield Life premiums using their Medisave accounts and not affect their monthly disposable incomes, it is nevertheless a strain to pay for two policies at one time. I would suggest that Singaporeans with existing policies be given a transitionary period to choose to exit their private insurance plans, especially those whose plans are maturing in the next few years or so. This group can either be given a grace period to complete their private insurance commitments before they officially come on board the MediShield Life or, perhaps, if they fall within the low-income bracket, their MediShield Life premiums can be subsidised during this transitionary period. On the issue of affordable premiums, I think many Members of this House have spoken. But I would like to add on a few more points. I think the Government has done a lot to ensure that the premiums remain affordable for all Singaporeans. Through a mixture of Medisave payments, subsidies and financial assistance for those who still need more help, the Government has done its best to ensure that it may be difficult to default on premium payments. On this point, I am particularly concerned with one group, which is the families who are supporting homemakers and young children, those who are unable to work due to chronic illness where the husband or the family members do not have enough to pay for others in the family for their MediShield premiums. Can the Ministry provide more details on how it plans to assist this group and after how many months of default before the MediShield coverage is cut off? I hope that we monitor this vulnerable group over the next few years and keep track to make sure they do not fall off the scheme due to affordability concerns.”
“I do believe that we have established a reasonable trust level for Singaporeans to declare their income and health records today with the Government agencies, much like we do in our annual income tax submissions. This system is about collective responsibility and the majority helping to subsidise the costs, including the additional loading of 30%. As I understand from the Minister's speech earlier, that 30% loading is cross-subsidised by the rest. So, it is not equitable for some to simply opt out on information and load on the others. I would also like to highlight a potential loophole. It is quite possible for someone here who has been seeking healthcare treatment outside of Singapore for a pre-existing condition to keep it undeclared and may even get away with it without being found out. I would like to ask the Minister how the Ministry plans to close this loophole. To improve the integrity of the policy, I would also like to propose setting up a whistle-blowing access so that errant individuals can be identified. I am also supportive of stronger penalties should anyone be found to have declared false information so that it is a strong deterrence for errant behaviour. And this will continue to ensure the robustness and Page: 73 integrity of the system. Many Singaporeans would already have existing private insurance coverage. This may not necessarily be just the higher-income Singaporeans but also, I think many of the middle-income Singaporeans who are also financially savvy to protect themselves and manage to work out premium payments from their monthly incomes. Such individuals may now end up paying double premiums and I am afraid this may prove to be taxing on them.”
“Mdm Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak on this "game-changing" Bill. The MediShield Life Scheme is a game-changer because it is Page: 72 exactly that – it completely transforms the coverage for healthcare insurance in Singapore, most importantly, because it is a universal system. For the first time ever in Singapore, everyone – regardless of age, income levels or health levels – will have access to coverage. What better way for our young nation to mark 50 years of its short history by showing that it has matured to embark on a universal system? I have several points to make today that I feel will help strengthen the MediShield Life system. Allow me to make these points. Firstly, access to data. Much has already been said, in this House and outside in the mainstream and social media, of the Bill allowing the Government unequivocal access to an individual's income and health records. Although the legislation will allow those who find these powers intrusive with the choice to opt-out from having their information shared, I feel that this will be counter-productive to the aim of establishing a universal health insurance system in Singapore. The idea of MediShield Life, in the first place, is to get everyone to enjoy a cost-effective medical coverage. So, why should we allow one to opt out of information sharing for means-testing and pre-existing illnesses only to incur the additional 30% cost loading? This is counter-productive in providing affordable healthcare when, in principle, the data already reside in one of the Government's databases or registered partner.”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister; for this 40% of graduates – does it take into account those who attend the private institutions and part-time degree courses, courses that the workforce may take on its own?”
“Can I ask the Minister a supplementary question? This is not a new concept in the sense that in the UK as well as in a few other places, they do regulate the use of glass bottles especially, and it is not just about riots or safety concerns but also about nuisance like people breaking the glass bottles in parks and neighbourhoods. I do have a lot of complaints from residents of glass bottles being used and these are often sold in nearby marts. Could we just restrict this to the marts in those areas near neighbourhoods, and could they, for example, sell liquor in plastic bottles or tin cans?”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister for the clarification. One supplementary question: on the issue of transparency, one of the sticking points from the many potential buyers of flats was that the columbarium was seen to be a Page: 16 fine print. Moving forward, from URA's perspective or sales perspective, how does HDB plan to change this practice? Transparency is important. Any associated or incidental columbarium, or any other services that could be sensitive, should also be included in sales plans and booklets.”
“I thank the Minister of State for the clarification earlier. I just want to move slightly to a different note. I know, most times, we have been sympathetic and I credit HDB for being sympathetic in a lot of compassionate cases out there. But in my estate, for example, we have a lot of middle-income families and, most times, we look at right sizing and when they go into arrears, it is really about credit card and other sorts of debts. HDB has not mentioned one of those as a criterion that you consider but, most of the time, when they right size, the cash that they get is also used to pay for a lot of these debts. What is HDB's view on this because, many a time, when they want to right size, you take into account all these cash surpluses that you get as part of the settlement. I think for many of Page: 18 them, they also get stuck in trying to get a new flat or to right size. So, what is HDB's view on credit card and other forms of debts?”
“Beyond these figures, anecdotally, I feel that there has also been an increase in terms of awareness about healthy living. For example, locally in my area, over two years, the number of Malays coming on board to be a part of an exercise group, which I join often, has gone up by three times. I met them recently and I am so happy because I usually ask how many would need a calendar. In the past, it was about 10 to 15. This year, close to 40 to 50 asked for it. When I went down and met them, there was a sense of passion, commitment towards healthy living. Page: 15 Also, you see more stakeholders coming together to be part of it. For example, we have the Geng Sihat over the last weekend – Mdm Speaker was also part of this process to reach out to the community. We are beginning to see more and more small pockets of those in the Malay/Muslim community coming together to reach out, to live healthily and, at the same time, create an atmosphere that healthy living is the right thing to do. I would like to assure the Member that we would continue this effort. We feel that it is important for the community to be healthy and this will help the community to achieve a better life in Singapore.”
“The calendar is very popular this year. We not only give aspects of the calendar, but we also relate to their lifestyle, in terms of the food that they cook and their common habits, so that we can reach out to the different sectors of the community. We realised that, over time, they become excited about how to live healthily. With that aspect, we want to focus on these lifestyle factors. Beyond that, in terms of genetics, we do not have significant evidence to show such a phenomenon. Based on what we have and what research we have done locally, we realise that such lifestyle practices play an important role. And we can reduce the risk to such non-communicable diseases among the community if we focus on the aspects of healthy eating, physical activity as well as going for proper and appropriate health screening. With regards to outreach, Members will see that, over time, we have been able to reach out to more and more Singaporeans in terms of the programmes that we have. For example, the calendar, we have increased it tremendously in terms of numbers. When we did it last year, we received many requests from the community, asking for more. We gave out more publicity materials than what we gave out last year. Demand has gone up so much that we had to ask for more materials. Secondly, if you look at the anti-smoking campaign, the "I Quit" programme, you would realise that the numbers have not only gone up, the number of families coming on board to be part of this process of their family members has also gone up. I was there in the last few years to share the load and to reach out to the community. I was so touched by the community support not only among the children and spouses, but also among grandparents coming to support to get their children to quit smoking.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Parliamentary Secretary for his reply. Two clarifications. First, in profiling the Malay community as being more prone to certain sorts of diseases, have these co-rrelations been identified through studies of profiles of the population or is it more genetics? I am just wondering if more in-depth research has been done. Two, in terms of outreach, it is great to see outreach, such as quit smoking campaigns, being done at the mosques. The number of people being reached out to is about 5,000, and the Parliamentary Secretary mentioned that one fifth had quit smoking, for example. This is good outreach, but I think the numbers are still a bit small. There are also many other diseases that need to be managed as well. Is the Ministry considering more of such outreach or more of such collaborations in the community to address the other health issues? Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I want to thank the Member for the supplementary questions. As I had mentioned earlier, all the non-communicable diseases have common lifestyle risk factors, which are linked very directly to obesity, the food that we eat, as well as the lack of sufficient physical activity. These affect diseases like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Essentially, what we have been trying to do is to encourage people to eat moderately, a balanced diet, to have physical activities and go for health screening. Page: 14 It is important that we embark on this. At the same time, we have noticed that different ethnic groups have different lifestyles. Even though all of us eat, but Malays have their common way of eating and the dishes that they like. Similarly for the Chinese and the others. We have moved into a targeted approach, which I had shared earlier.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for her clarification and answer. Earlier on, the Senior Minister of State mentioned that one area in which you would engage external providers would be in the areas of the cyber safety aspects. Recently, we had a case where 31 children were sexually groomed, for example. It was quite surprising to me. It seemed that the first 30 did not know that this was an issue until the 31st one happened and then the person was caught. So, does the Senior Minister of State think that this could be enhanced and whether our programmes on cyber wellness also include sexual grooming and whether we can strengthen that, so that the kids are more aware in terms of the dangers in the near future? This is more of a question of effectiveness and whether we can strengthen this aspect with our private providers and whether this should instead be in-sourced, given the dangers.”
“I thank the Minister for the clarifications earlier. The Minister alluded to the fact that we could always get feedback in terms of evaluating such courses. However, in recent times, we also had complaints where certain vendors – NGOs or from certain religious organisations – have also conducted such enrichment classes. In such cases, what is the vetting process put in place by the Ministry? For example, some kids may not know better where there are certain nuances or biasness in terms of some of the courses that are carried out. Page: 40”