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…”
The complete record
Every one of 1,752 lines we hold for Zaqy Mohamad, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 33 of 36.
“Thus, there are many instances where goodwill in difficult times will not be within Government control. For example, HDB flat owners on commercial housing loans are not being given as much leeway as those on HDB loans. For those on HDB loans, HDB exercises flexibility to help extend or defer payments for lessees affected by retrenchments or other downturn impacts. However, I have personally heard from residents serviced by commercial lenders that the moment they are two-three months in arrears, they would face legal letters and their loans are compounded with additional costs as a result of legal action. In addition, I am told some are advised to sell their homes or face legal action to repossess their flat, although they are just three-six months in arrears. They are then advised to ask HDB to grant a rental flat if they have no place to stay, a convenient way to pass the problem back to the Government. So, the Government needs to look at how we can provide greater flexibility when it comes to such privatised arrangements, especially those concerning housing, education and healthcare. For such situations, the Government should consider issuing guidelines for fairer and more flexible actions against arrears. The guidelines should ensure that advice and recourse should be given responsibly, and not one for easy convenience of the private entity. I am also seeing a new class of residents seeking help, but with little solution for their problems. These are from the middle-income bracket who face a reduction in total household income. This situation exists when one of the income earners is retrenched and/or when both income earners see their pay reduced due to loss in commissions or pay cuts.”
“With the Jobs Credit Scheme in place, together with Workfare, the way I look at it is that we have created some form of job protectionism that favours the local Singaporeans and PRs. I am not advocating a hire Singaporean-only policy nor reduce foreign talent policy. But I do believe that protectionism in some form during these difficult times should not necessarily be such a bad word. Let us be innovative and work out ways to make our talents more attractive while keeping an open economy for foreign talents that we need. We should have more schemes to level the playing field for our workers, in a way where they are also accepted based on their qualifications and certifications and not just view it as a cost factor. Many parents in their 30s and 40s I spoke to have expressed concerns for the future of their children when they grow up or graduate. They do not feel that their children have a secure future in Singapore, when they are witnessing many mid-tier and management jobs being held by foreign talents. So, has this Budget helped our youths see a better future in Singapore? I think we can do better. I think our youths, generation Y, Z and beyond, can prove their value if given the chance. Every generation, so far from independence until now, has proven their resilience in the face of adversity, and let us do more to give them more opportunities and hope to sink their roots here in Singapore. Our universities, polytechnics and ITE facilities produce some of the best trained graduates in the region, if not the world. It will be sad if companies think that there is something wrong in our education system that we need to rely more on foreign talents. Today, the private sector undertakes many essential services, such as housing loans and the supply of utilities.”
“Compared to cost-driven policies, there is a limited number of schemes designed to help on the demand side of the market to help companies top an achievement. Till now, despite the Budget measures provided, there are some companies clamouring for cuts in GST and more. Having the Government keep subsidising business costs and allowing foreign labour will not help innovation, because innovation is usually a question of necessity. If we take this path of favouring too many cost-driven economic measures, we will be no different from the failing financial systems before us and end up subsidising businesses with poor business models. For example, in the current culture, we substitute manpower in the services sector with cheap foreign labour. We rely on the tried-and-tested processes of the lowest cost, rather than innovate and lead the regional or global market. We need innovative thinking companies who will seek ways to make jobs more productive and, therefore, see the value that can be derived from better educated, better trained workers. Companies who also recognise that investment in equipment and training will help workers achieve more in terms of productive innovation and, in turn, justify for better salaries. I am aware that NTUC has been preaching this for many years, but I do not think that we have been successful in shaping the industry and economy in a big way. The sentiment on the ground, sometimes, is that the Government promotes industry development, hampers risk-taking and new approach industry, as it seems that Government agencies tend to pick out only clear cut winners to help grow and innovate. I think we need to do more to help companies reinvent themselves in a big way, not just their business models, but their business mindsets.”
“As a shareholder in these companies, I hope that they can influence the business environment through their partnerships, suppliers and customer base to be fair and socially responsible during these times. The subsidies and handouts given in the Resilience Package for enterprises are reflective of the cost-driven culture of our local environment. This culture needs to change if we are to continue to lead the business arena in the region. I think that this crisis will lead to greater market consolidation, and many companies will have to reinvent themselves beyond seeking cheap funding, buying at the lowest cost and relying on Government subsidies to stay afloat. Though not featured as much as cost-driven measures, the Budget also provides ample incentives through R&D and innovation tax measures, as well as training, to help businesses reinvent themselves. But the Government needs to do more to promote a revolution from a cost-driven, kiasu business culture to one that promotes innovation, takes a strategic view on growth and one that values talent rather than cheap labour. I believe that it is time to reverse this cost-driven business culture. The easy access to cheap labour has made our business environment less competitive as many companies sacrifice productivity and innovation for low-cost manpower. This business culture has also driven the Government's efforts to make the economy more competitive simply based on price – where the reduction of GST, corporate taxes, tax rebates, controlling supply and demand of property become pillars of many of our Government measures in recent times. It is certainly disheartening when businesses predomi- nantly look at the bottomline, and do little to drive topline measures in productivity, even in these times.”
“If the Government pump priming is not done right, being heavily reliant on MNCs and the business sector, we could well have a situation that companies' cash savings could be transferred back to headquarters to balance the global books. I think the Government needs to figure out a way to deal with market forces and commercial decisions and not use these as convenient reasons should things go against the social compact. While the package is generous, I fear that benefits of the Resilience Package, designed to help businesses in order to save jobs and reduce business costs, may not filter down to the end-businesses and end-employees because of the assumption that the private sector will deliver that "last mile" of the journey. Perhaps, in part, through its holding companies and investment arms, the Government can and should lead the way through its holdings in the GLCs. The Government-link tag has served our companies well, to garner customer confidence when dealing in business, given the backing of Government and the standing of its reserves. I believe that the Government-link tag should also reflect the goodwill and social capital when the people need it most, especially in leading the way to strengthen our social compact. To me, it was disappointing when DBS was one of the first, when it came to retrenchments, paving the way for other commercial banks to follow suit. The Government's policies towards the GLCs and investment houses should not just be focused on investment outcome alone, but can play a part in leading the way to strengthen the social compact between the Government and the people.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Budget presented is a fitting response to the current economic crisis. The Budget is a generous package and there are approaches and thinking that we can refine, because the downturn also provides many opportunities to make our economy, our business culture and our people stronger and relevant in this global economy. Now, looking at this year's Budget, some aspects of it seem to rely on the private sector's goodwill for the "last mile". Over the past two years, I noticed how the Government had limited control over the market forces because of our globalised market and pro-business economic policies. So, to some extent, I do agree with Mr Liang Eng Hwa's speech that perhaps the Government has leaned too much towards a pro-market model. We faced issues such as inflation as a result of high oil, commodity and property prices due to market forces. Many of these factors were influenced by the market. Yet, many of the measures, such as bank bridging loans, rebates on property tax, jobs credit, crucial to the success of the package, are today dependent on the market and private sector again. I hope that we are not asking for too much to get the private sector to spare social capital in these tough times, especially when they are struggling to stay afloat. On the extreme end, what safeguards do we have, if our companies behave like those in the US where companies on the government bailout plans gave out exorbitant bonuses, travel on private jets and go on luxurious retreats rather than pass on these funds back to their employees and economy. There are also leakages, given Singapore's globalised economy.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, a point of clarification. I do understand that Mr Siew has mentioned some of these points about why he has doubts that the Scheme will save jobs. I do not know whether he has based it on any statistical indicators. I am not sure if he has any basis for this conclusion.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, we now can see for ourselves the results of our hard work in overcoming the various social problems and challenges, and improving the socio-economic status of our community. Our students continue to show good performance in schools and institutions of higher learning, and the rates of school dropouts are reducing. All these could not have been achieved without the solid support and full involvement of each member of the Malay/Muslim community. The proposed amendments to AMLA are a progressive and timely step taken by the community. The amendments will put our community in a good position to face a future that is shaped by an increasingly challenging environment. The proposed amendments will give our community the strength and additional resources that provide the opportunity for our children to climb even further. I am sure that we will see the results one day. Finally, I hope that the Malay/Muslim community will support this noble effort to enable us to stand proud alongside our fellow countrymen. *Cols. 877-880.”
“I also want to mention the important role played by the Malay/Muslim leaders and mosques' representatives who have given various feedback and ideas which are not only good but also very valuable, during the dialogue sessions with me. I would also like to put on record my thanks and appreciation for their support and wisdom. Mr Deputy Speaker, the Malay/Muslim community has never run away from the challenge to overcome the issues that were facing them. We have, and will continue, to work together to address the problems of drug abuse and many other problems. We will continue these efforts to further improve our own achievements and, if possible, introduce and launch more initiatives that are bold and innovative to overcome existing and future problems. A similar initiative is the readiness of the Malay/Muslim community to be included in the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) in August this year. As we know, the first donation involving a Muslim under HOTA was carried out last month. This transplant was carried out successfully within less than 24 hours and received the support of the family. Our readiness to sacrifice and not just think about ourselves put our community in a good position to face various challenges in the future. And in line with this spirit, we have decided to amend AMLA this time. The proposed amendments here aim to strengthen families and the Malay/Muslim institutions. We hope that with stronger families, the community can reduce the high rate of divorces among our young couples. Stronger Muslim institutions will be beneficial to the Muslim community and protect our interests.”
“The Syariah Court, Sir, monitors its workload on an ongoing basis, and has measures in place to cope with fluctuations, such as tapping on ad hoc judges and mediators, and embracing technology such as a self-help payment kiosk. These measures have helped to improve the efficiency and quality of the Court's services. Sir, I am heartened to note that Members agree with the principles and objectives of the proposed amendments. The same sentiment was expressed by the various stakeholders and community leaders whom I have met in my rounds of engagement with them. Of course they have also raised some concerns. I would like to assure them that I take these views seriously. I have asked the relevant agencies such as MUIS and Mendaki to address these concerns. Having said that, Sir, I am confident that the Malay/Muslim community will agree with me that the proposed amendments will strengthen our efforts to help ourselves and in the process address future challenges. Let me end, Sir, with a short speech in Malay with the forbearance of the Whip. (In Malay ): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Mr Deputy Speaker, allow me to begin my speech in Malay by putting on record my deepest appreciation to the Malay/Muslim community for their encouragement and support in proposing these amendments to the AMLA. The proposed amendments came as a result of close cooperation between agencies such as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM), the Syariah Court and the Malay/Muslim community. For example, the idea to improve the registration procedure to ease Muslim women's claims towards their ex-husbands was proposed by Malay/Muslim lawyers from the Muslim Law Practice Committee.”
“Dr Maliki also suggested for us to channel MBMF funds to fund those who are interested to take up social work as a career. This is a good idea but again we should not expand the use of MBMF fund so readily. Internationalisation of MUIS Sir, I thank Mr Hawazi for applauding the move to internationalise MUIS services. Let me just address two last points before wrapping up my speech. To answer Dr Fatimah's query, yes, there are currently four women on the MUIS team that will be tasked to handle the internationalisation of its services. I am not sure whether it will make a difference but they are there. We will ensure that female representation continues, and that Muslim women's issues will not be neglected. Our other proposals today to improve the welfare of divorced Muslim women is an example of the strong commitment we have to our Muslim women. Sir, Mr Hawazi Daipi has made further suggestions to improve the processes of the Syariah Court. I am pleased to inform him that they are already in place, such as the six-month deadline for the delivery of Syariah Court judgments to MUIS for appeal cases, and ensuring that the Syariah Court adjudicators are legally trained. The compensation packages of Syariah Court judges and officers are pegged to the civil service pay scale for graduates, and the Syariah Court does not have a problem recruiting young graduates today. MUIS has been working with the Singapore Law Academy to provide the Academy with judgments of the Appeal Board. Some of the Appeal Board's landmark judgments are available on the Lawnet website, and MUIS and the Syariah Court can look into how to develop this further.”
“While our primary focus has always been to tackle teenage sexuality as it is the root cause, we must not forget about those who have made mistakes, and we must help them reshape their lives and this is why we have social support programmes for unwed mothers. The Pertapis Centre for Women and Girls provides counselling, back-to-school programmes and life skills programmes for them. Mendaki also has skills upgrading programmes for single mothers who can then find employment through Mendaki's subsidiary, Mendaki Sense. The sheltered home at the Pertapis Centre is not operating at maximum capacity and, if needed, we will find the resources to increase its capacity. Casa Raudha may also admit single mothers on a case-by-case basis. I do not expect that we would have to come to this, as I believe that family support in the Muslim community remains very strong. I am happy to note that Dr Maliki Osman has given his support for the proposed amendments to make it easier for divorced Muslim women to file claims against their ex-husbands. However, he asked what can be done to educate these men of their responsibilities to their former wives and children. He also suggested that the community should send a strong message to these men that they should not take these responsibilities lightly. I agree with the spirit of Dr Maliki's comments, and MCYS will work closely with the Adam Association, a Malay organisation, on the public education, such as a hotline. For his suggestion to create some form of assessment for divorced men before they can remarry, we will have to study this further. There may be issues if we deny a man his right to marry just so that we can solve the issue of maintenance.”
“And it will be supported by religious education programmes to imbue the right values in our youth. Mr Zainudin Nordin suggested raising the minimum Muslim marriage age to 21. I understand his suggestion and the principle is that we should do so because by the age of 21 or above, most couples would be ready and would have sufficient funding and jobs. However, Sir, this law is more restrictive than the current rules for non-Muslim marriages under the Women's Charter, and our proposed amendment today is to make the rules aligned with non-Muslim marriages. Sir, the proposal will not be a restriction of Muslim rights as underage couples can still get married with a special marriage licence from the Kadi. In fact, the proposal to raise the minimum marriage age from 16 to 18 will only affect a very small group. In 2006, 87 individuals aged 16 and 17 got married. In 2007, the corresponding number was 76. Over the past five years, we have not received a single marriage application from Muslims below 16 years old. I hope this trend will continue even after we raise the minimum marriage age. For non-Muslims, 125 applications for underage marriages for those below 18 have been approved in the past five years. These marriages were allowed after the couple's psychological and emotional readiness for marriage had been assessed by a psychologist. Generally, Sir, the Kadi will adopt a similar approach. Dr Ahmad highlighted that minor divorces were not the only undesirable outcome of the teenage sexuality problem, and that the Muslim community views abortion and single parenthood as equally undesirable.”
“We will look into how we can make the information more widely available, by leveraging on our mosques, our events, new media, and the internet to recognise the MBMF on projects that it funds. MUIS will also be working with CPF Board to inform employers of the changes to the MBMF via the CPF mailers. Sir, the MBMF has, and will continue, to stay relevant with the times. Mr Zainul and Mr Zaqy have raised good suggestions on the future use of the MBMF. The intention has always been to direct the MBMF's limited funds to where they are needed the most. After 33 years of MBMF, we are now expanding its use for mosque upgrading and religious education and we do so only because these are important needs of our community. Mr Zaqy suggested that maybe we can use these funds to upgrade Malay/Muslim organisations. I do not think MMOs need such support as there are ample national resources available for purposes such as piloting new initiatives and capability-building. Sir, we will adhere to this principle to ensure that our community's resources remain sustainable in the long run. Raising the minimum marriage age Sir, let me now address the Members' concerns about the proposal to raise the minimum Muslim marriage age. But, first, I would like to reiterate the principles behind this proposal. We have advocated it to send a strong signal to the community that minor marriages are discouraged. It is not intended to cure all problems relating to teenage sexuality, nor is it intended to replace the existing efforts to tackle the problem. It will be complemented by targeted public education, both in and out of schools, to inculcate awareness and the right mindset in Muslim youth, as Dr Fatimah Lateef has advised.”
“These enhancements will move our current madrasah system up several notches, to be closer to the standards seen in our national school system. The madrasahs are already very prudent with their spending. I saw this when I recently visited Madrasah Aljunied. For example, the average salary for their teachers is below $2,000 a month. MBMF funding for madrasahs will reduce their fundraising burden so that they can concentrate on providing the best education for their students. In the spirit of transparency advocated by Mr Zaqy, MUIS will make the financial statements of the JMS madrasahs public after the end of each financial year. I encourage the other three madrasahs not under the JMS to follow suit. Sir, I trust that the community will be able to appreciate and take ownership of our madrasahs as key religious institutions that will shape the spiritual life of the community. Given the small size of our community, I hope that the community will not be fragmented in its approach by choosing to fund only certain items with its MBMF contributions. Sir, let me end the discussion on the MBMF by thanking Members and the Malay/Muslim community for their support for the MBMF. I know this because over 20,000 Muslims, or 10.5% of the total contributor base, have gone the extra distance to indicate that they wish to contribute more than the minimum rate, and the additional sum contributed by them amounts to over $77,000 per month. Sir, we will continue to publicise the good work of the MBMF, so that the community, especially the young, will maintain its ownership of the MBMF. Last year, MUIS launched a book to celebrate the first 30 years of the MBMF.”
“The three madrasahs not under the JMS can also consider a fee structure that differentiates between the two groups of students. In addition, MUIS has put in place the Madrasah Scholars Programme to provide supplemental development programmes for top madrasah students. Mr Masagos also suggested allowing capable national primary school students to transit easily into madrasahs at the secondary school level. The current system is already flexible enough to allow them to do so, subject of course to certain entry requirements. The Primary One level is not the only entry level. For example, Ustaz Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, Head of the Office of the Mufti in MUIS entered Madrasah Aljunied only after completing his "O" levels. In principle, we are committed to ensuring that each and every child receives the opportunity to maximise his or her potential, be it religious or secular, and we have provided many different options for them to do so. We will look into how we can smoothen the transition for students with all our stakeholders and MOE. Dr Ahmad Magad asked how the madrasahs intend to spend the MBMF funds. The changes to the MBMF will raise about $2.9 million a year for religious education. Most of this will go towards grants for full-time madrasahs, and the remainder will be split between Islamic learning in part-time madrasahs and asatizah development. The use of Information Technology in classrooms will be expanded. Madrasahs will study the latest strategies in the teaching of English, Mathematics and Science in national schools. Madrasah teachers will have their skills upgraded and will be introduced to new teaching methods. The progress of these initiatives will be tracked by indicators such as examination scores and reviewed regularly by MUIS.”
“Additionally, there are also mosques that have already collected the bulk of what they need for upgrading, or need to undertake smaller urgent works. In such cases, the MBMF may be used to top up a small portion of what is needed so as to enable these mosques to be upgraded. I understand that An Nur mosque is one such example. Given the limited funds available annually, MUIS will have to carefully prioritise the use of MBMF to co-fund any project and will develop a five-year plan for mosque upgrading works. To Mr Hawazi's query as to whether there will be a new mosque to be built in the Woodlands estate, these are issues in which we have to study carefully over the longer term as there are other areas that are also in demand for the second mosque. Madrasahs Sir, on the topic of madrasahs, Mr Masago Zulkifli has raised a number of good suggestions. He noted that the current madrasah fee structure does not differentiate between those who have the potential to be religious leaders versus those who simply want an alternative education system. He suggested that greater funding be allocated to students with the potential to be religious leaders. The three madrasahs under the Joint Madrasah System, or JMS, will be doing this. The JMS will offer different pathways with different cost models. Pathways leading to specialised religious qualifications will receive higher subsidies compared to pathways more similar to the curriculum in national schools. This is the key principle behind the decision to channel MBMF funds to the full-time madrasahs – that the community supports those who have the potential to be religious teachers and leaders while parents have to bear a greater cost burden for the other madrasah students.”
“3 million was saved due to their cut-back efforts in five recent mosque projects. Sir, we will exercise greater prudence during these troubling times. Sir, let me elaborate on the four key principles of the usage of the mosque component of the MBMF. First and foremost is to provide for the basic essentials of the mosque, such as prayer halls, barrier-free features and ancillary facilities for mosques to be family-friendly, youth-friendly and community-friendly. Second, to provide more prayer space for mosques with growing congregations. Third, to provide space in mosques to house Islamic learning and social development programmes, such as the aLIVE programme for teenagers. As a socio-religious institution, mosques with better facilities have effectively impacted the targeted segment of the Muslim community with programmes for challenged youths, low-income families and initiated many social capital projects with the community at large. Lastly, to address the wear and tear of the mosques, as you can see, the MBMF funds will be spent only on necessary items. We will follow norms that are basic, but of good quality. MUIS will keep a close watch to ensure that the materials used and structures built are modest but long-lasting. Sir, mosques are selected for upgrading based on the urgency of their needs. In particular, MBMF mosques requiring major works and non-MBMF mosques that have not undergone major upgrading since 1990 will be given priority. Earlier, I had described the needs of Al-Ansar mosque, which I had visited recently. Al-Ansar is among the first few mosques slated for upgrading due to its urgent roof leakage problem and the need to optimise its built-in space.”
“Once funding is approved, the MMO has to submit timely reports, and their programme will be subjected to annual reviews to ensure that it is effective and meet the targets set. All these are closely monitored by Mendaki. The majority of MMOs meet their targets, and some even exceed their targets. Mendaki, Sir, will work with the MMOs that are unable to meet their targets to improve their performance and processes. A copy of the MMCDF report is submitted to the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports annually. Mdm Halimah felt that the increasing sentiment is that mosques have gone beyond the basics. I do not think I can agree with her on this. Indeed, mosques have taken on more roles and functions, such as social development programmes. They no longer simply provide a place for worship. If they did so, it would be a disservice to the community that such physical assets are utilised only for prayers. Dr Ahmad mentioned that he had read reports of mosques with fancy chandeliers and expensive carpets. These were given by sponsors who insisted on donating them as they had already purchased the items, despite our advice to them not to do so. In these cases, mosques eventually accepted the items because not doing so would be a waste. Let me assure Dr Ahmad that extra care has been taken for all project spending to ensure that there is no cost overrun. In some cases, MUIS had even managed to achieve some savings. MUIS will continue to work with the mosques to identify areas for cost savings. For example, MUIS has also worked closely with consultants to review and propose alternative designs and install building components acquired at lower cost, reducing the overall cost of the projects. A total of $2.”
“Sir, we will also continue to take advantage of existing platforms like the MUIS annual workplan seminar, and the Community Leaders' Forum to publicise the funded programmes. For the mosque component of the MBMF, MUIS' decision to fund a mosque project is made with a holistic view, taking into account future projects. These projects have to be approved by the MUIS Council, and MUIS does not arbitrarily decide to fund projects simply because money is available. On the contrary, MUIS carefully plans the long-term usage of the fund, and has made projections until at least 2014, taking into account the rising construction costs. The amount available annually is limited compared to the growing list of ageing mosques. The increase in contribution rates today will help to meet the shortfall for all projects in the pipeline. Mr Zaqy's suggestion for mosques to diversify their funding sources is noted. This is something we will review subject to the guidelines for best practices, such as those in the Charity Council's Code of Governance, where appropriate. For the Mendaki component of the MBMF, a portion of it is used to provide fee subsidies and, in some cases, complete waivers, for educational programmes such as the MENDAKI Tuition Scheme. The remainder is set aside for social and community projects by Malay/Muslim organisations, or MMOs. MMOs submit proposals for funding which are approved under the Malay/Muslim Community Development Fund, or in short, the MMCDF. This Committee is chaired by one of Mendaki's Board of Directors. These proposals must clearly demonstrate alignment to the challenges faced by the community, and indicate clear targets, outreach and timelines.”
“The MBMF has been so successful that Mr Zaqy Mohamed has asked if the community has become over-dependent on it, impeding its culture of giving. I do not think so. All self-help groups in Singapore utilise the CPF check-off system to raise funds. The MBMF is not the community's sole source of funds. To cite one example, the Tabung Amal Aidilfitri (TAA) raised over half a million dollars again this year, proving the generosity of the community. Many Malay/Muslim organisations successfully raise their own funds, and do not depend on the MBMF at all. In this case, we had turned to the MBMF only as a last resort. We had tried other avenues first, such as the Dana Madrasah and ad hoc fund-raising by mosque volunteers, but the mosque upgrading projects and programmes for religious education and dysfunctional families that we wish to fund require long-term planning and, more importantly, a stable source of funding, which only the MBMF can provide with certainty. So, Sir, let me assure Mr Zaqy and Mdm Halimah Yacob that there are proper procedures and controls in place to ensure the prudent use of the MBMF funds. As the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, I oversee the annual budget of the MBMF. The MBMF accounts are externally audited, and the progress and funding outcomes are closely monitored to ensure that they are well spent. I note Mdm Halimah's suggestion for greater sharing of the progress of programmes funded, also shared by Mr Zainul, and we will look into how this can be achieved. MUIS has distributed MBMF brochures to inform the public how much has been spent on building mosques, detailing the land cost and construction cost of each mosque. This information is also readily available on the MUIS website.”
“Dr Ahmad Magad has asked if the burden of the increase in MBMF contribution rates could be shifted from those in the second lowest income band to those in the highest income band. Sir, we had tried to strike a balance between the various income groups when computing the increase in contribution rates needed to fund the projects that we have in the pipeline. The current computation will already result in a 45% increase for the highest income group, and we felt that shifting more of the burden to them was not ideal as they are a very small group comprising only 8% of the MBMF contributors. And creating more income bands will not be administratively efficient as the number of Muslim employees earning $6,000 and above is even smaller. Principles of the MBMF Sir, I would like to reiterate the underlying principles behind the MBMF. First, it only funds projects that are necessary and important. This is essential because the funds are limited, and we should get value and outcomes for our money. We are mindful that the bulk of the funds come from donations by ordinary Muslim workers. Second, the MBMF is based on a self-help principle. It is to enable the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore to raise funds to help itself, and enhance its position as a contributing pillar of the Singaporean society. So, guided by these principles, we have set up the MBMF to fund mosque building when the need arose. We expanded the MBMF in 1984 to provide funding to Mendaki when there was a need for it. And now we are proposing to fund mosque upgrading and religious education because they are important priorities today. Sir, the MBMF has been successful in addressing past needs. Now it needs to address current and future needs.”
“In this regard, it might be good if we give more space and flexibility to the mosques, for example, to generate their own funds in a more creative way. To achieve these long-term aims, we must build a more effective future leadership and this effort must start now by using our current resources. This includes developing our youths today, who form a large percentage of the Malay/Muslim community. With that, Mr Deputy Speaker, I support this Amendment. *Cols. 875-876. 5.20 pm Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to thank Members who have risen to voice their strong support for the Bill. Their support is crucial to our proposals to amend the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA). Let me now address some of the concerns and queries they have raised. Timing of the increase in MBMF contribution rates Sir, some have questioned why we are moving on the AMLA amendments such as raising the contribution rates to the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund, or MBMF, now. My response is that we cannot let our long-term and strategic plans take a back seat when the economy faces a recession. Some of the AMLA amendments have been years in the making, and we should not delay the benefit that they will bring to the community. While we acknowledge that the timing of this round of amendments is not perfect, I think there will never be a timing that is perfect. And taking the point that Mdm Halimah has raised, and if we delay it even further, the changes that we will make in the coming years will be even a lot more difficult to bear. It is during these trying times that the community can show true perseverance and courage in tackling our problems and addressing our needs.”
“So, in order to further convince the whole community, there is a need to ensure that the fund is managed and administered more carefully and transparently. In this regard, all parties play an essential part – the community, by giving their full support through their donations; and the beneficiaries, by showing commitment to ensure that the expected results are achieved. One example is by setting KPIs, and not just financial audits, on the performance of the programmes under the Community Leaders' Forum (CLF). The same goes for madrasah education. The disbursement of funds, how it is used, the effects and the results, must all be presented. Ultimately, we want to see Malay/Muslim organisations and madrasahs that are more efficient and equipped to generate better programmes and education. In the long term, we must see MBMF more than just a fund pool. It has existed for more than 40 years. Thus, what is the MBMF’s direction for next 40 years? I feel that we have to work towards a system or method where our community is able to look after its own interests. For instance, other communities are giving support to religious and community infrastructure without a policy of community-based contributions and various methods of raising funds. For other communities, we have heard how they contribute 10% of their income to their religious or welfare organisations. In the future we hope that our community will be able to work together, and be independent, without having to rely too much on a deduction system like MBMF. Maybe we will have more workers, entrepreneurs and community members who are more successful coming forward to lead the mosques and the Malay organisations more creatively without depending on Government grants or the MBMF.”
“Therefore, public engagement is critical for the community to come together and be clear on the MBMF's objectives and let the public be aware of results of the programmes that are being funded by the MBMF. Thus, I would encourage greater transparency and reporting of the financial and KPI performances, especially with more of the community that are increasingly educated and wish to know that their monthly contributions are in good hands. Such reporting should not be just confined to the direct beneficiaries such as MUIS, MENDAKI and madrasahs under the JMS, but they should also include indirect beneficiaries such as the Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMOS) as well as other organisations benefiting from the 'amanah' of the community. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to continue my speech in Malay. (In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] The changes proposed to the Administration of Muslim Law Act, or AMLA, are among the most important ones to be implemented and will cover every aspect in the lives of the Malay/Muslim community. It is meant to strengthen our important institutions, the family, religion and mosques. However, there are a number of concerns on the change to widen the use of the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund. This is especially relating to the usage of the funds for madrasah education, and the channelling of more funds to MENDAKI in order to fund its programmes that help dysfunctional families. We have to prevent this lack of understanding from creating doubts on the good objectives of expanding MBMF’s usage – that is, to fund better social and educational programmes for the long-term benefit of the community.”
“All parties, ie, the administrators of the fund, donors, stakeholders and beneficiaries should play a part in achieving this outcome. I believe that this is not just about collective leadership or donorship, but also about collective responsibility of the community. With the additional funding from the MBMF, the Ministry should also take the opportunity to consider more refreshing approaches to uplift, improve and renew the machinery that supports the community agenda. This may include encouraging renewal within the MMOs and mosques, establish new Malay/Muslim interest groups that can benefit the community and, perhaps, even broaden the scope to engage international expertise and organisations who can add value to our programmes, management and revenue-generation. Here, there may be a number of interest groups consisting of professionals such as those in healthcare, arts, sports, new media, that have a keen interest to help the disadvantaged families in the community agenda. Finally, we should also address the expectations on the part of the MBMF donors: as donors, some may feel that they are entitled to scholarships and bursaries from MENDAKI – even for overseas tertiary education. I have come across cases where such expectations create friction between the community and what MENDAKI and the Malay leadership need to do for the community. Some young, successful Malay or Muslim Singaporeans grow up with a rift between them and the Malay establishment because of this expectation of the right towards free or subsidised education because of their parents' or personal contributions towards the MBMF.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Second Reading of the AMLA Bill. Before I begin, please allow me to declare my interests as a Board Director of MENDAKI, a beneficiary of the MBMF scheme that I will speak on in my speech. The proposed changes will be one of the most significant for AMLA and I am confident that will bring about positive outcome as we aspire to strengthen the key pillars of the Malay/Muslim community. I am heartened to note that the community is generally supportive of the amendments, though there are concerns especially with regard to the widening of the scope of the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF), to which all Muslim workers contribute automatically. We must be mindful that through the MBMF, we operate on the goodwill of the community – especially in these difficult times. Therefore, it is necessary to have a greater public engagement to prevent misunderstanding of the intent and use of the MBMF. On a regular basis, we should also keep the public informed on how the community is progressing and benefiting from the programmes being funded by the MBMF. MENDAKI, the Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMOs) and the madrasahs, should engage the public more about the achievements especially in their goals to uplift the Malay community, particularly those from the bottom 30% of household income as well as in a broader scope, the strategic directions that they have planned to shape the Singapore Malay/Muslim community for the future. At the end of the day, we should not only ensure the support of the community but also the commitment of everyone so that we can achieve the intended outcome.”
“Though I have a final request for MCYS to consider, moving on from the women to the men of the house. I think that we should consider implementing paternity leave of between two to four weeks for the birth of each child to promote greater involvement of fathers to support the mothers in the initial stages of child development. This should not be seen as an economic incentive, but to get fathers to increase their involvement in the upbringing of children from day one. Sir, in conclusion, I believe that the Act sets us in the right directions in terms of our national birthrate concerns. But I think that we can do more to protect the interests of women in terms of discrimination and unwarranted dismissal. With this, I support the amendments.”
“Sir, in this poor economic climate, the temptation to cut costs may result in more cases of women being terminated for one cause or another in their first two trimesters. From a management point of view, sometimes it is easier to justify poor business performance and company restructuring, rather than poor individual performance of the staff. Sir, currently, I am aware of cases where there are women who are compelled just to hide their pregnancies to as late as possible in order to minimise their risk of being discriminated and dismissed before they reach their final trimester. While the top performers and those from larger organisations may be held up as 'poster cases', those in smaller firms and those within the lower quartiles find themselves at risk of being made redundant when companies are under cost pressure. I would like to recommend that the inserted section 84A be amended to make it in line with section 84 of the Act, to make it harder for employers to justify the dismissals of expectant mothers – whether the reason being retrenchment or otherwise – and give them a minimum of six months before their expected date of delivery or confinement. In addition, I hope that the Minister can help assure the House on how both MCYS and MOM plan to help our women at all levels caught in such situations and if measures are in place to identify and prove such cases. I think MCYS and MOM can work even more closely with top executives, managers and business owners to support this Act. Almost all HR practitioners I spoke to are supportive of this Act. But some of the feedback I receive is that management buy-in is very critical because policies and practices can be very different. This is especially so if the working culture is driven by the bottom-line.”
“I have recently discovered one merit in this Bill. The Bill provides for the protection of women in the PMET group, who are generally not covered by the Employment Act, which tends to cover the blue-collar workers. This is particularly important because the women PMET group – mothers who are managers, executives, professionals and skilled technical staff – tend to be more costly and have a larger impact on the firm’s bottom line. They are often not unionised and are not sufficiently represented and may have more at stake in terms of career prospects and opportunity cost. Moving on to my second point, I think that more can be done to ensure that expectant women who are retrenched (clause 21(g) to insert section 84A) are given similar protection, such as those who are dismissed without sufficient cause (clause 21(d) to amend section 84). I am heartened that clause 21(d) which amends section 84 of the Employment Act has been enhanced. With this amendment, an expectant mother is not deprived of her maternity benefits within a period of six months preceding the estimated delivery date for her confinement, instead of the three months that was provisioned before. I believe the insertion of this new section 84A creates a backdoor to the enhancements made in clause 21(d). In the newly inserted section 84A, an organisation that is retrenching or reorganising does not need to compensate a woman on her maternity benefits, if it is not before three months preceding the estimated delivery date. This can potentially peg us back to the old Act, if dismissals can be justified as retrenchment or company restructuring.”
“I raised this as a parliamentary question in Parliament before, and I am raising it again today, as I believe that there is more that can be done, as regulation today is reactive and the subtlety in which discrimination is happening in the workplace makes enforcement difficult. The underlying objectives of the amendments are good, and I agree with them. But I fear, especially given these difficult times, that discrimination against women who are seeking employment may increase with the implementation of this amendment. If a woman aged 25 to 35 walks through the door for an interview, what may precipitate in the back of the minds of the hiring employer or manager is that she may cost them three children times four months of maternity leave and benefits. This may disadvantage the woman job applicant indirectly, as there will always be different means to justify her unsuitability. Secondly, this may also affect the prospects of women in employment from furthering their careers or particular job postings. For example, I have also received feedback that at annual appraisals, some women have been casually asked by their bosses on whether they plan to have any more kids anytime soon. Sir, I believe that we should move to disallow this line of questioning to begin with, and engage women workers to be aware of the channels that they can seek redress. Such questions are certainly not warranted, and I think more can be done by MCYS and MOM to educate employers. By that, I mean addressing hiring managers and executives, not just the HR teams, to step up enforcement action against those delving in discriminating practices, though not necessarily their policies. I would also encourage MOM and MCYS to educate women of their rights at the workplace.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the CDCA Amendment Bill. I believe this Bill is important for our long-term national interests in terms of making us more pro-family as a nation and as employers. These measures, I hope, will go a long way for us to achieve our national interests in maintaining our population replenishment rates. I agree with my parliamentary colleagues who spoke earlier that the amendments will bring about direct benefits, such as improved financial and leave support, to help prospective parents and those planning to build larger families. I also agree with them that the policy also needs a more holistic approach – though I am not so pessimistic about the long term – as long as we have an open mind, and work with the young to have an open heart, to be more pro-family, to be more open to set up their own families as they grow. I would like to touch upon two main areas today in the implementation of the Bill. Firstly, to protect the interests of women from discrimination in employment and career prospects at the workplace. Secondly, to ensure that women are better protected from unwarranted dismissal under the guise of retrenchment, in particular from companies seeking to cut cost in these difficult times. When the improved benefits were announced in PM’s National Day Rally speech, there was plenty of joy among those planning to have children. However, as mentioned by my parliamentary colleagues, there were also concerns raised by my peers as well as constituents, on whether they would be discriminated at the workplace as a result.”
“I understand that we are a land scarce city and have little choice in locating our foreign worker dormitories. But have we considered putting some of them in the outer islands, for example, Jurong Island, where it could have better spacing and we do not have this kind of problem with regard to space in the residential areas? In terms of logistics, moving up and down, I think we have done that before in Pulau Tekong with our NSmen, by ferrying them up and down through ferries. The second question is this. We seem to be rushing to build a lot more temporary dormitories, and I understand that there could be demand today. But looking at the current economic situation where there is slow down in the manufacturing, construction and services sectors, do we still need so many dormitories in the residential areas?”
“I have a principled question for the Minister. Did we really need to do a blanket guarantee for the banks? Could we have kept it to the local banks? Two questions arise from that. Firstly, with regard to foreign banks, Mr Inderjit has talked about foreign banks financing their operations out. But there is also the issue of foreign banks not being regulated per se in terms of the parent bank being more susceptible to collapse, for example, and therefore we do have to guarantee using Singaporeans' savings, Singaporeans' money, for these foreign banks. And, secondly, we are also looking at foreign investors. We are also using Singapore's reserves and Singapore's money to support these foreign investors and depositors. Could the Minister please explain? Did we consider the alternative of keeping the guarantee just to local banks, protect the interest of our local banks and to strengthen them at this time?”
“Sir, the Minister mentioned earlier on that pump-priming is probably one of those measures that we probably took as public spending to boost the economy towards recovery. Given that there are many foreign workers in Singapore as well as some foreign companies, are we confident that this kind of measures will not lead to money flowing out of the country into foreign companies and foreign nationals, and help more to boost the local economy and domestic companies?”
“Would the Ministry consider tiering the entry fees for lower-income Singaporeans, or even Singaporeans for that matter, and the tourists? In that sense, I know that is being done in some countries. We pride ourselves as a nation of equal opportunities, but it is hard for the lower-income families earning, say, below $1,500 or even $1,000 a month, to enjoy the attractions or to have their kids exposed to the Singapore Flyer or even the Zoo.”
“I understand the OPC scheme and the ERP scheme are probably serving different interests. Will the LTA consider making a study on the impact of the actual number of weekend cars on the road on Saturday mornings? If it is not huge, I suppose the concession will be more than enough to cover without increasing the road tax, for example, and also let ERP regulate the traffic on Saturday mornings, since we are all moving to a five-day week for most industries.”
“Young mothers who are planning to have children, for example, and today you find that some are complaining that employers are asking them, "Are you planning to have a family?" I think that is quite discriminatory.”
“Just to clarify my comment. When I said "prospective mothers-to-be" I meant young mothers who are thinking of either having children or have children and planning to have more, rather than prospective employees of a company.”
“It seems that the MOM defines some mothers-to-be as pregnant for more than six months and above. Would the MOM consider putting in an anti-harassment law for prospective mothers – young, married women, for example – who are applying for jobs or are working and are being asked by employers if they are planning to start a family or having more children? I think this should also be considered as potential harassment tactics by employers.”
“I am just following up on the Senior Minister of State's comment earlier. Would MND consider changing the mechanism for the housing grant given to First-Timers buying resale flats? The grant could actually be delivered in cash rather than putting it straight into CPF, or an equivalent mechanism.”
“Could the Senior Parliamentary Secretary give us an assessment of the view that enforcement should be left in the hands of volunteers? I have that problem in my constituency as well. You have got motorcycles running through the barrier-free access into the parks, footpaths and so on. You do not find a consistent means of enforcement. If they are in a park, they say it is the NParks' problem. If they are around the block, they say it is HDB's or the Town Council's problem. If it is by the side road, it is LTA's problem. So, there is no consistent means of enforcement but, yet, the safety of pedestrians is of overriding concern. Perhaps, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary can elaborate on how effective the Voluntary Enforcement Officers (VEO) are.”
“The Minister mentioned some new jobs to be created in the new sectors. I want to ask the Minister what is his assessment of our programme so far, and its ability to gear our workers towards these new sectors that have been mentioned.”
“Sir, I would like to ask two questions. One, on the diversification of sources and control of prices of meat, does the Ministry also look at halal meat as an indicator too? My second question is, moving away from GM foods, today we are also talking about meat from cloned animals, ie, from clones. What is the Ministry's position? There is talk out there that they are looking at cloning animals for meat purposes. Is there a study into this?”
“Madam, I would like to thank the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs for outlining MUIS' outreach programmes to counter self-radicalisation and our inter-faith efforts. Could the Minister comment if MUIS or the Malay community has been over-reacting, given the recent self-radicalisation in the Mas Selamat's case? I personally would have loved that the security issues of self-radicalisation be addressed as part of the MHA's cuts. But, in this case, would it seem as though we are making the national security issue a Malay/Muslim issue? Some of those I spoke to, eg, religious and Malay community leaders, feel that it may put the Malay community on the defensive if we over-react. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, I am not sure whether we are over-reacting. But I agree with him that, in the case of Mas Selamat Kastari, it is a national security issue. DPM Wong is on top of the situation, together with the security agencies. But, as he has mentioned, he welcomes all efforts by all sectors of the community, of all races, to try and help out, in terms of disseminating the information. In terms of radicalisation, we recognise that there are roles in which the Malay community can play because, this phenomenon, unfortunate though it may be, is happening within the Malay/Muslim community and, therefore, we have a certain amount of responsibility to ensure that our young are not led astray. So, in terms of encouraging our young to go to the right sources to make sure they are not misled, I think we have a very important role to play. But in terms of dealing with the direct security threat, it has to be a national effort, and we play our role as Singaporeans.”
“These madrasahs have to retrain their teachers or get new ones. So I would like to know what are the performance indicators and performance standards used by MUIS to ensure that the madrasahs fully utilise the financial grant that was given for their school administration and to improve their students' PSLE performance. *Cols. 2307-2308. Self-Radicalisation of Muslims”
“(In Malay): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *. ] Madam, some changes regarding the full-time madrasahs was announced by MUIS and the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs last year. One key change is the formation of the Joint Madrasah System (JMS). Under the system, the Aljunied, Irsyad and Al-Arabiah madrasahs were integrated to share resources, with each having their own specialisation. This is a timely move and further updates the religious education. By combining their efforts, the madrasahs can better utilise limited resources and create better and more stable programmes for madrasah students. However, three other full-time madrasahs chose not to join the JMS. I would like to know, since the JMS was formed, what is the progress of the integration efforts. What is MUIS' stand of the three madrasahs that did not join the JMS? Can they still join the JMS? In this matter, are there steps or financial support to the three madrasahs should they decide to join the JMS in the near future? Moving on, under the Compulsory Education Act, Primary 6 students from full-time madrasahs must take the PSLE later this year. Last year, the Minister said that some steps are taken to help affected madrasahs. MUIS even offered a special assistance package worth $700,000 a year to help local madrasahs prepare for PSLE. Can the Minister give the latest update on the madrasahs' progress in preparing for the PSLE? With regard to the JMS, I believe MUIS has allocated a substantial fund to the three madrasahs that took part. What is the amount allocated to run the JMS? This is because the madrasahs have to go through a big change, since some need to specialise on secondary education, as compared to their current focus on primary education.”
“For example, a group of NUS students fed back that they were looking to volunteer in the run-up to the Youth Olympic Games. However, they googled and went to MCYS' website and could not find any link to sign up. So it is one thing that Ms Denise Phua said that the elderly and the disabled could not find the site on MCYS but it is another thing when tech-savvies use Google and cannot find anything either. I think we need to make it easier for our youths to reach the Government and navigate the maze of policies, services, websites and touchpoints. 5.15 pm MCYS' approach to create more platforms to be run by youths is definitely a good start. But I think MCYS can still play a bigger role to ensure that the Government at the core, remains more youth-relevant. Sports Facilities”
“Madam, today, we see a changing trend in the youth and young adult landscape in terms of attitudes and value systems, eg, rising acceptance of divorces, views on marriage and sex, materialism, value of filial piety. What is the Government doing today to ensure that our messaging reflects these changing values and attitudes of youths? If I could cite Minister Vivian's example earlier on irresponsible men being at the core centre of all the social ills and dysfunctional families, I think many from my generation and those younger than me probably would say that women are equally as culpable. I think we are still grappling with messaging in terms of abstinence versus safe sex and contraception, and even minor marriages, particularly where parents are involved, and we face the challenge of being accountable to the entire community. For certain youth issues, how does the Government balance its messaging to be sufficiently youth-relevant? This is important, especially in terms of nation building and future policy making. The effectiveness of Govern ment's messaging of its policies will reflect the interest of youths in them. A simple example is CPF or CPF LIFE. This is as much an issue for the youth community as the elderly, a scheme that many will join inevitably as they enter the workforce. Yet, when we talk about the bridge between the young and Government policies, I think the bridge is still peppered with apathy. So I think MCYS can do more as a whole-of-Government approach to youth engagement. On the demand side, I think MCYS has put forth more platforms and funding for youth activities. However, I think the outreach and touchpoints can be improved, especially to make it easier for youths to step forward.”
“Therefore, I urge that the MCYS need to finance and cultivate the people sector better so that the entire social assistance framework can be more effective and flexible by spreading our resources over a wider spectrum and help base, and not just focused on the 'Government-standard' low income criteria. To do this, the people sector also needs to develop innovative and effective social programmes. However, such talents are not easy to obtain in the people sector, because it is difficult to pay well, especially with public scrutiny. Many qualified social workers decide to undertake other careers, some perform counselling work in the Government sector, such as MOE, while others decide to take different career paths. To illustrate my point, there is a salary difference between working as a social worker in the VWO and being a counsellor in a school under MOE. Most prefer the latter because it pays better. And we also tend to forget the executives and administrators who support them. So the Government also should help by increasing support to the running costs of IPCs and accredited VWOs. The public also needs to be educated that good management and staff are needed to deliver good programmes, particularly programmes which address the needs of the sandwiched class and disadvantaged because without good talents, we only get more of the same and low income type schemes and subsidies. Policy Matter”