[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [4th Allotted Day]. (proc text)]
[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]
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[(proc text) \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head K of the Estimates be reduced by $100\". – [Mr Lim Biow Chuan]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Question again proposed. (proc text)]
Assoc Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene (Nominated Member): Madam, in providing religious instructions distinctive to its religious beliefs, a mission aided school must comply with the Education (Grant-in-Aid) Regulations. This helps ensure that our schools remain the vital common space for our Singaporean children regardless of race, language or religion.
Like many Members who attended schools with religious affiliations, I can attest to the benefits of such a multiracial, multi-religious school environment even though I am a Catholic and was educated in a Catholic primary school. My son now attends a Catholic primary school.
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As such, I view with concern the subtle but growing lack of understanding and appreciation for the distinctive character and mission of our schools with religious affiliations. I have observed and have received feedback of how some parents with children in mission aided schools, who are not affiliated to the faith of those schools, complain about the morning prayers as part of the morning assembly, Mass in school, religious symbols in schools, faith-based Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs), and of priority being given in primary school admission to children who are affiliated with churches or other religious organisations. Some go so far as to pressure schools to reduce or even do away with these distinctive practices and traditions.
Ironically, these parents argue that as Singapore is a secular state that is not based on any particular religion, mission aided schools detract from this core principle. These efforts to \"secularise\" mission schools are misguided and troubling for their creeping intolerance.
I hope that the Ministry and the mission aided schools will do more to engage parents and students about the mission of mission aided schools so that there is understanding, respect and support to uphold and enhance the distinctive character and ethos of these schools.
We will all be poorer if our system of secular education in our national schools persists in eroding the distinctive character and religious ethos of our mission aided schools.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Madam, Religious Knowledge (RK) was introduced into our education system back at our secondary school level in 1982. During that period, RK was a compulsory subject and it could be used as an \"O\" level subject to apply for entry into a junior college, pre-university centre, or polytechnic. RK subsequently became an optional subject and was totally removed from the secondary school syllabus in the early 1990s.
I would like to call upon the Ministry to consider and explore the possibility of re-introducing RK as one of the Humanities subjects alongside existing choices, such as Literature, Geography and History. Schools should also be given the discretion to offer RK as a subject, and in view of limited resources and interests among students.
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I would also like to call upon the Ministry to encourage our universities to introduce Theology alongside existing programmes on religion inter-faith studies and philosophy. This will not only offer a reasoned, responsible and constructive basis for discussion, but it will also add diversity to our university landscape. In top universities, such as Harvard, Cambridge and Oxford, Theology has often provided an added dimension to a student's academic life.
The re-introduction of RK in our secondary schools and the introduction of Theology in our universities will provide students with more possibilities and offer them an avenue where they can deepen their understanding of not only their own faith, but the faith of their neighbours and friends. At the very least, RK provides a firm foundation to foster an environment for constructive discussion on religious and inter-faith issues in Singapore and beyond.
Madam, a school is an important institution where knowledge is acquired and values developed. I was the last batch of students who were offered RK during my secondary school education. I have personally benefitted from the RK programme. I hope the Ministry can consider and further explore the suggestion I have put forth.
Dr Lily Neo (Tanjong Pagar): Madam, bullying in schools can occur in any setting and takes many forms. It occurs in schools without exception, regardless of socio-economic or cultural background. The various types are verbal, physical, racial and cyberbullying. Although, in Singapore, verbal bullying is most common, the two emerging forms of bullying are cyberbullying and racial motivated bullying.
Bullying has clear, deleterious impacts on both the victim and the bully. Numerous studies on the subject have noted a positive correlation between being bullied and an increased risk of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and even suicide. Bullying also has a negative effect on the bully, including increased estrangement from the rest of the school and/or society and contributes to an increased risk of the bully being engaged in criminal activity and youth delinquency and higher tendency to enter into crime as adults.
May I ask MOE if there is any study done to ascertain the prevalence of school bullying in our schools. MOE treats bullying as a \"disciplinary problem\" which is far too general in my view. Can MOE adopt a tough no-tolerance policy on bullying in our schools like the UK and Australia? MOE should implement
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model bullying policies to be adopted by all schools and defining the prohibited actions or behaviours so that there is consistency in all schools.
Could MOE adequately train all teachers to better detect and to deal with bullying?
Could MOE raise the awareness on the prevention of school bullying among students, parents and schools. There should be the provision of self-report questionnaires, instructions and activities in the school curriculum to enable bullying to be addressed amongst students, formation of discussion groups involving parents, empowerment through Student Anti-Bullying Committees and Peer Support programmes. Students should be encouraged and made easy for them to report on themselves or their friends being bullied.
In view of the increased cases of cyberbullying, what are the measures in place to deal with this area with greater urgency?
Can there also be better counselling services and pastoral care for all students involved or afflicted by school bullying?
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Moulmein-Kallang): Madam, while MOE has the COMPASS Council to strengthen home-school collaborations, many parents and schools are still not actively engaging each other. Some barriers to parent involvement include: lack of time by families and school staff; prior negative contacts between teachers and parents usually when students misbehave; and lack of strategy and skills in engaging parents effectively
In a culture where teaching of daily life skills and character-building are either missing or outsourced to schools, equipping families in this area is a potentially meaningful way of engaging them. At a recent meeting with educators, I heard that there are students who have not peeled an orange or cooked a meal for themselves before.
One way that MOE can facilitate win-win school-parent engagement is the provision of easily accessible online or face to face modular learning workshops so schools can engage families to coach their children in topics, such as social etiquette and other daily living skills applicable to the home, community and global settings.
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The Chairman: Senior Parliamentary Secretary.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Mr Hawazi Daipi): Mdm Chairperson, the Minister had spoken about our commitment to bring out the best in every child, in every domain of learning, in every school, at every stage of the learning journey, whatever the starting point, to create a better future, together. This can only be achieved through a close partnership of school, home and the community. I will speak about how good efforts enabled by this partnership have benefited our children.
Parents, being the first caregivers and teachers, are no doubt a key influence on the holistic development of their child. To thrive in the 21st century, there has been an increased premium placed on softer competencies like attitudes, values and life skills. These softer competencies complement a rigorous academic curriculum to help our students navigate an increasingly ambiguous and fast-changing workplace. Hence, we are heartened to see parents sharing this vision and working hand-in-hand with schools in providing a conducive environment to develop the whole child.
Co-chairing the National Advisory Council known as COMmunity and PArents in Support of Schools (COMPASS), I am pleased to share the many platforms that MOE has put in place to engage a wide spectrum of parents deeply and meaningfully. An example is the COMPASS Forum Theatre, an interactive drama to spark off discussions on parenting styles through the role-playing of different parent-child scenarios. I was at the first session and was pleased to see parents, young people as well as educationists in the audience participating actively and co-creating parenting solutions. We found that such an activity helps parents reflect on their role and parenting style.
Mdm Helen Su participated in one of these sessions with her son. She shared that the event had improved her relationship with her son as both of them walked away with a better understanding of parents and teenagers' mindsets. She also hoped to attend more of such sessions to guide her through the growing process of her teenage son.
Parent Support Groups (PSGs) also contribute very directly towards our children's well-roundedness. The PSG members of Jurong Primary School believe strongly that learning is a wonderful adventure which parents can be a part of. For example, they work closely with the school in conducting homeskills programmes to teach students basic cooking and sewing. As Ms Denise Phua pointed out, having these living skills help our children develop independence
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and become well-adjusted adults in future.
Mdm Ivy Seah, who chaired the PSG in Cedar Primary School, believes that the ethnic diversity of the PSG can greatly enrich the National Education curriculum and cultural programmes. Comprising parents of ethnicities and nationalities, Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans, the PSG exposes the students to a range of Asian cultures, through displays and sharing during cultural celebrations, as well as experiential learning programmes. These are parents from India, Nepal, China and some other countries, who come together with Singaporean parents to help the children learn better and to understand diversity and accept it.
In Woodgrove Secondary School, the PSG members are actively involved in Values-in-Action (VIA) projects as the parents believe that they should lead by example in contributing to the society. During a visit to the Sunshine Welfare Action Mission (SWAMI), the PSG members performed and played games with the elderly. Students witnessed their parents' care for the elderly, while learning to be more empathetic towards the old folks.
PSGs could also play a role in family bonding. Mr Edwin Cheng, who used to be a part of the PSG of Ai Tong School, feels that the regular family-wide participation in PSG activities has helped his children adjust well to school and develop a sense of belonging.
It is encouraging to see more parents coming forth to play a more active role in their child's education. We recognise the value of PSGs and support their meaningful activities. In 2012, we introduced the PSG Fund, which is a seed funding of $2,500 per school to enhance partnership efforts with parents.
For example, this fund had supported East Spring Secondary School in achieving a common understanding between parents and the school. As a member of the PSG ExCo, Mrs Esther Sim was involved in strategising with the school on how best to use the PSG Fund. The result was a PSG Handbook to help parents understand the school mission and what they can do as partners in education.
This fund also enabled the PSG of Park View Primary School to organise workshops to promote networking and sharing of knowledge amongst parents. So, it is not just a fund that parents use to benefit the children, but they also use this fund to enrich themselves through sharing. One such workshop was on \"Celebrating a Pro-Family Mindset\", during which parents had the opportunities
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to reflect, and devise strategies on living and celebrating a family life that they envision. Participants provided feedback that they have acquired new skills and had become more confident in coaching their child.
To support partnership with parents on an on-going basis, MOE will provide each school with an annual top up of their PSG Fund of up to $2,500 per year. I hope that this will sustain the momentum of the good programmes we have today, while enabling more parents to play a more active role in their child's education.
I am also pleased to share that COMPASS is working closely with a group of PSG leaders from various schools to organise the first ever PSG Conference, which will be held in April this year at the MOE's ExCEL Fest 2014. The conference will allow PSGs to share their best practices with one another and grow together.
Dr Lily Neo spoke about bullying. MOE acknowledges her concerns and takes a zero-tolerance approach towards school bullying.
The new Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum empowers students to help themselves and support their peers who are bullied. Teachers are also equipped with customised resources to identify and manage bullying cases. Through our curriculum and programmes, schools impart values to foster appropriate behaviour and inculcate socio-emotional competencies to help students respond in challenging situations. Families, particularly parents, are our best partners in reinforcing these values and competencies at home.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap spoke about re-introducing Religious Knowledge into our curriculum. Our curriculum today provides our students with a broad-based exposure of major religions in Singapore. Such exposure helps to promote respect between people of different religious backgrounds. Many schools also leverage special occasions, such as Deepavali, Good Friday and Racial Harmony Day, to help students appreciate our multicultural and multi-religious Singapore. Hence, with the wide range of efforts, it is not necessary to re-introduce Religious Knowledge as a separate subject.
I agree with Assoc Prof Eugene Tan on the need to preserve the character and integrity of mission and faith-affiliated schools. These schools have a well-established heritage that gives them a distinctive identity and contributes to
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diversity in our educational landscape. Parents who choose to enrol their children in these schools generally appreciate the unique heritage and ethos of the school.
In order to preserve the common space where our young can develop a shared Singaporean identity, MOE has set guidelines to ensure that schools conduct religious activities sensitively. Within these guidelines, we want these schools to maintain these traditions and school culture, which is part-and-parcel of embracing our multi-religious Singapore.
Parents are important role models for our students to understand, respect and celebrate such diversity. This is an important part of holistic education and goes towards fostering social cohesion in Singapore.
Authentic learning opportunities go beyond the four walls of the classroom. The Minister has spoken about how the Applied Learning Programme connects academic knowledge and skills with the real world, so that students can appreciate the relevance and value of what they are learning.
Outram Secondary School has been making use of various teaching approaches to sustain students' interest in the learning of Malay Language and culture. For instance, the school conducted Silat lessons, which allowed students to learn more about the traditional Malay martial arts and the different Malay words used in the martial arts. In collaboration with the community, the students put up Silat performances for the senior citizens at the Beo Crescent neighbourhood. A Malay Language teacher, Miss Elyani Mohamed, commented that through these activities, students were able to gain appreciation of the Malay culture and traditions as well as learn important values to develop their character.
Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School partnered the Singapore Chinese Physicians Association and co-created an innovative pedagogy for the learning and teaching of Mother Tongue Languages using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The upper primary school students who took Chinese Language visited and interviewed Chinese physicians in the neighbourhood on their work and the different types of TCM treatments. The students then carried out further research by referring to the TCM reference books found in the school's TCM room, which was designed like a Chinese physician's clinic and served as an authentic learning centre for their students. They also had the opportunity to tour the Singapore Chung Hwa Medical Institution, which was the school's community partner to see the Chinese physicians in action. This partnership
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provided the platform for students to hone their Chinese Language through experiential, self-directed learning.
Partnership with the community also presents endless opportunities to enhance our Character and Citizenship Education, which involves opening the mind and touching the heart of our children. Beyond the theoretical transmission of values, we must also help our children translate these values into action and make a difference to Singapore and the lives of fellow Singaporeans.
Marsiling Community Centre launched Homework Cafe in the beginning of this year to foster to provide a conducive environment for children from disadvantaged families to do their homework. To date, the programme has benefitted 20 children from families receiving public financial assistance. Since the start of the programme, students from Republic Polytechnic (RP) have regularly volunteered to coach and help these children with their homework. Seeing these children eager to come for Homework Cafe, Aqeem, one of the RP students who has been volunteering in the last six weeks, derives a deep sense of satisfaction from having played a part in levelling up his community.
Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) in 2013 drove home the importance of listening closely to our stakeholders' needs and aspirations, and factoring these into our policymaking and implementation. MOE will continue to reach out and engage parents, our community partners and stakeholders extensively and meaningfully. Consolidating our experience from OSC, we are developing deeper engagement capacity among the headquarter and school personnel.
I thank Ms Denise Phua for sharing her concerns and interest regarding parent engagement at the school level. This is indeed, as I said earlier in my speech, a very important part of the school and community work. I hope that the earlier part of my speech has demonstrated that our schools are forthcoming in engaging parents. This can be seen from the fact that more than 95% of our schools have formalised PSGs. Besides that, our schools have always been communicating regularly with parents through various channels, including emails, meet-the-parents sessions, newsletters and school websites.
I agree with Ms Phua that effective parent engagement requires schools to have a deep understanding of parents' concerns and this will form the foundation of mutual trust between parents and schools. In order to support and sustain schools in their stakeholder engagement efforts, MOE has produced and disseminated a Facilitation Primer, a publication which is a toolkit
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on effective facilitation. It is our aim that through better engagement with stakeholders, MOE will be better able to co-create the future education system with our stakeholders.
Madam, summing up, parents and the community have a huge role to play, whether in inculcating the right values in our children, teaching our children to embrace diversity in our multicultural, multi-religious Singapore, or helping our children learn beyond the classroom. To bring out the best in every child, we are committed to continue harnessing the energy of parents and the community, to live out MOE's Partnership motto \"Building on Trust, Partnership as One\".
Madam, let me conclude my speech in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Government aims to help bring out the best in every child, in every domain of learning, in every school and at every stage of schooling, whatever their social background, to build a better future for every pupil and the country. Parents and society have a very important role in assisting in instilling good values that we want to develop in our children for the sake of our children's future. MOE will continue assisting schools to build their capabilities, work together with parents and the community to ensure that our students can learn in a larger environment beyond their classrooms.
The Chairman: We have a bit of time for clarification. Mr Lim Biow Chuan.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Thank you, Mdm Chair. Just some supplementary questions for MOE. First, for the Minister: PSLE is a stressful time for many parents because of the desire for the children to do well in the examination. Can the Minister share a bit what else we can do to get parents to buy into the concept that education is not just about academic grades, but the overall development of the child, so that the schools can bring out the best in the children and so the Minister can emphasise his \"Every School is a Good School\" concept to more parents? I am just wondering whether the PSG can do more to help communicate the message to the parents.
The second supplementary question is, while I applaud the setting up of 40 more student care centres, how would this impact MOE's plans to have more primary schools go single sessions?
The third question is on the teaching of values. The feedback I had was that many Singaporeans are concerned that there is not enough emphasis on the
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teaching of loyalty to the nation. They need to be patriotic; they need to care for the community. Can these areas be emphasised during the teaching of Character and Citizenship Education (CCE)?
And, finally, for the Senior Minister of State Ms Indranee Rajah. The Senior Minister of State spoke about ASPIRE Committee considering the use of professional certification to recognise skills-based education. I wonder whether the Senior Minister of State is able to elaborate a little bit more about what kind of professional or technical certification is MOE considering and how do we ensure that such certification is recognised and valued by the industries?
The Minister for Education (Mr Heng Swee Keat): Mdm Chair, I thank Mr Lim Biow Chuan for his supplementary questions. On his first question of what more we can do to convince and persuade parents about what is the best way to bring out the best in their children, I have spoken at length on the range of measures that we are doing in our schools.
Starting from the way that we assess students more holistically – in our primary schools now, our schools provide a holistic assessment report for our students. I have seen some of these reports, and I have to say that our teachers are putting a lot of effort to explain the various dimensions. We have also started on our Values-In-Action programme as part of CCE. In the Values-In-Action programmes, we seek to involve parents in the process and some schools have done it very creatively. They have, for instance, required students to work with their parents – for example, doing household chores at home. I think parents can see the value of those types of assignments. Parents then take part together with children in their learning journey and, in the process, they get to understand even better what our schools are seeking to do and to see for themselves how this benefits their children.
But I agree with Mr Lim that this is going to be a long journey. It is not something that we can do overnight. That is where deeper engagement with parents is very important – and I found that to be valuable during Our Singapore Conversation, where we had many discussions with parents. Understanding what their concerns are, what their aspirations are and how we can work together with them.
As Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr Hawazi Daipi has just mentioned, we will do more through our Parent Support Groups. That is why we have decided to provide a top up to all the Parent Support Groups Fund so that they can help to spread the message of how each and every family can bring out the best in
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their children, not just in the academic realm, but holistically. So, we will do more with the Parent Support Groups. We will also be conducting more parent conferences. Our schools have been provided with tool kits; we see our educators, our school leaders, engaging parents in a more intense way.
Mr Lim asked if the provision of Student Care Centres will affect the implementation of single session in schools. I would like to assure Mr Lim that no, it would not. In fact, we are on track in both areas. I do hope that the Student Care Centres will provide parents with greater assurance that their children are being looked after.
The third question that Mr Lim raised is about the teaching of values and, in particular, loyalty to the nation. Indeed, this is something that we have to pay a lot of attention to because as recent events have shown, we live in an unpredictable world. As a small nation, we will always have to be vigilant if we want to maintain our independence and sovereignty. So, how do we teach this concept of loyalty to our students? It is, in fact, through a lot of Values-In-Action. You will notice that our programme is called \"Character and Citizenship Education\", and it is important for our students, starting from very young, to understand what it means to be citizens of Singapore, what it means to be loyal to the country, and how they can contribute to our broader community or broader society, and not just to have success on their own. And in our Character and Citizenship Education programmes, a great deal of the activities are infused into daily actions because there is no better way of saying that I love my country than to do something for the country – and to do something whether it is starting from the school, or the neighbourhood and the broader community.
It is a whole range of different activities, many of them initiated by the students themselves, so that they can experience it, they can feel it and not just talk about it in abstract. Again, this is an ongoing continual effort. We must do our best to help every child realise the importance of contributing to our nation and, in that way, we can continue to build a cohesive, successful nation. And this is particularly important as we celebrate our 50th year of Independence.
I will ask Senior Minister of State Ms Indranee Rajah to respond to the other issues.
The Senior Minister of State for Education (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mdm Chairperson, with respect to the Member's clarification on elaboration of
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what kind of professional and technical certifications we are looking at, the Committee is still at the early stages of the work. But what I can say is we should first look at what is the ultimate goal.
The ultimate goal is that students want to progress; those who are in working life also want to progress. That is one part of it. And when you look at the employer's perspective, what does the employer want? The employer wants skills, deep skills. And also for employees who have worked for two or three years, they want them to get additional skills and broader skills. So, that is the starting point.
It is really to look at what the industry needs and what kind of certification the industry recognises, and what kind of certification in which the industry feels that there are gaps at the moment and is not being provided. It is also important to recognise that each industry is different. So, what we are really looking at or exploring is how to work with industries to understand from them what they need in order to give their employees the chance to progress upwards, what kind of certifications would be relevant for that, and how we can assist in this process.
Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong): Mdm Chair, I am pleased with the additional measures by MOE to assist students with disabilities, especially with the setting up of the Disability Support Offices. However, it is important that MOE could also help ensure that the quality of the SPED schools is consistent across the different schools, so that we can have a desirable outcome. And the desirable outcome to most of us with keen interest in this disability sector is for as many of the SPED school graduates to proceed to ITE or to find a meaningful job after graduation.
So, to this end, could MOE clarify how MOE is helping SPED graduates to transit from school to work; and, secondly, more importantly, how MOE could help SPED schools implement a curriculum that will help to shape the SPED graduates to be more work-ready?
Mdm Chair, one more question on the DSA. I am glad that MOE will review the DSA scheme, partly to incorporate the assessment of students' other exceptional personal qualities, such as resilience, ability to overcome adversity, despite coming from a family of challenging background and so on. May I ask if it means that every student applying for DSA will be assessed on whether they have these exceptional qualities?
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The Minister of State for Education (Ms Sim Ann): Madam, I will take the Member's questions on raising the quality of SPED schools as well as progression of our students in the SPED schools on to post-secondary institutions.
Madam, indeed, it is the shared goal of MOE as well as our stakeholders and partners in the VWO sector to see as many of our students in our SPED schools progress on to either post-secondary institutions or be able to secure a job when they leave the school system. And to this end, we have been working together with our SPED schools as well as VWOs to strengthen our vocational training for those students who are able to undertake such education.
This is an ongoing piece of work and I would like to thank our Members for being amongst the stakeholders who have given us many valuable suggestions in this regard, and MOE will be pleased to share more when more of our initiatives have been firmed up. Over the years, we have been putting in more investments into our SPED schools in order to help prepare our students for work, in order to equip them with more skills.
Mr Heng Swee Keat: Madam, may I also respond to Mr Ang Wei Neng's question on DSA. Mr Ang Wei Neng has asked whether we expect every DSA student to now be assessed on exceptional personal qualities. No, we do not expect exceptional personal qualities in all DSA students. The exceptional personal qualities, which I spoke about last Friday, are about character, resilience, drive and leadership.
So, there will be no change to the criteria for selecting DSA students for the vast majority. They will continue to be assessed based on their achievements and potential in a specific academic or non-academic area. As part of the selection, schools today already look out for good conduct and basic personal qualities and this will remain. But we do not expect everyone to demonstrate exceptional personal qualities.
What we have done now is to provide for an additional avenue for a very small number of students who have displayed exceptional personal qualities to be given a second look by the secondary schools. So, our primary schools will identify a small handful of students with these qualities and help these students with these exceptional personal qualities to apply for DSA to a secondary school which has programmes that can allow these students to develop their area of potential and talent to the fullest. These students will be considered alongside other DSA candidates who have not been so identified by their
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primary schools.
We do not expect large numbers because we do not typically expect such exceptional personal qualities at the young age of 12, but for a few who have had to face adversity in life early on and yet have thrived, we want to make sure that they are supported; that they continue to grow and thrive, especially in their areas of potential and talent, so that we can bring out the best in these children. As I have said earlier, this is part of our goal to help all our students to make full use of the variegated school landscape to bring out the best in every child and to keep our secondary schools open to a wide range of talents with different strengths.
Mr Png Eng Huat (Hougang): I have two clarifications to seek from the Ministry, maybe from the Senior Minister of State. The Minister had said earlier that they would be tightening up the tuition grant administration process, in terms of tracking the bond obligation fulfilment by the international students. Can I know when will the whole process be completed?
The second clarification is whether they would also be looking into the terms and conditions of the application process, specifically on the surety part, and whether they would still want to allow sureties to be residing overseas where it is very hard for us to hold them to their words, in that sense.
Mr Heng Swee Keat: I thank Mr Png Eng Huat for his question. Let me reiterate the reply that I gave to Parliament several weeks back where I made it clear that eight in 10 students started serving their bond promptly, were granted approval by MOE to defer the obligation, and of the remaining ones who are not, some have gone for studies and omitted to get approval; some are seeking employment and so on. We have in place a tracking and enforcement system, and for those who are in deliberate default, enforcement action will be taken. The reason why it takes time to track all these cases is that these are fairly intensive efforts. Each case has to be reviewed carefully. For instance, if someone said that he has a medical condition and is unable to fulfil his obligation, all that has to be checked properly and carefully.
Mr Png asked how long it would take. Well, the review is going on and we are continuing to improve the system. He had also asked about the terms and conditions, especially about sureties. Let us see this in perspective because for international students, the requirement to allow for sureties who do not necessarily live in Singapore is a practical consideration. If you require all to be Singaporeans, it means that it would be difficult, if not almost impossible, to
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get all of them. But I want to assure the Member that we take this enforcement seriously, wherever the sureties are. I understand Mr Png Eng Huat's interest in looking at the administrative details, and I do think that these details matter and, indeed, officials are working very hard on these areas.
But let me emphasise a few points. The first is that the admission of international students in our Institutes of Higher Learning is not at the expense of local students. Let me raise three strategic points about why we are having international students in the first place. First, we need to prepare our students for the future. Our starting point is a simple one – we want to provide high-quality, forward-looking education for Singaporean students, so that we can prepare them better for the future and, in turn, they can help to build a better future for all. And our students have to be prepared for a different world – the globalised, information-age world where soft skills matter; soft skills of cultural literacy, global awareness and the ability to work with people from all over the world, from all walks of life. Indeed, Ms Janice Koh, Ms Tan Su Shan and Mrs Lina Chiam all spoke about this earlier on. In fact, Mrs Chiam suggested that, perhaps, we should send 20% of our students overseas and then, in turn, we have 20% of overseas students come to study in our institutions to build that global awareness and cross-cultural literacy. I am happy to say that we are doing both. In fact, more than 50% of our students have, in their undergraduate studies, some form of overseas exposure. Having a fraction of international students in our system serves exactly the purpose that Mrs Chiam had spoken about, and which many of our Members here have spoken about.
The second strategic point which I like to raise is that having international students in our universities and polytechnics serves the interests of all Singaporeans because it augments our manpower, it allows us to attract investments. And when we attract good investments, we create good jobs for all Singaporeans. As you are fully aware, we have a small market, and our companies have to regionalise and globalise. And when they are able to tap on students who have lived a part of their lives in Singapore, they get to understand the Singapore way of doing things and they get to understand how they can work in Singapore companies and promote the Singapore brand.
The third strategic point is this: that having a network of people who have been in Singapore ultimately benefits Singapore and Singaporeans. It may not be obvious today but it becomes obvious years down the road.
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Let me just cite my personal experience. As a civil servant, when I was in MTI and when I was in the Monetary Authority of Singapore, I travelled around the region negotiating trade agreements, working on projects in collaboration with the governments in the region, with businesses in the region. Quite a number of these leaders had at some point studied in Singapore, and there is such a reservoir of goodwill, friendship and trust that allows us to do things together.
Now, it may not appear obvious at first glance, but I urge Mr Png Eng Huat to consider carefully what that means for Singapore. Why do we want to create that goodwill, if not for the fact that this is going to benefit all Singaporeans in the long run? It may not benefit us today; it will benefit us years down the road. In fact, let me say that we are not the only country seeking to do this.
I recently met a group of our Singaporean students who had been given scholarships to study in 北大, 清华 and 复旦, fully paid for by the Chinese government. When they came back, I spoke to them and they understand what is happening in China better. I was recently in Germany and several of their universities asked me to help them promote their scholarships to study in Germany. They said, \"First, in the immediate term, we know that Asian students make very good engineers and we need more engineers; and, second, we know that they will help to build that network which, over time, will promote deeper relationships between Germany, in particular, and Europe, in general, and Asia\". Countries around our region are doing the same.
Let us not just focus on the technicalities; let us focus on the big picture of what we are doing. But I want to emphasise one very important point, which is that whatever we do, it must be that this serves the interest of Singaporeans and of Singapore, whether immediately or in the long run. And that is how we are guided in our policy.
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio): Mdm Chair, a question for the Minister. There is a recent shift, Minister, towards multiple peaks of excellence, diverse pathways and holistic education, which is a good thing. However, despite extensive and best efforts, we still have parents, teachers and even school leaders who may still be focussed on academic achievement. They may still be sceptical about every school being a good school. I mentioned this in my speech. So, what else can be done to ensure that we get support from these major stakeholders?
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Mr Heng Swee Keat: Madam, I thank Dr Intan for her question. That is an issue that we are most concerned with. We are a very big Ministry. We have over 33,000 educators and, therefore, when we want to achieve the good outcomes that we mentioned, it is not just for the Minister to articulate a particular vision or direction, but really for every one of our educators to buy into that vision.
I am happy to say that what I have outlined last Friday in Parliament and, in fact, what we have been doing in the last few years and even before that, builds on and consolidates what we have done. It is a result of very intensive discussions with our educators, internally as well as with the broader Singapore community, particularly parents as well as different stakeholders. This very extensive exercise was done during Our Singapore Conversation and will continue; we will continue to do that.
I would like to say this – our educators find that the direction and the messages about what we are seeking to do are things which resonate with them very deeply. We are very fortunate to have, over the years, built up a very strong core of very caring educators who believe deeply about bringing out the best in every child. I have met so many of them. They were particularly delighted when I said that a good school cannot be just measured by academic grades alone. In fact, the attributes of a good school are about caring for students, about helping them to acquire the fundamentals, creating the positive school experience for them, for everyone, and when we care for and provide the opportunities for every student, they will blossom.
What we have been doing and what we will continue to do is to engage all our educators very intensely over the coming months to make sure that as far as implementation is concerned, our schools, our educators, take the lead. We encourage the schools to come up with innovative ways of bringing this about. I am very happy to say that, for instance, in a few weeks' time, we will be having our MOE ExCEL Fest which is a major innovation platform for each and every one of our schools to highlight what they have done, what pilots they have tried and those that have worked well.
We are also working with our Academy of Singapore Teachers as well as the various teachers' academies and they will be doing a lot more to engage our educators. And I am confident that while change will take time, it will happen.
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Mr Png Eng Huat: I thank the Minister for the reply, but I just want to clarify that I am not against foreign students. I just want to make sure that at the end of the day, these international students stick to their end of the bargain and that is all; that they are supposed to work here, they do not game the system and then just walk off.
Mr Heng Swee Keat: I thank Mr Png Eng Huat for making a very clear statement that he is not against having international students in our system. Indeed, we too want to make sure that they fulfil their part of it as well.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: Madam, I am very delighted with all the good news that have been announced by MOE – really feel that they are going in the right direction like ASPIRE, school-based after-school services, dyslexia support and especially the Disability Support Offices (DSOs) announced by Minister of State Ms Sim Ann – I believe it is a game changer when done well.
Just to seek clarification regarding the DSO and the SEN Fund. The announcement was primarily for physical and sensory disabilities, I think that is every important, but I am quite sure that the largest group who have learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, ADHD, autism, must have been considered. I just need a clarification from the Minister of State that these groups also have access to the DSO and the SEN Fund services.
The second clarification: I am also very glad that Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr Hawazi Daipi and MOE fully support the school-parent engagement. But because many parents are working and not available to attend quite a number of these face-to-face engagements, I wanted to seek the Senior Parliamentary Secretary's confirmation that if more investments can be made at the HQ level to develop online learning, bite-size packages, so that things like values, National Education and the daily living skills support could be developed to complement and supplement what is currently happening for parent engagement efforts.
The Chairman: Minister of State.
Ms Sim Ann: Madam, let me take the hon Member's question on the Disability Support Offices. Madam, the intention is for the Disability Support Offices that will be set up in our ITEs, in polytechnics, in our autonomous universities and arts institutions, to look into all forms of special education needs.
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Now, allow me to recap the purpose of the SEN Fund. It will be set up for our polytechnic and ITE students and it will serve the students with physical or sensory- related impairment. The autonomous universities and arts institutions are also committed to ensuring that the same support is provided. For students who have other forms of disabilities aside from physical and sensory-related impairment, they are currently being supported directly by the institutions that they are in and we foresee this situation to continue. However, with the set-up of the Disability Support Offices, and as such offices and their work unfold, we do expect to gain a more comprehensive grasp of the special education needs amongst our students in our Institutes of Higher Learning, and to gain a better understanding of how to help and how to support them.
MOE will continue to work with all Institutes of Higher Learning to ensure that all students with special education needs – regardless of what forms they take – will be adequately supported.
The Chairman: We only have five minutes before the guillotine time for this Ministry, so please keep your clarifications and replies short.
Mr Yee Jenn Jong (Non-Constituency Member): I have two questions. The Minister has announced 40 new Student Care Centres (SSCs). While more students will benefit, more than one third of schools will still not have SSCs by 2016. I would like to know what constraints MOE face in moving faster. Is it funding, lack of operators or lack of physical infrastructure?
And just a little more about the tuition grant – MOE has said in two previous Parliament replies that (a) no one has deferred more than six years and (b) deferment duration is on a case-by-case basis. Those who go for Masters and PhD will need longer deferment. I would like to know – it is common for postgraduate programmes leading to PhD to take more than six years – so, why is it that no one has ever deferred more than six years?
I would also like to know whether MOE has to write off amounts if a student becomes uncontactable and it becomes difficult to enforce liquidated damages from abroad. If so, how many cases have there been? Also, with our highly ranked universities, are they able to attract international students with lower tuition grant quantum and with fewer scholarships?
Mr Hawazi Daipi: Mdm Chair, may I address Ms Denise Phua's question first?
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The Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr Hawazi Daipi: I thank Ms Denise Phua for her suggestion. Yes, what we want to do is to engage parents to get them more involved in the education of their children by working together with other parents and with the schools. Well, we will explore other avenues if it is necessary and useful for us to have an online learning portal for parents to learn about the school, to learn about how to manage certain problems with regard to issues they may face in their relationship with their children. We can explore that.
One of the best ways is probably harnessing the parents' collective experience and wisdom, and probably through the PSG network.
The Chairman: Minister?
Mr Heng Swee Keat: Madam, may I address the question raised by Mr Yee Jenn Jong. First, he asked about the Student Care Centres. In fact, it is because of our very close consultation with parents that we are aware of the demand for these Student Care Centres. The Member asked about the numbers and what is holding us back. First, the fact that there is this demand shows that many parents have confidence in the Student Care Centres in our schools. So, in 2011, I asked our officials to work on increasing the number of Student Care Centres, and I am happy to say that in 2010, we have 40. By December 2013, we have 80. We doubled the number from 2010, from 40 to 80, but, most significantly, in terms of enrolment numbers, we raised it from 2,500 in 2010 to 7,500.
In other words, the Student Care Centres have doubled in numbers but tripled in enrolment. What it means is that many more of them are expanding intakes even within the same centre. What we want to do is to do it systemically, to ensure that it is of high quality because when the students are entrusted to the Student Care Centre, we have to ensure that high quality is maintained. Members are aware of the manpower crunch in many sectors, but whatever it is, we have got to make sure that we do it systemically and ensure quality. The Minister for MSF will also speak on Student Care Centres outside of the schools.
The Member also asked about the deferment of cases. Indeed, as the Member had mentioned, the deferment is on a case-by-case basis. So, why is it that some might be longer? Let me clarify that in my written reply to the Member's question on deferment for not more than six years, it was with reference to particular years that the Member mentioned in his question. On
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whether liquidated damages will be pursued, the answer is, yes, we will pursue liquidated damages if a student is in breach.
The Chairman: I know there are many Members who want to take the floor but, unfortunately, we have reached the guillotine time. The Minister for Communications and Information is waiting to reply to Members as well. So, I am afraid I have to move on. Mr Lim Biow Chuan, would you like to withdraw your amendment?
Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Mdm Chairman, on behalf of the GPC for Education and the many Members of this House who have spoken so passionately about education policies, allow me to thank the Minister, Senior Minister of State, Minister of State and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for sharing MOE's plans to bring out the best in every child and for their replies and clarifications. I also wish to take the opportunity to thank the Permanent Secretary and MOE staff for their diligence and hard work during this COS debate. Madam, I seek leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $10,598,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $888,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head Q (Ministry of Communications and Information)","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Chairman: Mr Zaqy Mohamad, you have three cuts. Please take them together.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang): Mdm Chair, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
Mdm Chair, Singapore has always ranked top in national rankings of e-Government and amongst the top adopters of media and technology. Even
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recently, a new international study by Accenture on e-Government placed Singapore at number one which is a credit to the Government for embracing technology and media to connect digitally with citizens.
Today, we see a greater convergence of the infocomm and media (ICM) sector and this convergence also meant that the strategic plan for a national infrastructure, regulations and our manpower requirements have to be aligned and not develop as a silo.
Last year, MCI formed a Steering Committee to put together a Masterplan that would look holistically at the ICM sector for the next 10 years from 2015. This Masterplan will not only look at the planning and resources needed for this sector but also the opportunities that arise out of it. These include the new growth areas in the sector, the jobs that we created and the new business opportunities for entrepreneurs to get into. Since this Budget has also delegated resources to improve the adoption of ICT amongst our SMEs, it is perhaps also timely to find out about the outcomes and status of the Masterplan.
So, I would like to ask the Minister: what are some of the opportunities to be created in the next phase of the ICM industry and how would the infocomm sector with that Masterplan seize these opportunities for our other industry sectors?
Many leaders in the ICM community are also concerned about fewer young Singaporeans coming through the ranks in recent years, despite many well-paying ICM jobs that can also provide international exposure and many global roles that exist here. They have also observed the intakes of Singaporean students to the Universities and other tertiary institutions are low compared to other \"sexy\" subjects such as banking, law, finance, even communications and the arts. How can the ICM Masterplan address how to attract more Singaporeans to play a significant role in our ICM development for the future? Madam, please allow me to move on to my next cut.
I recall when I was in school, we had technical workshop classes and Home Economics. These were deemed to be life-skills that we needed in life. I did not personally attend the Home Economic subject, just the technical one, but I heard they were useful.
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Today, computational thinking abilities are viewed increasingly as an important life-skill. For example, the United Kingdom has incorporated computing into its national curriculum in schools. We use a variety of systems and technologies to support our businesses and our productivity as workers. No matter which industry we are in, whether we are in healthcare, banking, manufacturing, the military or the Government, we use technology to solve real world issues, to analyse data for us to identify trends and eliminate root causes of issues, performed today even in the medical world, such as remote surgery; in the military to control air drones remotely. We cannot run away from technology in our social lives as I am sure the majority of Singaporeans have a mobile device, smartphone and are likely to be plugged into social media.
Thus, we have the opportunity to shape our workforce of the future like enabling our young to use computational thinking to solve real world problems. They will be better exposed to thinking about how the systems and technologies around us can help us live or work better, how we can improve lives, enhance our environment, make our businesses more productive or even how we can run the country more effectively. We can do more than just cyber wellness and netiquette in schools.
I suggest we perform an upgrade on this course to version 2.0. If we can change the approach towards computational thinking, we will provide a life-skill that will be useful no matter which sector or jobs our students wish to pursue in future. Any industry of tomorrow will rely more and more on systems and technology, and, increasingly, for our students in the future workforce being able to solve real world problems with systems and technology will become a valuable life-skill.
I would like to ask what Singapore's plans are to enhance our workforce ability in computational thinking and how we can inculcate this into the school levels. Madam, my third cut.
The world of smart phone applications, social media in cloud technology has made it possible for the likes of Facebook, Rovio, WhatsApp and even salesforce.com to take the world by storm. This is a new frontier for Singapore to build its generation of technology companies to succeed the likes of Creative Technologies from the previous era.
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So, what are MCI's plans to meet the needs of SMEs and help them to grow to add vibrancy to the ICM sector? What is the process of the number of local innovations and SMEs that are capable of being world challengers today? And what is MCI doing to help our ICM SMEs internationalise and monetise their IP and R&D efforts.
Madam, looking at this year's Budget with the PIC and the PIC+, I think this is the year for the infocomm technology (ICT) SMEs in Singapore. They will benefit as beneficiaries but they will also have the added advantage of being service providers of the Productivity Schemes. ICT SMEs are in a good position to benefit if they can also provide relevant services to help other SMEs. How does the Ministry plan to engage the ICT SMEs to exploit this expanded scope that is opened by the extension of PIC and the introduction of PIC+?
Mr David Ong (Jurong): Mdm Chair, one of the key challenges that Singapore is facing is an ageing population. Our seniors continue to remain on the edge of the digital divide. We need to integrate this very special group of users into the mainstream modern digital society.
Infocomm media, without doubt, can play a significant role in assisting our elderly to manage their lifestyle, healthcare and active ageing. New developments in the field of ICT open up new possibilities in tele-medicine, applications for home, home use such as remote reading of bio-data such as ECG, blood sugar levels, patient monitoring and supportive actions. I would like to ask the Minister how ICT-ready are our seniors today. How will the infocomm media Masterplan be addressing this challenge and what are some of the ideas identified? It is important for our seniors to be active learners and contributors to society even after they have stopped work. How can our libraries better engage seniors, especially since some seniors may not be highly mobile or digitally literate?
Miss Penny Low (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Madam, the use of ICT pervades every aspect of our lives. In an age where cyber natives are no longer content with being just digital consumers, computing literacy could be the fourth \"R\" after reading, writing and arithmetic. To address this paradigm shift, the United Kingdom has incorporated computing into its national curriculum in schools, to train students as early as five years of age to become digitally literate.
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Computational thinking is not just for aspiring programmers. It develops problem solving skills, logical and scientific thinking using computer science techniques. It challenges one to find efficient and innovative solutions through algorithmic thinking. These are relevant skills across sectors in our knowledge economy. It is an edge in our knowledge workforce. Hence, what are Singapore's plans to enhance our present and future workforce's abilities in computational thinking? How can we nurture our future generations so that they can become positive and active participants in our digital world?
Big data and analytics have brought new opportunities across all sectors in our economy. I applaud MCI's effort to position Singapore to ride on the big data wave. The developments in the Infocomm, Media and Design (ICMD) sectors, such as the opening of the Google Data Centre and the Infinite Studios, seem exciting. What is the significance of these new additions to our ICMD ecosystem and what are MCI's plans to further enhance the vibrancy of this emerging sector?
The global big data technology and services market is estimated to grow six times faster than the overall ICT market through 2017. Companies are now jumping on the big data bandwagon in droves and the demand for data scientists is outpacing the supply. How do we intend to grow the big data market to complement other sectors of the economy, and what is the human capital situation and solution for this space?
Big data is also directly relevant to the social sector. I spoke about this in my Budget debate speech and I would like to repeat the call. Given the complexity of social issues and the resource constraints of the social sector, all NPOs, charities and cooperatives will need social big data analytics to become more effective and productive. Will the Government create an incentive framework to encourage the adoption of data analytics in the social sector, covering social enterprises, all other NPOs, big and small? How can we promote the use of analytics to address pressing social issues? How can we incentivise the use of analytics to start or co-create innovative initiatives to better the lives of the people around them? This will help promote collective responsibility in developing our country and solving societal issues.
Let us not underestimate this. Let me repeat the call again that as society becomes more complex, the ability to use social big data in uncovering and solutioning societal issues can make or break a nation.
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Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Following the announcements in last year's Budget, there were a number of interesting developments in the Infocomm, Media and Design sectors (ICMD). The ICMD sectors go through continuous disruption and in the process create many opportunities.
In the Committee of Supply debate last year, the Minister explained the evolution and convergence of these sectors. The first wave of convergence which he described as being almost complete, brought together the IT and telecommunications industries to give rise to the infocomm sector.
The second wave of convergence involves in unifying data and the emergence of massive datasets – Miss Penny Low has described in some detail the opportunities arising from this.
The third wave of convergence, which the Minister described as the most disruptive, involves the bringing together the infocomm and media industries.
I understand that MCI's plans for these sectors are wide-ranging and involve enhancing Singapore's infocomm and media infrastructure, enhancing Singaporeans' quality of life, leveraging it to improve business competitiveness and productivity and to position Singapore for future ICMD growth.
In line with these intentions, we have seen some interesting developments in 2013, including the opening of the Google Data Centre and Infinite Studios. What is the significance of these new additions to our ICMD ecosystem and what are MCI's plans to further enhance the vibrancy of these sectors?
I am also concerned that not all groups might be able to benefit from or enjoy the exciting developments from the ICMD sectors. Two groups of concern are the young and the elderly. In relation to the young, I am concerned particularly about youth from lower income households and whether they would be disadvantaged if their parents are unable to give them an early introduction to the fast developing new technologies. In relation to the elderly, they may be the most affected as the traditional forms of media and technology they are familiar with rapidly become obsolete and they may also be the ones left out if the new developments require learning of new technologies.
I am, therefore, interested to know if there are any plans to ensure that all groups in society, including the elderly and the young, will have opportunities
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and assistance to enjoy the full benefits of both these sectors.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast): Madam, I would like to declare my interest as I work in this sector. One of the major thrust in this year's Budget is to support companies in restructuring and upgrading to catalyse the adoption of ICT, especially for SMEs.
Key to success for the usage of ICT in business is not only funding though. The successful deployment and adoption of ICT solutions will determine the impact. This House has debated over the last week on the challenges of business restructuring and how it takes time. This is the same when companies introduce ICT into their business.
To achieve the benefits of doing work faster and more effectively with the introduction of technology, in many instances require changes in the way work is done. Otherwise, it is just the automation of an existing process which may not yield much benefits. To drive this change, successful adoption and deployment of ICT, business will require skills and expertise, which many do not have, to enable them to understand how to better leverage the solutions for their business. So, apart from the funding support, can MCI share what measures or support will be in place to assist SMEs in driving adoption and deployment of ICT solutions?
During the Budget debate as well as the COS discussions last week, we had much discussion about the aggregation of demand for common shared services, allowing consolidation of operations and pooling of resources. This will allow businesses in the same industry, especially SMEs, to benefit from lower costs. Can MCI share if there will be measures to support the concept of shared services for SMEs, for example, providing shared services for common functions that businesses require like accounting, HR and financial management services for SMEs? This will help businesses not only from a cost perspective but give access to capability that may not be viable for SMEs to build on their own given their size of operations and will relieve them from worrying about keeping up with technology.
Cloud computing gives companies the ability to operate without having to manage the high upfront costs and investments. This gives flexibility, scale and
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cost savings. To ensure that companies can best leverage the benefits of cloud computing, there is one key concern that needs to be addressed. That is with regard to ownership and protection of their data. Can MCI share what measures are being taken to create a trusted environment for the cloud that meets the needs of businesses for data protection, privacy and ownership, while meeting the needs of regulation on how data is managed?
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Madam, at last year's COS for MCI, I spoke on how Government could bolster the sustainability of our songwriters' careers. One suggestion I made was that the Government could create more airtime to play Singapore compositions in Government buildings, so that our Singapore songwriters can earn royalties through the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS). The Minister said then that Government would look into this suggestion.
Since then, I understand that there has been some follow-up on this. For example, some Government-related bodies have approached COMPASS for licences to broadcast music at transport hubs and at the airport with a certain percentage dedicated to airing local works. On our part, the Aljunied/Hougang/Punggol East Town Council also obtained some licences to showcase Singapore's compositions at our Hougang Central Hub. It would be good to know what further steps the Government has taken to support Singaporeans songwriters in having sustainable careers.
Ms Janice Koh (Nominated Member): Madam, I am encouraged by the growing support for contemporary Singapore music over the last two years. But deeper, more sustainable efforts are needed if we want to transform what is now just a Singapore music scene into a Singapore music industry. This can only be achieved if key stakeholders play a part to ensure the wider accessibility of Singapore-made music. And in this regard, I have three recommendations for the Ministry to consider.
First, Madam, I would like to reiterate the call to establish a broadcast quota for airtime play of Singapore music on local radio. I first raised this at the then MICA COS two years ago. Despite increasing access to digital music online, a sizeable number of Singaporeans still access music through radio. While I acknowledge that locally-produced Chinese and Malay music have been given adequate broadcast exposure, the case is just not the same for English-
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language music.
I appreciate MediaCorp's initiative to play one local song per hour across their English stations after discussions with local music producers last year. I also note that effort has been made to increase airplay through Lush99.5. The station has been doing an excellent job. But this is not quite enough to increase accessibility of our home-grown music to the wider listening public. One local song per hour is not enough to show Singaporeans that we have such diverse and excellent talents like Ming Bridges, Kevin Lester, Charlie Lim, Monster Cat, The Observatory, Shigga Shay, The Sam Willows, I could go on – all home-grown, Singapore music talents who work so hard, whom we can and must be proud of and whom we should support.
In a previous reply to my PQ on this issue, the Ministry explained that there was not sufficient broadcast quality content from Singapore musicians. What is not good enough exactly? If our recording quality is poor, then let us address that technicality with capability development and raise our sound engineering and mastering standards. Or does \"not good enough\" refer to the artistry of Singapore music? If so, is this an issue of music preference – a music preference that has been dominated and influenced by decades of listening to American-made pop music on local radio? Radio is a taste-making platform. If we do not help create a taste for Singapore music, then we may never be \"good enough\".
This strategy of broadcast quota is firmly established in countries like Australia, New Zealand, France and the UK. In Canada, for instance, a quota of 20% was mandated in the 1970s, and now, it is at 35%. Funding and tax structures were quickly put in place to support music production, videos, marketing, promotion and touring. Today, there is no shortage of well-known Canadian music artists, from Michael Buble to Avril Lavigne.
Second, Madam, we need to develop a strong export strategy for Singapore music, so as to tap into the commercial and soft power potential of our music talent in international markets. The growth of South Korea's music industry is a great example. Once peripheral and small, Korea's creative industries developed their own local cultural assets after investments were made into the creative sector, modelled after the UK creative industries blueprint. Today, it is among the most successful contributors to their national economy. The Korean Wave experienced a significant boost with the development of digital technologies, social media and smartphones in the 21st century. In 2005, they were ranked the 33rd largest recorded music market in the world. Today, they are ranked 10th. But such a change does not happen overnight. The updating of copyright laws, filtering illegal content and more investment in local artists
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were all major pillars that led to the rise of the South Korean music industry today.
Finally, Madam, our state of play for music has been hampered by the lack of a singular vision for music industry development. To be honest, I was not even sure under which Ministry to file this cut, since MCCY, MCI and other economic agencies are all separately involved in the development of this sector, each with their own set of KPIs. But I am glad to see both Ministers in the House today. I hope a central agency or a single body can be formed to work directly, and not in isolation, with industry professionals, to take a holistic view of our music industries' needs.
Madam, popular music is such an essential component in the daily lives of many Singaporeans, especially teenagers and young people. Let us make sure that Singapore-made music can be a part of their lives and memories too, as they grow up, and that Singaporeans will have a strong music heritage to look back upon 50 years from now.
Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines): Mdm Chair, Singaporean film director Anthony Chen has won many prestigious international awards for his film \"Ilo Ilo\" which depicted the life of a Singaporean family and their Filipino domestic helper. It shows that a very local story in colloquial language with Singlish and Chinese dialects, with no megastars, high budget or special effects, can still appeal to many audiences and film critics around the world.
This achievement is also testament to our investment in the media industry, given that Anthony learnt his craft at at Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Film and Media Studies School, and \"Ilo Ilo\" received financial support from MDA.
Personally, I am particularly impressed with it winning the Best Feature Film, the top prize at the 50th Golden Horse Awards. For Members who may not be familiar with this award, Golden Horse is the pinnacle of the global Chinese film industry. For this 50th anniversary ceremony, all the past winners of the Golden Horse Best Actor and Best Actress were gathered on stage to witness renowned film director Lee Ang present the trophy to Anthony Chen. One could not get a higher honour than this. I hope Anthony will remain humble and persevere in his passion for film making.
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At the same time, I hope the country will also give him a special recognition for this very outstanding achievement. I am not talking about the Cultural Medallion or National Day Award as these usually require an illustrious and long track record. But working in the creative industries can be very lonely and tough. Let us be creative and timely in motivating and encouraging talents like Anthony Chen.
I also hope that Anthony's success will not be a flash in the pan, both for himself and for Singapore's media industry. I would like to ask how MCI would build on this momentum to further develop our local media industry and help media practitioners on a sustainable basis.
The Chairman: Minister Yaacob.
The Minister for Communications and Information (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Madam, I thank Members for their valuable comments and suggestions. I think the landscape that our sectors operate in has and will continue to evolve quickly. So, for example, the rapid digitisation of information and media content, ubiquity of mobile devices and easy access to high-speed Internet have blurred the once distinct lines between our infocomm and media environment, and are also affecting other sectors. So many people refer to this blurring as convergence. But what is this convergence?
Madam, with your permission, my colleagues and I would like to use some slides for today's discussion.
The Chairman: Yes, please. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: First, let us take a look at this Radio Shack advertisement from America. This is in 1991, more than 20 years ago. Radio Shack is an American electronics retail chain. And this advertisement features an old TANDY computer, if you can still remember that, a camcorder, a radio, an alarm clock, among others. So, who would have thought then that 12 devices in this advertisement can today be found in a single device that fits nicely into the palm of your hand? Today, the smartphone does all these and more. Imagine the possibilities 10 or 20 years from now.
Madam, in anticipation of what this future might bring, I announced last year that MCI would convene a private-sector led Steering Committee to spearhead the development of a single, integrated masterplan for Singapore's infocomm and media (ICM) sectors. This will enable Singapore to exploit the
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opportunities that will arise in the ICM space and in the increasing overlap between these sectors.
The Steering Committee is assisted by five private-sector led Working Committees that are looking into areas, such as establishing a roadmap for technology, R&D, infrastructure, industry development, manpower development and, finally, economic and social transformation through ICM.
The goal of the Masterplan is to establish Singapore as a Smart Nation that leads the world in harnessing ICM, and that nurtures Innovative Talent and Enterprises. This can bring about economic growth, social cohesion, improve the quality of life for Singaporeans and achieve sustainable growth for our ICM sectors.
Work on the Masterplan is ongoing, with a consultation document on the first part of their work to be published later this month. This document provides a broad plan that elaborates on the key ideas, especially those that represent potential new directions for us. The Steering Committee, Madam, will use the consultation document to have a deeper conversation with the industry and the public about the feasibility and potential applications of these ideas. Let me now share a sample of the key ideas from the Masterplan.
First, the idea of a nationwide heterogeneous network (HetNet). Madam, a report released in November 2013 found that half of mobile usage in Asia Pacific came from high bandwidth video downloads. With the growing availability and quality of ICM services, and our desire for faster Internet access anytime and anywhere, the demand for bandwidth is going to increase.
The Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network has provided an infrastructure that has met the needs of fixed line access. However, the spectrum to support wireless Internet access is a limited resource around the world. Therefore, the Steering Committee is studying the possibility of introducing a HetNet. Today, mobile users are able to operate and access data services across different wireless networks such as cellular and Wi-Fi. However, resources such as spectrum may not be optimally used to serve diverse user demands.
In a HetNet, operators will be able to achieve better management of traffic in their wireless networks. Users will be able to connect more seamlessly and operate their devices across different wireless networks such as cellular and Wi-Fi. Their devices will also connect to and utilise the best available network in
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range.
Madam, Singapore could be among the first in the world to adopt this cutting-edge solution at the nationwide level. And this is an example of how we can seize new opportunities in the Masterplan, as advocated by Mr Zaqy Mohamed.
Second, making home-based healthcare more widely available. I thank Mr David Ong for his cut on caring for an ageing population. The Steering Committee recognised the potential of ICM to support the right-siting of care and \"ageing-in-place\", with family and close friends using ICM to help them in their caregiving roles.
Sensors can help stable chronic disease patients self-monitor their conditions in the comfort of their homes, and receive healthcare services only when necessary. By deploying sensors-enabled home-based healthcare, patients can expect more timely attention from caregivers and medical professionals on their conditions. So, for example, floor mats embedded with sensors can help patients regularly monitor their weight. This will help the caregivers detect sudden weight fluctuations, which may suggest sudden fluid retention from renal or cardiac failure. And this can arise, for example, if a patient does not take his medication as prescribed. A son or a daughter can be notified if their parent has missed taking their medication. Caregivers can thus intervene in a timely manner to prevent the patient's condition from worsening and possibly avoid costly hospital re-admissions.
Accenture's recent Health Consumer Survey found that three in four Singaporean seniors use digital technology to help manage their health. The openness of our seniors to use technology for their healthcare needs, coupled with the probability of sensors becoming more unobtrusive and less costly, can facilitate the widespread adoption of sensors-enabled home-based healthcare for chronic diseases. This technology need not be confined to our homes. Patients with chronic diseases can also potentially be cared for at day-care centres and step-down care facilities. So, the social sector also stands to benefit from such innovations, if we can help them seize the opportunities, and this was a point raised by Miss Penny Low.
Thirdly, Madam, computational thinking – a suggestion from Mr Zaqy Mohammed and Miss Penny Low. The Singapore of the future, with a rich array
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of ICM products and services, will require different skills. To realise the ideas I talked about earlier, we will need people familiar with ICM skills and who are also sensitive to how ICM can be applied to improve living. Our children will also need to be more familiar with computational thinking as it becomes an increasingly essential part of our lives and careers. Apart from the infocomm sector, jobs, such as animators, visual effect artists and games developers in the media sector, also require our talent to have both creative flair and computational skills.
Hence, the Steering Committee is proposing the idea of developing computational thinking as a national capability. They hope to do this through a movement that they call \"CODE@SG\". We are working with the relevant stakeholders to introduce coding and computational thinking to more students in schools through a combination of infocomm clubs, competitions and enrichment programmes. Enrichment programmes will allow our students to learn fundamental programming concepts in a fun and easy-to-learn manner.
For example, students can use visual programming languages to programme graphically and in the process, learn fundamental programming concepts. This is in line with the global movement to teach the important life-skills of computational thinking to the young. Some countries have already started to incorporate computing into their national curriculum. The UK will do so for children from the age of five starting from this September.
We are also looking into revamping the infocomm clubs in schools. We can do this by developing a platform to \"gamify\" learning and increase interest levels in computational thinking. With such changes, we aim to increase our engagement with students and promote infocomm as a highly desirable career choice, as mentioned by Mr Zaqy Mohamad earlier today.
The three ideas I have just shared are a preview of some of the ideas that will come out later in the consultation document. Considerable work remains as the masterplanning process will only conclude next year.
Nonetheless, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Members of the Steering and Working Committees for the work they have done so far. I would also like to invite the industry and the public to share their thoughts on the preliminary ideas that have been developed for this Masterplan.
One of the directions we have already begun to embark upon is data analytics. We will continue building up our infrastructure and capabilities to
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seize the opportunities in a data economy and better the lives of our people. Data analytics, as noted by Miss Penny Low, is a powerful tool. We can rely on data analytics to develop better policies and programmes for our people. It allows us to spot trends and improve service planning, including in the social sector. Recently, we also expanded our Data Sciences Group at IDA to build deeper domain expertise and lead our efforts to grow our data analytics capabilities. We will be working closely with other agencies to identify and work on projects that can make use of this new capability.
The media industry also can ride on our national push towards greater use of data and analytics. For example, the old measurements of circulation, subscriptions, or linear viewership will no longer be sufficient. Audiences are no longer confined to programme time belts or to their TV sets for entertainment. With this changing content consumption pattern, the media industry must also learn to use data analytics to gain insights into audience preferences and to develop compelling programmes.
Finally, we will also revise and pilot new programmes and schemes over the year to help us assess their feasibility for inclusion into the Masterplan. Much of what we do now will provide us with a strong foundation to pursue the ambitious goals that we have set for ourselves in the Masterplan.
Miss Penny Low and Mr Vikram Nair shared their views about the increasing vibrancy of our Infocomm, Media and Design (ICMD) sectors. Mr Vikram Nair and Mr David Ong have also highlighted the importance of digital inclusiveness in society. Madam, I will address this in my response later and Minister of State Sim Ann will highlight NLB's library initiatives for our seniors, too.
In 2013, Singapore's economy grew by 4.1%. I am happy to share with Members of the House that our ICMD sectors are estimated to have grown by 5.7% over the same period.
A number of our filmmakers and producers have gained international recognition and acclaim over the past year. The most well-known is, of course, Anthony Chen, who in 2007 received an MDA scholarship to pursue a Masters in Film Directing. He took us to new heights by winning several top accolades with his first feature film \"Ilo Ilo\". Several other local feature films supported by MDA have also done well. For example, the local feature film \"That Girl in Pinafore\" featured a teenage love story set in the 1990s against the backdrop of \"xinyao\". The film celebrated this notable youth music sub-culture that is largely
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home-grown, and which has enriched our local arts scene since that period. Besides its widespread local appeal, we are also proud that the film was selected for Panorama, a non-competitive section at the prestigious Shanghai International Film Festival.
Another notable success was \"Serangoon Road\". This HBO series was one of Asia's largest original television productions and won the Digital and Film Award at the Australian Art in Asia Awards. \"Serangoon Road\" featured a large number of local cast and crew, and was partly filmed and produced in Singapore.
On the infocomm front, Singapore continues to be consistently ranked highly in the world for our infocomm achievements. We have been ranked second for both the Global Information Technology Report and the Global Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum. For the past five years, we have also been consistently ranked first in the Waseda University International e-Government report.
So, we owe many of these achievements today to the infocomm technology (ICT) pioneers that we had back in the 1980s. One such pioneer is Mr Philip Yeo, who was the founding Chairman of the National Computer Board (NCB) back in 1981. He is widely recognised for guiding Singapore through our transition to a knowledge-based economy. The efforts of Mr Yeo and his team of pioneers at NCB helped us take our first steps towards our nationwide adoption of ICT.
Several of our local start-ups have been successful also in carving a niche for themselves in the infocomm space. One example is leading Singapore-based online startup Reebonz – it is pronounced as \"ribbons\". Founded by Singaporean entrepreneurs Samuel Lim, Daniel Lim and Benjamin Han in 2009, Reebonz has since established itself in the e-commerce space. They created a new direct distribution sales channel online for their lifestyle products. This brought greater convenience, affordability and choice to consumers in the Asia Pacific region. With IDA's support, the company has continued to grow and expand its footprint. In May last year, they completed their latest financing round and raised US$40 million, bringing the company's total value to US$200 million in just five years.
Our design community has also done well and our designers have brought home prestigious international awards. One notable example is Mr Pann Lim, the Creative Director from Kinetic Design and Advertising Pte Ltd. He is a Designer of the Year recipient at last year's President's Design Award. Pann also
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clinched several other prestigious awards in 2013, including the Cannes Lions Bronze in the 360° Brand & Identity Experience category. Kinetic won these awards for their work done for Maki-San, Singapore's first fully customisable sushi store. Kinetic's design solutions included coming up with the whole brand identity and experience, designing the interior of the store and packaging for their products.
These successes are signs of the vibrancy of Singapore's ICMD industries. I am also happy to highlight several new exciting infrastructure projects completed over the past year that have enhanced Singapore's ICMD ecosystem.
As noted by several speakers, Google opened its first data centre in Southeast Asia in Jurong West in December 2013. This data centre is a key part of Google's expansion into the region, and it is their first urban multi-storey data centre. Earlier this year, Pacnet also opened their new $115 million data centre in Paya Lebar. These data centres will help Singapore meet our rising needs as we continue our push to establish our country as a regional data hub.
We also witnessed the opening of two key developments at one-north in early 2014. Infinite Studios opened its multi-tenanted development at Mediapolis in early January, featuring Singapore's largest purpose-built sound stages and high-speed content transmission capabilities. We also saw Lucasfilm open its first purpose-built facility outside the US at Fusionopolis. This award-winning building, named the Sandcrawler, contains state-of-the-art digital production facilities that will cater to the long-term global production needs for Lucasfilm.
So, with these key international players and local heavyweights, such as MediaCorp and StarHub, moving their operations to one-north in the coming years, this cluster is set to be the engine for our push to establish Singapore as a leading digital media hub.
Madam, last year, I updated the House about our progress with the National Design Centre (NDC). I am happy to inform Members of the House that Deputy Prime Minister Tharman will officially open the NDC on 12 March, this Wednesday. This will be a milestone for Singapore's Design community. The NDC will support the DesignSingapore Council's efforts in developing the design sector and helping our businesses to use design for innovation and productivity through training and assistance. Activities will also be organised for the public to deepen their appreciation of design. More details will be
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announced during the opening of the NDC.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad and Ms Jessica Tan have shared their views about the need to build up our SMEs. Besides funding support, IDA will continue to look into measures that can help SMEs strengthen their capabilities to adopt transformative ICT solutions and shared services. During the Budget Speech, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman announced the ICT for Productivity and Growth (IPG) programme to help our SMEs across all industries. This will be a major boost to our existing iSPRINT initiatives to increase the adoption of ICT. To further build up our ICT capabilities, we will place greater emphasis on innovation and creation, and provide Singaporeans and our local enterprises with more platforms to innovate. We will also look at ways to help our Singapore technology start-ups grow in the global market.
Therefore, IDA will be launching IDA Labs. It will be a platform in which IDA and Government agencies can partner with the industry to experiment and develop new solutions. IDA Labs will also be used to excite and attract young Singaporeans, ranging from those in Primary school to those enrolled at the Institutes of Higher Learning, to tinker, build and fix with technology. Equipment, such as 3D printers and laser cutters, will be available for their use. To support the emphasis on computational thinking, micro-processors such as Raspberry Pi and Arduino kits will also be provided. IDA Labs will also provide opportunities to develop applications and solutions where infocomm and media converge, such as in games development. We believe that this new programme will help us grow a culture of creating and building in Singapore.
For a start, IDA will build two Labs – one at the Mapletree Business Centre and the other at the National Design Centre. They will be launched over the next two months. At the Mapletree Lab, products from Singapore technology startups can be \"plugged in\" to be experimented and tested for feasibility of use within a Government context, and for demonstration to potential users. IDA would also be launching a new Accreditation Programme for Singapore technology startups within the Lab. This will help these enterprises establish their credentials, increase visibility to potential Government and large enterprise buyers and gain more opportunities through Government work.
IDA Labs at the NDC will target technology and media professionals as well as designers, and serve as a meeting point for them to collaborate on new products and services such as sensors, games and data visualisation. So, it will be a place for industry players to work on integrated ICMD solutions. They will have access to equipment to build prototypes, test-bed new ideas and speed up
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the development of new products and services.
The NDC will also host a Prototyping Lab that will be open to the public. This lab is jointly supported by SPRING Singapore and DesignSingapore Council. It is set up to encourage design innovation activities by providing our designers and the public with access to tools and equipment for prototyping.
The DesignSingapore Council will also collaborate with industry associations to roll out accreditation initiatives for design professionals and companies in specific design capabilities. This is aimed at setting up best practice standards to ensure quality design services.
Finally, Madam, IDA will also introduce Accelerator programmes progressively in 2014 in partnership with industry partners. This will help to nurture a pipeline of Singapore technology startups that are well placed to attract both funding and investments. So, I am pleased to announce that a partnership has been made with local accelerator Joyful Frog Digital Incubator and the first intake will take place this month. Such Accelerator programmes will allow our promising start-ups to scale fast, secure early funding, and grow to excel on the global stage.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Ms Sylvia Lim, Ms Janice Koh, and Mr Baey Yam Keng have highlighted the ongoing need to promote the growth of our local media industry.
Madam, MDA takes a holistic view in developing our media industry, providing support for all stages of the creative process across all media sectors. Since 2011, MDA has provided support to more than 2,000 projects in the media industry. While this has been promising, more will be done to increase the exposure and profile of our local artistes. We want, as the Members mentioned, their talent and works to be widely appreciated and recognised.
In the music sector, for instance, MDA is working with MediaCorp for the third consecutive year to call for the creation of original theme songs from local songwriters and producers. Some of these songs have done very well. For example, theme songs for 96º Café and The Dream Makers achieved recognition on Y.E.S. 93.3FM's music chart. Apart from enjoying greater exposure for their music, the creators of the winning entries also retained the intellectual property
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(IP) for their songs and can further commercialise their creations.
MDA also supported programmes, such as Anugerah Planet Muzik and The Final 1. These are useful platforms to spot local musicians and showcase their talent to the region.
In a competitive media sector, we must, ultimately, create quality content that can resonate with and attract the attention of our audiences.
I will now briefly highlight our future approach to help our media companies adapt better to the rapidly changing business environment and consumer consumption patterns. Senior Minister of State Lawrence Wong will speak more about our efforts on Public Service Broadcasting and promoting local content in his response later.
Madam, over the coming year, MDA will continue to work with our media companies to develop new, interesting and compelling stories, and to develop and manage their own IP for increased revenue opportunities. We will also encourage greater development of media content and services catered for multiple screens, to extend the reach and returns of our companies.
MDA also plans to build a vibrant content industry by helping to forge partnerships between leading international companies and our local content creation companies. For example, \"Serangoon Road\" was a joint production by Australia's Great Western Entertainment and Singapore's Infinite Studios. It illustrates the type of collaborative relationship we want to develop, where leading international media companies can draw on local media companies' experience and understanding of the domestic and regional environment.
At the same time, as Singapore's media sector aspires to higher standards and income, our local media companies and talents will also get the opportunity to learn the best practices and standards of these international companies. Thus, we can build stronger media enterprises and capabilities through collaborations with companies experienced in the global media markets.
Madam, more details will be announced by MDA later.
Let me now respond specifically to the point raised by both Ms Janice Koh and Ms Sylvia Lim about local music. This suggestion was raised at MCI's COS last year. We have reviewed this together with MDA, NAC and other agencies, such as NHB and NLB. We think there are some limitations and challenges in
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taking the suggestion further. For instance, we realise that not all buildings that public agencies are located are Government-owned and this limits when music can be played. We understand that the intention is good and there should be some flexibility for our agencies to decide, based on organisational needs, whether it is suitable for music to be played in their premises. For example, as rightly pointed out, NLB has obtained COMPASS' licence for playing songs by local musicians at selected library events. So, we will continue to explore ways and means by which we can enhance the playing of local music over our local radio in Singapore and to allow our local musicians a platform to showcase their talent.
The Chairman: Mr Zaqy Mohamad, you have two cuts. Please take them together.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad: Mdm Chair, regulation of media content is necessary to provide a wide range of age-appropriate content for adults while, at the same time, protecting our young.
Given the trend of media convergence, how would our media policies and regulations evolve? Will MCI be reviewing its media policy principles and, if so, could MCI articulate some of these changes?
Moving on to Internet regulations, of late, there have been several new regulations implemented in the past year, such as the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification and the registration of Internet sites. This has caused concern amongst the Internet community that after consultation for Internet self-regulation, the Ministry has taken several steps back in terms of keeping the Internet on a light touch. I understand that given MDA's challenges over the pre-existing laws of foreign interference and funding of Internet space, the means of implementation could have been done better with greater notice, consultation and buy-in from the Internet in the news community. Understandably, the Internet landscape is constantly evolving and the regulated tool has to evolve.
Can the Ministry share if it has any plans to continue to engage the Internet community and whether the new regulations that it is considering today, and Internet self-regulations and code of conduct are still on MDA's agenda? This will help provide some visibility on the direction and approach that the Ministry is taking moving forward, as many have raised concerns that the goal post
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keeps shifting.
In light of the website replacements encountered by private organisations and the Tweet storms targeted at the Government, what plans does the Government have to strengthen the cyber defence of the Government's ICT systems and to raise awareness amongst individuals and businesses about cybersecurity? I notice that the National Research Foundation had last year identified cybersecurity as a key research cluster it wants to develop and has set aside $130 million for this. What is the status of that initiative and what is the take-up rate of the industry?
From the citizens' perspective, what is the Government doing to give the public the confidence that their personal data and access to Government's e-services will be kept secure, and these include civil servants and public officers who were recently at the centre of a cyber threat?
In addition, may I ask how does the Government develop the infocomm security workforce to cater to the increasing demands and capacity, and protect Government and business requirements from cyber harassments and cyber intrusions?
The Chairman: Ms Lee Li Lian, you have two cuts. Please take them together.
Ms Lee Li Lian\t(Punggol East): Madam, in last year's COS, I brought up the question of whether a $10,000 fine imposed on our operators for failing to meet IDA's QoS standards is sufficient to provide the push for operators to invest in improvements of their network infrastructure. I am glad to note that there had been more appropriate penalties levied on operators for failing to meet operational expectations.
On 24 January this year, M1 was fined again for failing to meet the new standard for outdoor 3G coverage. M1 spokesman said that, \"We note that M1's network delivered the best call quality, with the highest call success rate and the lowest call drop rate\". Instead of relying on two simple metrics, IDA should consider redefining how call quality is determined.
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Firstly, IDA QoS standards did not test for any data-related metrics, such as throughput and latency, which are two important components that will help Singapore become a dynamic and vibrant global infocomm hub. Next, allow me to make comparison with another country's regulatory standards. We are using received signal strength level of minus100 dBm to access the coverage for 2G. In UK, the regulatory authority, Ofcom, uses minus 86 dBm. This means that the absolute signal strength requirements for 2G is 25 times lower in Singapore compared to UK. For 3G, Ofcom is measuring received signal code power, better known as RSCP, which is more appropriate, as 3G is a spread spectrum technology with scrambling codes, instead of received signal strength (RSSI), as done in Singapore.
Will IDA consider having stricter coverage requirements and more comprehensive quality standards so as to provide Singapore subscribers and businesses with better access to telecommunications services?
My next cut. In a written reply to my Parliamentary Question on 17 February this year, the Minister mentioned:
\"There are no inconsistencies between the results for mobile network coverage and drop call rates as they measure different aspects of an operator's network. The former measures the presence of radio signals of a certain signal strength, at a certain location. End users typically see this represented by the varying number of signal strength \"bars\" on their handphones. Test results for this indicator are typically collected by IDA through drive and walk tests. The call drop rate, on the other hand, is a measure of the availability of radio channels to handle and maintain established calls. It is assessed by IDA using the network traffic logs, which reflect actual users' data.\"
The reply stated that drop call rate is a measure of the availability of radio channels to handle and maintain established calls. However, in the IDA's QoS standards and performance results, there have not been any tests done, monitored or published for this availability of radio channels. Hence, I would like to find out how did IDA arrive at this conclusion.
The fact is, if there is no availability of radio channels, calls will not be set up in the first place and, hence, that call will not have existed to be dropped later.
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Apart from the above, I have three other questions for the Minister.
First, drop call rates are heavily affected by coverage because when a mobile phone moves to an area of low or no signal strength, the call will drop. Therefore, I would like to find out how did M1, with the worst coverage, have the lowest drop call rates?
Next, based on the drop call rates published by IDA, for every 1,000 phone calls that the Singapore subscribers make, they should only experience 2.7 to 4.1 drop calls. Does IDA feel that this accurately reflects what the Singapore subscribers are experiencing?
Lastly, would IDA consider using more technologically advanced and accurate methods to audit network traffic logs, such as using Deep Packet Inspection, better known as DPI?
Mr Arthur Fong (West Coast): Madam, I would like to declare my interest as a Board Member of the National Library Board (NLB) for all my cuts under Head Q.
Madam, our small island-state is probably one of the world's most wired in infocomm technology, if not the world's leader, in terms of choices and availability of media and instruments.
With my involvement at NLB, I am aware of the kaleidoscope of programmes, activities and services provided. While many had taken advantage of these services, even wowed by them, I am confident the libraries can do more.
For low-income families, it would be hard-pressed for them to equip their children with tablets or smart phones – I hope that the library can look into that – and at the same time, there are many other segments in our society, for example, the physically challenged, the visually handicapped, that may face barriers of access to the library services.
How would NLB ensure that its services can better reach the disadvantaged, the physically and visually challenged and the low-income households?
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Mr David Ong: Mdm Chair, digital transmissions allow broadcasters to send signals more efficiently, enabling viewers to receive better quality images and superior sound. However, the progress in the digital television arena should not be restricted to those who can afford the migration. As I understand it, the cost of migration to digital television requires a set-top box and antenna which is about $129. This is a tidy sum for any low-income family.
I am heartened that Minister Yaacob will be announcing plans to help some 170,000 low-income households to benefit from digital television. This is an important initiative as, currently, some of MediaCorp's free-to-air programmes are already in digital format. And by 2020, all analogue programmes would cease. I look forward to further updates from the Minister on this plan and to help low-income Singaporeans access digital television.
Mr Vikram Nair: Mdm Chair, the range of media content and services delivered in the pay TV market is expanding and retailers are regularly updating their programme offerings and bundling service packages. Although customers find themselves having more choice, there is also a need to ensure that the terms of subscription are not unfair.
A recent exchange of letters in the Straits Times' Forum in December 2013 raised some concerns of customers that I think it might be helpful to address. A letter by Mr Nicholas Aw on 14 December highlighted some of the issues he faced with his pay TV contract. Like many people, he had subscribed for the Barclay's Premier League package and there was a clause in his contract that said after the minimum subscription expires, \"any content or channel(s) will automatically continue at the same subscription rates until the subscription is terminated by the customer\". The understanding that Mr Aw had was that if the customer does not inform – in this case, SingTel was his provider – that he wishes to change his contract, no change will take place.
However, when his minimum subscription period ended, he received a letter informing him that he would be automatically converted to a new package that included additional content and at three times the price. He was upset about this; he asked why the clause on automatic renewal of content was not being followed, and the reply he received at that time was that there was
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another clause in the contract that gave SingTel the sole discretion to change the terms and conditions of his subscription.
SingTel replied to his letter on 25 December 2013 and their explanation was that there were only two packages they had that offered BPL and they had, therefore, required all their existing customers to change to one of these price plans.
On 27 December, another writer to the forum, Mr Peter Low Wai Keong, raised the same concern saying that he, too, had been subject to the same change, which was contrary to his expectations that once he signed up for a package, the terms could not be changed on him just because the minimum subscription period had expired.
The concern raised by these two customers is that there seems to be a clause to the contract that allows the content provider to change the contract terms as and when they please —
The Chairman: Mr Vikram Nair, can you please wind up your speech?
Mr Vikram Nair: — and consumers do not seem to have much opportunity to change that. Is MCI taking any steps to ensure that consumers' rights and interests continue to be protected in the face of such developments?
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Nee Soon): Madam, with the new Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), I have several burning questions which I hope the Minister can provide the answers.
Firstly, I would like to ask whether clear and unambiguous consent in the duty to check the Do Not Call (DNC) Register can be dispensed with, to the organisation to send text and fax messages when the individual signs up for email updates. In the proposed advisory guidelines on the application of the PDPA to scenarios placed in the real estate agency sector dated 23 January this year, the Commission highlighted that in signing for email updates on certain types of properties, one is automatically given consent to be contacted by text and fax for such updates.
Am I correct, therefore, to say the same stance should be adopted for organisations in all other sectors? I have also been engaging our Professional
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Photographers Association of Singapore and their concerns. The second question I would like to, therefore, ask is whether the professional photographer engaged for a private event, such as a wedding or the organisation hosting an event, has to obtain their guests' consent before candid photographs of them can be taken.
The Commission and Advisory guidelines on key concepts to the Act issued on 24 September stated that photographs are personal data even if one does not know the name of the person in the photographs. It follows then that consent must be obtained, and the Commission has not considered the Act's purpose with respect to organisations. How can the many professional photographers dare to make a living with such onerous responsibilities?
The final question is with regard to use of personal data without consent in the area of research. For many organisations, we have opinion polls, surveys, interviews and feedback and the researched subject will have to be contacted for its specific research data. To do this, they would have to contact and use the researched subject's personal data. How can we reconcile this?
The Chairman: Minister Yaacob.
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, I thank Mr Zaqy Mohamad for reinforcing the importance of media content regulation. Our media landscape, as we know, is constantly evolving. Technological advancements and demographic shifts require us to constantly update our media content standards and regulatory frameworks, especially in light of media convergence, which has created opportunities and challenges for the consumer, the industry and the regulator.
So, let me, first, emphasise that our content regulatory framework has always been and will continue to be guided by three fundamental principles. Firstly, we need to protect the young while providing more choices for the adults. Secondly, we need to uphold community values and support racial and religious harmony. Finally, we need to safeguard our national and public interest.
These principles, Madam, form the basis of media classification, which defines the age-suitability of media content through the use of an age-rating system, accompanied by access controls for mature content, and consumer advisories to facilitate informed media consumption choices.
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Our approach so far has largely been platform-specific, based on the principle that content on platforms with higher reach and impact should be subject to more stringent regulatory requirements. Therefore, MDA maintains 14 sets of content codes spelling out the guidelines for different types of media services, ranging from TV, films, games, publications, the arts and the Internet.
However, we recognise that such an approach needs to evolve with media convergence, where consumers are increasingly able to access the same content across different platforms.
In 2011, MDA had taken the initial steps by harmonising the classification framework for films and broadcast content. More recently, the Media Convergence Review Panel recommended that a consistent age-based classification system be adopted across different mediums, including for higher ratings which signal the presence of mature content.
MDA will, therefore, launch a Content Standards Study in the second half of the year to assess whether we need to further harmonise our ratings system across the different mediums. The study, Madam, will also assess whether existing content standards and policies remain in line with community expectations.
To give Members a sense of where we are today, this slide shows the various classification ratings that currently apply to the various media platforms. As I mentioned earlier, the ratings for TV and films had already been harmonised in 2011.
In addition, we are reviewing our media legislation and regulatory frameworks to ensure their relevance in this media-convergent environment. The review of the Broadcasting Act is ongoing. We target to hold public consultation on the key amendments later this year, before we finalise them. I would like to encourage the Internet community and other stakeholders to give their inputs during the public consultation period.
Moving on to cybersecurity, I share Mr Zaqy Mohamad's concerns on cyber threats. The Government takes a serious view of cyber threats and remains vigilant to cyberattacks targeted at Government ICT systems. We have been actively monitoring online threats, including the Tweet storm in early-2014. This Tweet storm did not affect Government ICT infrastructure.
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Cybersecurity has always been an important priority. Since the First Infocomm Security Masterplan was launched in 2005, the Government has been stepping up our infocomm security measures. Our measures, Madam, are multi-layered and constantly updated to meet the changes in technologies and risks. We have a Cyber Watch Centre which provides 24/7 monitoring of cyber threats to Government ICT systems.
The Government will be enhancing the Centre with a wider range of monitoring capabilities. Baseline security requirements have also been raised to match the level of cyber threats. For example, agencies will patch and update their systems more frequently.
But hackers do not target only the Government. Cyberattacks can come from anywhere and attack any system in the world. Hence, it is important for businesses and individuals to have greater awareness of cyber threats. Businesses and individuals can protect themselves by adopting essential practices found in the \"Go Safe Online\" website. This is also one of the key focus areas of the National Cyber Security Masterplan launched in July 2013.
We are also looking into growing Singapore's pool of infocomm security experts under the Masterplan. This complements our work with the National Research Foundation to build up Singapore's cybersecurity R&D capability.
Ms Lee Li Lian raised the issue of quality of service (QoS) for our cellular networks. Singapore, Madam, is one of the few countries to impose QoS standards on telecommunication services for compliance purposes.
Some countries impose such standards where available for monitoring purposes. Our QoS framework incorporates recommendations from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), such as coverage, drop rate and call success rates. Since the enhanced 3G QoS framework came into effect in April 2012, all three mobile telephone operators (MTOs) have met IDA's QoS standards on call success and drop call rates. Their performances are independently verified by IDA.
IDA audits the operators' network traffic logs to validate the operators' call success and drop call rates. IDA also conducts independent sampling checks on drop call rates across the island, including roads and MRT tunnels. IDA also regularly reviews the QoS frameworks to ensure that the MTOs continue to enhance and optimise their networks to further improve their call success and
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drop call performance.
The Member has several questions which are technical in nature; I hope she can file a PQ so that I can give her a more elaborate answer. On one of the concerns she raised about M1's coverage, I think it is possible that while your mobile network coverage may be weaker at certain locations, calls do not drop due to sufficiency of radio channels.
Madam, let me conclude this section by reiterating that the Government remains committed to keeping our media content regulations in line with community expectations, strengthening our cybersecurity and ensuring a high quality of service among our mobile operators.
Let me now move on to the programmes and initiatives to enhance the quality of life for our people. Madam, our goal is to ensure that the benefits of a vibrant information, infocomm, media and design ecosystem improve the quality of life for all Singaporeans. And I thank hon Members who share this vision.
An inclusive society is an important priority for this Government, a point raised by Mr Vikram Nair and Mr David Ong. For my Ministry, this means that all segments of society are part of the digital and information revolution. And in this respect, we have been implementing various initiatives which I would like to share with the House.
Let me begin with our elderly population or our seniors. IDA is helping them to acquire infocomm skills through the Silver Infocomm Initiative. This initiative has been well-received. Over the last seven years, seniors have signed up for about 85,000 training places for IT courses and workshops.
These two elderly gentlemen that Members see in the slide – Mr Soh Chwee Paw on the left and his younger brother, Mr Soh Chuee Wan on the right – are beneficiaries of this initiative. They were initially hesitant to join IT classes because they were concerned about not being able to keep up with the lessons. But this changed when the younger Mr Soh heard about computer classes under the Silver Infocomm Initiative that were tailored for seniors and conducted by seniors.
Together, they attended the Basic Computer Course held at one of IDA's Silver Infocomm Junction. The elder Mr Soh said, \"Having such classes dedicated to seniors is great because it has allowed us to learn at a similar pace
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with our peers\".
Madam, we will intensify our efforts and provide more opportunities for IT-savvy senior citizens to help and train their peers. In September 2013, IDA partnered with the Organisation of Senior Volunteers (RSVP) and The Council for Third Age to launch the Silver IT Care Programme. Under this programme, seniors run an IT helpdesk to assist other seniors in solving infocomm-related problems and queries.
We currently have 33 senior volunteers for the Silver IT Care Programme and many more seniors have expressed interest to help man the helpdesk. So, I hope this will inspire more seniors to adopt infocomm technologies.
Our libraries have also been reaching out to low-income households and disadvantaged groups, an issue which Mr Arthur Fong had raised. Many Members will be familiar with the mobile library or MOLLY, as it is affectionately known. MOLLY has been in operation since 2008.
Last year, MOLLY reached out to 75 organisations, bringing the library to childcare centres, special needs schools, orphanages and welfare homes.
One student who has benefited tremendously from MOLLY is 10-year-old Muhammad Danish from Rainbow Centre Yishun Park School. Danish was once very shy but, now, he has become more expressive as he talks about the books he has read. By making books more accessible, MOLLY has helped Danish build his confidence and social skills, and I am told he has blossomed into quite a storyteller himself. But the existing MOLLY cannot reach as many locations as the NLB would like to, because of the size.
So, I am pleased to share that NLB will be rolling out two mini Mollies later this year. This is made possible with the kind donation of the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple. These new Mollies will be smaller than the original one that you see in this picture and will be able to better navigate tight spaces, especially in facilities with narrow driveways. With the two new mini Mollies, we will be able to visit 160 more organisations, and increase library visitorship by almost 50,000 in the coming year.
Madam, NLB also recognises the importance of promoting reading, more so amongst children from disadvantaged backgrounds. One such programme is kidsREAD, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year.
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kidsREAD is a community effort led by NLB, in partnership with the People's Association, self-help and community groups. It nurtures reading habits among children from low-income families. With the help of over 7,000 volunteers in the reading clubs across the island, about 20,000 children have benefitted from kidsREAD for the last nine years. The programme has helped encourage these children to read more and strengthen their use of English.
The kidsREAD programme was originally structured as a one-year programme for each child. But last year, NLB recognised the importance of kidsREAD and, with the support of its stakeholders, expanded it to a five-year programme. With the expanded programme, we have introduced more reading activities to engage each child for a longer period.
The expanded kidsREAD has been successful, thanks to the dedication of our kidsREAD volunteers. One such volunteer is 16-year-old student Ong Jia Ying from Compassvale Secondary School who has volunteered for two years. She shared that she gets a sense of accomplishment and is inspired to do more when she sees the children showing improvements in their command of English. So, I am heartened that Jia Ying really enjoys the time she spends reading and interacting with the children.
This year, with kidsREAD celebrating its 10th anniversary, I would like to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to the dedicated volunteers who have made this programme possible. NLB will continue to engage its volunteers meaningfully, so that they will have fulfilling volunteer experience and help kidsREAD continue to bring the joy of reading to more children.
Besides helping children to develop a love for reading, we also want to nurture their creativity, a point raised by many Members. Since 2004, the DesignSingapore Council has been organising a programme called ManyWaysofSeeing. Over the years, some 1,200 children and over 300 teachers have attended the various workshops under this programme and found the experience inspiring.
In 2012, the Council created a series of awareness programmes and Train-the-Trainers programme for pre-school educators to bring the programme to more children. This year, the Council will pilot a Master Class for past participants of the Train-the-Trainers programme. The Master Class will help our pre-school educators go beyond just conducting one-off workshops to
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developing a curriculum based on the ManyWaysOfSeeing approach. They will also be trained as mentors and advocates for the ManyWaysOfSeeing programme.
One of the more popular installations the pre-school educators learn to co-create with children is \"The Spirit Garden\". This set of sensory-based design workshops for children aged five to seven was developed together with Prof Masayo Ave, a senior designer based in Berlin. The workshops help our children to appreciate the designer's way of observing, drawing and composing. And this is achieved through the children working with the facilitator to create \"The Spirit Garden\", a unique work of art. This workshop has been beneficial and, as one parent, Mrs Angeline Sim, shared on her blog, \"This is an excellent initiative to sensitise kids to the beautiful world around us and to nurture their budding creativity\".
Madam, TV has always been an important source of entertainment and information for our people. On 16 December 2013, MediaCorp commenced transmission of all seven Free-to-Air Channels in digital format, in addition to analogue signals. MediaCorp is also progressively rolling out the digital TV network to provide good indoor coverage of the digital TV signals.
Digital TV will enhance our TV-watching experience with higher quality images and surround sound. Audiences can access electronic TV guides to keep track of their favourite programme. The move to digital TV will also free up valuable radio frequencies so that we can offer Singaporeans new and better mobile services.
Last year, I shared that while we work to improve the TV-watching experience of Singaporeans, we will ensure that low-income households can also benefit from digital TV. Mr David Ong asked for an update of this plan. Madam, I am happy to announce that we will provide low-income households with an Assistance Package to help them access Free-to-Air Digital TV. This package will comprise a DVB-T2 digital set-top box and an indoor antenna, and will be installed by an MDA-appointed contractor.
The assistance scheme will be launched by September this year. A key group of low-income households that we need to assist are those who live in 1- or 2-room rental flats, or who are on relevant ComCare assistance schemes including the Public Assistance Scheme. We will be working with HDB and MSF to include these households automatically on the scheme.
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Besides this group, we will also make the assistance scheme available to households with a monthly income of $1,900 or below, or per capita income of $600 and below. For households with no income, we will extend the package to them if the annual value of their residence is $13,000 and below. Households must have at least one Singaporean member in order to qualify. Those who have Pay-TV subscription or Integrated Digital TV will not be eligible for the assistance scheme, as they can already access digital TV through these channels. With this, about 160,000 to 170,000 low-income Singaporean households will qualify for the assistance scheme.
Community involvement will be important for the digital switchover. MDA will be working with the community to inform residents on the availability of digital TV in their estates and how to switch over to digital TV. Grassroots leaders will also be engaged to reach out to and assist the low-income households who qualify for the Assistance Scheme.
Madam, our move to help the low income will not stop here. In today's connected world, the Internet has become a fundamental utility to both businesses and individuals. We are taking steps to make important telecoms services like broadband Internet more accessible and affordable to the low income. We are also looking into enhancing our Digital Inclusion initiatives. And these will be made public in due course.
Mr Vikram Nair highlighted concerns faced by Pay TV consumers regarding unfair terms in their subscription contracts. To address these concerns, MDA will be reviewing the Media Market Conduct Code, with a view to introducing additional consumer protection measures for Pay TV subscription services by the end of the year. MDA will conduct a public consultation on these measures over the next few months.
One area that MDA will address is concerns arising from Pay TV operators changing the terms of contracts without the consumer's consent. This is a problem, especially when the new terms are not to the consumer's benefit, for example, an increase in price or the removal of a channel or important programme. When consumers wish to exit their contracts in such situations, they currently have to pay exit penalties. Occasionally, subscribers are required to upgrade their non-Pay TV services, for example, broadband services, when they change their Pay TV services. These upgrades are typically not necessary to support the changes in the Pay TV services. So, MDA is reviewing the possibility of disallowing such practices.
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At the same time, MDA is planning to require retailers to brief consumers on important details of their contracts, including package price and content, before selling these packages to consumers. Madam, MDA will balance these consumer protection measures against the cost imposed on the industry.
For contracts of telecommunications services, IDA will also be reviewing if similar enhancements are necessary and will conduct public consultations when ready.
Finally, Madam, I thank Mr Patrick Tay for his views on the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).
I understand that the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) has received queries from organisations and the public on the application of its Exemption Order, as well as issues of obtaining consent for photographs under the PDPA. The Exemption Order that came into effect on 2 January 2014 applies to every sector, including the Real Estate sector. However, the PDPC recognises that each sector has unique circumstances.
Therefore, PDPC will conduct a series of public consultations on sector-specific Advisory Guidelines to clarify these issues. The consultation exercises for Real Estate and Telecommunication sectors were the first ones to be launched and, now that the consultation has closed, I understand that PDPC is finalising the guidelines. PDPC will also conduct consultation on guidelines to provide greater clarity on how photographs may be collected, used and disclosed, a point raised by Mr Patrick Tay.
On the issue of research, organisations should generally seek consent from the individual to use his personal data. Where it is not practical for consent to be sought, the PDPA allows organisations, under limited criteria in the regulations, to use the personal data without consent.
The PDPA, which comes into full effect on 2 July this year, recognises both the rights of individuals to protect their personal data and the needs of organisations to collect, use and disclose such data. Should any organisation require clarifications on its application, they can approach PDPC.
Madam, to conclude, I would like to reiterate that the Government is committed to enhance the quality of life for our people, including the young, the old and the disadvantaged in our country.
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The Chairman: Mr Arthur Fong, you have two cuts. Please take them together.
Mr Arthur Fong: Madam, we have one of the best libraries in the region, if not the world. Notwithstanding what was reported in the press, our libraries are popular with our resident population. Even some foreigners who have travelled here will make it a point to stop at our libraries. The lending and the reference sections of our library are well utilised and some library goers have even asked for more seats. As our population now stands at more than five million, what can our libraries do to continually maintain a high service, catering to changing technology and demands of library users?
Madam, my second cut. Singapore would be celebrating our Golden Jubilee next year. We have certainly come a long way and, rightly, there is much for us to celebrate. But, at this important milestone, it is also important for us to reflect on our Singapore identity, especially in the light of recent changes to our demography and social fabric.
Various agencies, organisations and groups have begun making preparations and arrangements to commemorate our Golden Jubilee. The National Library is an important institution to help Singapore and Singaporeans in this effort to take stock and reflect on our national identity.
In fact, the National Library, as an entity, pre-dates Singapore's Independence. The National Library has its roots back in 1823, from Sir Stamford Raffles' time in the Far East.
The National Library has not stood still but has evolved and, I might add, is \"aggressively\" transforming, as I speak, to meet rising and changing demands and even ahead of many libraries of the world. With this constant development, the National Library's collections of the socio-economic and political developments of Singapore have become more than \"nuggets\" of information, and records of our past are a connected Treasure Trove of Singapore's history.
Although the role of the National Library may not be an actor in shaping the history of Singapore, a healthy collection of materials over the years, both primary as well as secondary, have accumulated. With the long history and the
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collection of materials, what more can the National Library do to showcase the same and, in so doing, help build a stronger sense of identity for Singaporeans?
Mr Seng Han Thong (Ang Mo Kio): (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Next year, Singapore is going to celebrate its 50th birthday. This is a very significant event. I would like to ask the Minister if there are ideas to mobilise Singaporeans to help promote this very significant event to the rest of the world. Do we have enough resources and manpower?
We introduced the Pioneer Generation Package. Many Members in the House have also urged the Government to enhance communications via various channels. I would like to ask the Minister: when introducing major policies, do we have ample preparations to ensure policies are properly communicated?
When publicising information to the public, we often make a fool of ourselves. STB had made a fool of itself, so did NHB. NHB translated the \"Bras\" in \"Bras Basah\" literally into \"bra\" in Chinese. Most of us are very familiar with Bras Basah, but this mistake had made the news in the China, Hong Kong and Taiwan media.
NHB explained that the translation on its website was done by the Google Translate plug-in. However, whether it is Google Translate or other software, should we not view the work of translation more seriously, including Malay and Tamil translations? On this front, are we lacking in the heart or the ability to do the job right?
(In English): REACH's survey on how much people know about the help available to them shows that though Singaporeans are generally aware of the various assistance schemes, a significant number of elderly and low-income earners are still unclear about how the schemes work.
As we are celebrating Singapore's 50th Anniversary, may I ask the Minister if we have an overall strategy to engage all Singaporeans not only for this occasion but also for any good news, sad news and any important policy announcements?
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What is the Minister's assessment of the Government's public communications and engagement capability and capacity?
The Chairman: Assoc Prof Eugene Tan, please take your two cuts together.
Assoc Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene (Nominated Member): Madam, showing how the Government materially affects Singaporeans' lives through the implementation of key policies can increase citizens' engagement with the Government.
With increased engagement, there is a greater likelihood of greater trust and confidence in the policies and the Government. And policies will also more likely achieve their intended outcomes.
Since the 2011 general election, the Government has endeavoured to address the concerns of Singaporeans over various hot-button issues.
One of the challenges that any government faces is that people tend to notice the things that a government gets wrong more than the things a government gets right. This phenomenon is not unique to Singapore.
But getting things wrong is magnified in the Singapore context because we have come to expect effectiveness and efficiency from the Government.
In this regard, I share Mr Seng's concerns over the latest REACH surveys on citizens' knowledge about the various assistance schemes and benefits available to them. The surveys indicated a high level of awareness of Government schemes and policies but target groups like the elderly and lower income were less likely to be aware that they benefited from such schemes.
At one level, it would mean that Government policies and schemes might not have reached the intended beneficiaries. At another level, it suggests that beneficiaries may not be aware that they are being assisted.
A lack of understanding of the policy realities, such as the number of HDB flats to be built in the next three years, will mean that Government policies and
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schemes to manage property prices may not have the intended effect. To make matters worse, there may be greater unhappiness with Government policies despite concerted efforts to address the issues.
It is possible that the message is not reaching the recipients. And, even if they do, it may be that they do not comprehend the policies and schemes and how they affect them.
It would appear that the Government often performs better than it is actually given credit for. The REACH survey results vividly demonstrate that effort in and of itself is inadequate. Effort must be accompanied by positive outcomes.
However, I do not see it as just an issue of communications although communications is part of the problem and part of the solution as well. Could the survey results point to the subtle and latent lack of trust and confidence in the various policies and schemes? Could it also reflect how segments of the population feel that the policies and schemes are not sufficiently beneficial to them? This could, in turn, reflect an entitlement mentality; and, if so, there will then be a never-ending expectation that the Government should do more.
A larger concern is whether the lack of knowledge of the actual benefits to Singaporeans may actually point to disengagement with the Government. If so, there is a limit to what communication can do unless citizens are prepared to keep an open mind and look at policies impartially and objectively.
Communications is a two-way process. Otherwise, a ramping up of communications could be mistaken for more Government propaganda and, thus, deepen the disengagement.
My second cut. Top public servants, especially the Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executives of Statutory Boards, can play a big part in providing, what I call, operational transparency and accountability of the bureaucracy's efforts in implementing Government policies and schemes.
Take, for example, the opening of the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) at the end of 2013. Although this was another milestone for our road transport system, teething problems were to be expected. However, when motorists felt that the congestion was due to poor design and other engineering issues, I
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thought perhaps that the Chief Executive of LTA could have taken on a more public profile in attending to the motorists' concerns and, perhaps, even anger. Yes, there were senior officials from LTA who were at the front-line but nothing like the Chief Executive taking on a more prominent role. In my view, when a Minister gets involved in operational matters, the matter invariably gets refracted through political lenses.
I appreciate the various Ministers' hands-on approach in ensuring that their Ministries and Statutory Boards under their care get things done well and right. However, where they relate to the operational domain, then the public servants should step up.
As domain experts, Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executives would be better placed to deal with the actual nuts-and-bolts delivery of services, explaining and attending to public concerns and unhappiness when these matters relate to the execution of operational matters. In so doing, they also demonstrate the operational transparency and accountability that is vital to public confidence in the Public Service, the one that is increasingly expected by the public.
Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines):\tMadam, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Singapore is a multilingual society and we have implemented a bilingual policy for many years. Most Singaporeans can master English and understand their mother tongue. Our need for translation is not that high. Indeed, because of this reason, Singapore has to adopt a translation policy which differs quite greatly from monolingual societies like Japan, Korea or France.
Firstly, we must not forget that there are still Singaporeans who only understand one official language and many of them are elderly. The Pioneer Generation is the highlight of this year's Budget and we should provide information to this group of people using the four official languages, whether it is letters, brochures or websites.
Because of our bilingual background and education, we should be even more sensitive when dealing with languages. Our Chinese TV drama and variety shows have achieved more than the English ones. However, the information at the \"50 Years of TV\" exhibition did not have Chinese names for the Chinese
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drama shows. Although Channel 8 viewers all knew Zoe Tay, what they wanted to see at the exhibition was that the first TV drama Zoe Tay starred in was \"窈窕淑女\", not \"My Fair Ladies\".
In the costume section of the exhibition, there were Chinese names of the show and its characters in brackets within the English text, but the Yang character for Yang Guo in the \"Return of the Condor Heroes\" was written wrongly. They have used the Yang which means the sun. I think the Little Dragon Girl, Yang Guo's lover, will be very upset that this is the wrong Yang Guo.
In Singapore, providing Chinese translation not just benefits those who do not understand English; it also involves sentiments. The sentiment is not only about feelings towards the Chinese culture, but also respect for Singapore's local culture.
Nowadays, tourists from China travel around the world. Many tourist attractions in non-Chinese regions provide information in Chinese. Most of them can just pass the original documents to a Chinese National to translate. However, in Singapore, it is not as easy.
Singapore is a small country with a short history. However, we have developed our unique terminology in Chinese, such as HDB flats. In China, it is called \"economical housing\". In Taiwan, it is called \"state housing\". In Hong Kong/Macau, it is called \"public housing\". Our translation should be based on our terminology. If we are worried that Chinese tourists cannot understand, we can use footnotes to explain.
Many people in the translation industry have groused that when the Government agencies outsource their translation work, they feel local interpreters are not as good as their counterparts in China and Taiwan. However, we must understand that the foreigners may not understand the Singapore context and our local terminologies, thus they cannot accurately translate certain words. We need to respect the translation profession, improve translators' benefits so as to encourage more people to join this profession.
The Government should play a leading role in this sector. We are now forming a National Translation Committee. I would like to thank Ms Sim Ann for inviting me to join the Committee and I am happy to make my contributions. This Committee has a heavy responsibility and a very important one. Let us work together, so we do not have to be haunted by the \"Hungarian Ghost
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Festival\" again!
The Chairman: Mr Low Thia Khiang, please take your two cuts together.
Mr Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied): Mdm Chair, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I believe the ridiculous Chinese translations from some Government departments which became a laughing stock are still vivid in our memory. As far back as in 2002, STB translated the Hungry Ghost Festival in the lunar seventh month as \"Hungarian Ghost Festival\". The recent fiasco involved the NHB website last year.
Last month, MCI announced the establishment of a National Translation Committee. I welcome this development. I hope, through the efforts of the Committee, we can reduce translation errors and avoid translation fiascos.
I have two suggestions for the Committee to consider. I hope they can improve the local translation standard at the same time, promote the correct usage of the Chinese language.
First, I hope the Committee would set up a website with standardised translated terms. The Committee can coordinate various Ministries' translations, official terms and correct technical terms to be used in the context. The Committee should categorise all these terms and publish them on the website.
Currently, Lianhe Zaobao has a website for standardised translation of terms. The Committee can explore expanding this website. However, timely updates are needed for the website. For example, I saw on the first page, \"Abdullah Tarmugi\" is described as Speaker of Parliament. It has been quite a number of years since Mr Abdullah retired as Speaker of Parliament!
Second, regulate and accredit the translation industry. Many Government departments and private organisations do not have their own translation team. When translation is needed, they outsource it to translation companies. However, the standard of translation services available in the market is not consistent. Some are good, some are bad, with a considerable gap between them. If the organisation has no competency to vet the translation work, it could end up spending money, yet becoming a laughing stock. Hence, I suggest the
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Committee consider establishing an accreditation framework for the translation industry, and set out the basic qualifications and experiences that a translation practitioner must possess.
(In English): Mdm Chair, the National Archives of Singapore is the official custodian of public records and, arguably, the keeper of our collective social memory. However, my understanding is that there seems to be a huge gap in the records and our collective memory because our Cabinet Papers are not released to the National Archives.
Madam, in many democratic countries, with advanced social and economic development, they have what has been famously termed the \"30-year rule\" whereby yearly Cabinet Papers are released for public information and research 30 years after they are created. In fact, the United Kingdom is now moving towards a 20-year rule. In Israel, the 30-year rule is subject to state security and foreign policy sensitivities.
Mdm Chair, I am sure we are in a better position than Israel in this respect. The principle behind the 30-year rule not only concerns transparency and accountability to maintain public trust in the Government, but also you are encouraging historical investigation and writing to foster a strong sense of national identity. Singapore would be 50 years old next year. It is timely that the Government adopts a 30-year rule, legislates a Declassification Act and release the first trench of Cabinet Papers for public access.
Miss Penny Low: Mdm Chair, last year, MCI added $182 million to Public Service Broadcast (PSB) funds to boost the quality and quantity of local content, documentaries on Singapore and current affairs programmes. Indeed, PSB programmes today feature famous artists, overseas shoots and sizeable productions. These are some achievements that Singapore can be proud of.
While this helps our media scene level up, I hope that resources would also be channelled to, firstly, raise awareness of important policies and help schemes for both the society and the private sector. The perils of poor communications on Government policies have been extensively discussed outside and inside this House. We need to heed the advice and views very
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seriously.
And, secondly, to give exposure to smaller community groups and social enterprises who are social do-gooders, but cannot afford the high advertising costs to promote their causes. In fact, whenever NPOs, especially smaller NPOs, approach the main media for collaborations, they are often shown the charge sheets. Also, unless it is a major production by a major NPO, any media collaboration will be almost impossible.
Perhaps, the solution is in PSB-funded short, simple productions, repeatedly played. These cost less and cover more ground. Will the Minister consider: (a) producing simple snippets and TV interstitials that are played repeatedly, to inform Singapore residents of Budget and other policies, like the PGP (Pioneer Generation Package), some of the help schemes, SME schemes and, of course, if you are low-income family, the help schemes? (b) commissioning TV interstitials and advertorials featuring smaller not-for-profit organisations like social enterprises, VWOs, schools, sports, arts or lesser known interest groups and their passionate endeavours? This will reflect the energy of our community, create a positive vibe in society, and inspire this can-do and do-good spirit. It is an uplifting message. These people cannot afford the high advertisement rates. But they need help and recognition.
Mr David Ong: Madam, I would like to declare my interest as the President of the Basketball Association of Singapore. Today, we see an explosive growth of TV channels and new viewing opportunities, such as multi-TVs at home, new mobile television services on mobile handsets, tablets and even gaming devices which can deliver content on demand. In spite of these developments, broadcast TV remains, for now, the medium of choice for the masses. Our public service broadcaster must keep its promise as a genuine public service and promoter of a breadth of local programming, including sports.
At the last SEA Games in Myanmar, Singaporeans did not get to see much of our athletes competing in 25 out of 30 events, although they brought back 108 medals in total. Public service broadcasting of the Games featuring our athletes is lacking even during off prime-time hours. In our efforts to better rally Singaporeans to support Team Singapore and its athletes, what can the Ministry do to ensure more air time over its free-to-air channels of our athletes competing in regional, national and even school sporting events?
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Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong (Tampines): Imagine this: Tom Cruise on a speedboat chasing down Singapore River; Daniel Craig skydiving into Marina Bay or Jackie Chan somersaulting on a HDB rooftop. These need not be the stuff of fantasy. Such scenes can appear on our movie and TV screens if we put our minds to developing an integrated strategy to strengthen Singapore's capacity for producing film and TV content.
A key component would include promoting Singapore as a film location internationally. Some cities, such as New York and London, have done this well. They have proven that films make the key contribution to their economy and their creative buzz. Films also promote tourism and provide exposure to the country's culture.
I am aware that there is a HBO series titled \"Serangoon Road\" which is set in Singapore, but would you believe that it was filmed mostly in Batam? Why not in Singapore? Of course, we cannot force film-makers to shoot here but we can actively encourage them and create a welcoming climate for this. In other cities known to be film-friendly, they have set up a centralised film body backed by the government which offers free information service, helping film-makers with all aspects of filming – budgeting, studios, crew, locations, permissions and services – ensuring that filming happens as smoothly as possible.
For example, in New York, the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting provides a one-stop shop for all production needs in the city, including permits, free exterior locations and free police assistance. Let us think big and set up such a one-stop agency for film and television for Singapore. It seems ridiculous that, today, even local producers find it hard to shoot a scene on a HDB rooftop.
At the heart of a good film is a good story. Raising the quality of scriptwriting is essential. For example, a murder thriller based on the Singapore F1 race would be a promising pitch, but, without a talented scriptwriter, it could flop. We need to bridge that quality gap between a good idea and successful production. We should also look at adapting evocative Singapore-based novels into movies.
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As Singapore turns 50 next year, there is a hunger for more documentaries on Singapore's complex history. A commendable effort in this direction is CNA's recent series, \"Days of Rage\". We should increase the funding support for more high-quality historical documentaries and encourage international corporate co-productions so that they can reach a wider audience beyond our shores.
Anthony Chen's recent success is an inspiration to our film industry. We should build on this success, pour in more resources and pursue a more integrated approach to put Singapore firmly on the creative path. I would like to ask the Minister his plans for promoting our film and TV industries.
Ms Janice Koh: Madam, the Singapore film scene has grown significantly over the last 10 years. As the Minister Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob, Mr Baey Yam Keng, Ms Irene Ng have all mentioned, the phenomenal success of \"Ilo Ilo\", I would like to highlight that this success has been a culmination of years of hard work and determination of many in the independent film-making community. With the significant milestone reached by Singapore cinema, there is, more than ever, a need to plug the gaps that exist in the film scene to ensure sustainable and healthy growth of this industry.
Madam, there remains a lack of awareness of local films amongst Singaporeans. When \"Ilo Ilo\" won the prestigious Camera d'Or at Cannes last year, Straits Times journalist John Lui wrote that such critically-acclaimed films, unlike commercially-driven local comedy or horror movies, make, and I quote, \"measly amounts at the box office\". This pessimistic forecast is not without justification. \"Ilo Ilo\" was one of the few Singapore foreign films that eventually did well at the box office. But films that have made significant splashes overseas, such as Colin Goh and Woo Yen Yen's \"Singapore Dreaming\" in 2006 and Boo Junfeng's \"Sandcastle\" in 2010, did not do as well as they deserved locally.
Madam, film is an art form that has a rich history here that many Singaporeans may not be aware of, going back to the iconic P Ramlee films from the 1950s and 1960s. There needs to be a concerted effort to raise the level of awareness and appetite for such films, as well as the works of film-makers like Eric Khoo and Boo Junfeng. Not only do these films enrich our lives, they cultivate a sense of pride in our own stories and in our storytellers. For that to happen, we need an institution that will view this development holistically.
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Madam, it is timely to consider the establishment of a National Film Centre which will take Singapore cinema to the next stage of growth. At present, the Singapore Film Commission serves mostly as a grant-giving body and is inadequately staffed to do little more than perform an administrative role. We need an independent institute that not only commissions films, but also curates, educates, provides scholarship and research, and promotes our films both locally and internationally. It could be modelled after the British Film Institute (BFI) in London, the Cinematheque Francais in Paris, or the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York.
Apart from improving film literacy and providing Singaporeans access to a broader range of films, it can work with the SFC to nurture new works and new voices. It can also partner the National Archives to develop research in our film heritage and spearhead the international outreach of Singapore films by partnering with our embassies across the world.
Madam, culture is a core component of a country's soft power in the international arena. In this digital age, film, together with music and television, is amongst the most exportable and easily accessible of our creative assets, and can play an important role in shaping how Singapore is perceived overseas. I, therefore, urge the Ministry to consider the establishment of a National Film Centre, in consultation with local film-makers. Not only is this an important step towards enhancing Singapore's cultural diplomacy, it is also an opportune moment to take Singapore cinema to the next level.
The Chairman: Minister of State.
The Minister of State for Communications and Information (Ms Sim Ann): Mdm Speaker, I will now speak on the role of MCI in building a knowledgeable and connected society.
As Mr Arthur Fong pointed out, our libraries are very popular. On a busy day, about 79,000 people visit our libraries and borrow over 100,000 items, and 300 new members join the library. Reading programmes and exhibitions in our libraries attract about 27,000 participants. Our libraries are well-used and well-loved. We recognise that libraries remain important to Singaporeans and we intend to continue to expand the library network.
I am pleased to inform Members that we will be opening two libraries this year. First, residents living in the north will be able to enjoy an expanded, newly renovated Sembawang Library on the fifth floor of Sun Plaza, which will offer a
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bigger space with a new look and feel. The new library will be ready in the third quarter of the year. The Sembawang Library is especially well-used by young families, and its collection will strive to meet their needs even better. The new design will not only focus on the young, but will also be fitted out for inter-generational learning to promote interaction between children and their parents and grandparents.
Second, the much-anticipated library@orchard will open at the new Orchard Gateway development at Somerset. This is an exciting project because the library@orchard took a new co-creation approach in development. During the last Budget debate, we shared with Members that NLB exhibited the service prototypes for library@orchard and obtained feedback on what features should be included. Since then, the design-thinking team from Singapore Polytechnic, NLB staff and volunteers with design expertise have been working to conceptualise the interiors and the collection. As a result, we can look forward to the opening of a new library with an innovative design in the later half of this year. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the different groups for their hard work. This is one way we hope to continue engaging communities in building new services and improving on them.
NLB will continue to work with the community to see how libraries can be even more community-powered. With the community playing a role, we will be able to bring more library services to more people in more locations. If you recall, the library@chinatown, opened last year, is entirely run by volunteers who provide 77 man-hours of voluntary service every week. The library@orchard, too, will explore how it can work with volunteers to extend library operations beyond traditional library operating hours to better serve users along the Orchard Road belt.
Promoting the love for reading is core to NLB's work. NLB's reading programmes cater for people of all ages and social backgrounds. For example, the NLB has been reaching out to school-age children through its kidsRead and Read@School programmes. Among adults, some 50 reading clubs help build on common reading interests and the annual READ! Singapore initiative provides a wide range of activities for young and old. Members like Mr David Ong and Mr Vikram Nair have pointed out that seniors and the very young are important groups. This is why NLB will be introducing new reading programmes to better cover these age groups.
Seniors make up about 9% of our population and this will grow significantly in the next few years. In fact, population projections have our seniors population tripling by 2030. We need to be prepared to have more services to
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reach out and engage our seniors, and help them continue pursuing their learning interests.
Since last year, NLB has been revamping its services for seniors. For example, NLB has doubled its collection of large print books. There is also a wide collection of audio books in our four official languages. A key partner in IDA's Silver Infocomm initiatives, the NLB will continue to help seniors pick up new digital skills and they can enjoy digital services and free Internet access at our public libraries. To expand its reach, NLB has been working closely with partners, such as the People's Association and the CDCs, to provide services closer to our seniors. We also partner active seniors who are valuable volunteers with the library.
Take Mr Ho Hew Lee, for example. At 72 years of age, Mr Ho belongs to our Pioneer Generation. He has been an energetic, dedicated volunteer with our libraries since 2006. Passionate about helping others, Mr Ho has helped conduct training workshops for other seniors on how to use e-devices on loan, such as iPads and Kindles, and teaches them how to access resources from the library's databases. He also volunteers at events to raise awareness of the library's many reading programmes. We are thankful for passionate individuals like Mr Ho. NLB welcomes more seniors who would like to play a part in our library's learning services.
NLB has been working with community groups over the past few years in loaning out books at various places, such as community centres and senior activity centres. NLB is enhancing this service through a new scheme called Read@Community to provide guidance to community partners in setting up reading corners; these corners will be open to the public.
This scheme will be trialled first with groups catering to seniors. As Mr Arthur Fong said, there are some groups that may find it difficult to travel to a library and this applies to some seniors. Through this new scheme, community groups can come forward and work with NLB to set up their own reading corners close to the people they serve. NLB will provide the expertise to setting up a conducive learning space and select the right books to meet the community's needs, while the community can take on the management and operation of the reading corners. Some early adopters are the Senior Activity Centres in Taman Jurong and Bukit Batok East. NLB welcomes more groups to take up this scheme.
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Now, let me speak on what we are doing for the young. It is important to set a good foundation to learning for our young, but it can be challenging for parents to figure out the reading level of a young child and how to help him or her develop a love for reading. So, this year, NLB has embarked on an initiative called Early READ. In partnership with the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), NLB will be introducing a comprehensive reading framework and toolkit for teachers and parents to start reading to their children as early as possible. To reach children not enrolled in pre-schools, NLB is working extensively with community groups and welfare organisations, such as the Singapore Children's Society, Mendaki, SINDA, CDAC and the Eurasian Association, to distribute a Starter Kit to these families. Free reading workshops will be organised to better equip parents through the use of simple but effective pre-reading practices.
NLB will also be setting up an Early Literacy Library at Jurong Library in April. The first of its kind for our libraries, this specialised library corner will feature over 60,000 books and audio-visual items in the four official languages which cater to children aged six and below. The collection for children aged three and below is carefully chosen to support the five literacy practices of playing, talking, singing, reading and writing. Parents and educators can also work closely with librarians specialised in children's books and learning needs.
I also wish to thank the Member Mr Arthur Fong for showing such strong support for the collections of the NLB. Indeed, the collections of our libraries are very carefully curated and, as a supporter of our Mother Tongue languages myself, I am very often amazed by the extent to which our libraries go to ensure that we maintain and celebrate our literary heritage in all four official languages.
Mr Arthur Fong has asked about what more can be done by the libraries to celebrate our nation's heritage as we mark our 50 years of Independence. Indeed, the National Library Board is the prime mover behind the Singapore Memory Project, and allow me, at this juncture, to also encourage all Members to participate in the Singapore Memory Project to share, curate and also to record the collective memories of all of our communities in Singapore.
Now, please allow me to address the comments on Government communications. I would like to thank Mr Seng Han Thong for highlighting the need for good public communications. Given the increasing complexity of issues and with new issues emerging all the time, it is all the more important
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that we engage citizens and reach out to different segments of society. We need to pay particular attention to groups, such as the vulnerable and elderly, for instance, when communicating the Pioneer Generation Package. Such efforts to customise communications will continue, and we will continue to pay special attention to all major policies and events, some of which the Member has named in his speech. That said, I agree with Mr Seng also that we have to regularly enhanced our capabilities and conscientiously assess the effectiveness of public communications.
I would also like to thank Assoc Prof Eugene Tan for raising the need for better outreach to address Singaporeans' concerns over hot-button issues. Last year, we announced that REACH will be ramping up the frequency of face-to-face dialogues to better understand the challenges and concerns of specific groups. Over the last year, REACH has more than doubled the number of consultation sessions with Singaporeans, in particular, youths and PMETs. This year, we have explored new ways of outreach to those in the heartlands. We have adopted an open concept booth where people can leave feedback and obtain information. These booths, called Listening Points, are set up in accessible locations, such as malls and transport nodes. Dialogues and outreach efforts help REACH and other Government agencies gather valuable feedback on policies. Our agencies will continue to work with community organisations and VWOs to reach out more widely to different platforms, including social media.
Miss Penny Low spoke of the importance of broadcast channels. Indeed, we can harness free-to-air channels and content development capabilities to do more, to communicate important policies to our people. We have been producing interstitials, or short video clips, in the four official languages to explain policies like the new BTO packages for singles, the Pioneer Generation Package, as well as the healthcare financing schemes like 3Ms (MediSave, MediShield and MediFund). These are featured on MediaCorp channels, YouTube, and also shared on various social media platforms to maximise reach. Videos are an effective means of communication and we will continue to leverage a wide range of platforms, such as TV, to extend reach.
This year, my Ministry will be revamping the Gov.sg website to provide citizens with an easy one-stop access to news and information on all Government policies, services and related matters. Public agencies are also intensifying efforts to conduct public engagement prior to policy formulation. This is an area we can and will do more in. We welcome suggestions to improve communications and deepen engagement, especially when consulting on difficult issues. Effective communications must occur at every level of the Civil
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Service.
Assoc Prof Eugene Tan has suggested that senior civil servants take a more prominent role in explaining and attending to the concerns of the public. We agree that they can and they have been doing so on appropriate occasions. Heads of Statutory Boards brief the media regularly. For instance, IDA's Managing Director Jaqueline Poh spoke on cyber threats and ways to tackle them in the wake of cyberattacks on Government websites. Senior civil servants have also engaged the public with their views on policies. For example, CEO of URA Ng Lang, URA Chief Planner Lim Eng Hwee and other members of URA's senior management met Members of Parliament, community leaders and stakeholders to seek their feedback on the URA Draft Master Plan 2013. MCI and the Civil Service College (CSC) conduct media and public engagement training to prepare our public officers for such efforts.
Let me now address Mr Baey Yam Keng, Mr Seng Han Thong and Mr Low Thia Khiang's concerns regarding the need for better translation. Improving the quality of translation is part of our efforts to enhance Government communications. We recognise the Government can and should do more to establish consistency and translation standards across the public service. But we cannot do this alone. We need the partnership of our community stakeholders across the private, public and people sectors. That is why we will set up the National Translation Committee (NTC) to oversee short-term and long-term plans to enhance whole-of-Government translation capabilities. It will engage community stakeholders who care deeply about translation and signal the Government's commitment to communicate effectively with all Singaporeans, including those who are not proficient in English.
I will chair this Committee, which will include members from the media, academia, the translation industry, as well as Government representatives. There will also be resource panels providing expert advice on specific translation problems, one each for Chinese, Malay and Tamil.
The NTC will help improve the quality of translation in the following ways.
First, the Committee will help draw up best practices to help public agencies procure or produce quality translation. This includes addressing potential pitfalls, such as cheap-sourcing without sufficient regard for quality and failing to vet translated material before public release. I believe that best-sourcing practices, once established, will not only help our agencies procure quality services at fair rates, but also signal professional respect for skilful translators
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who understand the local context and are able to meet the public sector's requirements for accuracy and speed.
Second, we want to create a collaboration platform among the public, private and people sectors to promote and raise translation standards. There are already informal networks of the like-minded who care deeply about our offical languages and who support good translation. They include not only people who work with languages, such as teachers, media professionals and writers, but also members of the public. They are able to offer not just views on whether translating a term in a particular way is technically correct, but also rich insights into the more delicate aspects of linguistic convention, nuances and local flavour. We would like to reach out to such groups and tap on their collective wisdom and vigilance to grow community ownership on the issue of translation.
Third, nurturing the next generation of translation talent for Singapore. Here, I would like to pay tribute to Mr Lee Seng Giap, an acclaimed veteran translator and interpreter. Here, in this photo, you can see him in the interpreters' booth serving this House. One of the early pioneers of the local translation scene, Mr Lee helped to build up translation and interpretation standards for the public service. He also headed the then-Ministry of Culture's Translation Service from 1969 to 1980, and, in his 29 years as a civil servant, has helped to groom many outstanding translators. After his retirement in the 1990s, Mr Lee continued to share his expertise through lecturing in translation and interpretation at NTU. I had the good fortune of having been taught by him when I took a postgraduate Diploma in Translation and Interpretation some years ago. We need more of such translators in the Public Service.
We will look into collaborating with CSC and educational institutions to provide more training for our current in-house translators, and also to offer translation scholarships to young talent. These are still ideas we are exploring, and I will bring them to the NTC. Madam, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Recently, I had an introductory meeting with members of the National Translation Committee and its resource panel. They were very positive and enthusiastic, and were all geared up to work with us to improve the standards of translation in Singapore. I am pleased that Mr Baey Yam Keng has accepted the invitation to join us as a member of this Committee. I am sure that members of the Committee would be delighted to know that Mr Seng Han Thong and Mr Low
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Thia Khiang share the same interest as us.
The Committee will focus on the following areas: firstly, to come up with a set of guidelines to assist the various Government departments with translation or procurement of translation services.
Secondly, establish a platform for collaboration, so that the Government, the industry and our people can work together to raise the standard of translation and promote good translation.
Thirdly, nurture the next generation of translation talents. MCI will look into the possibility of collaborating with the Civil Service College and other education institutions to provide more translation training for public service officers to help build a pool of translators within the Government Ministries.
Mr Low Thia Khiang made some suggestions that are in line with the views of the Committee. First, is to launch a website for standardised translated terms. The officer in-charge of the website for standardised Chinese translated terms recently discussed this issue with me. As part of our work in the Committee, we also hope to launch such a website, providing standardised Chinese, Malay and Tamil translations of various terms. We are in the process of collating and updating some information. Hopefully, we will be able to launch the website soon, which will serve as a source of reference for everyone.
Mr Low also made suggestions in the area of procurement of services. During my interaction with the media, we have looked into how we can provide guidelines to help various Government departments do a better job in procurement, I will not repeat this in Parliament.
I believe that translation plays a significant role in a multilingual society, and promoting the translation profession is a long-term effort. Mr Seng Han Thong brought up the question of whether we have the capability. I believe Singapore has the capability to do well in translation, our potential has not been fully realised. I have full confidence in our local translators.
As to the issue whether we have the \"heart\" for it, I think we have both enthusiasm and determination. What we need now is time. I am pleased that members of the National Translation Committee and its resource panel have a common understanding of our objectives. Although we will not see an immediate effect from the work we do, we hope that our efforts will help to
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promote and raise the standard of translation in Singapore.
(In English): To conclude, MCI will continue to provide greater access to quality resources and strengthen the bonds of community through our libraries, to enhance Government communications and our translation capabilities.
The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (Mr Lawrence Wong): Mdm Chair, MDA works closely with our local media industry to boost its competitiveness, as was mentioned by Minister earlier. This is not only for economic reasons; we also want to develop our talent to support production of local content that can resonate with Singaporeans. Let me elaborate on this.
Many of us would remember adjusting our daily schedules around TV programmes; we would rush home to watch the evening news and, perhaps, a local drama or sitcom with our families. Some programmes like \"The Awakening\" in the 1980s and \"Growing Up\" in the 1990s continue to resonate with many Singaporeans. They are part of our shared memories and bond us as a community.
The media landscape today is very different. While free-to-air TV remains the dominant local media platform in terms of reach, the Internet is fast catching up as an alternative platform for information and entertainment, especially among the young. The media industry is also facing intense competition as our local broadcasters and producers compete for viewership with a diverse range of overseas content.
It is all the more critical that we continue to encourage our media industry to produce good local content. Minister spoke earlier about MDA's industry development efforts. Another important aspect of Government support for the local media industry is through Public Service Broadcast (PSB) funding. Here, I would like to thank Miss Penny Low, Ms Irene Ng and Mr David Ong for speaking in support of TV and the quality of local PSB programmes. Indeed, the Government recognises the importance of PSB programmes and we have devoted a significant amount of funding support over the years. In response to Miss Penny Low's query, I will now provide an update on new programmes supported through PSB funding in the past year.
Last year, we announced $182 million of additional PSB funding support up to 2016 to improve the production quality of local programmes and to increase the number of current affairs and documentary programmes across our four
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official languages. In the last year alone, over 2,000 hours of PSB programmes have been produced. They include programmes like \"Mata-Mata\", which is a historical drama on Channel 5, and \"Veethi Varai\", a social drama on Vasantham.
We have also seen a strong suite of current affairs and documentaries being produced. For example, \"IT Figures\" is a current affairs series which explains the interesting numbers and statistics behind everyday issues like transport, housing and education; and on Suria, we have \"#FORUMsg\" which discusses national issues from the perspective of the Malay community and which also has interactive elements, such as viewer participation through social media, email and phone calls.
I am happy to hear Ms Irene Ng's positive comments of the documentary \"Days of Rage.\" This is a documentary series which combines dramatic reconstructions, eyewitness interviews, rare archival documents and state-of-the art computer graphics to take viewers on a journey through our turbulent history. All these mean higher production costs, and, so, it is made possible only through PSB funding. With PSB funding, we hope to produce even more quality content and documentaries like these.
I agree with Ms Ng that the production and promotion of such compelling Singapore content can help profile our local TV and film talents both locally and overseas. The PSB Contestable Funds Scheme, for instance, has been revamped to allow for media companies to pitch their ideas for funding to develop programmes with Singapore content which could also be marketed overseas.
As Ms Ng highlighted, we want to take an integrated approach to help individuals and companies along the content value chain. MDA's suite of grant schemes helps local media companies to develop compelling content showcasing Singapore stories and capabilities to the international audience and we do so at key content markets in Hong Kong and France, for example, as well as major industry forums like MIPCOM in Cannes, which is an industry event where international industry professionals in TV and film network come together and they trade content rights, and profile their work to distributors. MDA also serves as a referral centre for both local and overseas content creators, by providing information on the local industry, as well as connecting interested parties, including those who would like to film in Singapore, with the relevant Government agencies and entities. Ms Ng also spoke about the
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importance of quality scriptwriting and I agree fully with her this is something that MDA is looking to develop.
Miss Penny Low has suggested that more can be done on TV to profile passionate Singaporeans in the charity, arts and sports sectors and I agree that this is something important which we are already doing and we have many such examples in PSB programmes. For example, the Vasantham programme, \"Kalaimanigal\", features former Singapore Cultural Medallion winners from theatre, dance and literary arts. The programme \"Off The Path\" on Channel U showcases talents in diverse fields, such as entrepreneurs, gourmet chefs, and even our very own Singaporean CSI agents. MediaCorp will continue to feature Singaporeans and share their inspiring stories of how they have overcomed their challenges and pursued their dreams.
On sports programming, I would like to respond to Mr David Ong's call for more airtime for our athletes on local PSB channels. In 2013, Channel 5 televised major sporting events like the SEA Games, the FINA Swimming World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, all of which featured Team Singapore athletes. MediaCorp will continue to support sports this year. For example, our S League teams are featured \"live\" on OKTO on Friday evenings when matches are on and, later in the year, we can look forward to MediaCorp's coverage of major sporting events, such as the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and the Youth Olympic Games.
I agree it is important for Singaporeans to be able to cheer on and celebrate the achievements of our local athletes who train hard to do our country proud. Let me assure Mr David Ong and the House that the Government will continue to provide PSB funding support for the telecast of sporting events that feature Team Singapore athletes. And, next year, when we host the SEA Games, I am sure we will ensure that there will be adequate \"live\" coverage of our team Singapore athletes.
To further enrich PSB programming, we can tap on rich Singapore content in our archives. The National Archives is a rich repository of official and personal records, photographs, broadcast productions and oral histories, among others. It contains stories of our nation and our people: they tell the stories of what we have been and how we got to where we are today.
These records sometimes require laborious documentation work, especially for recordings that are transferred to the archives undocumented. Our archivists need to carefully work through such recordings to document and
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digitise them. One such recording is the first Parliamentary sitting broadcast over radio and this recording was the first Address for the Opening of Parliament, delivered on 8 December 1965 by then-President Yusof Ishak. [A slide was shown to hon Members.] And if you look carefully at the picture, on President Yusof Ishak's right is a soldier, a very young Winston Choo who, of course, later became our first Chief of Defence Force (CDF). Another recording on 14 December 1965, just six days after the first address, was delivered by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who expressed his hope for a new quid pro quo relationship with Malaysia.
Let me now respond to Mr Low Thia Kiang's query on the National Archives. Since the transfer of the National Archives to NLB, NLB has been working on a unified search platform that will allow users to access the different databases. This will enhance access to content from the archives as well as the National Library. The unified search portal will be launched this year and, through the revamp, portal users would also be able to access Oral History interviews. All these will help increase usability and accessibility of the contents in the National Archives. Besides the search portal, the National Archives also provides for public archives to be inspected by any person for purposes of research and reference.
Any such request to research Government records can be made at the National Archives' Reading Room and the National Archives will then consult the relevant agencies about providing access with these records. All unclassified information is made available upon request, and also released on various platforms, such as on the websites of public agencies and through periodic press releases.
There are some Government records which are not available for open access, including those relating to our national defence, foreign relations and internal security, as well as documents which may be bound by confidentiality obligations or personal privacy reasons. I would say that these conditions are also found in other countries. In the UK, for example, the government may refuse to disclose classified information which, if released, may harm certain public interest or, if it is too costly or time-consuming to retrieve the information.
Having said that, I have sketched out a broad approach with regard to the archives and I would assure Members that MCI and the National Archives will continue to work closely with Ministries and agencies to progressively make more information available to the public.
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Our national heritage can also be found in film. Film is an important medium that captures our moments in time; whether showing us Singapore's changing landscapes, or portraying simple, enduring traditions that are handed down to us.
Ms Janice Koh suggested an independent National Film Centre to facilitate audiences' appreciation of film, as well as promote our stories, film culture and heritage. I think Ms Irene Ng also suggested a centralised film body backed by the Government. In fact, I had discussed this idea recently with several young film-makers and I explained to them many of the functions of such a Film Centre are already being undertaken by various agencies. For example, a National Film Centre would typically showcase local films and would hold a Film Festival. In our case, we have the Cinematheque at the National Museum and we also have the Singapore International Film Festival which MDA is supporting and we should make a comeback later this year.
There is also an archival function, and here we have the Asian Film Archive (AFA), which was recently made a subsidiary of the National Library Board. It has a holding of over 1,600 films made in Singapore and the region since the 1950s. Many of the films are classics and would be familiar to some of us, such as \"Moon Over Malaya\", an old Cantonese film made in 1957. There are also iconic Malay Cathay-Keris films, such as \"Mat Bond\" and \"Orang Minyak.\"
Many of these films and others like them are in need of restoration, and we will have them properly conserved and digitised. These films from AFA will be made more accessible through screenings in libraries and other collaborations with film festivals.
The other key function of curation and promotion of local films is currently undertaken by the Singapore Film Commission (SFC) in MDA. For example, to profile local films, the SFC partners film organisations, such as The Arts House and The Substation, MDA is now studying how it can beef up resources in the SFC, so that it can do more to develop and promote local films.
In the longer term, the question is whether there is a need to amalgamate all of these different functions under a single entity. I think there are merits to such an idea, so it is something that MDA is open to reviewing with the relevant agencies. But as Ms Irene Ng said, this is a long-term gain that we are getting into. For now, we will focus on building up each of the different areas, so as to strengthen our capabilities across the entire value chain of film development,
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archival, curation and promotion.
The Chairman: Mr Wong, you may want to wind up your speech.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Yes, I will do so. Finally, I will just make reference to Mr Arthur Fong's mention of the need for more to be done to build national identity through our libraries, especially as we approach our 50th anniversary next year.
One key initiative of NLB is The Singapore Memory Project, which aims to put together a collection of memories with the help of the community. Such memories can help contribute to a more complete picture of our nation's memories and history and since its inception in 2011, the Memory Project has been working closely with the community partners to create content. Last year, the focus was on an exhibition called \"Gift of a Generation\", which featured many of our Pioneer Generation. That was important because it helped to pass down the conviction and values of our Pioneers to a young generation.
Mdm Chair, let me conclude by reiterating my first point about the need to continue to support local content, whether through TV or films, or in making Singapore content, like the archives, more accessible. We will support the production of content that speaks to us, that makes us proud, and that eventually forms part of our shared experiences and memories as a people. At the end of the day, all of these efforts will help bring us closer together and build a more connected Singapore.
The Chairman: We have a few minutes for clarifications. Mr Zaqy Mohamad.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad: Mdm Chair, earlier, I asked the Minister on a question which I think was not answered. It is about the Internet regulation, whether Minister is prepared or willing to do more consultation with the public because the goal post seems to have shifted.
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: My apologies. Our approach, where the Internet is concerned, as I have mentioned before, is really a light touch. We have made some adjustments primarily because the landscape is evolving and that is why last year we have the licensing of the online news sites. Going forward, we are reviewing the Broadcasting Act and I have made it clear this review of the Broadcasting Act will be opened to the public for consultation. I would like members of the Internet community, in particular, to pay special
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attention and give their feedback where possible to help us to enhance the Act. The basic philosophy that we will continue to take is that the Internet has to be continually light-touch in terms of regulation. At the same time, we have to ensure that the content that is provided on the Internet does not in any way undermine our national and public interest.
Mr Low Thia Khiang: I would like to know the Government's position on the declassification of Cabinet Papers. We are 50 years old next year. 50 years on and all the papers are still sensitive? I am sure there are some that are not. Secondly, currently, all the stories, Singapore stories, are told by National Archives, the establishment. I am sure historians in Singapore are interested to research into the history of Singapore in an independent manner, and without those papers published, I think it is quite difficult for them to do so.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Mdm Chair, I would just like to clarify again that our position on the National Archives and declassification is not specific to particular types of information but broadly as I sketched out earlier. Meaning to say, all Government records beyond a 25-year period are deemed as public archives. That is stipulated in the NLB Act. Access would be provided to any of these public archives but there is a proviso that we will have to check with the relevant agencies and to make sure that these are unclassified information.
Cabinet Papers are classified and they are not made available. I would say also that when you look at declassification policies, our approach is not transparency for transparency's sake. Our approach is transparency that leads to good governance. If you look at what some countries have done, where they have gone somewhat overboard, with freedom of information legislation, or open access, it has not always led to better governance. What has happened is that the legislation that has been put in place has inadvertently led to more opaqueness and avoidance of records. Policy Papers or Cabinet Papers which are written may not have full information and full details because the civil servants writing them know that these will be made available.
We have to be careful of such inadvertent consequences, which we do not want to have in Singapore. Our purpose is to promote good governance. Our approach is that we want to make more information available but it would be subject to the broader conditions and philosophy which I stated earlier in my speech.
Mr Baey Yam Keng: Mdm Chair, I have two related clarifications on public communications. Minister of State Sim Ann has said about the more complex
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issues we are facing now, sometimes cutting across different Ministries. In the Chamber, sometimes our PQs get redirected or we are told to ask another Ministry for answers. I wonder in the media, would they also face the same problem, since no one single person is able to answer complex questions. I would like to ask whether the Government is open to considering the model adopted in certain countries like China and US, where there is one single Government spokesperson to answer questions across the whole Government. That would be helpful in public communications and it will be more coordinated and more easily accessible.
The second question is: I am glad to see that there are interstitials being produced in the four official languages for the Pioneer Generation Package (PGP), but given the language proficiency of our Pioneer Generation, would the Government consider also producing interstitials in major Chinese dialects so that they can better communicate to our seniors? I believe we did so during the SARS period. I would like the Government to do so again.
Ms Sim Ann: Madam, Mr Baey has raised an interesting suggestion with regard to having a unified Government spokesperson. I believe that, so far, the approach that we have been taking is to ensure that information be given to the media or to members of public in as timely and as comprehensive a manner as possible. And what this means is that the spokesperson would need to be very familiar with the subject at hand. I also believe that our Government agencies do practise teamwork, such as if subjects should cut across several agencies, then the agencies would work hand-in-hand to ensure that the media and the public obtain the most comprehensive accurate information possible.
With regard to the use of dialects to communicate important policies, such as the Pioneer Generation Package, Madam, we agree that for the elderly who really are going to be the beneficiaries of the Pioneer Generation Package, communicating the details to them in the language that they are most familiar is of extreme importance. I am also very glad to see that Mr Baey himself has also facilitated a community dialogue using dialect for this very purpose. Indeed, we will continue to work with MOH and MOF to consider how to make use of available channels. For instance, news segments in dialect are on radio in order to make such information more accessible to the elderly.
Miss Penny Low: Thank you, Chairman. I have a few clarifications. The first is on the social big data and analytics – I mentioned that earlier on and
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during the Budget debate. Could more information and details be given as to how the social sector can seriously benefit on this and how the Ministry also intends to purvey the use of social analytics? The reason I ask is because, last year or the year before, there was a fund of $100 million set aside for ICT investment into the social sector. But details showed that fund went to only registered charities and VWOs. So, that makes it very difficult for other NPOs to benefit from it. And then, also how do we avoid the same pitfall again – the SMEs, where the \"S\" in the \"SMEs\" is being left out.
The second question is on the cut on exposure for smaller NPOs: how do we create positive vibes in society? And I thank the Minister and the Ministry for giving quite a bit of exposure to some of these interest groups that do well. My question is: I observe that many of these programmes are still aimed at the larger, more established or award-winning kind of persons or organisations. But there are many others who have not won any awards, they are small but, nevertheless, creating a very positive vibe in society. I think we need to broadcast and multiply that.
And, lastly, could we also consider different forms of communication from television to bus-stop ads to newspaper editorials?
The Chairman: Members, please keep your clarifications short so that all Members can get a chance to seek clarifications. Minister, please.
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Thank you, Madam. Three quick points. On the first issue on how the social sector can benefit from data analytics, I mentioned in my reply that as far as IDA is concerned, we are going to help to build up the industry, build up the capability. But the social sector is very unique in comparison to the other sectors. Perhaps, if there can be a champion in the social sector who can work with IDA, we are happy to discuss how best we can roll out this programme. As a minor example, I have used data analytics for Syariah Court data. We have gained some very interesting insights for using big data analytics to why divorce took place in the Malay community.
The need to profile the smaller non-profit organisations is something which we have to work with the broadcasters, such as MediaCorp, TV and radio, to give them the profile. I agree with the Member that we need to do our very best to be as inclusive as possible to bring everybody on board.
In terms of the ads, this is something which is not cast in stone. We have left this to the various Government agencies. We know that MOF and MOH, for
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the PGP package, are looking at various platforms, not just TV and radio, but other ways of communicating it, including bus ads that the Member mentioned earlier.
Mr Vikram Nair: I have two clarifications. The first is for the Minister. I thank the Minister for saying that he is looking into protection of consumers in pay-TV contracts. Would the Minister consider coming up with a set of standard terms for these contracts at the end of this consultation, particularly as we got this scenario where consumers do not have much bargaining power, and we also give clarity to the providers of content?
The second question is for Senior Minister of State Lawrence Wong on PSB funding. I declare my interest as Chairman of the Indian Programmes Advisory Committee. There is a lot of very good content being generated by this funding. Could the Minister consider dubbing content that is good in one language to another so that, say, programmes which are popular with smaller communities might have a broader reach and programmes that, say, do well with the Chinese channel could reach the Indian community as well?
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Definitely, that is a very good suggestion by the Member. I will ask MDA to study his suggestion.
Mr Lawrence Wong: I was going to repeat exactly what the Minister said. I think it is a good suggestion and we will work with MDA and MediaCorp to see how this can be done.
The Chairman: We like your very short responses. Ms Irene Ng.
Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: I welcome the statement by Senior Minister of State Lawrence Wong that he is open to reviewing the need for a centralised body on film and TV content. Can I ask the Senior Minister of State when the review will take place and when it is expected to conclude its findings?
Mr Lawrence Wong: To clarify to the Member, I said that we are open to the idea but it is a long-term endeavour. Our focus now is to look at how the different pieces that we are doing which cut across several agencies can be strengthened. It is something that we have not set a timeline for. We are not saying we ought to have a national centralised film agency by \"X\" date. What is important now is we know the work is done by different parties, the Singapore Film Commission in MDA, the Cinematheque at the National Museum, the Singapore International Film Festival that has just started, we have an archives
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in the National Library Board. These have to be better coordinated – each individual function needs to be strengthened as well, and that is the focus of what we wanted to do in the coming years. Over time, as we develop these capabilities, there may be more synergies and we may eventually have a single entity. That is something that I think we have to develop organically.
Ms Sylvia Lim: Madam, one clarification on the topic of Government communications. I understand that within the Ministry, there is this post called the Chief of Government Communications. The current holder of that post is also concurrently the Director of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) which is supposed to be a think-tank doing research to promote good governance. So, while I am not making any accusations against the current holder, I would like to ask the Minister perhaps whether he agrees with me that this dual holding of the post of Chief of Government Communications, as well as heading the think-tank, is not quite a desirable state of affairs because it might raise some questions about the role of the IPS and its purpose.
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: The short answer is no because we have considered this seriously and that is why we hired that particular person. It is very clear that what IPS does is very different to what the Chief of Government Communications (CGC) is supposed to do. And the particular person has done his job well in the last two years or so, and we do not see any conflict in this matter.
Ms Janice Koh: Madam, I have just two clarifications. The first is for the Minister. Minister, you did not really state your view on the broadcast quota for music on radio. I would just like to know what is the Ministry's view on that; and if the Ministry is not prepared to implement that, then how does it intend to work with all the public broadcast stations to increase airtime play for Singapore music?
My second clarification is for Senior Minister of State Lawrence Wong on the central body to promote film. I would just like to repeat my point earlier about the South Korean creative industries. They started working on their creative sector in the 1990s and, as a result, by the early 2000s, when digital technology and social media took off, they were able to leverage on those platforms. So, the longer we take to review some of our own ability to come together and coordinate, the longer it will be before we are able to leverage on new developments in the industry.
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Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: This is not a new thing that the Member has raised. She has raised this before. We realise that broadcast quota may not be the way for us to work towards ensuring that there is a lot of airtime for local musicians. But having said that, I think our stations recognise that there is a need to provide local music with adequate exposure. I have some numbers just to share with the Member. For example, on MediaCorp, they have dedicated at least about 10% of airtime to local music. On SAFRA, which runs 88.3 Jia, the local music makes up about 20% of its play list. It is an improvement. We would continue to work in this direction by working with our broadcasters.
But there was a second concern that she raised together with Ms Sylvia Lim about local music. I just want to mention this, that we recognise that we need to find something to develop the music sector more holistically and with a single vision. This is not new feedback. We have heard this also from the music sector. I agree that we have to take a holistic view. I would just like to inform Members that both MCI and MCCY have recently convened a project team comprising multi-agencies, such as NAC, MDA, EDB, STB and WDA, to look into how we can promote the development and promotion of the local music sector.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Just to elaborate on the issue of National Film Centre, a centralised body and the efforts that we are doing today. Like I said, just because we are not starting a national film centre does not mean that we are sitting back and taking it easy. Our focus, as I mentioned earlier, is to strengthen all the different parts that we are doing now. That is a more important priority than to get bogged down with organisational structures and how to organise. That may eventually result, in the long term, in a national entity or a centralised entity. But even with the work that we are doing today, which spans across different agencies, there is a need to strengthen each of these functions, and that is our priority and we are doing so.
If you look at some of the work that we are doing, for example, within the NHB family, they are looking at the promotion of the Singapore film showcase in France next year as part of our Singapore Arts Festival. We are doing more for films through the Singapore International Film Festival. Across a wide range of different agencies, I think the work for films will grow, there will be more effort and we want to make use of the momentum that has been created with the success of \"Ilo Ilo\". This is something we are focused on. Just like in the music industry, this is something that MCI and MCCY are both involved in and both sides are discussing and looking at ways in which we can better promote film.
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The Member mentioned South Korea as an example. I would say there is a certain perception in Korea that a lot of the efforts that went into the promotion of Korean films and the success were done through state intervention. Interestingly, when I went there and asked the government, \"What did you do to promote Korean films so successfully?\", the answer was, \"We did not do very much because a lot of these came initially through the media companies themselves. CJ Entertainment, for example, big conglomerate. Media companies invested in it because it was a big market, because it was commercially viable. They invested in content and so the industry grew and, over time, as the Government sort of saw its success, saw it taking off, and the Korean wave taking off in music and film, that is when some of the government initiatives came somewhat later.\" This was what was told to me and related to me by a government official. I just like to relate that to Members because there is always this perception it became successful through extensive state intervention, which was apparently not the case.
Ms Janice Koh: Thank you, Madam. Just a quick response to the Senior Minister of State's reply. I just like to point out that, actually, with the Korean example, Korea does have broadcast quotas for its film and music. They were trying to feed the domestic market first before it could take off internationally.
The Chairman: I would like to give Members more time to clarify but we have reached guillotine time, I am afraid. Unless Ms Irene Ng, you can do it in half a minute? Yes? Then, please.
Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: Thank you, Madam. I just want to clarify that I did not ask for an amalgamation of all agencies but I am asking for a centralised film body to drive the development of TV and film content. That can mean an existing agency to do that – it could be the Singapore Film Commission (SFC) – but it should be given the role of leading the development and strengthening the capacity for TV and media content.
The Chairman: Half a minute, Mr Wong.
Mr Lawrence Wong: I agree with the Member and that is indeed something which we are doing. As I have mentioned, MDA is looking at how we can strengthen the SFC to play the role of developing and promoting local content.
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The Chairman: Mr Zaqy Mohamad, would you like to withdraw your amendment?
Mr Zaqy Mohamad: Mdm Chair, thank you, Minister, Senior Minister of State, Minister of State for your thoughtful replies and, of course, sharing your directions of the important work that the Ministry is doing to enhance our infocomm, broadcast, media, library and design sectors.
I would also like to thank GPC Members and Members of this House who have also spoken during the COS today. I would also like to thank the Permanent Secretary Aubeck Kam and his team – he is also here today – and all the Statutory Boards for the work they have done to realise the policy in Budget 2014. I wish the Ministry and all the Statutory Boards success in the execution and implementation of Budget 2014. With that, Mdm Chair, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $706,813,300 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $366,632,800 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head T (Ministry of National Development)","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Madam, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head T of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
I would like to begin by commending the Minister and his team for the effort and progress that have been made in creating affordable housing for the public. Young couples and singles, in particular, are benefiting from the new policies and housing types rolled out with great efficiency in the last few years.
However, there are other segments of our society who are in need of affordable housing and I urge that they be granted similar consideration. First,
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divorcees with children. I have seen some residents who have gone through a very stressful and traumatic divorce and, after a bitter fight, they won the custody of the children. However, very often, they find themselves having to fight another battle. They do not have a roof over them.
I would like to suggest, for those who can afford to purchase flats, accord them the same priority as first-timers and remove all kinds of waiting period. And for those who cannot afford a flat, give them rental flats.
Next, three-generation families. Even as we attempt to accommodate the needs of the singles, promoting family togetherness should remain one of our main priorities. I urge for the creation of more three-generation flats to encourage children to fulfil their obligations to their parents, while allowing the elderly to be happily occupied by grandchildren and family commitments.
I have a resident who has four children and her mother also lives with them. And in fact, she was the very first one who asked for 3Gen flats and recently she told me that she did not ballot successfully for the first batch of 3Gen flats in Yishun South. I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Minister to build more 3Gen flats in Yishun South.
Next, young Singaporean couples with higher-earning power. Executive condominiums are popular choices for middle to high income families. Due to the monthly income ceiling of $12,000 for ECs, some of the young couples are in limbo of not being able to afford private property and yet have earned too much to be eligible for EC. I would like to suggest to remove the ceiling for ECs for first-time Singaporean buyers so that all young couples can have their own affordable home.
Lastly, it is the group of elderly without a home. At 55 years old, money is being transferred from the Ordinary Account into the Retirement Account, where there is little option to withdraw a lump sum for usage. This leaves some who need a roof over their head with little money to afford their own home.
May I propose to allow residents to be able to use their money from the Retirement Account to purchase studio apartments? I hope that our compassionate Minister can again wave his magic wand and grant the wishes to all the above four groups of residents so that our housing policies are truly inclusive.
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To many Singaporeans, the flats that they live in are the biggest asset that they possess. During their old age, they may need to monetise so that they have money for their old age. I hope the Lease Buyback Scheme can be extended to larger flats so that this will give our elderly residents an additional option. Based on my residents' feedback, more would prefer to sell away their bigger flats and shift to smaller flats, such as studio apartments in the same housing estate. Hence, I would like to urge the Minister to build more studio apartments close to amenities, such as MRT stations or town centres.
Due to wear and tear, the implementation of the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) should be expedited so more estates may benefit from them soon. Many of my residents have been waiting and waiting.
Private estates, too, deteriorate with age and require maintenance. I would like to urge for more private estates to be selected for the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) each year. I have been applying for EUP for Mandai Estate which is 50 years old, and Springleaf Estate which is 30 years old. And year after year, I have to disappoint my residents.
On the topic of upgrading, the Budget allocated should be adjusted accordingly as construction cost has gone up significantly over the last few years.
Several cooling measures have been introduced. Now that the price of resale flats has gradually softened, perhaps, it is time for the Ministry to review the COV. I have spoken in Parliament before about abolishing COV. Perhaps, we should bring the valuation practice to be in line with private housing, that is, sell first and then do valuation. HDB should stop announcing COV. Instead, perhaps announce the transacted price on a monthly basis instead of quarterly basis.
Next, Construction Sector. It has always been my concern whether we have sufficient resources to accomplish quality work within deadlines. The cost of business is ballooning because of the higher foreign worker levies, tighter labour market, and even the cost of dormitory accommodation has escalated. Adding on to the problem is the fact that higher skilled workers are harder to come by. The foreign workers on S Pass and EP are taking advantage of the tight labour market to job hop. Can the Ministry work with MOM to put a minimum duration, either one year or two years, with the employer who applied the S Pass or EP? High turnover is also very unproductive for the companies.
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We need an agency to champion for the construction industry as it is one of our most valuable resources that build the very foundations and pillars of our nation. I hope BCA can play that role and work closely with relevant agencies like MOM and MOF so that any policy changes made are realistic and calibrated.
I hope that BCA can also champion for an increase in the Construction Productivity and Capability Fund as I was told that the take-up rate for the $250 million funding is high.
Meanwhile, since 2012, with the surge in the number of construction projects but no expansion or increase in the number of dumping grounds, builders have had to queue for hours to dump the excavated waste. This is extremely ironic at a time when we are calling for more productivity and, yet, the workers are idling by while lorries are queuing at the dumping grounds. Can the Ministry look into this seriously?
Last but not least, I would like to touch on indiscriminate parking by motorcyclists, especially despatch riders. Some dump their bikes in void decks; some simply dump them temporarily on the road side. My residents find them a hassle.
I guess part of the reason is that despatch riders use many different car parks and can chalk up a fair bit of parking fees. And generally, they are low income. May I suggest putting them on (a) per minute parking, like cars, using the EPS; and (b) enhancing current season parking to allow multiple car park usage. Madam, I beg to move.
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Madam, I had, over the years, spoken for higher priorities to be accorded to single mothers, and parents with children. Given that housing problems are much less intense now – and this is kudos to the Ministry and HDB – I would like to now ask that we accord more attention and a higher priority to vulnerable groups, including divorcees, single parents and ex-convicts.
In my Budget Debate speech, I had asked that the Government fund more and decide less. The world is changing faster than we can govern. Given the current complexity on the ground, we can either build up the Government more, make more elaborate plans and go into finer details. Or we can do less. We let
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the community plan for and have a say in it.
I believe in our Government's philosophy of self-help and self-determination. But over the years, this basic policy has given itself a moral edge. Those who have succeeded have worked hard and those who have not are lazy, ill-disciplined with an overgrown sense of entitlement.
I have spoken on this before, when I decried the behaviour of some rich young Singaporeans thinking that they are better, more talented and more deserving of success than their peers when all they had was the incredible good fortune to be born to rich parents.
Today, I want to make the broader point that the notion of meritocracy has been tainted from an anti-corruption, fair play motivation to one which lauds success and ties it with justice, that the rich deserve to have more, to be treated better because of something that they themselves have done. Sure, there is some link between effort and success but, given that luck and circumstance too have a role, we ought to recognise that how a man sometimes ends up at age 70 is sometimes not completely within his own control.
We, therefore, have a moral obligation, those of us whom time and circumstance have been kind, to give this man as much help as we can. Not out of charity, not because we are so benevolent, but because, there, but for the grace of God, or the throw of a dice, go I.
I ask the Minister to consider if the community can have some inputs on who ought to receive housing priorities or whether the CDC can have this role. I am referring to groups, such as divorcees, single parents and ex-convicts.
As the Ministry calibrates and tries to stabilise and moderate housing prices, achieving a balance in interests between current home owners and prospective ones is also important. At the same time, there is a need to ask the public to exercise caution with regard to buying of properties overseas as there are other factors to be considered, such as forex and interest rates. In some places, there is a very limited secondary market. I am referring to properties where there is little scope for real price appreciation. The Ministry's job is not to be naysayers, of course, but to provide some public education. I hope the Minister can give his views on this.
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Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mdm Chair, in recent years, we have seen more Singaporeans buying overseas properties, including those in our neighbouring countries in Malaysia and in Thailand.
Prices in some of these locations such as Iskandar, have also risen sharply, which could be partly due to strong interest from Singaporean buyers. In some of the recent property launches, properties were quickly snapped up in droves by Singaporeans, regardless of fundamentals or whether there would be tenants to occupy the properties. Low interest rates and ample liquidity may be among the reasons for this surge in interest in overseas properties, and some may have bought into these properties hoping to make a quick buck.
Clearly, there are significant risks to these investors. Should there be a major correction either due to changing macroeconomic environment or an oversupply situation, prices of these properties may fall sharply. Is the Government concerned that Singaporeans may be overly exposed to overseas property markets? Are there any possible measures that the Government could take to rein in excessive speculation in foreign properties by Singaporeans?
The information on Singaporeans buying overseas properties is not readily available and much of it is anecdotal. Would the Government have the necessary information and data to monitor these developments?
There have been more launches and exhibitions of foreign properties in Singapore. Does the Government regulate these real estate sales that occur in Singapore like how CEA regulates the local property real estate agents?
Mr R Dhinakaran (Nominated Member): Madam, our property prices have been soaring over the past decade. Singapore has also become a very important destination for foreign investment, buoyed by our stable and predictable economy, besides a strong currency. The influx of foreign money to Singapore fuelling our property prices is one of the significant reasons for the high property prices today. The Government has done well to clamp down on this with several rounds of measures, especially the recent total debt service
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ratio (TDSR) and, today, prices are in check.
The series of measures by MND has helped to ensure that young Singaporeans are able to afford and gain access to their first home. I thank the Minister for that. But we need to help them a bit more. Our younger Singaporeans aspire to someday own a private property and there is nothing wrong with that. They should dare to dream. However, with the influx of foreign money in private property, this has become more difficult. As a result, many of our younger Singaporeans head overseas to fulfil some of these aspirations as they realise it becomes increasingly difficult here to do so. I think we should ensure that the younger and future generations of Singaporeans are able to achieve their aspirations with hard work and determination.
Therefore, I would like to propose efforts to protect properties with prices up to $3 million or $5 million from foreign investment and local speculative play. It is essential to take a firm and hard decision to prevent foreign investment on our real estate if we want to preserve opportunities for our younger generation in our land-scarce country. Failure to act now may prove very costly for our future generations.
Mr Laurence Lien (Nominated Member): Mdm Chair, housing is a major asset for most families in Singapore. The majority of these homes sit on leasehold land. These should be depreciating assets but have not been because general property prices have risen substantially over the years, propping up the value of all homes.
I am not a property expert, but let me try to illustrate with a simple model. If I buy an HDB flat for a quarter of a million dollars and, say, it has a 99-year lease, if we use straight-line depreciation for building and land, the flat's value will fall about 1% per year till it hits zero at the end of the lease period. For the flat to keep its nominal value, the cost of new and similar flats in future years must keep on going up.
In my simple model, if we assume that any appreciation in property prices results in the same percentage of appreciation in similar types of properties, then in my initial years of owning my leasehold property, property prices would need to go up at an increasing rate for my flat to keep its initial nominal value – very slowly at first, but accelerating as my flat becomes older. This does not even take into account the need to cater for inflation. If we want our leasehold
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properties to keep their real value at a 2% inflation rate, the nominal market value would need to double in 35 years; and at a 2.5% inflation rate, it would need to double in 28 years.
We have had no issues for the past decades because of a confluence of very favourable factors. In our 50 years of nation-building, we have had high economic growth, high population growth, a young population, high demand for homes and a relatively young housing stock. Property prices have also risen dramatically over the years, and this may mask any future issues we will face. For the small number of very old HDB flats, we have the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) for some of them and, for older private condominiums, we have encouraged en bloc redevelopment, too.
In future, the situation may change quite dramatically and I am concerned about this. Economic growth is slowing, population is still growing but at a decreasing rate, the population is ageing, the demand for homes may also slow. At the same time, more homes may be sold as some older people may cash out on their homes and more would pass on. In addition, the interest rate environment is currently extremely benign. Many of us would remember the 1997/1998 Asian Financial Crisis and the adverse effects of high interest rates on property prices.
So, my concern is that should property prices stagnate and start falling, how would we make sure that a potential downward spiral does not happen? This is especially important for leasehold property owners.
As I mentioned earlier, the Government has started SERS as a programme to rejuvenate estates and to allow SERS residents an opportunity to move from their old flats to new and better flats with fresh 99-year leases, and HDB survey results show strong support for SERS. My concern is whether there may come a time when HDB has to dramatically expand the SERS programme. We have more than 900,000 HDB flats – I do not know the age profile of the flats – but if we offer SERS to everyone, every flat that, say, reaches 50 years, this would mean SERS for an average of nearly 20,000 flats per year.
We are in a very comfortable position now and probably for the next decade because SERS has only been used for 18,000 flats and there are only about 31,000 flats which are more than 40 years old. The numbers may continue to be small in the next 10 years. But does MND anticipate the programme would have to be stepped up? SERS residents receive compensation at market values. The SERS expenditure is extremely low now, but do we have to set aside more
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funding for SERS in the future if we have to substantially step up the programme? And would the average cost of SERS per block go up significantly in the future because we already would have intensified the use of land for new estates? If, on the other hand, SERS continues to be highly selective, what would happen to the value of these old flats that are not selected for SERS? I would be grateful for MND's views on that.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Non-Constituency Member): Madam, Government leaders have, over the years, frequently told Singaporeans that their HDB flats are an asset which they can monetise during retirement. However, less frequent are the reminders that, as a flat approaches the end of its 99-year lease, its asset value will depreciate to zero.
While most Singaporeans know that their flats are on a limited lease, many assume that HDB will not let their assets become worth nothing, or that their flats will eventually go through an \"en bloc\" before their leases expire.
The Minister told me in a reply to my PQ in January that the selection of sites and the pace of the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) will depend on factors, such as their redevelopment potential and the availability of replacement sites for rehousing and other resources.
Can the Minister confirm whether all old flats will eventually be replaced through SERS before they reach their end of lease? If not, what proportion will not be replaced?
Other than SERS, what are the Government's plans for HDB flats that approach their end-of-lease? For example, will their leases get topped up, and will the topping up cost be borne by HDB or the lessees?
There are now over 31,000 flats which are more than 40 years into their lease. I am sure many young couples are still buying these resale flats, which would mean that the leases may end within their lifetimes.
If the Government does not have any specific plans for flats when their leases expire, I think it should make this clear to the public, so that buyers can factor this in when choosing a resale flat and they do not pay too high a premium for older flats.
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Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mdm Chair, I would like to ask if the Ministry would consider reviewing the present booking system to enable HDB to better gauge and respond to potential buyers' demands. What are the measures being planned to engage buyers earlier and anticipate bookings for flats? In addition, would the Ministry be able to provide more information earlier to potential applicants regarding the site plans and the details of the flats?
Secondly, I would like to suggest that HDB consider removing the income ceiling for all first-time buyers. The Minister has always made it clear that when formulating housing policies, he is guided by the important social objectives of encouraging our young to get married and to have children as soon as they get married. I totally agree with him that young healthy parents provide the best chances for their children.
However, most Singaporean couples today will not start a family until they have settled into their own homes. They work hard at their jobs to accumulate savings first for their weddings and the deposits on their flats. In this sense, they are being responsible and independent which is commendable. By the time they feel financially stable, a number of them face another problem – they hit the income ceiling of $10,000 and no longer qualify for a purchase flat directly from HDB. At the same time, resale flat prices are still on the high side and they cannot quite afford the heavy downpayment required for a private condominium. They end up postponing childbearing even further. I hope we can allow this sandwiched class to purchase new HDB flats, those with less subsidies, tiered according to their incomes.
Mr David Ong (Jurong): Mdm Chair, the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) was introduced in 2009 to help seniors monetise their HDB flat and boost their retirement income. The number of seniors taking up the HDB's LBS went up last year by 240 after rules were relaxed. However, this number reflects a rather lukewarm response to the LBS even after enhancements to the scheme were implemented last year.
As our population ages, we do need to look at more ways to help our elderly who wish to monetise their flats. Can the Ministry review the low take-up rate of the LBS and look into why elderly Singaporeans today are not considering housing monetisation as the preferred option to enhance their retirement income and age-in-place? Given the number of seniors who are asset-rich but
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cash-poor, are the monetisation benefits in the Lease Buyback Scheme attractive enough? While some may say they prefer more cash upfront for discretionary use, others are worried that they may outlive their 30-year lease and become homeless, even though assurances were given by HDB that this will not be the case. Is the scheme's low take-up due to a lack of awareness and outreach to elderly Singaporeans? Can more be done to raise awareness of LBS so that those who need to monetise their homes are aware and understand the benefits of the scheme? Would the Ministry review the LBS package and will the scheme also be expanded to include larger flat types so that more can monetise their assets?
Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast): Madam, I would like to start by acknowledging the great efforts by the Government to enable the vast majority of Singaporeans who live in HDB estates to age in a senior-friendly and familiar environment. Generously subsidised improvements, such as the upgrading of the lifts, installation of barrier-free ramps and retrofitting flats with age-friendly features, have made a huge difference to the quality of life of many senior citizens.
However, there is a segment of retirees in Singapore who will benefit from living in retirement communities, similar to retirement villages in other developed countries. This type of accommodation provides a communal hub of shared facilities and services tailored to the needs of seniors, alongside a healthy social ambience that encourages interaction among residents. Such retirement housing provides a lifestyle choice for seniors, especially helpful to those who stay alone or with few family members.
The launch of The Hillford at Jalan Jurong Kechil, touted as Singapore's first \"retirement resort\", was an important test-bed for the idea of short leases, elderly-friendly features and smaller-sized affordable homes. The project was sold out on its first day of sale due to overwhelming demand. However, many seniors felt disappointed they were out-bid unfairly by non-retirees and investors in their quest to buy a unit because there is no age restriction on ownership or occupancy. Some have even charged that the special concessions given to the developer, intended to facilitate the development of affordable retirement housing, turned out instead to be a way for the developer to launch another category of \"shoebox\" flats on shorter leases.
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Madam, the pent-up demand that The Hillford could not meet is indicative of the unfulfilled need for retirement villages in Singapore, and I hope the Government is setting aside more land for such purposes. But I also hope that the Government puts in place a comprehensive framework that clearly sets out the eligibility of occupants and buyers.
For example, there should be explicit age criteria on occupancy, which should be no younger than 55 years. It should prescribe the minimal level of facilities and services that the development must offer to residents which should include 24-hour emergency healthcare facilities and home visits by trained medical professionals, as well as social and recreational programmes. Developers should be offered shorter leases on specially-zoned land, so as to make the units more affordable for retirees. We should also consider offering these homes to serve the exclusive needs of Singapore citizens.
Madam, the coming years will present new challenges as our population ages rapidly. As we continue to build a shining future for our country's youth, we also hope for a comfortable, dignified and peaceful retirement for our retirees.
Many of them will, happily, still be healthy and active, and may prefer to live independently, within a community of like-minded individuals. Rather than feel lonely at home, they enjoy being with their friends and taking part in group activities. They would like readily accessible medical services, but do not want or need the constant attention in an old-age home. And they want to be able to age gracefully in the land they have lived and worked in all their lives. We need to keep up with the changing aspirations of our silver generation.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Minister for Transport (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim): Mdm Chair, as our society ages, more and more HDB flat owners are expected to have stayed many years in their flats. Some may want to continue to stay in their flats as they have deep emotional attachment to their current flat and neighbourhood. On the other hand, there are others who may want to right-size to smaller flats, as many of their children would have shifted out.
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I would like to ask the Minister, how many elderly or families have requested for right-sizing to smaller flats? How long does one need to wait to right-size? What are the types of flats that these owners right-sized to? Is monetising a key reason for right-sizing?
I am happy that the Minister had announced that he is refining the Lease Buyback Scheme. I would like to ask the Minister on the take-up of the Lease Buyback Scheme. How will the changes that will be announced later affect the take-up rate?
Finally, is the Ministry working out any other forms of monetising options for Singaporeans?
Miss Penny Low (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Madam, many singles give the feedback that direct purchase HDB flats are financially helpful and a huge psychological relief. However, as flat sizes are small, they cannot entertain guests or have relatives, especially their nieces or nephews, stay over. Hence, their wishes are:
(a) include bigger flats;
(b) extend the Multi-Generation Priority Scheme (MGPS) to singles so that they can live near their parents and help look after them; and
(c) modify the Married Child Priority Scheme (MCPS) to encourage singles to live near their families, so that they can mutually support one another.
Can the Minister consider these requests which are all in line with HDB's ethos of building strong families, please?
Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang): Madam, Bukit Panjang is a resettlement town. Twenty seven years ago, many of our residents were relocated from Lim Chu Kang, Chua Chu Kang, Woodlands and Marsiling villages. The villagers and their family members were offered Housing Board flats in Bukit Panjang town. As a result, we have many 3G families and extended families staying in Bukit Panjang. Some of them stay in the same flat while others live in the same block
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or precinct.
Madam, over the years, I have noticed that my residents have benefited a lot by living with or near their parents, grandparents and extended family members. Living near one another enables family members to spend more quality time together, look after one another and strengthen family bonds. In fact, some of the children who got married also choose to buy flats in Bukit Panjang. As such, we have residents with four or five extended family members living in Bukit Panjang. This is, indeed, a very happy outcome for my residents.
Madam, over the years, our housing policies have encouraged home ownership and family formation. We have succeeded in achieving a high percentage of HDB home ownership. But due to the different phases of new town developments, many young families who bought HDB flats in new towns are not living with their parents or siblings. Many siblings of many families are also living in different parts of Singapore when they got married and purchased their HDB flats. This has resulted in today's spread of families in different housing estates, thus weakening the family bonding and support network in our society.
Madam, Singapore has a fast-ageing population and we are encouraging Singaporeans to age in place, that is, age within their homes and community. However, many children of these ageing Singaporeans are not living with them or near them. This will pose immense challenges to the seniors to get support from their family members in times of need. This problem is further aggravated if the seniors become immobile and need regular medical treatment. Although the Government is building many infrastructures to support the seniors, no amount of community support can replace that of family members. Many seniors prefer to be with their family members. The emotional, mental and physical support of family members will make a difference to the quality of life of our seniors in times of good health and in sickness.
Madam, we need to review our HDB housing policies to bring 3G families and extended families together. In this regard, I would like to make a few suggestions to the Minister to consider.
First, build more 3G BTO flats with different types of flat sizes to facilitate 3G families and extended families to stay together within the flat, block or precinct. Accord these flat applicants higher priority to expedite the formation of 3G families and extended families in our housing estates.
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Second, develop more infill development BTO flats or expedite en bloc development in mature estates so that young families can have more choices to stay near their parents or siblings who are ageing in these mature estates.
Third, build more studio flats for the elderly in all new towns and accord priority to those elderly who wish to move near to their children or siblings who are living in the new towns. The elderly can sell their existing flats, right-size to these studio apartments near their children or siblings and have adequate sales proceeds to live a good quality of life.
Madam, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions:
(a) How effective are the existing housing policies to encourage 3G and extended families to stay near one another?
(b) What are the Ministry's plans to further encourage 3G and extended families to live together within the community?
The Chairman: Order. I propose to take the break now.
[(proc text) Thereupon Mdm Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
Mdm Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 4.15 pm.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 3.54 pm until 4.15 pm.
Sitting resumed at 4.15 pm
[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]
[(proc text) Debate in Committee of Supply resumed. (proc text)]
[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]
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Head T (cont) –
The Minister for National Development (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Madam, our housing market is turning the corner. The HDB Resale Price Index has turned negative last year, for 2013, the first time in eight years. The Private Property Index has also fallen for the first time in seven quarters. All property analysts and developers are projecting a softening market ahead. They only differ on the speed of softening.
In last year's MND COS, I \"suffered\" 40 COS cuts. This year, there were only 27. Clearly, our efforts to cool the housing market are producing results. Madam, I was going to say that even my eye bags have shrunk. But I checked in the washroom just now; they have not.
I must place on record my thanks to our fellow Singaporeans for your patience and understanding over the last three years. I thank Members of this House, particularly GPC Chair Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, for your many feedback and suggestions. Many of your ideas, I have put them into practice.
In previous COS sessions, we had to be hyper-active and we made many big moves on housing: we ramped up the BTO flat construction programme; we raised the HDB and EC income ceilings; we delinked BTO pricing from the resale market; we allowed singles to buy new BTO flats; we built more HDB rental blocks; we stepped up Government land sales for housing; we introduced property cooling measures. They were urgent, they were necessary. For this COS, we can maintain a calmer stance, taking a deliberate and targeted approach, as we negotiate the turn.
We must be mindful that as the market turns the corner, the way forward is not straightforward. As 孫燕姿, local singer Stephanie Sun, cautioned in one of her songs,“向左，向右，向前看” or turning left, turning right or go forward, have a care. Be hopeful but do not be hasty.
Some key data to help us appreciate how far we have come in the last three years. We launched over 77,000 BTO flats: 14,000 units were completed last year and handed over. This year, double of that – 28,000 completed units will be handed over. These decisive steps have helped many young families, our top priority. In three years, we helped 80,000 households book their HDB flats; 60,000 of them were young families; 10,000 enjoyed priority because they had kids or were expecting; 8,000 benefited from the new income ceilings; 800 are now staying in our rental flats while they wait for the keys to their flats; 250 will
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move into 3Gen flats, the first batch in Yishun South, to be precise. These are significant numbers of beneficiaries from the new housing policies.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Er Dr Lee Bee Wah suggested that we lift the HDB and EC income ceilings immediately. I have no plan to do so immediately. But put in the appeal and I will look into each individual case.
We have helped many vulnerable families who cannot as yet afford homeownership. Five percent of HDB flats – that is about 50,000 units – are now available for public rental housing. Another 10,000 units are at different stages of construction. They will raise our proportion of rental flats to 6% of our total public housing stock.
We broke new ground with helping the singles buy new HDB flats: 1,400 have benefited from this new policy. Many more – quite a few thousand – will benefit this year as we ramp up the supply of 2-room BTO flats. Miss Penny Low shared the wishlist for singles – I have heard them – including the suggestion that we extend the scheme to larger flats. I have no plan for such a change immediately. Given our limited resources, let me prioritise and give greater priority to the married couples first.
As the market is at a turning point, there are, not surprisingly, opposing views on the way forward. Developers are calling for early removal of the cooling measures. Many Forum page letters argued for the cooling measures to stay.
As noted by Mr Dhinakaran, the Government's cooling measures have been necessary to ensure that prices move in line with our economic fundamentals. With prices still rising, though tepidly in some market segments, it is premature to withdraw these measures.
While we have re-tilted the balance between buyers and sellers, we are not yet at the optimal state. We will continue to watch the market closely. On the supply side, we are moderating both the BTO programme and Government land sales. Meanwhile, both buyers and sellers have to be realistic in their expectations.
One evidence that the resale market is turning the corner is the declining trend in the cash-over-valuation (COV). Nearly 40% of resale transactions last month were priced below valuation, a negative COV. In fact, the market has coined a new term – CUV, or cash-under-valuation. Whether it is COV or CUV,
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the practice of bargaining based on this, rather than the total price of the flat, is an anomaly unique to the HDB resale market in Singapore. How did it come about?
Currently, most flat sellers would obtain a valuation report for their flats, which they then use as a base price and negotiate with buyers based on COV. Contrast this with practices in the private market. Negotiations there are, rightly, based on recent transaction prices and are typically carried out before buyers request for valuations.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah has suggested that the HDB resale market follow the practice in the private housing market. I agree with this. With COVs now hitting zero or negative, now is a good time to make the adjustment. I have asked HDB to move on this.
HDB will rationalise the process of price negotiations and restore the original intention of valuation, which is to help buyers get a housing loan. In parallel, HDB will publish daily – not monthly but everyday – prices of resale transactions as soon as they are registered. This way, buyers and sellers can refer to latest market information during their negotiations. Negotiating based on price rather than COV will take some getting used to. However, it is a useful move for long-term market stability.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Mr David Ong, Ms Foo Mee Har and Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal have all spoken on the housing needs of our seniors. Our priority is to help our elderly retire comfortably with security. With a large supply of new flats, their married children are now spinning off to their new flats. We meet many of them in our house-to-house visits; a big flat but just an elderly couple staying there. Most seniors are happy to stay where they are, although some find it bigger than they need, but they are comforted that they are sitting on a valuable asset. Nearly 220,000 HDB flats are owned by Singaporeans aged 55 and above, and with the mortgage fully paid up – 220,000 such flats. This is more than 20% of the HDB's stock. We should reflect on this number and be proud of this achievement.
Most seniors have strong family support and healthy savings. However, for some who want to convert part of their housing asset into cash, they have options. They can rent out a room; they can switch to a smaller flat or they can take up our Lease Buyback option. In the last three years, 5,600 elderly households booked Studio Apartments. Another 390 took up the Lease Buyback Scheme. Since 2013, 70 topped up their CPF Retirement Accounts when they
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right-sized, which means, moved into a smaller flat. They received a Silver Housing Bonus of up to $20,000 in cash.
When we engaged the elderly in Our Singapore Conversation last year, we discussed, in fact, the low take-up of the Lease Buyback Scheme. Many told us they want two things: age-in-place and also they want to have an asset which they can bequeath to the family. Along the way, some suggested that we offer them reverse mortgages.
Reverse mortgages are loans taken up by the owner using his property as collateral, and repaid with interest upon termination or death, typically from the sales proceeds. Like Lease Buyback, reverse mortgage is a form of equity release that enables the owner to age-in-place while unlocking some of the equity. Reverse mortgage has been tried before in the past by NTUC Income, but it did not quite take off.
As our population ages, retirement adequacy and how equity release can help enhance it is, indeed, an important issue. We have to spend time thinking about this. We have had some experience now with Silver Housing Bonus and the Lease Buyback Scheme. Now, with a better understanding of our seniors' preferences, it is timely to revisit reverse mortgage as an additional option for our seniors.
My Ministry has begun a serious study of this option. We hope to formulate a practical scheme for our elderly. Along the way, we will also see if the Lease Buyback Scheme can be further improved, as suggested by some Members here, to be extended to larger flat types. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal and Mr David Ong suggested that just now. We will also study how we can make our options more readily available and easier to understand, so that the elderly can make informed choices when they need to tap on their flat for retirement income.
Ms Foo Mee Har noted the commercial success of The Hillford but wondered if it would really become a good retirement village. I think the jury is still out. The success of such a development can only be seen several years later when it is completed and when residents have moved in. Meanwhile, URA is in no hurry to push out other sites until we are clear about the outcome. With 80% of Singaporeans living in HDB, our priority is to make sure that the vast majority of seniors can age-in-place in HDB towns with strong community and neighbourly support. We shall leave the market to cater to the high-income
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segment of our population.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah has reminded us that a home offers basic security for divorcees and their children. Mr Seah Kian Peng spoke very passionately on the housing needs of vulnerable segments of our society, including divorcees, single parents and ex-convicts. He felt that many were victims of circumstances and deserving of society's support. Now that the market is stabilising, both Members suggested that we shift our priority to the vulnerable families. I agree.
Now that we have cleared the backlog for newlyweds, we have begun to focus on helping the vulnerable groups, especially divorcees with children. These eye bags would not go away.
Last year, we reserved a 5% quota for divorcees or widows with young children applying for 2- or 3-room flats in non-mature estates. They get priority. In fact, they get very high priority. This has helped 60 such families get a flat. The number sounds small because the number of applicants was also small. We were able to satisfy almost everyone's needs. If Members come across cases in your MPS that have seemingly dropped through the net somehow, let me know. We will take a look.
We have also shortened the debarment period and 120 divorcees have gotten to buy a flat earlier as a result. The question is: what else can we do? I am open to suggestions. This afternoon, we heard two suggestions: Er Dr Lee Bee Wah suggested that we remove all forms of waiting periods for divorcees with children; Mr Seah Kian Peng suggested that we get the local Community Development Council (CDC)'s inputs when we evaluate an applicant's housing needs. We will study both suggestions. Meanwhile, we will continue to exercise flexibility and compassion whenever we receive worthy cases from Members. Many have, in fact, been helped.
Beyond housing, we also offer practical help to the lower income, particularly those who work hard to better their lives. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah highlighted one specific group, the despatch and delivery riders. Today, motorcyclists using HDB and URA carparks are charged a flat rate of 65 cents for either a day or a night session in the same carpark. This is inexpensive, but those who use multiple carparks in a day, such as despatch or delivery riders, may still chalk up considerable parking charges. Apparently, they bear such
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costs, not their employers.
I accept Er Dr Lee Bee Wah's suggestion that we should revise the Electronic Parking System (EPS) parking rates for motorcycles and begin to charge on a per-minute basis. In addition, we will introduce an enhanced Season Parking Ticket that allows motorcyclists to park in all HDB and URA carparks for a flat monthly fee. Right now, it is not. For HDB carpark and URA carpark, you have to pay separate rates. We will make sure the monthly rate will remain affordable. HDB and URA will work out the details and implement them as soon as possible.
As we rein in our property market, some Singaporeans have turned to investing in foreign properties. The Government does not interfere with such investment decisions, but I do share the concerns of Mr Seah Kian Peng and Mr Liang Eng Hwa. I echo their words of caution. Property markets move in cycles. For foreign properties, there are additional risks and complexities, because their legal and regulatory frameworks governing the purchase and their financing agreements are all different from ours. And they may change suddenly when domestic politics push for a change in policies. So, do go in with your eyes open.
The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) will launch an online guide to provide some general tips to consumers who are thinking of buying a foreign property. Do read it, exercise due diligence, caution and good judgement before you invest. There are no sure-wins in property investments, whether here in Singapore or overseas. CEA will also step up its effort to regulate estate agents marketing overseas property developments here. Members of the public should report to CEA any marketing activities by unlicensed foreign estate agents so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.
Mr Laurence Lien painted a dark scenario of housing prices spiralling downwards, not as a cyclical phenomenon but a permanent trend due to structural changes. He worried that the ageing of our population might cause such a scenario. The future is, of course, full of uncertainties, and anything is possible. But we know that property prices are correlated with economic growth. If Singapore's economy were to decline permanently, all assets, including properties, will decline in value. That is why it is so important to ensure that our economy remains dynamic and vibrant. Underpinning that must be a healthy population growth and a productive workforce. These were the critical issues that the Population White Paper highlighted and we discussed at length in this House.
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Our demographic challenges are serious, but we can overcome them. We have done well in the last 50 years and we believe the best is yet to be. The key is to ensure that we have an honest and competent Government that continues to plan ahead for the long-term interest of our people, and our people are solidly united behind the Government. Then we can avoid such a dark scenario.
Mr Gerald Giam asked again in this House about HDB flats at the end of their 99-year leases and the role played by the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS). Like all leasehold properties, HDB flats will revert to HDB upon expiry of their leases. HDB will, in turn, surrender the land to the state. Hence, everything else being equal, properties with shorter remaining leases should have lower value than those with longer remaining leases. Buyers of short remaining lease properties buy with such an understanding and price in such an outcome, that upon expiry of a lease, the land will revert to the state.
Before then, and where possible, we shall revitalise old estates through SERS. But SERS is selective and dependent on the potential for land intensification. SERS also assumes that the Government's finances are healthy to fund it. In short, for as long as our economy is strong, and our Government competent and well supported by the people, we will have many options to address such challenges.
In the last 50 years, we have housed a nation, but our public housing programme is more than just providing a shelter. It is about forging relationships in our families and communities. It is these intangible aspects of the HDB flat and HDB town that make it an endearing home. HDB estates provide a unique Singapore way of life which we all share as a people. Our housing policies must continue to enable those relationships.
Beyond the hard infrastructure, it is the mutual care and support within the extended family that people most value – be it support for parenthood or care for the elderly. Mayor Teo Ho Pin has made the point convincingly. I agree fully with his sentiments. Many young married couples want to live near their parents, especially after they have kids. Likewise, many elderly parents wish to live close to their children and grandchildren. The presence of family nearby is particularly reassuring and comforting for the elderly. We must do our best to meet such aspirations. It is not difficult in non-mature towns where we are still building new flats. It is more challenging in mature towns where the opportunity to build new flats is less. Nevertheless, I want to push the limits to enable extended families to live near one another. So, I will study Dr Teo's and
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Er Dr Lee Bee Wah's suggestions, and we will think out our own ideas as well.
Miss Penny Low suggested that any enhanced scheme or greater priority given to those who wish to live closer to their elderly parents should not neglect the singles, the unmarried. Mr Gan Thiam Poh felt that the BTO system could also be refined to better gauge and respond to demand. I will also bear these points in mind.
Finally, some Members commented on the housing difficulties faced by families with very complex social challenges. Some may have sold their flat because the family broke up or because of poor financial management. Others are unable to afford their next flat because they do not have a steady job to qualify for a loan or a grant. And public rental may not be the best solution for those households, especially over the longer term. So, what more can we do to help such families progress to home ownership? How do we ensure that they will continue to sustain their home to ensure a good living environment for their children? Even as we continue to support marriages and families, and reward self-reliance, how can we, in housing, build a social compact that is more inclusive and provide greater support to divorcees and unmarried parents with kids?
I intend to further engage Singaporeans on the relationships and values we hold dear as a society, and how housing policies can better support them. Our Singapore Conversation has demonstrated its usefulness and we will do similar engagements this year.
Madam, I believe I have addressed almost all the comments raised by Members, but a few outstanding ones on the construction industry and estate upgrading will be addressed by my colleagues later on.
Mdm Chair, our housing market is turning the corner. There are dangers ahead of us, as there will be surprises. The best strategy going forward is to focus on the basic values and work on the priorities. What are they? Get our young to marry and have babies; get extended families to live near one another; forge the kampong spirit among neighbours; help vulnerable families to stand on their feet again; leave no one behind. In Singapore, if you work hard, you will earn yourself a brighter future. This is our promise and I will do my part.
Since Independence, the Government has made the building of good affordable homes a national priority. We bring home ownership within the reach of every citizen and his family. Over the years, HDB has produced
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increasingly better homes, upping our quality of life. Just last month, we marked the 50th anniversary of the Home Ownership for the People scheme. This is a major milestone on a journey launched by Mr Lee Kuan Yew, driven by his vision to make Singapore a nation of home owners. At The Pinnacle@Duxton's ceremony, Mr Lee recalled:
\"When I got HDB to launch the home ownership scheme in 1964, there were many sceptics. We had little reserves then. Singapore was still in Malaysia. Our future looked bleak. The post-war baby boom and the high unemployment added to our pressures. Our construction industry was low in skills and lacking in building management. Few believed a home-owning Singapore was possible. Against the odds, through grit and determination, we housed the nation progressively and systematically.\"
Fifty years ago, we were an island of squatters and slums. Fifty years later, the third generation of Singaporeans is now embarking on their own home ownership journey. We inherited all these. I think it is our job to build on this. During Our Singapore Conversation last year, an overwhelming 97% of Singaporeans said \"yes\" when asked if home ownership was important to them.
But while we can provide a solid foundation for Singaporeans to start a family, the Singaporean way of life is ultimately determined by ourselves. While we can build a flat, it truly becomes a home only when we put our hearts into it – taking pride in the ownership and sharing life's ups and downs as a family together. While we can build a most liveable estate, a community comes alive only when shared experiences forge strong bonds, and a sense of rootedness grows out of shared memories and personal attachment to the estate.
The last three years have been very busy and I want to thank the many officers in MND, and especially HDB, who have worked tirelessly to tackle the public housing situation. This year, I want to do more for the elderly, the vulnerable groups and help extended families live near one another. We will push the limits, do our best and try to realise some of the Members' wish lists.
Mr Yeo Guat Kwang (Ang Mo Kio): Madam, the Lift Upgrading Programme aims to retrofit all the HDB flats built before 1990 with lifts to serve every household. However, currently, there are still approximately 200 HDB
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blocks that because of cost or architectural reason are unable to benefit from the programme. There are four such blocks in Ang Mo Kio/Hougang. One of these is an HDB block that consists of only eight maisonette units. I would like to know whether the Ministry has found any alternative and considered some other options, like lift chair, bubble lift or so-called hydraulic lift. That would help to resolve the issue for some of these residents who stay in such a block, as until today they still cannot benefit from the LUP.
Besides LUP for all the residential blocks in HDB, residents also see that some of the Multi-Storey Car Parks (MSCPs) have undergone LUP. They hope that all the MSCPs could be provided with lifts as the population is ageing. I hope MND would clarify the plan of having lifts for all the Multi-Storey Car Parks and let us know what is the timeline for this.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I hope that MND can find a feasible solution as soon as possible for the 200 HDB blocks whose lifts cannot be upgraded and install lifts at all multi-storey carparks. This will allow our elderly residents to live safely, comfortably and happily.
The Chairman: Mr Pritam Singh, you have two cuts. Please take them together.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): The Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) funding is an important source of taxpayer funding to Town Councils to assist in the construction and upgrade of community facilities. The Citizens' Consultative Committee (CCC) is the entity within the CIPC framework which nominates projects to MND. While the CIPC Committee at MND has to ensure that taxpayers' monies are prudently spent, in view of the finite amount available and different needs of each town, I would like to ask if there is a distinction made in the percentage of funds disbursed for upgrading existing facilities of Town Councils on the one hand and new projects on the other, for CIP nominations by the CCC. Would the Ministry consider the formation of an appeals forum under the CIPC framework where differences of opinion, if any, about an Opposition Town Council which manages and maintains the community facilities, and the CCC's nominations can be ironed out?
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I go on to my second cut on the greater public awareness of the Home Protection Scheme (HPS). From Parliamentary Questions asked by Members, the Government has replied that about 60% of HDB home owners with outstanding loans are paying for HDB flats through their CPF. Extrapolating from these percentages, about 16,000 are uninsurable and about 11,000 have lapsed on HPS premiums.
For the remaining 40% of homeowners who pay for their HDB flats by cash, about 200,000 or 56% are not covered by HPS, although an unknown number from this figure may have some mortgage insurance or some other catastrophic event cover. As this number appears to be high, would the Ministry consider more initiatives to educate Singaporeans on the importance of mortgage insurance cover and look into ways how HDB homeowners who pay their mortgages by cash can be better protected.
While additional catastrophic insurance cover is ultimately a personal decision and requires individual responsibility, some households, especially lower-income households, would be much more affected by the demise of a breadwinner than most and may not be fully apprised of the importance of the HPS.
Can the Ministry consider targeting these households for specific outreach and look into how future Government transfers can include the prospect of HPS rebates as a recognition and signal of how important such insurance schemes can be for the low and middle income? Another possibility is to review and assess if HDB homeowners who are not servicing their loans through CPF can choose to be automatically included in HPS, but with the ability to opt out at any point.
Ms Foo Mee Har: Madam, there are measures within Budget 2014 that intensify the pressure on the construction industry to upgrade themselves. It is only right that the Government steps up its efforts to encourage the industry to adopt more productive and less labour-intensive technologies.
Change is required across the entire construction eco-system. Whilst construction companies must take ownership, the Government can also play an active role in helping the industry address structural issues that hinder their
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productivity efforts.
Please allow me to make suggestions on three fronts.
First, provide attractive incentives for the adoption of productive technologies. Consider launching a comprehensive framework that rewards developers with lower foreign worker levies if they deploy productive construction methods or invest in labour-saving technologies. Help firms to invest in capital-intensive machinery that would otherwise be unaffordable for smaller construction companies and develop a marketplace for leasing of construction equipment.
Second, provide the necessary infrastructure and resources for scaling up precast and prefabricated facilities, so that components can be accessed easily and cost-effectively.
And, third, support the Construction industry to rebrand and promote jobs in the industry so that it becomes attractive to locals.
The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan.
The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Mr Lee Yi Shyan): Mdm Chair, let me add my thanks to the Members who have just spoken, particularly for their comments on town building and construction productivity. Madam, may I also ask for your permission to show some pictures on the LED screens.
The Chairman: Yes, please. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]
Mr Lee Yi Shyan: When we started our public housing programme, our priority was to quickly move our people out of slums into basic, affordable housing. In the early days, flats were simple and utilitarian because we needed to house an overcrowded city urgently. While the young of today may not be able to imagine how anyone can live in such basic housing, these flats were a marked improvement from the attap- and zinc-roofed huts that many from the Pioneer Generation had grown up in.
But as Singaporeans became more affluent, and basic housing needs met, we began to pay more attention to the design of our flats. Queenstown residents will recognise the distinctive \"Butterfly Blocks\" built in the 1970s.
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Bishan residents are familiar with their unique blocks with pitched roofs built in the 1980s.
Since the first HDB town in Toa Payoh, HDB has built 23 more towns all over the island. Through refinements over the years, we have steadily improved the quality of HDB living. HDB developments, such as The Pinnacle@Duxton and Casa Clementi, have even won international accolades. The experience in developing them inspires us to build better new towns for the future.
As one who has lived in Toa Payoh for 20 years, I was lucky to have witnessed first-hand a period of fundamental transformation in Singapore's housing scene. I am grateful for the Lorong 5 2-room flat and the Lorong 8 4-room flat which my family grew up in. Because of the comfortable shelter, we were able to focus on our studies and acquire useful skills that my parents did not have a chance to.
But today's younger generation of Singaporeans has a different starting point. If they had grown up in modern Singapore in the 1990s, their expectations would necessarily be different from my generation's. We will have to build new towns taking into account their lifestyles and aspirations.
Last August, HDB held the \"Future Homes, Better Lives\" exhibition, which showcased plans for three housing areas: Punggol Matilda, Tampines North and Bidadari. They are the distillations of our housing development experiences over five decades. The exhibition went well, generating great excitement and buzz about new HDB living.
HDB has started launching BTO flats in Punggol Matilda last year and is on track to launching the first BTO flats in Tampines North later this year. The project will also provide 1,500 homes, including 50 3G flats for multi-generational living. Those currently living in Tampines, Bedok and Pasir Ris, with soon-to-be married kids, may find these 3G units attractive.
Tampines North will become a new \"green-shoot\" of the existing Tampines Town. It will have two major parks, seamless pedestrian and cycling networks, and a new landmark mixed development that will be integrated with a bus interchange.
HDB intends to launch the first BTO project in Bidadari sometime next year. As shared in the exhibition, Bidadari will be a tranquil urban oasis, a garden community well-served by amenities and transport networks. An Alkaff Lake
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will remind younger generations of a lake of the same name built in 1929 by the Alkaff family. A Heritage Walk lined by an idyllic canopy of mature trees will retell the stories of Bidadari and the contributions of past prominent personalities.
Even as we build new housing districts and towns, we have not forgotten about existing towns where the majority of Singaporeans live. Resources permitting, we will upgrade and update them to keep up with the changing needs of our residents. We will do so in a number of ways.
First, our major strategy is the Remaking of Our Heartland (ROH) initiative. We have, to date, announced two batches of ROH projects in six estates: Punggol, Yishun, Dawson, Hougang, East Coast and Jurong Lake. Works are underway to transform these areas with widened pavements for pedestrians and park connectors for joggers and cyclists, upgraded town centres, new community spaces and town plazas, heritage trails and landmarks reflecting the history of these places. We are now selecting three more towns under the ROH Batch 3 and will announce them in a few months' time.
Second, from this year, we will ramp up the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) to help more households address maintenance issues earlier, which Er Dr Lee Bee Wah spoke about. We have selected 100,000 homes thus far, and we will now select 35,000 homes each year, up from 28,000 previously.
Third, we will press on with the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) to add covered link-ways, playgrounds, street soccer amenities, pitches and residents' corners, to provide better amenities in existing towns. We have, to date, announced 85 projects, benefiting about 127,000 households. We will launch another 14 projects this year.
Fourth, we will step up lift installation to make HDB estates even more elderly-friendly. We started on this as early as in 2001, with the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP). Since then, with a budget of $5 billion, we have offered LUP to more than 5,000 blocks and 500,000 households. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang has asked about HDB's plan for the other remaining 200 blocks that are not feasible for LUP, based on today's cost and technology. I would like to assure Mr Yeo that HDB will continue to look for new technology to overcome existing technical and cost constraints. Meanwhile, residents who require direct lift access due to medical conditions can approach HDB for special assistance.
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Beyond LUP, we are now installing lifts in Multi-Storey Car Parks (MSCPs). Mr Yeo will be pleased to learn that by the end of this year, HDB will complete the lift installation for 73 MSCPs. HDB will start work on 200 more this year, and another 200 from 2015. We will complete installing all these lifts of MSCPs by 2017.
Fifth, in addition to the LUP and MSCP Lift Installation Programme, we are making individual HDB flats more elderly-friendly. HDB is providing elderly-friendly fittings, such as grab bars, slip-resistant treatment to bathrooms and ramps, under the Enhancements for Active Seniors (EASE) scheme. The retrofitting for each flat costs $2,000 if the household opts for all the items offered; but the elderly of Singaporean households pay $100 to $250 only, depending on the flat type.
Response to EASE has been positive: 24,000 elderly households have signed up. We are now reviewing the scheme, with a view to lower the age criterion for direct application and to expand the coverage of the items. We will complete the review in a few months' time.
Sixth, we are actively involving residents and grassroots organisations in shaping their living environments because it is only with the people's involvement that towns become stronger, cohesive communities. We have been doing so through the Community Improvement Project Committee (CIPC) and, more recently, through new initiatives like the \"Cool Ideas for Better HDB Living\". The Cool Ideas initiative aims to gather ideas from members of the public to improve the HDB living environment. We will be holding the Cool Ideas Exhibition 2014 later this month. I invite all Members and their residents to participate.
To encourage ground-up proposals for precinct improvements, CIPC was conceived to co-fund grassroots organisations to carry out their community improvement projects. Mr Pritam Singh asked if there can be a better way to nominate CIPC projects with the CCCs. I believe all CCCs consult widely to derive CIPC project proposals and they would be happy to take in Mr Pritam Singh's suggestions.
For most people, home purchase is probably the single largest financial investment one would make in his lifetime. Financial planning and adequate
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financial protection are, therefore, essential.
Currently, at least 76% of HDB owners with outstanding loans are safeguarded by the HPS or an equivalent mortgage-reducing insurance. At the point of purchase, whether it is a new BTO flat or a resale flat, HDB will encourage all home buyers who take an HDB loan to take up HPS, and will explain to the buyer HPS' benefits and coverage. Regardless of whether the buyers plan to pay their mortgage instalments by cash or CPF monies, HPS will work the same way, giving financial protection to the flat owners and their dependents. Mr Pritam Singh may be pleased to learn that, in fact, HDB provides buyers with a guide book on the HPS to help home buyers understand the benefits of the scheme.
Mdm Chair, let me now touch on the topic of construction productivity which several Members have spoken about.
Raising construction productivity remains one of the key priorities of MND. We need to build a skilled workforce with sufficient local manpower participation. Our developers, architects, engineers and builders need to learn to work closely together through technologies, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) platform. We also need to develop new capacities in design, construction methods, in particular, in precast and prefabrication capacity. Finally, our public agencies will take the lead in adopting productive construction methods and best practices. There are many pieces in this jigsaw. But we are confident that, over time, we will put them together in partnership with our industry stakeholders.
Ms Foo Mee Har suggested that we should help smaller firms invest in machinery and incentivise firms to adopt productive technologies. Indeed, we have done so. Since the launch of the $250 million Construction Productivity and Capability Fund in 2010, over 4,000 firms have benefited from the Fund and embarked on their productivity journeys. More than 80% of them are small companies.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked for an increase in the Fund. I am pleased to inform Members that we will top up the five-year Fund with another $30 million to benefit more companies before it ends in 2015. We will explore a second five-year tranche of funding to continue our support to the firms later on when the first tranche ends.
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To accelerate the use of precast and standardised components, as suggested by Dr Teo Ho Pin, BCA will, under its buildability legislative framework, require with effect from September 2014, the following:
(a) the adoption of standardised floor heights and building component,s such as precast staircases, precast refuse chutes and doors, in new projects; and
(b) the use of drywall as internal partitions for dry areas in all residential and non-landed developments.
This would help downstream construction achieve better site productivity and quality standards.
While the adoption of precast and prefabricated components in HDB projects is high, the same cannot be said of projects in the private residential sector. To catalyse the transition and accelerate the adoption of prefabrication, we will introduce the following measures:
(a) mandating the use of Pre-fabricated Bathroom Units (PBUs) for all residential Government Land Sale sites in the second half of 2014; and
(b) setting a minimum percentage of prefabrication level for Industrial Government Land Sale projects in the second half of the year.
In anticipation of higher demand for precast and prefabricated components, BCA will roll out more land tenders to have about 10 integrated construction and precast hubs by 2020. Together with our firms' precast yards in Malaysia, they can meet the rising demand of precast components of the industry in the years ahead.
As public sector projects are expected to account for about half of the total projected construction demand in the coming years, our public agencies are well positioned to take the lead in adopting productive technologies. Going forward, the public sector would not be just interested in the final outcome of the projects, but also give fair considerations to how productive the projects are being carried out.
To this end, we will review our tender evaluation framework for public sector projects, to recognise the more productive methods of construction. We
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will progressively increase the weightage for the productivity component in the Price-Quality Method (PQM) to favour productive construction designs and methods. For the Quality Fee Method (QFM), consultants who adopt more buildable design will similarly be recognised with higher productivity scores.
To break our inertia and adopt unfamiliar but productive construction methods proven elsewhere, I am pleased to announce that the Government will require selected Government Land Sale (GLS) sites to adopt new productive technologies, such as Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) and Cross Laminated Timber (CLT).
Since not many Members are familiar with the two methods, let me spend a little bit of time to explain what they are. First, PPVC is a construction method where the prefabricated and prefinished units are manufactured in the factory, before being transported and installed onsite, just like Lego blocks. In this Australian apartment block example, the installation only took nine days. This is how the completed building looks like.
Second, in the CLT method, cross-laminated timber is used for structural and wall components to replace concrete and steel bars and brick walls. Besides residential and hotel projects, CLT has also been used in healthcare, sports halls and institutional projects.
To pioneer the adoption of these methods, NTU will be the first local developer to adopt the PPVC system for its high-rise hostel project and the CLT for its upcoming Sports Hall. MOH will also pilot the PPVC system in a nursing home project.
To build a productive construction workforce, we need to attract enough locals to take up various skilled jobs in the industry, as Ms Foo Mee Har has suggested. We are currently working with the industry stakeholders and the Institutes of Higher Learning to offer scholarships and sponsorships to attract students to study the relevant fields. We are also working to professionalise the industry's HR practices so that they could offer well-paying jobs and career development.
Madam, the past five decades of building HDB estates have given us invaluable experiences in creating homes to accommodate Singaporeans' aspirations. For most of us, HDB living is very much part of our growing up. It is part of our childhood, as well as intergenerational memories upon which Singapore's identity is built. The design of our new towns will surely be greener,
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user-friendlier and prettier. Let us hope that the \"kampong spirit\" of our society, characterised by generosity and mutual care would prosper, just as the city state flourishes into a large garden city.
The Chairman: Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Mdm Chair, through my ground engagement, I am happy to note and feel a significant reduction in the demand for rental flats. I am also happy to sense the decrease in the general level of unhappiness due to waiting time for rental flats among Singaporeans. Nevertheless, there are still Singaporeans who hope to get a rental flat to get on with their lives. These mainly include divorcees, sometimes with their children, and a few elderly, who have difficulties staying with their married children.
This is mainly either due to space constraints or relationship issues. I hope that the Ministry would help this group of applicants. I would also like to ask the Minister on the current length of queue for rental flats. What is the waiting time for an eligible applicant to be assigned a rental unit?
Mr Pritam Singh: Madam, HDB rental flats are an important housing option for many Singaporeans who have difficulties paying their own flats for a variety of reasons. While I do acknowledge the policy decision to increase the number of rental flats available over the last few years, I would like to enquire from the Ministry if there are any plans on raising the income ceiling in view of the raising of similar floors across some other Government assistance schemes, so that those in genuine need are not turned away.
Separately, while the public rental scheme is a crucial safety net, I would like to enquire if the HDB exercises greater flexibility or consideration in waiving or reducing the resale levy of rental flat tenants who previously owned HDB flats, but who now seek to purchase their 2- or 3-room flat so as to get back on the road to self-sufficiency. What incentives are in place to encourage rental flat tenants to work towards moving out of these rental flats and owning their own HDB units again, so as to free up the finite number of rental units for needy Singaporeans?
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Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Mdm Chair, taking care of the healthcare needs of our Pioneer Generation is an important step in acknowledging the contributions of our pioneers. However, besides their healthcare needs, the Government should also consider the housing plight of seniors who are either single, divorced or living alone. For this group, they are unable to find a home to stay in as they either do not have a spouse or children, or they are estranged from their spouse or children. In situations like these, they usually cannot find low-cost housing. They are unable to rent a flat from HDB as the current rules do not allow singles to rent a flat on their own. Hence, they either have to find a friend or they have to be paired with a total stranger. HDB would only allow them to rent a 1-room flat which means just a flat without bedroom.
Madam, I feel that we can do better to look after this group of elderly singles. Like divorcees with children, I would submit that the elderly singles are also a vulnerable group. By asking two elderly single strangers to share a flat without even a bedroom, we may be making their living environment uncomfortable for them.
At a certain age, many of them would have certain ingrained habits which make it difficult for them to adapt to living with another stranger. They have different standards of hygiene and there would also be frequent quarrels.
I urge MND to consider allowing elderly singles to rent a 1-room HDB flat by themselves on a case-by-case basis. Whilst it may be costly to rent a heavily subsidised flat to such elderly singles, this Government can show that we also have a heart for elderly singles who are in need. To prevent abuse, we can restrict allowing singles to rent a 1-room flat only if they can prove that they have no family members to look after them.
Ms Faizah Jamal (Nominated Member): Mdm Chair, Singapore obtains about 90% of its food needs from other countries. Around this time last year, AVA gave a statement in the Forum page of The Straits Times that Singapore aims to be self-sufficient in fish, eggs and leafy vegetables. HDB also said that it intends to build more than 100 multi-storey carparks with rooftop gardens where the new facilities would allow residents to plant their own vegetables. Recently, there was also a report in The Straits Times about rooftop vegetable
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gardening right in the heart of town.
Mdm Chair, my question relates to fish farming and rooftop vegetable gardens. Recently, there had been severe losses in the fish farm industry as a result of fish death. I seek three clarifications on this matter.
Firstly, to what extent is the aim of being self-sufficient in fish now affected by the fish death and how much time is needed to recover from these losses and get back on track?
Second, in response to the PQ that I filed last month, Minister of State Dr Maliki confirmed that part of the reason was the fact that the fish that were farmed were not able to adapt to our waters. Does it mean then that the choice of fish species had been ill-advised, and was there a fiscal consequence to the Government?
Thirdly, in AVA's continued support for fish farms, how would AVA ensure that the selection of high-value fish that is better able to adapt to the local conditions will be made?
With regard to rooftop gardens, I seek clarification on whether there will be support – both funding and professional advice – for residents who wish to be part of this initiative. If so, what are the details, especially if, for example, residents wish to be able to derive some income from this initiative?
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I understand that the Ministry formed the Inter-Ministry Committee on Food Security (IMC-FS) in 2012. This is to coordinate and look into holistic measures to mitigate our food security risks and vulnerabilities. I also understand that, as part of its strategy, the Committee is studying two broad areas, namely: reducing food wastage and boosting industry production capacity and resilience.
I would like to ask the Minister for an update on the works of the IMC-FS. Has the Committee engaged stakeholders, such as importers, manufacturers, retailers and logistics players? How supportive are these stakeholders with regard to the strategies of the Committee? What are the recommendations on industry development and food wastage reduction? Finally, how will these
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initiatives benefit Singaporeans?
The Chairman: Minister of State Mohamad Maliki.
The Minister of State for Defence and National Development (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman): Mdm Chair, this Government has always been concerned with the less fortunate. We understand their challenges and empathise with their struggles. We strive towards a fair and inclusive society, by helping the low-income build capacity and creating opportunities to keep the hope of progress alive, while strengthening social safety nets to tide them through difficult times. This year, we will pay particular attention to the vulnerable groups.
The Government spares no effort in helping the low-income families own a flat. We believe home ownership improves their self-esteem, enhances their potential to do well, and gives hope for upward mobility for their children. We build affordable 2-room and 3-room flats, and give out substantial CPF Housing Grants to first-timers – over the last three years, the Additional and Special CPF Housing Grants benefited 1,860 first-timer low-income families who bought a new flat. We did not stop there. Last year, we introduced a Step-Up CPF Housing Grant to help families upgrade from a 2-room to 3-room flat.
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Seah Kian Peng) in the Chair]
Despite these, some are still not able to buy a 2-room flat and have no family support. This is why we build public rental flats as a safety net for them. When we resumed the building of new rental flats in 2007, we had 42,000 flats. Today, we have 50,000 flats and are on track to reach 60,000 by 2017.
Applicants on the rental queue wait seven months to be allocated a flat, down from 21 months in 2008. We can always expect some waiting time, as applicants can choose their preferred zone, to be nearer their workplace or nearer their children's schools, but where there may not be vacancies in those places.
Let me assure Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal that we do exercise flexibility in allocation, by administratively adding up to 10%-points to the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) block limits for rental flats and allowing applicants to switch to another zone with vacancies. While waiting, families on the queue can take up Interim Rental Housing, where they pay the same rates as they would
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under the Public Rental Scheme.
Even as new units become progressively available, we want to help as many as we can with what we have. Mr Lim Biow Chuan proposed allowing elderly singles to rent a 1-room flat alone. Mr Lim said that we have done well in giving our Pioneer Generation good health coverage to ease their worries and so why not extend it to their accommodation needs. This is something we have to consider very seriously, as it is not about just the Pioneer Generation, but that of the housing needs of single elderly in an ageing population. We recognise that among those who approach HDB for a rental flat, some do not have next-of-kin, while some are estranged from their family, although we should be careful about dispute and inability to get along becoming convenient excuses for children to absolve responsibility for their aged parents.
I can appreciate that elderly singles may not like having to give up comfort and privacy to live in a rental flat with someone else, be it a friend they apply with, or someone on the single persons listing; and to be able to live together amicably requires mutual respect. We can appreciate that. However, in allocating a limited resource, the trade-off we have to consider is having fewer flats for the other 1,800 households on the rental queue. In extenuating circumstances, where it is not forcible or feasible to share because of medical conditions, we will make that trade-off, to not require co-sharing. Sharing living spaces is not uncommon in various forms of elderly accommodation in other ageing societies like Japan. It facilitates mutual support for these single elderly.
I think it is timely that we take stock and ask ourselves some critical questions as we consider ways to strengthen the social compact and support the housing needs of our low income.
First, who should public rental flats cater for? We set the income ceiling at $1,500 a month, to focus our help on the bottom 20th income percentile. Mr Pritam Singh suggested raising it, so that those in genuine need are not turned away. Let me assure Mr Pritam Singh that we will not turn away those with genuine housing need. We are not heartless. We do not apply rules unthinkingly. As a social worker, I have always guided my staff to exercise compassion as we go through each case carefully and assess the housing options available. In the last three years, 340 or 3% of approved applicants, had incomes above $1,500, but were allowed to rent because we assessed that they had no other housing options.
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However, a debate over whether to raise the income ceiling masks the complexities driving demand for rental flats. Why is it that some earning more than $1,500 are unable to buy at least a 2-room flat when others who earn less were able to do so – like the 800 households in 2013 – were able to buy 2-room flats with incomes below $1,500, amongst which half were second-timers?
In 2013, two-thirds of approved rental applicants were second-timers who owned and benefited from the sale of a subsidised flat. In some cases, the need for a rental flat is only temporary, because they have suffered a setback, such as a divorce, and need time to stabilise themselves and their children, while they work towards home ownership. Some may need a rental flat over a longer term as they face chronic difficulties that render them unable to work. Yet, there may also be some who see rental flats as the easy way out after cashing out from the sale of their flats; or are unable to live with their family because of disputes. Many may claim to be in need, but how do we discern those in genuine need and prioritise them within our limited resources?
More fundamentally, our objective should not be putting more people into rental flats as a convenient first response, as many of them would also prefer, but rather how can we help those who are able to work towards owning a flat to do so, within reasons. At times, this calls for an exercise of judgement and flexibility in the application of rules.
Let me cite the example of Mr H, who wanted to rent a flat with his wife, after they sold a flat less than two years ago and had spent their cash proceeds of $37,000 on living and medical expenses. In fact, they had combined CPF savings of over $150,000 and could get a loan with their income of $1,550 per month but just did not have enough cash for the resale levy – a question that Mr Pritam Singh asked.
HDB encouraged them to apply for a BTO flat instead and incorporated the resale levy into the selling price of the flat. While waiting for their flat to be completed, HDB is assisting them with Interim Rental Housing at subsidised rent. When they move into their flat later this year, they should be able to pay their mortgage instalment with their CPF, without cash outlay. This was a better outcome than if we had given them a heavily subsidised rental flat. They will continue to be home owners and have a stored value in their asset in their later years.
Second, my Minister has mentioned that our rental stock will make up 6% of our total public housing stock. We know that we cannot build new rental flats
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indefinitely. Thus, how can we get more rental tenants to progress to own a flat? Can rental flats be seen as transitional housing for those moving on to home ownership? Indeed, for some, the story does not end with allocating them a rental flat – today, over 4% of existing tenants, or some 2,200 units, have booked a flat. Over the last three years, 1,100 tenants moved into flats they bought, and 60% of them do so with the help of the AHG, or AHG and SHG.
Despite rents being heavily subsidised, we also waive the rent increase for tenants whose income improves from \"$800 or less\" to \"$801 to $1,500\" for up to two term tenancies, so that they can use their additional income to build up their savings.
What more can we do to give tenants a leg-up, and create the right incentives to reward positive work ethics and self-reliance? Our housing policy rests on the primary pillar of promoting home ownership and we help even our low-income Singaporeans aspire to be home owners.
Third, as we build more rental flats, how should we do so in a way that is inclusive? We build rental flats not just as shelters, but integrate them within estates, where tenants are able to go about their daily lives no differently from those who own their flats. HDB builds rental blocks in new BTO projects, sometimes in infill sites, to ensure a good geographical spread. As we build more rental flats, we will ensure that they are well-integrated, and we hope that residents can also play their part to be more understanding and accepting.
Let me conclude that making a decision on whom to allocate rental flats to boils down to an assessment of housing need. Members would appreciate that it is not straightforward, as circumstances and challenges underlying housing difficulty are complex. Where housing can be removed as an impediment to stabilise the family, we will do so. However, often times, needs go beyond housing, and it may be too simplistic to surmise that resolving their immediate housing need would eradicate other challenges they face. For those who need support beyond housing, we work with the social service sector to provide relevant social services for these families to improve their incomes and social well-being.
The Government remains committed to giving the less fortunate a leg-up. We will do so and we will do our utmost to help those who are willing to work with us. We will make sure that as we move ahead, we will stay together and no one will be left behind. But this also depends on individuals exercising responsibility and having the aspiration to improve their lives and work towards
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securing a better future, especially for their families. The Singapore Dream will always be within reach for those who work for it and we will do whatever it takes to give each one a lift.
Mr Chairman, let me now touch on the issues raised by Ms Faizah Jamal and Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal on food security.
Today, Singaporeans enjoy a steady supply of safe food at affordable prices. Our supermarket shelves are never empty and we can always find a place, be it a hawker centre or restaurant, to have our meals. Yet, like water and energy, we should never take our food availability for granted. We must continue to ensure our food supply resilience, especially when we import more than 90% of our food.
Mr Chairman, food source diversification will continue to be our core strategy to ensure Singapore's food security. This strategy has worked well when some supply sources are disrupted. For instance, the recent export ban of several species of fish by Malaysia had minimal impact on our fish supply as our importers were able to increase fish imports from other countries to meet our consumers' demand.
During the world rice shortage in 2008, Vietnam banned the export of rice but we had adequate supplies from different sources and our rice stockpile provided the additional assurance of buffer stock. While we actively open up overseas food sources to guard against supply disruptions, we have also supplemented our food imports by producing three key food items, namely, eggs, fish and leafy vegetables locally.
Ms Faizah has said that AVA gave a reply to a Forum page letter in The Straits Times last year that Singapore aimed to be self-sufficient in these three key food items. This is incorrect. We have never aimed to be fully self-sufficient in these food items. We cannot, as we do not have enough farmland. AVA's reply dated 23 February 2013 that Ms Faizah referred to, in fact, said that we only aimed to achieve some degree of self-sufficiency in the production of these three key food items.
The reality in Singapore is that we have limited land with many competing uses. Hence, land for our local farming sector will remain small. Our focus will be on the key food items, and we will work with these farmers to boost farm
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productivity in a sustainable manner and to intensify the use of whatever limited farmland that we have.
Ms Faizah asked about how the recent mass fish death incident has affected our aim of achieving self-sufficiency in fish supply and how much time is needed to recover from the loss. The recent mass fish death incident which saw losses of up to 500 metric tonnes of fish was, indeed, unfortunate. However, the impact to our food supply was minimal as our farms produced only 6% of the fish consumed in Singapore. AVA is assisting the affected farmers to get back onto their feet and resume production in the following ways.
First, AVA will fund 70% of the cost of restocking of frys and fingerlings to help the affected farms re-start their operations.
Second, AVA will increase its Food Fund's co-funding support from 50% to 70% for the purchase of equipment and systems that farms can put in place to mitigate against similar incidents in future. These include aerators, oxygenators, generators, water treatment systems and water quality monitoring systems.
Third, AVA will review and strengthen the current alert system to quickly detect and warn farms of adverse environmental conditions which could affect their farm production.
Fourth, AVA will work with the fish farms to develop a more sustainable sea-based farming system, so that they are less susceptible to changes in environmental conditions.
The mass fish death incident is a timely reminder to our fish farmers to enhance their production systems through technological innovation to safeguard against externalities, build up their resilience and to improve productivity.
Mr Chairman, allow me to display a photo on the LED screen. One beneficiary of the Food Fund is the Metropolitan Fishery Group (MFG), a local fish farm which received about $570,000 for investments in solar-powered aerators and water monitoring systems to enhance its operations. The investment has indeed paid off as the farm was not adversely affected by the recent mass fish death.
Ms Faizah also asked about rooftop gardens and whether there will be support for residents who wished to plant their own vegetables on rooftops.
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Such rooftop gardens are very much a community initiative and, indeed, we are seeing the community gardening movement flourishing amongst our HDB residents.
HDB will set aside space at all new multi-storey carparks (MSCPs) rooftops, and equip them with planter beds and irrigation systems to facilitate community farming. Both AVA and NParks also conduct training for these community farmers. However, our experience shows that such initiatives require strong local champions who are passionate about community farming. The production capabilities of such community farms are also limited.
Let me now give an update of the work of the Inter-Ministry Committee (IMC) on Food Security, as requested by Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal. Formed in 2012 under the purview of the National Security Coordinating Committee, the IMC is tasked to review and formulate strategies to mitigate food security risks and vulnerabilities. It started out focusing on two broad strategies – industry development and food wastage reduction. The IMC has engaged stakeholders along their food supply chain, such as importers, processors, retailers and logistics players for their inputs.
The IMC recognises that there is room for the food industry to share resources and functions such as procurement, logistics or even equipment in order to boost productivity and efficiency.
We will also facilitate and encourage our food importers to move upstream and consider investment in farming, collection, processing or packaging to gain better control over product quality and supply. Some companies have started to do this, recognising the benefits of securing food at source. IE Singapore is in the process, for example, of assisting Chew's Group Limited to set up an integrated aquaculture centre in China through grants and operational support. In this way, not only does Chew's Group control the entire value chain, it can also gain access to one of the world's largest seafood markets.
IE Singapore and AVA will continue to identify interested companies and match them with available opportunities for upstream investments in the region, expanding the source and supply of food back to Singapore.
The IMC also recognises that food wastage reduction can help enhance our food security by managing the demand for food. We must inculcate the right attitude and habit in not wasting food amongst all Singaporeans – young and
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old.
Today, households, food manufacturing and catering industries, food and beverage retail premises, hotels and shopping malls are the main food waste generators. In 2012, about 703,200 tonnes of food waste was generated in Singapore. This is equivalent to, on average, of an individual wasting about 650 bowls of rice per year. Imagine how much food we can save to help the less fortunate and buffer us during times of emergencies!
All our stakeholders agree that more can be done to increase awareness of the need to reduce food wastage. NEA and AVA are now looking into developing a comprehensive public education outreach programme targeted at schools, community and retailers to reduce food wastage, especially in moderating the way we consume food.
Many of our stakeholders have already implemented their own initiatives to reduce food waste and are willing to do more. As part of IMC's recommendations, several agencies such as NEA, AVA and SPRING Singapore are developing guidelines for food manufacturers and retailers to help them identify areas along their supply chain to minimise food waste. We will consult the industry on these guidelines when ready. To complement these guidelines, companies can leverage on the existing NEA's 3R Fund to reduce food wastage and promote more recycling.
Mr Chairman, we have done well in sensitising Singaporeans to conserve water and energy. We should do likewise for food consumption. All of us must play our part in ensuring Singapore's food security. Besides inculcating good habits not to waste food, we must also be prepared to switch to equally good alternatives, for example, frozen meat in place of chilled meat, or powdered and liquid eggs as substitutes for shell eggs, when supplies are disrupted. By working together, we can increase our resilience and safeguard our food supply for our present and future generations.
Miss Penny Low: Mr Chairman, the Draft Master Plan (DMP) is an exciting plan to update Singapore's living environment. In the new social compact, a successful urban development plan is not just about aesthetics or building better infrastructure that meets demand. A masterplan should be one to bring out the best in people and also foster collective responsibility. As Minister Khaw said, shared responsibility, shared memory – it is about building a Singapore
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home where people are at the heart of a city planning process.
A great renaissance city is about its people, whether it is Li Bai of the Tang dynasty, or Leonardo da Vinci of Florence, Italy. The environment incentivises the blooming of talents, which brings meaning, thoughts and civic behaviour to greatly enhance life. Instead of just looking at greening a space or planning connectivity from an agency perspective, or planning via agency KPIs, we need a holistic approach to building a home where people can be at their best.
Through people-centric design thinking and big data analytics to uncover what makes the soul of a bustling city, urban planners can create a truly sustainable, inclusive and renaissance Singapore. We should strive for universality in our urban design, building facilities that can be used equally by all regardless of their mobility needs; rather than separate purpose-built or dedicated facilities which are, by nature, exclusive rather than inclusive.
Hence, my questions are: one, what have we learnt from past masterplans? Two, have we extensively studied the social dimensions of urban planning so that we can build towns that can cultivate better people and shape more responsible, more cohesive neighbourhoods?
Sir, just taking a leaf from our NDP song \"Home\", let me quote, \"There is comfort in this knowledge that home is about its people too. So, we will build our dreams together just like we did before. Just like the river that brings us life, there will always be Singapore.\" Singapore my home, our country. Let us strive together to make this best home for us now and for the future.
The Chairman: That is my favourite NDP song, too. Ms Lee Li Lian.
Ms Lee Li Lian: Mr Chairman, residents in new estates like Sengkang and Punggol face a lot of inconvenience in accessing basic amenities like barbers, markets, clinics, and food centres. This takes a toll especially on elderly residents and families with young children. I wish to focus this cut on accessibility of food centres in new estates.
In 2012, the Recommendation Report of the Hawker Centre Panel stated:
\"Besides providing a source of affordable food for the community, hawker centres have become part of the social landscape, being community spaces
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where residents from all walks of life could freely interact. They are a unique feature of Singapore's urban landscape and help engender a sense of belonging to Singapore.\"
I have four questions for the Minister.
(a) What factors does the Government take into account in assessing where new hawker centres are to be built?
(b) To what extent does the Government take into account the number of hawker centres per population within a locality as a deciding factor for building a hawker centre?
(c) What measures have been taken to ensure that residents of non-mature estates are not disadvantaged compared to residents of mature estates when it comes to nearby access to affordable cooked food?
(d) In planning for new towns, how are hawker centres factored into the planning process?
Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade): Mr Chairman, in land-scarce and highly dense Singapore, proper planning and utilisation of space is critical. Of late, the development of residential and industrial areas have mushroomed rapidly, especially in certain areas. It is also noticed that with some of these, the supporting infrastructure may not have been built or optimised and has, thus, caused much strain at various levels. And these strains include limitations caused by roads, either insufficient capacity, or the number of lanes available; insufficient designated parking facilities as well as traffic and social disamenities caused by over-crowding, especially where these areas are in close proximity to schools and residential areas.
How exactly does BCA/URA collaborate and plan with relevant agencies on meeting some of these needs and alleviating anticipated problems and challenges of existing as well as new developments? In many areas, the lack of proper early planning and alignment has resulted in agencies having to play a catch-up game.
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Ms Faizah Jamal: Sir, Singapore prides itself as being very forward-looking in our development plans. We plan for population growth as far ahead as 2030. We have a well-articulated land transport plan and we also have a regularly updated URA Master Plan, with the most recent made public just a few months ago. What we do not have is a national nature conservation policy and I am making a call for one.
Sir, in just the two years that I have been a Member of this House, I have seen the integrity of our nature areas either being chipped away or in danger of being compromised completely. Just to name some examples.
Last year, the custodian of our nature reserves gave permission to a for-profit company to organise a night-time high impact sports event through part of our nature reserve, even though it knows that the animals in our forest are for the most part nocturnal, and are highly sensitive to human presence. This is on top of the trash that inevitably gets generated in such an event where being eco-friendly is not part of the event organiser's consciousness.
Early last year, the debate on the Population White Paper and Land Use Plan saw me questioning the proposed reclamation works that will swallow up the much loved Chek Jawa on Pulau Ubin as well as arguing strenuously against the proposed train line cutting through the nature reserves.
Sir, the recent URA Master Plan is very articulate in terms of economic, recreational, social and cultural aspects. However, with respect, the focus seems to be more on minimising the impact of our massive development by its plans to ease transport problems and reducing air pollution rather than a pro-active stance on conservation of our natural spaces.
According to the Master Plan, only 4% out of 29% of our natural areas is to be protected as nature reserve. The number and size of nature parks, however, would be increased to 5% of our land area. This seems to be a rather hazy picture of what nature reserves do. Nature parks, while a very good thing, with its implication of the intervention of the human hand, is not the same as nature reserves with forests that have been here for thousands of years.
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In my Budget Debate speech, I have enumerated the many values of nature reserves like biodiversity in providing wellness.
To add to the list, nature as protection against climate change and as free eco services. Our nature reserves and mangroves provide eco services, like oxygen, clean air and prevent flooding. With the current drought, frequency of flooding in recent years in some places that has never happened before and the worst haze last June, it surely is no longer lost on anyone just how dependent we are on the environment. Of what use is a sterling economic promise if there is no sterling environment?
Nature is eco tourism. Friends who are professional nature guides have told me that many tourists marvel at the fact that in just a short inexpensive bus or taxi ride away from their downtown hotel, they are already in some part of the oldest forest in the world, unlike in other countries where you have to travel some distance from the city. This can give us an economic competitive advantage over our neighbours.
Nature is heritage. It is time that we value our natural spaces as much as the value we place on our built heritage.
Nature \"just because\" – it defines us as a mature society because we know the inherent value of areas that do not necessarily have to translate into dollars and cents.
Sir, for these reasons, I am making a call for a national nature conservation policy that makes clear that our nature reserves are inviolate: a fair and equitable distribution of nature areas all over the island instead of the situation now where they are situated at the central and northern areas only; that the future Pulau Ubin be a central part of this conservation policy and Chek Jawa be protected from any reclamation plans.
Sir, I mentioned that under the URA Master Plan, only 4% of our natural greenery is protected. This falls far short of the UN Convention on Biodiversity's Strategic Plan 2011-2020, which calls on states to conserve 17%. Whilst 17% may be too much of a stretch, I think Singapore can do a lot more in order to not fail in its international obligations as a respected member of the UN.
Sir, last year, when I attended the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in Brunei, parliamentarians had committed to ensure that we hold our governments to account for the commitments that we had agreed to at that
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Assembly, one of which was to ensure green growth and sustainability in economic development.
Even though I understand that such commitments are not binding, I would be very remiss if I do not uphold this responsibility.
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Sir, Singapore is overcrowded and the density of population causes discomfort and tension. In private estates, one recurring complaint is the shortage of car parking space.
One trend compounding matters is the Government's approval of multi-unit condominium developments within mature landed housing estates to replace single household property. Such approvals are granted with minimal car park requirements of just one lot per unit. This trend has affected many residents, including those around Hillside/Rosyth and Kovan. Often, the access roads are two-way and narrow, with limited parking available. The quality of life in some areas has deteriorated due to parking shortages and road congestion.
Prior parliamentary answers to my questions were that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) would guide developers, if necessary, to improve their proposals before planning approval was granted. The Government said that, in some cases, developers might be required to carry out detailed traffic impact studies and adopt improvement measures to avert congestion. However, in at least one case I came across, traffic assessments were only required after approval had already been given.
I understand that the formula for the maximum number of dwelling units for problematic Gross Plot Ratio (GPR) 1.4 estates is 30% lower than other GPR 1.4 estates. Telok Kurau Estate was designated a problematic GPR 1.4 estate in 2011 and Kovan in 2012, but traffic congestion remains a problem in these estates.
I believe MND should work more with LTA at the pre-approval stage to assess if condominiums at congested streets need to make a more generous provision for parking beyond one lot per unit. In highly congested streets, a moratorium on further condominium developments may need to be imposed.
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Mr Yeo Guat Kwang (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Chairman, the foreign workers in the construction, marine and manufacturing sectors are only allowed to stay in dormitories. However, due to the shortage of dormitory housing space, it is not unusual to find workers in these sectors living in makeshift housing facilities usually carved out of private premises, such as old shop houses or factories and so on.
With the shortage of dormitory space, dormitory rental prices also have gone up from $150 to $170 in 2009 to about $300 per month, almost double. This increase signals not only the failure of supply to keep pace with the demand of the market, but also explains the trend in the last few years that dormitory planning focused on maximising the bid space at the loss of the recreational and social amenities within the dormitory developments.
As Chairman of MWC, I would like to know how MND will ensure that the supply of dormitories would be able to meet the demand. I also hope that the space for recreation and social activities will be incorporated into the building of such plans for the dormitories, particularly the new ones. MWC also hopes for more recreational centres to be built. We have seen some positive efforts by the Government agencies recently. At the moment, there is a total of four recreational centres. I would like to know what is the plan the Government has for the migrant workers to have a wider range of social and recreational options.
Sir, to strengthen the overall living standards in the dormitories, MWC also mooted the formation of the Dormitories Association of Singapore in early 2013. All the founding members of this Association have pledged their commitment to a list of 52 benchmark standards covering living facilities through cleanliness and hygiene, and so on, to ensure that these are up to the standards. I would like to urge all the relevant agencies to work together with them to ensure that all these standards get into the code and to be used to accredit and professionalise the industry. I hope the relevant agencies could also expedite the clearance of this set of standards and help to get the operators of dormitories, including those that are factory-converted, to adopt such a standard.
Mr Chairman, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, foreign workers have been contributing to our economic development.
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Considering this, we must ensure that there is adequate supply of foreign worker dormitories and recreational facilities for them. The lack of either will add to our social cost. The Government should systematically accelerate the construction of foreign worker dormitories and recreational facilities, and make sure they are effectively managed.
The Chairman: Minister of State Desmond Lee.
Mr Desmond Lee: Sir, I serve a constituency in Jurong West. In my conversations with older community leaders and residents, I would be reminded from time to time that, not too long ago, Jurong was a swamp. Nobody thought it could be an industrial hub or a residential heartland. But our pioneers dreamt, persevered and their vision of Jurong became reality.
In 1965, Singapore was an improbable nation state. Our pioneers worked hard, thought far, had big dreams, but were very much pragmatists and, in less than the lifetime of a generation, turned this place into a city of opportunities – modern, green and constantly rejuvenating.
Back in the early days, our preoccupation was survival and providing the basic essentials for our people. Today, our focus is increasingly on quality of life: liveability, sustainability and inclusiveness. And if you had visited the exhibition or had been consulted on the URA Draft Master Plan 2013, you would have seen some of the ideas being proposed to enhance our living environment, to celebrate our heritage and our green spaces. We agree with Miss Penny Low's comment on the need to be people-centric when we plan urban spaces – housing areas, community areas. This is what URA and other agencies are precisely doing – building on experience from past Master Plans and applying lessons learnt from consultations, studies and continuous research.
Yet, in tackling the challenges of tomorrow for our land-scarce city-state, we should retain the \"Can-do\" spirit of our pioneers – forward-thinking, hardworking, sensible and pragmatic. This means constantly thinking out of the box and looking for innovative solutions but being disciplined in urban planning, having a clear sense of where the trade-offs lie and keeping a careful eye on the long term.
Ms Faizah Jamal made a very passionate speech and was concerned that the Government may be overly people-centric in our development.
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Sir, we must provide for the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans and improve their quality of life in this small city-state. Within our confines, we have to provide for everything that a sovereign state needs. Unlike cities in large countries, we do not have the luxury to put our utilities, our defence needs and our nature spaces outside the walls of the city. Even then, we have protected more than 3,300 hectares in four nature reserves; designated 20 nature areas with significant biodiversity, including two more this year; planted extensive Nature Ways to facilitate movement of biodiversity between natural habitats; and embedded pervasive greenery through our parks and into our urban areas. Our passionate NParks officers work closely with agencies and with many nature volunteers on reforestation and conservation programmes, biodiversity research as well as public outreach and education of Singaporeans, including the young, and this work goes on day after day after day.
All of this is possible only because our Pioneer Generation of leaders, most notably former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, had consciously and deliberately made greening part and parcel of Singapore's planning and development DNA from day one and this continues to this very day.
Our efforts have not gone unnoticed by the international community. NParks was pivotal in facilitating the formulation of an index for biodiversity to guide sustainable development in cities. This has been endorsed by the United Nations' Convention on Biological Diversity and is now known as the Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity. This honour was accorded to Singapore because of the conservation efforts of our small city-state, which is a model now adopted by other cities.
At this point, let me share with you two new projects in two very different parts of Singapore which tell contrasting, vivid stories of how we hope to better the lives of our people in a uniquely Singapore way. With your permission, Sir, I have a couple of pictures and slides to illustrate my point. Thank you.
Sir, not far away from Parliament House, Marina Bay stands as an extension of our new CBD. Gardens by the Bay, the Esplanade and Marina Bay Sands, well recognised and iconic developments for Singaporeans and visitors alike, are, in fact, new developments which were built in the past 10 over years. With plenty of room to grow, Marina Bay is well positioned to serve as Singapore's premier business and financial hub for the region. But Marina Bay did not just appear overnight only in the last 10 over years. Our pioneers took a bold leap of faith more than 40 years ago when they started reclaiming Marina South and Marina Centre from the sea. They saw the potential for Marina Bay to become an attractive waterfront location for the expansion of our financial centre, but we
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did not want it to be another Raffles Place or Shenton Way where offices dominate. We wanted it to be a \"People's Bay\", nestled amongst gardens and flanked by water, grounded in our heritage and historical memories, such as Clifford Pier, the Merlion Park and Collyer Quay, for Singaporeans to live, to work and to play.
So, we gradually reclaimed around 360 hectares of land at the Bay, about nine times the size of London's Canary Wharf. We deliberately planned for seamless connectivity between Marina Bay and the city, complemented by an integrated network of walkways, both above and below ground.
We provided well-landscaped open spaces for people to relax and gather in, and devoted 100 hectares of land to waterfront gardens. Gardens by the Bay has brought nature ever closer to Singaporeans. It is the pride of Singaporeans and well-liked by locals and visitors, including some otters that have visited the Gardens!
Over the years, more and more Singaporeans have taken the initiative to enliven and energise Marina Bay. Today, we see street performances, grassroots activities and arts festivals held at the Bay. The Countdown party draws around 300,000 people to the Bay each year, as well as over half a million New Year wishes in the wishing spheres on the waters of the Bay. Just last Friday, Sir, I had the privilege to open the \"i Light Marina Bay\" festival, where artists, students and the community pooled their talents to create a magical display of art and light. It was tremendously heartening to see many young Singaporeans participating actively in an eco-friendly low carbon footprint way to bring life and light and splendour to this beautiful Bay.
Sir, we will do more to realise Marina Bay as the \"People's Bay\". More affordable food options will be introduced along the Waterfront Promenade. There will be an open area for small-scale events, recreational activities and sports. We will also launch a pilot mobile transporter tour in the area soon, for a trial period of one year. Water activities are also expected to increase when the People's Association water venture facility at Marina East is completed by end 2014, and canoeing, dragon boating and sailing activities are available to the community.
With these enhancements, we expect Marina Bay to be abuzz with even more energy and excitement, and become a more popular waterfront
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destination for our families and friends to visit and to enjoy.
Let me now turn to another part of Singapore. This time in the north east, to describe an area that is altogether different, that excites different impulses and senses, but which also presents opportunities that require the collective participation of Singaporeans to realise.
Sir, when we speak of Pulau Ubin, we think of a small island untouched by the hustle and bustle of Singapore, immersed in the rustic charm of yesteryear – an island which reminds us of life in the early days; an island which Singaporeans love to visit to be in close touch with nature and for activities like camping, cycling and hiking. It is a place close to the hearts of many Singaporeans.
Ubin is certainly all that. But it is also much, much more. In the 1950s, Ubin was a bustling island with 2,000 residents, many involved in farming, fishing and the quarrying of granite for construction. In fact, granite from Ubin had been used to build the Causeway and the Horsburgh and Raffles lighthouses. The history of Ubin tracks the history of Singapore and it is very much part of our heritage.
As farming and mining declined, so too did the number of residents. It now has less than 100 residents. But unknown to many, Ubin is a wonderful treasure trove of biodiversity. These include species which are endangered or not found in the rest of Singapore. Habitats are being enhanced and species are being discovered, with the help of many Singaporeans in the community.
Just some examples: in the 1990s, Prof Ng Soon Chye, former President of the Nature Society (Singapore), together with a French researcher, approached NParks to carry out a joint study on the Oriental Pied Hornbills on Ubin – large creatures. But the study revealed the breeding ecology of the hornbills. As a result, they installed artificial nest boxes on the island. From one breeding pair of hornbills, we now have over 60 of them on the island. Some have even flown across to other parts of Singapore, including Changi and Pasir Ris.
In 2003, NParks carried out a comprehensive survey of butterflies on Ubin with the help of butterfly enthusiasts led by Mr Khew Sin Khoon. More than 100 butterfly species were documented. This group went on to form the Butterfly Circle, an interest group. It advised NParks in planting up Butterfly Hill, a little knoll on the island created out of wasteland left over from Ubin's granite
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quarrying history. Today, over 130 species of butterflies can be found there.
The Greater Mousedeer was presumed to have gone extinct from Singapore by the mid-1990s. It was re-discovered on Ubin in 2008, during a partnership project between NUS and NParks to study wildlife. These mousedeers are doing well on Ubin and are still frequently photographed by our remote cameras set in the forest.
The \"Eye of the Crocodile\", scientific name Bruguiera hainesii, or known by the Malays as Berus mata buaya, is a mangrove tree that is listed as \"Critically Endangered\" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Members cannot see it on the screen but it gets its interesting name from the breathing pores that you can find on the trunk of the tree which, if you look carefully, resemble the scaly lids of the crocodile eyes and which help the tree to take in oxygen in the muddy mangrove environment.
It is the most endangered mangrove tree species in the world, with an estimate of less than 250 of these trees left globally. Of these, at least 11 are in Singapore. Dr John Yong from SUTD had discovered the first one at Sungei Loyang, and subsequently helped to find one of two trees on Ubin. The largest tree was found along the Kranji Nature Trail by Ms Ria Tan, who is a passionate naturalist who set up WildSingapore, the popular nature blog.
These are just some of the many examples of how agencies like NParks have been working with passionate volunteers and experts to document Ubin's biodiversity, preserve its rustic character, enhance its natural environment and sensitively provide access so that the public can enjoy Ubin's natural charm.
Building on these efforts, Sir, we will initiate a conversation soon with Singaporeans, including the islanders, interest groups and experts, on how we can sensitively enhance the natural environment of Ubin and protect its heritage and its rustic charm. We will seek ideas about nature and heritage conservation, and about education and nature-based recreation. Minister Khaw has asked me to lead this project, and I am humbled and privileged to do so.
We will consult and engage widely. We will not rush because the process is as important as the outcome and we want to hear from as many Singaporeans as possible. Our collective ideas, when implemented, can be a gift for many generations of Singaporeans. Some of these ideas, if ready, will also be meaningful in our commemoration of Singapore's 50th anniversary
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next year. We will share more details about \"The Ubin Project\" later this year.
I hope Members will support this initiative. I hope Singaporeans, young, old and the young-at-heart, as well as the heritage and green community, will rally around, support this project and share your memories, ideas and your impressions with us.
Sir, let me now turn to the remaining cuts filed by hon Members. First, on urban planning: Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef, Ms Sylvia Lim and Ms Lee Li Lian had asked how plans for new developments had been properly coordinated and smoothly implemented.
In Singapore, land use planning is a structured process overseen and coordinated by URA, in consultation with all relevant agencies. The agencies will look at a wide range of parameters, such as the overall planning intention for the area, transport capacity, utilities, greenery and recreation, amenities like shops, schools, hawker centres, food establishments, so on and so forth.
The agencies will then assess the use, scale and intensity to determine whether these developments can be supported by local infrastructure, or whether the plans need to be adjusted appropriately to avoid adversely affecting nearby residents and businesses. They will also seek feedback regularly to make sure the planning parameters remain relevant.
But, Sir, sometimes, there are gaps between what is desirable from the planning perspective, what is feasible and what residents want. Sometimes, there is a limit to how much new infrastructure we can add in an area around new developments, as the area may already be built up. This is part and parcel of intensification, to make good use of our limited land. Sometimes, implementation may be held back by technical issues. It is often tricky to synchronise precisely an increase in demand for new developments, with the expansion of supporting infrastructure, which does usually takes years to build. As a result, residents may experience temporary inconvenience, which agencies will do their level best to mitigate.
For instance, we have required developers of Government Land Sales sites to inform residents living nearby about upcoming developments. We have also mandated that contractors reduce noise nuisance from construction. Overall, our agencies recognise the need to plan and implement ahead of demand in a coordinated manner, and will continue to do so. I note Ms Sylvia Lim had mentioned earlier about certain instances where certain surveys seem to have
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been done after developments have pushed through. We would be grateful if she could provide us with the specific examples in order for us to take this matter up more effectively.
Sir, on Ms Lee Li Lian's specific concerns about food establishments, I mentioned earlier that the availability of amenities is one of many parameters that we look at when planning new towns but we assure her that agencies do plan for adequate food establishments in her constituency, as had been responded to on a number of occasions through Parliamentary Questions last year. Residents in the ward are currently served by two commercial centres located near LRT stations and within a walking distance of about five to 10 minutes for most residents. There are 15 food establishments in that area including coffee shops, food courts, cafes and restaurants. Nevertheless, more such facilities can be considered when there are more residential developments.
I would also like to thank Mr Yeo Guat Kwang for his cut on foreign worker housing. Sir, to build homes and other facilities for Singaporeans, including transport and infrastructure, we need foreign workers. The Government will continue to launch new sites for purpose-built dormitories that meet the housing, social and recreational needs of these workers. We have also launched and will continue to identify new sites to build recreation centres for these workers.
As mentioned by the Acting Minister for Manpower in his earlier speech during the MOM COS, the Government is considering enhancing levers to ensure that foreign worker dormitories better meet workers' needs. In that regard, the move by the Dormitory Association of Singapore Limited (DASL) to develop a set of standards, and to consult Government agencies on these standards, is very much welcome. The Government will work very closely with the industry on these initiatives.
Sir, on behalf of MND, I would like to thank all Members for their interest in the work of MND, and look forward to working with all of you and with fellow Singaporeans to realise the dream of a sustainable, highly liveable green home and city.
The Chairman: We have some time for clarifications. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: I have four clarifications. First, I would like to ask about these elderly without homes but have money in their Retirement Account. Will the Minister work with MOM or CPF to let them use part of the money to
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buy their home, especially to buy the Studio Apartments?
Next is on the upgrading programme. I am happy to hear about expediting HIP but nothing has been mentioned about EUP. Are there similar programmes for EUP? Third question is the long waiting time at dumping ground. Is there anything that the Ministry is doing to solve this long queue? And the last clarification: will the Minister look into this minimum period for S Pass and EP, working together with MOM, to discourage job hopping?
The Chairman: Very succinct clarifications. Minister Khaw.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Chairman, the first and the last queries on whether MND will work with MOM to look into the two aspects, the short answer is, of course, yes. As for Studio Apartment, I thought I should explain a little bit. What is this Studio Apartment concept? A Studio Apartment was conceptualised to help owners of larger flats right-size and then convert that into some cash for their retirement needs. That is why there is no need for loans or to tap into your CPF Account. In fact, by right-sizing, you will be freeing up part of your assets as cash and then we further incentivise through the Silver Housing Bonus to encourage you to put some of the money into CPF LIFE. That is the intent of the Studio Apartment which I hope the Member can appreciate.
As for HIP and EUP, Dr Maliki looks after this upgrading programme, I will ask him to address the specific query.
On the issue of dumping ground, I think we have discussed this in Parliament previously. Because we stepped up so much construction activities, and especially with the MRT tunnelling work, much excavated materials were generated. There was, in fact, a jam caused by the trucks. We have worked – though I cannot quite recall the technicalities of what we did but we have done a lot – to shorten the queues. What I am told is it is not as if there is long waiting throughout the day. It is only during the peak hours or a couple of hours a day. So, if you schedule your work and avoid those two hours, there is no waiting. For example, if you were to go and dump now, I can guarantee you, there is no waiting.
Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman:Sir, I can understand the Member's interest in the EUP. I have a constituency made up of 70% of private estates. I also have personal interest in ensuring that our private estates continue to be
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upgraded. As the Member is aware, the EUP programme is quite an extensive programme. We have already launched about eight batches now; we have just invited nominations for the ninth batch and the deadline is 30 April this year.
We have also brought forward the gap between batches. In each batch, we select about seven to eight estates depending on the size. Each time we go out and upgrade those eight estates at every batch, it requires a long time to plan, to assess. It takes a lot of ground-up initiative because we want to ensure that there is ownership amongst the residents. So, the working committee has to be formed.
EUP is beyond the normal upgrading works of all the different agencies, so it does take a long time to get the projects going. As much as I can appreciate Er Dr Lee's interest in us expediting the programme, it is something that is an issue of capacity. As I have mentioned, we have reduced the duration. Members will notice that batch nine is just about one, or one-and-a-half years after batch eight. We will try to bring batch 10 even closer to batch nine.
But there is a capacity issue. For Members who really have got private estates that they would like to put up for nominations, please do so. As much as we want to give the project to everyone, as in any upgrading project, we just have to take turns and look at the needs of the ground as well as achieve a fair geographical spread over the different estates that we select.
Ms Foo Mee Har: Sir, I have one clarification for the Minister. During his speech, the Minister mentioned that I spoke about the success of The Hillford. I would like to clarify that. In fact, I expressed the disappointment of many seniors that they felt outbid unfairly by non-retirees and investors because they were chasing the same unit. In fact, the concession that the Government gave for this project to make it a retirement village was, they claim, no more than just a shoe-box apartment because of no age limit on occupancy. I would like to ask the Minister, would he consider more land to be set aside for retirement village but this time with very clear eligibility criteria for occupancy and buyers so that it genuinely benefits and meets the exclusive needs of our seniors.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: I thank Ms Foo Mee Har for her clarification. Indeed, I did not mishear you. I said that you commented that it was a commercial success for the developer but whether it will end up a successful retirement village from the viewpoint of the retirees, I think the jury is still out. We ourselves are watching over this experiment that URA has done. But I note her suggestion that in future – for such land sites sale – we may want to put in more
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conditions to better ensure that the outcome will be what we desire.
Indeed, when URA first formulated the tender specifications, they were quite tight. We did a lot of consultations and along the way as we consulted both the retirees and the developers, the final tender terms were as what were included in the Hillford tender. Whether there are better ways of doing it are things that we will certainly look into.
As I stressed just now, my priority is to the 80% of Singaporeans who live in HDB. I believe in retirement or ageing in place; I believe in village life, meaning kampung spirit. Whether one should design and build a retirement village purely for retirees only, with no young people and no other inhabitants, I am not so sure. I believe in ageing with a lot of young people around you and I think life should be that way. Within HDB towns, I am doing my best to create this kind of retirement villages but with young people.
We are doing a lot of experiments in my own constituency for example. The project I am doing, just behind Admiralty MRT station, will be such an experiment. Several Members have expressed interests and, in fact, we are working with them too. The key is to allow the retirees to age in place without having to move out of the community and often they want their children to be near them too, so that they do not have to move out. I spent some time discussing that just now and it is something I wanted to put my energy into, to try to realise as much of that aspiration as possible.
Much more than hardware, it is the whole community support – the software. I can create all the facilities, all the public spaces – will they come out to use them? Will neighbours come and take part in activities? We shall also get relevant social enterprises to come and support the right kind of activities. Those are the type of experiments that I am trying out in my own constituency and in a few of the constituencies that some of the Members have volunteered to join in. I am hopeful that we can have some breakthroughs there. Perhaps, in Yishun South, too.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Just want to ask the Minister of State Dr Maliki, whether he would agree that elderly singles who are unable to buy flats because they have no CPF or ability to pay loan instalments – for such people, they are really people with limited options – and whether the Minister of State would consider them as belonging to a vulnerable group. And if so, whether MND would be prepared to consider any application by elderly singles to rent a single flat on their own on a case-by-case basis because of the fact that they are elderly.
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There cannot be that many elderly singles who want to live in a single room flat by themselves.
Just one more clarification, Mr Chairman, for the Minister of State Mr Desmond Lee – just wanted to ask whether it is likely that we will have water taxis along Kallang River and, if so, when.
Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: Sir, the proposition for a single elderly living alone or be given a rental flat on his own or her own is very attractive. Even if we assume there is not that many today, the moment we open the door, I am sure we will get an influx of applicants. We want to be quite careful about such possibilities.
Secondly, for the singles, some cases are due to the death of a partner, and they may still have children. If they really do not have family members, then we want to try to encourage them, in the first instance, to share the space with another elderly. The reason being the limited resources. I have mentioned in my speech earlier that for every one rental 1-room flat that we give out, there is another family that will probably have to wait his or her turn. We have to strike that balance between whether we want to encourage or even facilitate elderly singles, understanding some of these constraints, and help them with another person.
Under special circumstances – where they really have got medical issues that are supported by medical documents that say that they really cannot live with another person – I have also mentioned earlier, that we have acceded to such appeals previously.
Mr Desmond Lee: In response to Member Mr Lim Biow Chuan's query – we currently have a water taxi service at the Singapore River to facilitate movement of people within the city area. For Kallang River, it is something that we can look at in the future.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: Sir, I would like to let the Minister know that construction sites start work at 7.00 am. Once they have excavated, they will load the waste on the lorries and go to the dumping ground. It will be throughout the whole day. If you want them to dump only in the evening time – that means double handling – it is not productive. Not only that, many sites do not have that space to store the excavated materials. That is why I would like to urge the Minister to look into ways to improve this. Otherwise, it is
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unproductive.
[(proc text) The hon Minister Khaw Boon Wan\tnodded. (proc text)]
The Chairman: Minister, I take that as your answer. As the Minister has said, there were fewer cuts for MND, smaller eye bags for the Minister and even fewer clarifications from Members. Could I now request the hon Member Er Dr Lee Bee Wah to withdraw her amendment?
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: On behalf of GPC members, I would like to thank our compassionate Minister and his team for working very hard. But I am very sorry that your eye bags will not grow smaller any time sooner because there are issues to resolve. I would like to assure Minister that your eye bags make you look more loveable. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $870,414,200 for Head T ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $9,483,583,000 for Head T ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head L (Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources)","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Sir, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head L of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
A cleaner, greener and more beautiful living environment starts from home, and I believe that learning through experience is one of the best ways to drive home the message. As such, I wish to propose we designate No Cleaners Day on 1 May for the whole of Singapore. Nee Soon South held a No Cleaners Day last year with modest success. On that day, we held an estate cleaning exercise. Residents witnessed with their own eyes how much litter were thrown out each day. They became more aware of littering and the possible disastrous
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consequences if the surroundings were not maintained.
It thus help to spread awareness on the importance of keeping our environment litter-free, and also serves as an eye-opener to our residents to the hard work done by our cleaners. These workers deserve a break and to have their diligence celebrated on 1 May.
Next, a smoke-free environment. I am heartened to see that more public places were designated no smoking zones. In Nee Soon South, early this year, we piloted designated smoking points, too, and my residents have expressed satisfaction with the cleaner quality of the air and the reduced unsightliness of cigarette butts on the ground. We should make deeper ventures in this area and do more to get the smoke-free concept take off nation-wide. Like hotels with smoke-free floors, we can perhaps consider implementing smoke-free new BTO blocks being offered, so that residents can make a choice on the type of environment they want to live in.
All said, what is the long-term Government direction to further protect the people from second-hand smoke? I urge that a stronger stand be taken against smoking in public and especially in residential areas where there are children and old folks.
In Japan and Taiwan, smokers smoking at designated smoking points is their way of life and is a great concept that works because smokers do gather at those points to take their puff. In Singapore, it is a new concept and it needs time and conditioning for this to take off. More education will be necessary to speed up this process, before we can let nature take its course.
On smoke, let me add that the Ministry has set higher standards for air quality, benchmarked against guidelines by the World Health Organization (WHO). Unfortunately, it looks like its efforts are already being marred in the early part of the year by hot spots in neighbouring countries.
Last year, we were affected by the worst episode of transboundary haze pollution which reached hazardous PSI levels. Even our tourism industry was negatively impacted. What is the Ministry doing to mitigate recurrent haze problems? We do not want to go singing year-after-year the song \"Smoke gets in your eyes\". Residents have always been advised to make themselves aware of current PSI levels in order to regulate the types of activities and outdoor
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exposure appropriate for their health.
Last year, ASEAN leaders agreed on the adoption of the ASEAN Sub-Regional Haze Monitoring System as a joint haze monitoring system among Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. How is the implementation of this system progressing? Countries responsible for the cause of the haze should search their conscience on the harm they are inflicting on their own population, even if they do not care about others.
Environmental issues are sticky issues that involve an entire nation and several generations of citizens. I hope the Minister will consider bold moves to get the country moving in the cleaner and greener direction.
Next, recently there was a Parliamentary Question (PQ) where the Minister answered that 100 million gallons per day of NEWater is produced and is used to top up reservoirs. I would like to ask the Minister is this water good enough for drinking? If so, why is it being pumped back into the reservoir? Is this double-handling?
And I would also like to ask the Minister to update on the progress of the hawker centre in Yishun. Is there any possibility of completing it earlier than middle of 2016? I was there for dinner last Sunday and I see that the whole place is quite packed in that neighbourhood.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Minister for Transport (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim): Sir, Singapore was affected by its worst episode of transboundary haze pollution in 2013 with a record high PSI of 401. Recent news show that we may potentially be affected by the increase in hotspots from Sumatra. What are the Ministry's efforts to mitigate the recurrence of haze episodes and the regional resolutions to alleviate the impact?
There is increasing recognition that the root cause of the forest fires in Indonesia is commercially driven. The widespread slash-and-burn forest clearing in Sumatra last year has sent pollutions soaring to our highest record level.
In June last year, there had been claims that the Sumatra forest fires were caused by Malaysian and Singaporean palm oil companies. Our Ministries have
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issued a challenge to name and shame these companies. Has there been any follow-up or news regarding this issue? What measures have the Ministry taken to enhance the accountability and traceability of these companies?
At the 23rd ASEAN Summit on 9 October 2013, the ASEAN leaders have agreed to the adoption of the ASEAN Sub-Regional Haze Monitoring System (AHMS) as a joint haze monitoring system among Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
The initiative includes high resolution satellite images to track the hotspots to identify and apprehend the culprits of the forest fire. However, it was commented in the House recently that the AHMS is yet to be implemented as the other parties have not agreed on its implementation. Can the Minister elaborate on this stalemate, such as details regarding the progress of the implementation of the AHMS and the constraints of the other parties?
It is also noted that we intend to renew the Letter of Intent (LOI) to render technical assistance to Indonesia on the capabilities of monitoring air and weather. How will this initiative assist in the mitigation or alleviate the impact of the haze?
Mr Yee Jenn Jong (Non-Constituency Member): Sir, the haze is at our doorstep again. Singapore has been affected by recurring haze episodes resulting from land and forest fires in Indonesia since 1991, with last year's being the worst ever. These had an adverse impact on our tourism, economy and the health of our people.
I had previously, in this House, called for legislation to empower our authorities to punish those found guilty of transboundary haze pollution in Singapore through their deliberate actions, even when committed outside of our shores. I am glad to see that the Ministry is contemplating a Bill to this effect that can impose criminal and civil liabilities on guilty entities. While some may argue that it is hard to impose our rights outside of Singapore, we should bear in mind that many of the large plantations have operations in Singapore or are public-listed here. We want to do business only with companies that are responsible.
Many Singaporeans desire to know if the products they buy have been produced through illegal land clearance. While the fines may not seem large,
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the proposed legislation will now empower our Government to have the means to take legal actions in our own courts against offenders. Such actions will signal to our consumers whose products they should or should not support. It will also signal to the region of our determination to solve this perennial problem and can hopefully spur other countries to enforce actions on offenders as well.
Mr Nicholas Fang (Nominated Member): Sir, I am glad that Budget 2014 continues to emphasise the importance of the environment to Singapore and Singaporeans through the enhancements and extensions to the tax framework affecting the Early Turnover Scheme and Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme. This will continue to have a positive effect when it comes to lowering the pollutive effects of our car population. In a small and dense city like Singapore, our relatively big population of cars will no doubt have an impact on the quality of our air, especially as the number of vehicles continues to grow.
But it is not clear yet how effective these and other measures will be in actually lowering our car population in the long run. Anecdotally, I only have one colleague out of all the people I know who has given up her car when the COE expired recently. She is trying to use public transport but is also monitoring the COE prices to see when she can re-enter the driver demographic.
In most other cases, my friends and acquaintances still view cars as a necessity even as they complain about the high costs associated with car ownership. This is understandable in the cases of families with young children or elderly parents. But the rest of us, myself included, often see cars as a convenient option, especially when it comes to getting to various locations on time and with many things to carry. Many of us in this House would share similar sentiments.
We need to remember that the issue of cars is more than just the pollution they can cause but also the impact it has on our carbon footprints. The focus on carbon footprints of individuals and larger organisations has faded a bit from public discussion in recent months. It is worth reminding ourselves that more than our driving habits alone, our daily consumption practices can also have an impact on the environment and climate change.
NEA's 3R Campaign – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – is a good multi-pronged effort to broaden awareness and educate Singaporeans, especially the youths,
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on how to lessen the negative effect our daily lives have on the environment. It is also heartening to know that an increasing number of recycling bins and other facilities are appearing across Singapore and that more people are using these.
We need to continue to spread awareness about these and other measures and, more importantly, the need for all of us to make an effort in our daily lives. It is very easy for the people of a small nation like ours to say, \"Well, there is not much point for us to do anything because no matter what we do, it is only a drop in the ocean as we are too small to have a major impact\".
In absolute terms, this may be true but each of us doing our part also has the effect of putting us on the map as a world leader in terms of our green efforts. This can serve as an example to other nations of how a motivated population can collectively make a difference. At the same time, it allows us to have a more credible voice on environmental issues on the global stage, and for us to serve as a hub for knowledge, technical development and international discussions.
This international leadership position is going to become increasingly important. A good example of why is transboundary haze, which is becoming a regular occurrence in the region, and has just made an unwelcome return to Singapore in the past weeks.
As other hon Members have mentioned earlier, the challenges surrounding haze is significant as it involves not just cross-border relations but cross-sector stakeholders from public and private sectors, civil society as well as non-government organisations. Singapore's move to implement a Bill on transboundary haze, which will have powers to penalise Singapore-based companies which contribute to the haze problem through activities overseas, is a progressive and landmark step to address the cross-border nature of this problem.
Questions have been raised over the intricacies of implementing such a measure but it is an important first step. It is now up to all the different parties to continue to work to find a long-term solution to what is becoming an increasingly worrying problem for the region. To that end, I hope the Ministry can consider encouraging or leading more multi-sector engagement that includes all stakeholders to discuss the haze and future environmental challenges. Our environment, by definition, affects all of us. If we have to find solutions to any challenges in this area, all of us will be required to participate and contribute in the process.
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The Chairman: Mr Charles Chong, you may take your two cuts together.
Mr Charles Chong (Joo Chiat): Thank you, Mr Chairman. In August 2012, NEA announced that it would be adopting the World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines (AQG) for particulate matter with diameter smaller than 10 microns (PM10), Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and Ozone, and the WHO AQG's interim targets for particulate matter with diameter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) and Sulphur Dioxide.
From the middle of last year, NEA implemented several measures to achieve the WHO AQG including mandating the supply of near-sulphur free diesel (NSFD) for diesel vehicles and cleaner petrol for petrol vehicles. The refineries and power stations which contribute almost all of Singapore's sulphur dioxide emissions are also required to reduce their SO² output. Could the Minister please tell us if the abatement measures which have been implemented have had the desired effect and if we are anywhere closer to meeting the WHO Air Quality Guidelines, particularly, with respect to PM2.5 and sulphur dioxide figures?
In line with this, new vehicle emission standards have also been mandated from this year. New diesel vehicles, since January, are required to comply with Euro 5 standards. New petrol vehicles will need to be Euro 4 compliant from April, and new motorcycles and scooters will need to comply with Euro 3 from October.
This is well and good for domestic vehicles on our roads. But there are also a significant number of foreign vehicles on our roads, and I am thinking, in particular, of the buses and large foreign trailers and trucks which we often see transporting people and goods here, and also motorcycles.
Clearly, our adoption of more stringent Euro Emission Standards is a move in the right direction but foreign vehicles entering Singapore may not be obliged where the laws of their home countries comply with these same standards. Could the Minister please let us know how MEWR has addressed the issue of foreign vehicles' emissions on our roads.
While on the topic of foreign pollutants, the Minister is no doubt well aware that the haze has returned. It is hard to miss. All four speakers who spoke before me have already addressed the haze problem. So, Mr Chairman, I will not try
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and test your patience by repeating what has already been said, other than to support what was said by the four speakers before me, and to add that our proposed transboundary haze solution legislation is a positive development and will indicate to those parties responsible for contributing to the haze that their practices are in no way condoned by Singapore.
Could the Minister please let us know whether the Indonesian government has indicated if any Singaporean companies are behind some of the forest fires and, if so, how quickly prosecutions are expected to be brought under the new legislation if it is passed into law?
Sir, my cut on dengue, from 1 January to 7 March this year, there were over 3,000 reported cases of dengue fever in Singapore. In 2013, there were seven dengue-related deaths; and in mid June last year, 842 dengue cases were reported to the Ministry, a number which has far exceeded maximum weekly number of reported cases up to that date.
Dengue clearly remains a cause of concern among Singaporeans, and the current outbreak is the most severe and prolonged that we have seen. Could the Minister please provide an update on the latest situation with respect to the number of reported cases and the number of dengue clusters?
In the inspections conducted by NEA, what are the most common mosquito breeding grounds identified and are the sites mostly located in residential or industrial premises, or in construction sites? Is the current prolonged dry spell helping the situation, as there would not have been any rainwater collecting in leaves or receptacles for some time? Also, could the Minister let us know if any dengue sites have been identified on state land or premises? If so, what the consequences have been for the various agencies concerned? While there has been significant public education effort to stem the spread of dengue, this seems to have had very limited impact, as most people would carry on their usual lives without having regard to the mozzie wipeout. Is the Minister optimistic that we would soon turn the corner on this outbreak? If it is, what is the additional push we need to get there?
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mr Chairman, I would like to check with the Ministry about the current dengue situation and ask about the
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steps taken to safeguard the health of Singaporeans against dengue.
Last year, we suffered the worst dengue epidemic in our history. Since then, we have had more than 22,000 cases. In January this year, dengue was on the rise again. I would like to ask why we continue to have problems bringing the number of cases down despite having additional inspections of private and public premises for possible breeding sites and grounds. In June last year, NEA announced its plan to recruit 300 more inspection officers to augment the 850 full-time officers. How effective are these inspections? Has the increased number of checks identified more breeding sites and grounds? Would the Ministry share with us how cooperative and compliant are property owners? What are the measures available to the agency if access cannot be gained or granted to suspect properties? In addition, how regularly are our public drains inspected and cleaned to reduce breeding ground?
Ms Faizah Jamal (Nominated Member): Sir, the clarifications that I seek are even more significant in view of the report in The Straits Times a few days ago that a disused underpass near Shenton Way on land that belongs to SLA had been waterlogged and may be breeding the aedes mosquitoes. So, my questions are: what is SLA's standard procedure for dengue and mosquito breeding prevention in general and supervision with regard to non-residential areas that are under the jurisdiction of other Government agencies, in particular how regular are the site checks that NEA conducts? What are the penalties and how does it ensure compliance and enforcement? How many summonses have been issued to other agencies over, say, the last year? Due to the prolonged period without rain, which we are experiencing now, how does NEA ensure that covered sewers not being flushed does not lead to an increase in mosquito breeding? And have the Town Councils and estate committees been proactive in this regard?
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Sir, I would like to commend NEA officers on their tireless door-to-door efforts and their work with local agencies to break the chains of dengue transmission and sources of mosquito breeding. Though it may be too early yet to celebrate, the drop in cases below the 200 mark in the last two weeks is a hopeful sign the latest and worst round of dengue epidemic may be abating.
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However, mosquito population and vector control is not a viable long-term solution. This method is not practised everywhere and we are an open global city vulnerable to transmission of the disease by visitors travelling from dengue-infected spots. Furthermore, this method is labour-intensive and prone to local lapses.
I note that the spate of good news on progress in dengue treatment and vaccine development rose and peaked with the outbreak in the latter half of last year. Perhaps the most hopeful was the discovery in August of a new vaccine strategy by a research consortium supported by Singapore STOP Dengue Translational and Clinical Research Programme. I believe the Ministry's Environmental Health Institute is involved in the STOP Dengue programme.
The last dengue epidemic in 2005 killed 25 people and the current outbreak has already claimed six or seven lives. I note that the STOP Dengue programme received $25 million in funding over five years since 2008. Is this level of support satisfactory, given the prevalence of the disease here and its sometimes deadly effects? Will the Government be providing more research support to dengue vaccine development?
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Charles Chong) in the Chair]
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, today, we are facing the longest dry spell in the region, which includes Singapore. According to the NEA, February 2014 is the driest month since 1869, breaking the past record set in February 2010.
I have two main questions on the actions taken by the Ministry regarding the dry spell we are currently facing. How are we encouraging greater water conservation and our plans to manage water demand in the non-domestic sector?
We are conscious about the significant progress made to manage domestic water consumption. I have met Singaporeans who shared that we should not worry about our water supply. They are happy that our efforts to enhance our water supply are indeed bearing fruit. However, on the other end, a few Singaporeans shared with me that they are concerned about our complacency and we may lose sight on water conservation effort. I understand that the PUB aims to achieve 147 litres per day by 2020 and 140 litres per day by 2030.
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Besides the current initiatives, what is the Ministry doing to encourage greater water conservation and that we are not complacent and lose sight of our efforts over the last few decades?
As the proportion of water demand by the non-domestic sector grows, there is a need to continuously manage water demand in this sector. Can the Minister share on the outcome of initiatives, such as the Water Efficient Building (WEB) on the usage of water in non-domestic sector? What other initiatives is the Ministry taking to manage water demand in this sector?
The Chairman: Mr Seah Kian Peng, three minutes for your two cuts.
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Sir, this is indeed a strange time to speak about floods – in the middle of the longest dry season in more than 100 years. But perhaps it is also the best time – in droughts, we plan for floods; and in floods, we ought to remember and be patient, because rain is also good news for Singapore.
Singapore is a paradox because, although we get some of the highest rainfall anywhere in the world, we are also extremely water stressed. This is because we are so small, we do not have any space for large reservoirs. So, PUB is also a somewhat paradoxical agency – there are people who are trying to get rid of water – the drainage section – and there are people who are trying to save water or create new sources of water.
In truth, of course, PUB is one of the most admirable and under-appreciated agencies in Singapore. They integrated the water cycle in a way few other countries in the world can. Through the demographic changes, the rise in population, all the stresses we have seen in infrastructure – in transport, health and housing – these have not appeared in water. We have not experienced a drop in supply, or water rationing, or even indeed, any drop in water pressure. For this, I salute the engineers and water managers in PUB.
It has been two years since PUB accepted the recommendations of the Expert Panel on Drainage Design and Flood Protection Measures to improve Singapore's flood management approach. I would like to ask what is the progress of PUB's work to address flash floods and improve Singapore's flood protection?
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Has our planning parameters changed taking into account that global warming is upon us, as evidenced by extreme weather conditions that many countries and cities are experiencing in recent years?
We in Singapore also have our fair share of such extreme conditions: from heavy and intense rainfalls, cool and dry weather and even hailstones falling here. The frequency of such freak weather is also higher these days. Can the Minister tell us about the preparation against these?
Sir, my next cut. How is our public sector responding to improve energy efficiency in the various public buildings and offices? I have spoken on these for several years – from suggesting a change in attire to regulating the temperature of the air-conditioning in this House.
I drove past the MOE building at about 9.30 pm last week. The lights were all ablaze. So, I guess the officers were hard at work preparing for the Budget, but I certainly hope that these lights are not on every night.
In fact, I would like to have motion sensors in all public buildings and staircases, and even HDB blocks. Each time I drive around at night, I am amazed at the beauty of our flats and then dismayed that there are so many lights switched on for no good reason.
Sir, I know that there are many test-bedding efforts for energy savings. Can the Minister please update and give us a holistic picture?
Mr Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied): Mr Chairman, Sir, hawker food is central to Singaporean culture. We must also not forget that hawker food is the means to affordable daily meals for many Singaporeans and helps to keep our costs of living low. I therefore welcome the restarting of the Hawker Centre Building programme in 2011 after 26 years of not building any new centres.
Instead of the tried and tested approach of directly managing hawker centres, the Ministry is seeking to appoint social enterprises to run centres on a not-for-profit basis. However, the not-for-profit approach does not mean that social enterprises will not seek high revenues so as to channel surpluses to its
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social projects.
NTUC FairPrice, for example, has a net profit margin of 10.9%, or over $270 million in 2012. Yes, the profit is returned to the Central Co-Operative Fund to benefit workers. But this also means that $270 million were not put to use to keep the costs of groceries lower.
We have already seen a social enterprise-run private hawker centre failing only after one year, at Simpang Bedok. High rentals, low quality food, expensive dishes and cleanliness problems kept customers away.
Recently, the Minister announced that NEA is considering proposals by 12 social enterprises to manage four older hawker centres. What are the criteria being used by NEA to evaluate the social enterprise proposals? How will NEA ensure rentals do not shoot through the roof? How will NEA ensure the outcomes will always be affordable food?
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Seah Kian Peng) in the Chair]
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairman, NEA is piloting a new model to manage hawker centres on a not-for-profit basis. I support this new approach and agree that it will help keep hawker centre food affordable.
We have seen the undesirable outcomes from the commercial eateries such as coffeeshops and food courts where rising rentals have been one of the key contributing factors to higher food prices for consumers. Both the stallholders and consumers are worse off. Faced with rising rentals, stallholders have to pass on the costs of higher rentals to their customers and this resulted in lesser business for the stallholders. Consumers ultimately bore the rising costs from the pass-on effects of higher rentals.
It is frightening to read in some of the press reports that some of the coffeeshops sales are transacting at very high prices, with at least one beyond $20 million. We need some safeguards that these high prices will not be translated into higher cooked food prices at the stall level. Hawker centres certainly can play that role.
I would like to ask the Minister where we are now in terms of the operating model to run a not-for-profit hawker centre. How would this policy potentially
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benefit the public? What are the safeguards to protect the interest of stallholders?
With more hawker centres to be rebuilt in the coming years, the challenge would be to find more Singaporeans to \"step up to the plate\", so to speak. We are at this stage where increasingly the Pioneer Generation hawkers are mostly nearing retirement and many are having difficulties finding successors for their business.
The new model should aim to keep the barrier to entry low, so as to attract more and younger Singaporeans to be hawker entrepreneurs. The new model should also help keep hawkers' heritage and our unique food culture alive. In many cities, some of the food streets come about by chance, by circumstances and survive many decades, and many continue to thrive till today. One common characteristic is that the intrinsic value is not being loaded into the ecosystem and the stallholders need not pay the land premium. It has become a positive externality, both socially and economically.
Mr Chairman, I know that there are high expectations for this new model and indeed, it is a tall order. But we should be prepared to try a range of variations and different approaches as long as they meet our objectives. Even if they do not work, we can always go back to the NEA model to run the hawker centres.
Mr Yeo Guat Kwang (Ang Mo Kio): One of the suggestions given by the Hawker Centre Public Consultation Panel is to outsource the running of some hawker centres to social enterprises, so that disadvantaged individuals can set up F&B stalls at a low cost and risk. At the present moment, there are no social enterprises in Singapore with deep expertise in managing hawker centres. I would like to know how NEA will help these social enterprises to do this.
I would also like to know what are some of the possible safeguards that NEA will put in place to ensure the viability of such hawker centres and also how will the interest of the stallholders in these centres be better protected.
Next, the shortage of dishwashing and collection staff at the hawker centres has resulted in used cutlery and plates being left all over the tables. This has also led to a deterioration of the general public hygiene and cleanliness in the hawker centres. The increased level of rats and the related problems in markets and food centres have further compounded this problem. How would NEA
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ensure that the hygiene and cleanliness standards of hawker centres are maintained?
To manage the problem of low productivity and lack of dishwashers, there are proposals to centralise the dishwashing of hawker centres. Some hawkers however are reluctant to adopt the centralised dishwashing method because of the additional cost and the need to replace all their existing plates and cutleries with the standard ones. Would NEA consider some incentives to help all these hawker centres to adopt a better way of dishwashing, so as to solve all these problems that have been mentioned?
Next, annually, Singapore produces almost approximately 700,000 tonnes of food wastage. Despite efforts to increase the awareness of recycling food waste, the rate of food waste recycling in Singapore still remains at about 12%. More can be done to increase the level of food waste recycling in Singapore. I would like to know whether NEA will implement more measures and explore more ways to recycle food waste in Singapore. In Mandarin, Sir.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, up till now, there are still many elderly hawkers who have no clue to the future plans and management policies for the new hawker centres. They told me that before it was the Government who sang, \"will you still love me tomorrow\"; now it is their turn to sing to NEA, \"will you still love me tomorrow\".
The hawkers want to know whether there is light at the end of the tunnel. The Government must ensure that these elderly hawkers would still have a bright future. More importantly, many people who are interested to become a hawker would like to know whether there are enough opportunities for them to share the new sunshine.
The Chairman: Ms Sylvia Lim, you can take your two cuts.
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Sir, table-top cleaning. Patrons at hawker centres sometimes face tables uncleared for long periods. Some table-top cleaning contractors are not able to clear tables efficiently, leaving patrons frustrated and presenting public health issues.
For hawker centres in HDB estates, NEA leaves it to the Hawkers Associations to appoint and manage these table-cleaning contractors. As
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indicated in this House previously, this is not ideal as the Hawkers Association may not be able to manage the contractors. They also do not have economies of scale, especially if they do not enjoy the support of all hawkers, who may not join the contract arrangements made by the Associations. On the other hand, NEA manages table-top cleaning at 25 Ministry-owned hawker centres and has wide economies of scale and enforcement powers.
The Ministry had previously indicated in Parliament that it would look into table-top cleaning in hawker centres at HDB estates. As the problem persists today, how will NEA improve the situation?
Next, cleaning of private estates. Sir, I have received regular feedback from residents of private estates in my division that they are dissatisfied with the cleaning of the roads in their estates by NEA cleaning contractors. They say that, often times, leaves and other debris on the roads are not properly removed, especially at the side of the kerb of cul-de-sac and narrower roads where parking is allowed either on one side or both sides of the road. I hasten to add that the residents by and large do not blame the workers, but believe that the inability to be effective is due to the constraints of the physical infrastructure and cleaning methods used.
I understand that since around 2009, NEA cleaning contractors utilise mechanised roadsweepers to clean the roads in private estates, with the relative absence of manual sweepers. However, in narrower roads with roadside parking, the service vehicles may not be able to clean effectively and may not even be able to pass through the roads safely. Trucks sometimes have to stop at the beginning of a road and require their staff to run down the road to collect trash bins to empty them onto the trucks.
One long-term solution to the problem would be for MEWR to work with LTA and MND to redesign roads and kerbs in upgrading works. The kerbs could be level with the road or at a gentler gradient, for parking bays to be inset in the verge; this will allow more freedom of passage for moving service vehicles. Other options include using smaller cleaning vehicles or deploying sweepers on mini mobile vehicles to aid in the manual sweeping, subject to cost considerations. I urge the Ministry to review the situation.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Sir, for the past few years, I have lamented about the unsatisfactory level of cleanliness within the private estates
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in Mountbatten. Last month, I made a house visit to the Tanjong Katong area and I have received feedback from residents that they do not see cleaners regularly clearing the litters at their drains or the common areas. Bottles, empty drink packets, plastic bags and even cat food were left uncleared for weeks. Just walk along any public drains and you will be able to see litter along the drains which have not been cleared. Sir, this is not acceptable. In fact, my residents asked me to come regularly so that I can witness for myself the debris that is on the roads.
Just last month, we debated in Parliament on the need for cleaning companies to implement a progressive wage plan to pay their cleaners fair wages for their work. However, even as the cleaning companies pay their workers more, surely we expect the cleaning companies not to cut back on the number of cleaners. They must do more to keep the estates clean and to do so regularly.
May I ask the Minister what plans the Government has to ensure that cleaning companies are more diligent in cleaning the private estates? Although the Government is already arranging accredited cleaning companies, how does the Department of Public Cleanliness monitor the performance of these accredited cleaning companies? Will there be any penalties imposed if the cleaning companies are found to have neglected their duties? How else can they motivate the cleaners to take pride in their work and to ensure that the area for which they are responsible, remain clean and free of litter?
We may debate and argue in Parliament for more cleaning work to be done in the constituency. However, all the time which we spend here will be futile unless the residents can see improvements in their living environment. I also urge NEA to carry out more enforcement against litterbugs because that is the cause of the litter problem in the first place.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Chairman, last month, during the debate on the Environmental Public Health (Amendment) Bill, the Minister shared with this House that between 2010 and 2013, the number of complaints received for littering had increased by almost 50%. This is a staggering increase, and in fact a very disappointing trend. Singapore has long had a reputation for being a clean and green city and yet, maintaining public cleanliness is becoming more difficult, despite measures over the decades to motivate and enable
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residents to keep our environment clean and penalise those who do not.
I face similar problems in my constituency too. I agree with the Minister that we are more of a \"cleaned\" rather than \"clean\" city. Would the Minister share with us what progress has been made in the Ministry's efforts to get more people to keep our environment clean? May I also ask if the Ministry has data or statistics of the offenders such as their gender, level of education, income and nationality? I am sure with detailed information, we can formulate more targeted measures to address this problem at its roots.
May I also suggest that we take a leaf from schools in Japan and Taiwan where students have to clean their schools as part of their routine? Not only will they learn life skills, it will also ingrain in them the importance and challenges of taking care of one's environment. I understand that Marsiling Primary School will be doing this. The school's effort is highly commendable and timely as we strive towards building citizens of good character and values. If all schools practise this, we will nurture a whole new generation of civic-minded Singaporeans who respect the environment and the work of cleaners.
I would also like to ask how surveillance can be stepped up to deter the minority who persist in littering, particularly the killer litter, vandalising and other ways of dirtying and polluting the environment. What plans does the Ministry have to strengthen enforcement and penalties?
Mr Yeo Guat Kwang: Mr Chairman, Sir, the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act 1970 has now been extended to cover all indoor places and some common areas where public are likely to congregate. The Act has largely been successful in curbing smoking in the indoor premises, where it is required by law for managers of these premises to enforce the smoking prohibition rules. Enforcing the Act in the common area, however, still remains as a challenge.
I would like to ask if NEA has plans to step up their enforcement to ensure that our common space remains healthy and free from the harmful effect of second-hand smoke. What is the long-term direction of the Ministry to further protect people from harmful effect of second-hand smoke? Would the Minister limit smoking in only designated smoking areas or zones?
During my house visit, quite a number of residents gave feedback that their neighbours smoke at the window near the kitchen. What is worse is that these
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neighbours would sometimes just dispose off their cigarette butts by throwing them out of the window and these butts have left burnt marks on the residents' laundry. I would like to know whether the Ministry will look into setting a channel to allow residents to seek redress against such un-neighbourliness behaviours.
The Senior Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office (Mr Heng Chee How): Chairman, Sir, the Minister has just heard from many Members' reports and feedback on so many problems. For a change, I bring in something beautiful.
According to information on the website, over the years, Singapore has gradually developed a pervasive network of some 8,000 km of waterways and 17 reservoirs for our water supply; and to realise the full potential of this infrastructure, the PUB has launched the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme back in 2006.
By integrating the infrastructures like drains, canals and reservoirs with the surrounding environment, this programme creates not only clean and beautiful streams, rivers and spaces, but also more importantly allow the public access into these areas, and they can make use of them for recreation and improve on the quality of life.
I fully support this very meaningful programme. I would like to ask MEWR for an update on the status and progress of this programme, and also on how many more projects are slated to be implemented in this coming financial year under the programme. As Whampoa also has a stretch of river, I have also been asking it to be included under the programme. May I also ask whether we can be included this year?
The Chairman: Miss Penny Low, you can take your two cuts together.
Miss Penny Low (Pasir Ris-Punggol): I am afraid my cut will bring us back to alert and caution. Last year, when the air in Singapore got hazy, we got dizzy – dizzy with heated debates, health scares, buying frenzy and profiteering. When the dust settled, we learnt that some of this frenzy could have been
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avoided if people received correct information in a more timely manner.
In the 2006 tsunami, a little Scandinavian girl standing on the beach of Phuket noticed the sea swelling. She remembered what her teacher taught her about the tsunami. Using that knowledge, she saved her family. In the Tohoku tsunami, the Japanese calm and resilience shone through, mutual help and self help got victims back on their feet again. They were taught disaster protocols since young.
Climatic wild cards like droughts and floods are all clear and present dangers closer to home than ever before. Instead of waiting for disaster to strike and cause chaos, we should learn emergency preparedness specific to the various situations, so that we can \"keep calm and carry on\".
What the public fear most is uncertainty. What the public need most is assurance – which can come in the form of knowledge, habits and emergency protocols. Does the Ministry's workplan include public readiness? I searched the website but to no avail. How does the Minister intend to ready the nation on the social front?
On to my next cut on Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB), the Ministry is embarking on a review of the SSB. Can the Minister give a status update of SSB 2009, especially on the fourth thrust on fostering community action? Sir, do we really know what it takes to mobilise the community to support our SSB goals? Perhaps we need insights into human behaviour.
Canada realised that urban cycling could help address the first and last mile problem of urban transport modes. In 2011, McGill University studied how personal factors affect cycling decisions, and how space affects route choices. The results were then incorporated into infrastructure planning, resulting in less traffic jams and definitely a greener earth.
In Singapore, we can invest into social big data to better understand our people, so we could develop appropriate social infrastructure and movements. And, in fact, there have been some of these in the sharing economy and urban farming that are being started by individuals, community groups as well as the private sector. Could we study more of this to try to incentivise more individuals
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and companies to take personal responsibility in shaping a more sustainable future?
Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang): Mr Chairman, the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint was announced in 2009 to make Singapore a city which is durable, lively and well-loved by its citizens and visitors.
A four-pronged strategy namely: one, boosting our resource efficiency; two, enhancing our urban environment; three, building our capabilities; and four, fostering community action, were put forward, setting targets for each thrust.
Sir, five years have passed and I wish to ask the Minister to update the House on the achievements made so far and whether the Ministry will review the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint in view of the rising aspirations of Singaporeans and the changing landscape of our economy and climate conditions.
Sir, what are the desired outcomes of sustainable development in Singapore? In my view, we must aim for three desired outcomes.
One, a green living environment where Singaporeans can live, work and play together; two, a green business operating environment where businesses practise sustainable practices; and three, a green lifestyle amongst Singaporeans and visitors in Singapore.
Green living environment. Sir, the scarcity of land and an increasing population has made it challenging to continue providing a green living environment. The high-rise and high density built environment will have adverse impact on the quality of spaces, air and water thus affecting the liveability of our environment.
Sir, how can we facilitate the greening of our built environment? First, we should expedite the accreditation of Greenmark for all existing buildings. Many old buildings are not eco-friendly and thus consume lots of energy and resources. Unfortunately, many building owners do not have any sense of urgency or incentives to upgrade their buildings. As a result, these old buildings are not resource-efficient and contribute to the carbon emissions in our built environment.
Sir, I would urge the Government to incentivise existing building owners to upgrade or redevelop their buildings. Alternatively, the Government should
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consider imposing pollution tax or inefficient resource consumption levy on these buildings.
Green business practices. Sir, as business activities contribute much to the overall consumption of resources and the pollution of the environment, we should promote green business practices. More support should be given to businesses to adopt the 3Rs, that is, reduce, reuse and recycle sustainable practices. Resource efficient technologies should be encouraged to help companies save resources. More sharing of sustainable business practices should be facilitated to promote green practices amongst businesses. I would urge the Ministry to set up a website to share green business practices.
Green lifestyle. Sir, adopting green living habits amongst Singaporeans will contribute towards attaining the sustainable development targets in Singapore. Singaporeans can play a more active role to practise the 3Rs in our daily lives. Despite much effort, the recycling rate in domestic premises is low. The recent introduction of integrated recycling bin for every HDB block is another attempt by NEA to encourage recycling. But the yield of such recycling will be low due to high contamination. We need a better approach to segregate the recyclables.
Sir, more concerted efforts are required to nurture green values amongst our people especially young Singaporeans. Schools and education institutions must play a more active role to educate our students to lead a green lifestyle. Every school and community should be a training centre to teach all Singaporeans to adopt green living habits.
In this regard, I would propose to the Ministry to implement a sustainable green education programme in schools and community.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply Reporting Progress","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): May I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?
The Chairman: I give my consent.
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow.\" – [Dr Vivian Balakrishnan]. (proc text)]
\tPage: 178
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Deputy Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2014/2015, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.
Mr Deputy Speaker: So be it.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adjournment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\" – [Dr Ng Eng Hen]. (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 7.22 pm.
\tPage: 179
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ten-year Validity for Passports of Singaporeans Aged Above 65","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mrs Lina Chiam asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry will consider allowing the passports of Singaporeans aged above 65 to have a 10-year expiry date.
Mr Teo Chee Hean: Since 1 April 2005, all new Singapore passports are issued with a validity period of five years, instead of the previous 10-year validity period. The shorter five-year validity period enables the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to incorporate changes to security technology and features in a timely manner. This ensures the security and integrity of the Singapore passport and makes it robust and less susceptible to forgery and tampering. The passport validity period applies to all Singapore passport holders, regardless of the individual’s age. We are not considering making a differentiation based on age at this point in time.
\tPage: 180
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