NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BOARD BILL

Debate resumed.

Dr Wang Kai Yuen: Mr Speaker, Sir, with restructured hospitals and independent schools, the Government is introducing free market practices in health care and education. We also know that this Government is also very tight-fisted when it comes to funding social and welfare programmes. This is the right approach since the Government makes sure that every dollar of the taxpayers' money should be properly spent.

However, we should ask ourselves whether the same pragmatic approach is being used in funding R&D. If getting $10,000 for worthy social programmes is difficult and getting a million dollars for some high-brow R&D with dubious outcome is relatively easy, there is probably a lack of equity in fiscal control and management. It is our duty to ensure that all taxpayers' money spent receives a reasonable value for money. I hope that under the leadership of the NSTB, the Government R&D programmes in science and technology will pass this litmus test.

Sir, I support the Bill.

Mr Chiam See Tong: I just want to ask the Minister a small point. What are the areas of R&D in which the Government funds have gone into?

Mr Chng Hee Kok: Sir, I welcome the setting up of the National Science and Technology Board.

The pace of technological change in the world has been nothing short of breathtaking in the last few years. These changes take place in such quick succession that a person often finds, at the point of coming to grips with a new technology, that his newly acquired knowledge is already on the way to being obsolete, or yesterday's technology. A National Science and Technology Board is hence timely for Singapore. I shall focus my comments on the composition or the kind of talent we must recruit to sit on this Board.

Just to appreciate technological change requires more than common ability, to apply and manage it, even more. The nature of technological changes suggests that the technological age favours the young and agile in mind. If you are over 30 years old, you may already be considered over the hill, in some cases.

The people who will comprise the Board should therefore be uncommon people with a certain technological flair and youthful zest. They should be people who can appreciate and keep up with the speed of technological change, which threatens to be even quicker with each passing phase.

As a small country with limited resources, our success depends on our ability to spot and catch the next wind so that we can focus our resources. With limited resources and a small base, we cannot spread ourselves too thin. By spreading ourselves too thin we encounter some of the problems already mentioned by Dr Wang Kai Yuen. I support him when he says that we have to narrow down some of the areas of research and we must try to do well in those areas which we specialise in. To do so, we must have people, managers and leaders who are able to pick winners. The people selected to sit on the proposed National Science and Technology Board will be among our technology leaders. They must be uncommon people, fresh and dynamic enough not only to appreciate modern technology and keep pace with it, but also be able to manage such change and spot winners in our midst so as to advance our own drive for technological parity and perhaps advancement.

Therefore, I urge the Minister, that apart from looking for Board members in the traditional areas, the Board should enlist the services of younger people, especially those engaged in technology related businesses. If I may add, Sir, just appointing people who are constricted by long years of regimented thinking will not do in this business. There should be a mix of some who may be the gadflies of industry who understand the technology business better and hence better able to serve on this new Board. 4.05 pm

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Abdullah Tarmugi) in the Chair]

Dr John Chen Seow Phun (Hong Kah GRC): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to join in the debate.

Sir, I welcome the setting up of the National Science and Technology Board to ensure that research and redevelopment in science and technology will be exploited to the fullest for our economic well-being.

Sir, in March, during the debate in the Committee of Supply, I emphasised the importance of ensuring success of our R&D institutes because of the huge sum of money involved in setting up and running an institute, and because of the potential benefits it can bring to our economic development. I spoke of the need for a central body to assess the feasibility of setting up a new institute to provide direction to existing institutes, evaluate their progress and ensure proper accountability.

Sir, I would like the Minister to explain whether he envisages the NSTB taking on the responsibilities which I have just described under one of its functions stated in clause 5(b) of this Bill which is to coordinate the establishment and development of research institutes. It appears to me that existing R&D institutes and even new institutes set up under other Ministries or statutory boards can continue their activities with funds obtained directly from the Finance Ministry and they do not have to resort to funds from the NSTB. Under these circumstances, will these institutes be answerable to NSTB, and will the Minister then explain how NSTB can effect changes to bring about good management, clear direction and complementary R&D activities in these institutes.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank all Members who have spoken and who have supported this Bill. I would like to take a few minutes to respond to some of their queries.

First of all, may I take Mr Chiam's query regarding where the Government's R&D funds have gone into. I do not have all the details but I can explain to the Member in general the two areas of funding for R&D which are supported by the Government. First of all, there would be the grants given to the various R&D institutes, such as the IMCB, which will be used to run these institutes. The second area of funding, will be in grants for research and development schemes, such as the Research and Development Assistance Scheme for private sector R&D effort. These were originally run by the Science Council but, as I indicated in my speech, it is going to be taken over by the NSTB. These are the two broad areas of funding.

I turn to the points made by Dr Wang Kai Yuen. I think the question of Government curtailing R&D activities in times of shortage of R&D manpower has to be addressed the other way round. Rather than curtailing these activities, what we should be looking at are: (a) to see how we can coordinate all the various activities so that we can make the best use of the available manpower; (b) to see how best we can attract further R&D talent into Singapore. This is where initiatives like the Science Habitat and the fundings for the various R&D institutes come into play. The point is taken that in a situation where there is a shortage of R&D manpower, there will be tremendous pressure and tightness in the labour market, thereby pushing up cost. But I think we should address the issue from the other way round, looking at increasing the supply of R&D manpower in Singapore.

The second point he has made is about the fundamental philosophies of R&D, whether we should continue to follow the American model or whether we should take a closer look at the Japanese model. I would like to assure the Member that these are very important issues to be discussed when the NSTB takes on the function of formulating the long-term R&D master plan for Singapore. I think there were many other points that he has made which are very relevant and I will encourage the NSTB to take a closer look at these points and to consult the hon. Member so that we can pick his brains.

The fundamental point that he has made, that taxpayers' money should be well spent on R&D and that we should be getting value for money, I could not agree more with. That will remain the cornerstone of R&D expenditure for Singapore.

Mr Chng Hee Kok has urged that when we look at the Board members we should be enlisting the services of people who understand technology. I can assure the Member that when we appoint Board members, not only for NSTB, but for all statutory boards, we look for people who can contribute positively and significantly to the job at hand. In the case of NSTB, in the first place, we will cer- tainly be including representation from both the public and private sectors. In the case of the private sector representatives, we will certainly be casting our net as wide as we can to get the right people with the right temperament and expertise who can make significant contributions to the Board. So I take his point that when we are looking at people we will be looking at their expertise in this particular area.

Last but not least, Dr John Chen has asked where the various research institutes are going to get their funds from after the formation of the NSTB. Will they continue to get their funds from the Finance Ministry and the other Ministries or other organisations that they report to? I am pleased to inform him that after its formation, NSTB will take over all the funds which are currently being handled by the various organisations. This is in fact one of the reasons why we have set up the National Science and Technology Board, to coordinate the activities of the various research institutes which currently, as he is aware, are answerable to different organisations, different Ministries and so on. So henceforth, NSTB will take over all the funds responsible for funding the public sector expenditures which are used to run these institutes.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Mah Bow Tan].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.