WOMEN'S CHARTER (AMENDMENT) BILL

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Debate resumed.

Dr S. Vasoo (Tanjong Pagar GRC): Mr Speaker, Sir, in our cultural context, women and children who are vulnerable need to be protected. If they are abused by men, I am sure my Parliamentary colleagues will agree with me that we need to protect them all the more. The amendments to the Women's Charter set the right direction in dealing with the problems arising out of matrimonial issues, maintenance, domestic violence and appropriation of matrimonial assets. I support the amendments to the Women's Charter.

There are a few useful areas which the amendments have taken care of. First, women who have protracted difficulties, particularly those who have difficulty in ensuring that they are being maintained, now under these amendments, are being supported. I think it is in the right direction because many of the women and children are vulnerable. They are left with a financial burden and the amendment on this maintenance issue provides support for them and ameliorates them from becoming destitute and leaving the burden to the State to provide support for them. All the more, the responsibility is on the husband who has neglected and abused them to maintain his wife and children who, more often than not, are unprotected.

Second, the usefulness of these amendments is that the mother and children who are affected by domestic violence are now being protected. This has been a growing problem in our community and there are many women and children who remain in silent pain who need to be protected. They will be relieved from being abused by their husbands. These amendments set the right direction to provide adequate protection for them.

Third, I see that the usefulness of these amendments is that voluntary organisations will be given more support. They will be more effective in monitoring and providing services and in dealing with families that have matrimonial problems and difficulties. So the Bill strengthens their capacity to deliver and administer programmes in counselling and guidance to deal particularly with men who abuse their wives and children.

There are two areas of concern that I have relating to the Amendment Bill, ie, the question of time lag to obtain protection order and the enforcement of protection order. The wife and children are, as you know, helpless when they are subjected to domestic violence by the husband. They have to be protected quickly because their limbs and lives are endangered. There is a need to narrow the time lag in obtaining a protection order. When a protection order is issued, it is most important to ensure that it is enforced quickly. Because of the bureaucratic rulings and applications, there may be delay. I feel that the Bill does not address this issue. There is a need for quicker action to deal with the problems of domestic violence. It is a matter which is urgent and where there is much abuse. When it is known and quickly reported, swift adequate protection should be given to the mother and children who are being abused violently.

The last concern that I have is the legal cost. The changes and amendments to the Bill are good. They help to provide protection for the mother and children who require help and support. But it is the concern on the legal cost that these mothers, particularly those in the lower income group, have to bear. The legal aid support may be inaccessible because of the tight income ceiling eligibility set to qualify for legal aid. Although we may have a good Bill which provides protection, many of these cases may require legal support which they face difficulty. I would like the Minister to see how we could provide easier legal support and services to this group who may otherwise not be able to put their case forward and for their problems to be dealt with. These are some of the critical issues that need to be addressed.

From my assessment and reading of the amendments, we have made the essential amendments to provide further protection for mothers and children who are neglected and abused and who are to a great extent traumatized. Many issues relating to family problems cannot be dealt with by law alone. Even with these amendments, it does not guarantee the protection for mothers and children. What I see as most important is to be able to initiate more public education programmes for our younger generation in order to prepare them to be effective parents who would be caring and supportive of their family. If we can do that, then I do not think we would require further changes in our legislation to deal with such problems arising out of matrimonial difficulties.