STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE:

The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Mah Bow Tan): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

"That the Standing Orders Committee appointed under paragraph 4(a) of Standing Order 96 do consider and report on such amendments to the Standing Orders of Parliament which the Committee may deem necessary."

Sir, it is normal practice for the House to review and amend the Standing Orders from time to time to make sure that the business of the House is transacted as efficiently as possible. Members may wish to take this opportunity to submit their proposals on the amendments of the Standing Order to this Committee for its consideration.

As the Standing Orders Committee would be meeting soon, Members are urged to submit their proposals to the Committee by 9th September 2004, ie, a week's time.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved.

"That the Standing Orders Committee appointed under paragraph 4(a) of Standing Order 96 do consider and report on such amendments to the Standing Orders of Parliament which the Committee may deem necessary."

CONTRIBUTIONS BY SENIOR MINISTER GOH CHOK TONG:

Mr Seng Han Thong (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,"That this House expresses its gratitude to Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong for his contributions and services to the nation during his tenure as Prime Minister."

**** ( In Mandarin ): Mr Speaker, Sir, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has been in politics for 28 years, and he was our Prime Minister for the last 14 years. His contribution to the nation and the assessment of the people of him can be summarised in the couplet appearing on the special feature on SM Goh published by the Shin Min Daily News. The couplet used the two Chinese characters "Chok" and "Tong" in his name as the opening. The couplet says:

作风清和， 民众爱戴

栋梁屹立， 国家隆昌

Meaning，"Gentle and amiable in style; Well-loved and respected by the people; Pillar of the Nation; Prosperity to the country."

I would like to give two examples to illustrate SM Goh’s gentle and amiable style and how he was loved and respected by the people.

Since 1996, NTUC has been awarding 100 model workers each year for their hard work. Over the years, workers who received the award from the hands of SM Goh Chok Tong included cleaners, bus drivers, taxi drivers, construction workers, shipyard workers, port workers, hospital workers, and daily-rated workers from various industries.

This Model Worker Award was SM Goh’s idea. In the Prize Giving Ceremony in 1996, he said, "We have national awards like the Public Service Medals for those who serve society. The private sector also recognises the outstanding businessmen and entrepreneurs with its own awards. But ordinary workers are often overlooked. It may be because their individual contributions are not big enough. Or it may be because, like bolts and nuts, they are often not noticed."

Pointing to the 100 bus drivers, taxi drivers and MRT workers present at the ceremony, he said, "Without them, the economy cannot function. Without them, our seaport and airport, our telephones and factories will not work. Without them, the public transport system will grind to a halt." These were words from the bottom of his heart. He meant what he said.

These low-income workers often thought that they were "useless". Having heard the encouraging words from the then Prime Minister, particularly when they saw their colleagues posing for photographs to be taken with the VVIP, and then they had the opportunity to go overseas for study tours, they feltthat they were not so "useless" but probably be "of some use" after all. When they came back from their overseas tour, they began to feel that they were "quite useful".

Giving a shot in the arm for the low-income workers, converting their "useless" mentality to "some use" mentality and then to "quite useful", is still relevant in today’s context. At present, we still have some older workers who feel that they are "useless", unable to find jobs. We must encourage them to go for training, and become useful workers.

In fact, some model workers had the opportunity to take a flight overseas for the first time in their life only after they had won the prize. Prior to that, the only way to go out of the country was to take a bus to Malaysia. Many workers were so proud to have shaken the hand of the Prime Minister that they told me they would not wash their hands.

Over the years, SM Goh has adopted a gentle and amiable style, winning the trust of the workers and the support of the union leaders. That is why the Government was able to implement CPF and wage reform during the past two years when we faced economic recession, in order to enhance the competitiveness of Singapore, thereby creating more job opportunities for our workers.

Let me give another example to show how the people loved and respected SM Goh. SM Goh told the media that, on the average, he would visit his mother once every two weeks. As his mother lived with his younger brother and sister, they would have the chance to have a family gathering whenever he made the visit. They would also have family gatherings during the Chinese New Year and on special occasions.

As the Prime Minister, he was so busy with all the national affairs, yet he would make special efforts to visit his mother every fortnightly, and had gatherings with his siblings. In the eyes of the residents, the filial piety exhibited by the Prime Minister was a kind of subtle education, withimperceptible influence on the ordinary citizens.

When he came to the HDB estate to visit his mother, some children who saw him coming would ask their parents, "Why is the Prime Minister coming here?" The parents would say, "He came to visit his mother." This is a living example of filial piety for the children to emulate.

The residents told me that whenever the Prime Minister came to visit his mother, he would greet them cordially. As a matter of fact, the Prime Minister who once lived in a HDB flat, was also the one who initiated the upgrading programme for the HDB estates. The Lift Upgrading Programme is mostwelcomed by the people, particularly the old folks. Theyare now very happy that they can now visit their children and friends even when they are staying in the top floors. Such convenience extended to the residents in general, and the old folks in particular, is also an expression of his care and concern for the people.

Now, let me talk about "Pillar of the nation and prosperity to the country".

SM Goh stands at 6’3" tall. He is certainly tall and big. When he first stepped into politics, due to his height and stature, he was immediately deemed to be arrogant. Some people thought that he was so tall and aloof that he appeared to be very arrogant. However, over the years, his amiable manner and pro-people image have completely changed the people’s impression of him, especially when they saw SM Goh standing tall among all the VVIPs attending the international forums such as APEC, ASEM, World Economic Forum, and consolidating Singapore’s ties with the various countries. They are very proud of him and deemed him to be the pillar of our nation.

In the past, people used to say that there is no diplomacy in the small nation. When MM Lee Kuan Yew was the Prime Minister, we made many friends and broke through this traditional belief. As a result, we became a small nation with a big diplomacy. SM Goh further expanded the diplomatic network and turned it into an economic network,so that our economic development will not be stifled just because of sudden changes in a certain region or country. This is indeed a pillar standing majestically.

In the past decade, we went through a financial crisis, avoided terrorist attacks, and conquered SARS. Now, our economy is beginning to recover, and SM Goh can go according to his original plans to pass the baton to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. This is prosperity for the country.

SM Goh joined politics at a young age of 35. He is now 63. We notice that his dark, black hair has turned to silver and grey. His black spectacles have also turned to silver. His contributions to the nation, society and the people are here for all to see.

On behalf of the workers and the ordinary citizens, I would like to say a big "thank you" to SM Goh and to convey our most sincere greetings to him.

Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, "We wish you good health, with ahearty look, and continue to make contributions to Singapore."

Dr Wang Kai Yuen (Bukit Timah): Mr Speaker, Sir, the desire of the fellow Members of Parliament to find the earlist opportunity in this House to express our thanks to Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong is unanimous. In fact, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, who is overseas on Parliament business, has asked me specificially to mention that he shares the sentiment and the feelings of Singapore on this occasion to thank Senior Minister Goh for his tremendous contributions as Prime Minister. I am sure Dr Tan would have much to say if hewas present in the House, given that he is a contemporary of the Senior Minister since secondary school and has served in Parliament together with Mr Goh since December 1980.

Further, the four of us have put our names down so that the motion could be moved in the four official languages to affirm the fact that as representatives of Singaporeans we speak with one voice on this motion.

Mr Speaker, Sir, when asked what they think of Senior Minister Goh, the responses from the people from all walks of life are consistent. Let me give two examples.

Mr Pang Kim Hin, former PAP candidate for Anson, characterised Mr Goh as a "people person". To him, Mr Goh is firm but, at the same time, open to others' human failings. Mr Goh is approachable, someone to whom you could pour out your problems and would get a sympathetic ear and not got clobbered in the process. With Mr Goh, one feels comfortable and accepted. In contrast, according to Mr Pang, his predecessor, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, is a no-nonsense person.Sir, this change in the leadership style is more in tune with the time. Mr Goh brings out the best in you because you want to, and not because you have to.

Another young lady told me that at theSeventh month festival last Sundayshe believed that Mr Goh has a passion for Singapore as he put his heart and soul into the job as Prime Minister.

Sir, I believe the image that will stay onpeople's mind when one thinks of Mr Goh would be the smiling Prime Minister, waving with his right arm raised, as he walked towards the lectern on National Day Rallies. It is an image that projects the persona of Mr Goh well: approachable, compassionate, caring and warm.

Sir, Mr Goh has immense capacity to listen to differing views without taking personal offence. As such, he encourages open and frank discussions. I still remember the MP caucus meeting where the topic was "The Next Lap: the Swiss 1984 standard of living by 1999". It was during the time when Coca Cola introduced the new Coke which, if you remember, failed miserably in the market place. At the meeting, I had the audacity to describe that slogan as a glass of cola which had lost its sizzle. The fact that Mr Goh did not take offence exemplified the Chinese saying"宰相 肚 里 能 撑 船 ( Zaixiang du li neng cheng chuan )" , which could be roughly translated to mean that "the Prime Minister has immense tolerance for criticism".

Indeed, Sir, Mr Goh, as a person, can be described as what you see is what you get. Those of us who have the privilege to work with Mr Goh know this. As a person, Mr Goh retains his roots after 14 years as Prime Minister. I gained an insight of the person when the topic of Singaporeans' consumption of personal hygiene products was discussed at one of the MPs' Tuesday lunches. Mr Goh disclosed that he still used a bar of soap for washing and bathing - not hand soap, not some of those fancy bath foams, when the sale of such products exceeded the sale of bar soap. Not only that, he continues to use the cake of soap until it is minuscule, a frugal habit he acquired as a child.

Sir, from such little things, one gets a true measure of the man. Indeed, he is a Prime Minister Singaporeans can readily identify with.

By his own account, Senior Minister Goh was a reluctant politician who gave up a successful career in the corporate world to become an MP. When his peers chose him to be Prime Minister, he was not the first choice of the then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. I believe we still remember Mr Goh being described by Mr Lee Kuan Yew as being 'wooden' in his delivery of speeches. Thus, at times, one was not sure whether Mr Goh enjoyed the blessing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who remained as Secretary-General of PAP for a period after stepping down as Prime Minister.

Sir, Mr Goh wore his own shoes. At ease with himself despite the constant comparison with Mr Lee Kuan Yew, he was able to leverage on his personal attributes which turned out to be his strengths. And in so doing, he changed the whole tone of the Government after he became Prime Minister. Mr Goh succeeded in bringing Singaporeans from all walks of life, from all ethnic groups, closer together. More than all his achievements, Mr Goh leaves behind the legacy of openness which laid the foundation of a more dynamic and vibrant Singapore.

Sir, this tendency of Mr Goh, not seeking the limelight on his own but elected by his peers as their leader, was already manifested in his senior years in secondary school. This story was told to me by Mr Lim Jit Poh, a career civil servant turned well-known corporate figure. Mr Lim was a classmate of Mr Goh in Raffles Institution, back in 1958, close to 46 years ago, when Mr Goh and Mr Lim were in Form 5. At that time, education in RI was a six-year affair, from Form 2 to Form 6, or the equivalent of Secondary 1 to JC 2 in today's nomenclature. Sir, an interesting event occurred which, in retrospect, appears to be oracular.

In those days, Form 6 students typically provided the leadership for school societies. Mr Lim and his fellow students in Form 5, however, were a rebellious lot. They felt that they were equally good, if not better than some of theForm 6 students. In one society, the Historical Society, this group of friends fielded their Form 5 candidates and organised to get their candidates elected. This they could do readily as there were five classes in Form 5 whereas there was only one Arts stream in Form 6. Thus, the number was in their favour. What was different was that these rebels did not study history as a subject because, in those days, History was not offered and most of the better students were studying Science. Imagine a group of Form 5 students putting up young Mr Goh as a candidate, albeit a reluctant candidate, overthrew the sixth formers in the election of office bearers for the Historical Society. Sir, coincidentally, Prof. Jayakumar, DPM, a sixth former at that time, was a casualty of Mr Goh's popularity.

Upon assuming office, young Mr Goh proceeded to organise two speaking sessions on democracy. Sir, that was the era of self-government under the Rendel Constitution. The Society invited the then Chief Minister, Mr David Marshall, as well as the fiery Secretary-General of the Opposition party, the PAP, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, to speak to the students. The sessions were packed. Thus, according to Mr Lim, he was not surprised when Mr Goh was chosen by his peers to lead Singapore as Prime Minister. Despite his affability, or rather because of it, Mr Goh would emerge as the natural leader once he wins over your confidence.

Sir, even though Mr Goh did not seek the job of Prime Minister, once he assumed the responsibility, he devoted his heart and soul to it. The future of Singapore and the welfare of Singaporeans, especially Singaporeans from the lower income groups, became his foremost concerns. He governed with his head but ruled with his heart.

Senior Minister Goh's achievements as Prime Minister are numerous, and have been well documented by the newspapers during the run-up period to 12th August 2004. I do not intend to cover the same ground but, nonetheless, some mention would be appropriate.

In his 2004 National Day speech earlier this month, Mr Goh spoke of seven bountiful years and seven lean years during his tenure. In good times, he shared the wealth, opened up our political space and put in new organisations to unify us. Inbad times, he was generous to the needy, attentive to the unemployed, and worked tirelessly to help Singapore build up economic ties with other nations.

Sir, the first seven years produced bountiful harvests. In 1990, the per capita GDP was $27,950. By 1997, this had increased to $37,351. The average annual GDP growth during those years was 8.8%. Our average household income grew from $2,300 in 1990 to $3,600 in year 2000.

Between 1990 and 1995, purchasing power rose an average of 4.9%. The mid-1990s marked the high point of Singapore's consumer spending. The changing lifestyles of Singaporeans created an upbeat, hopeful and vibrant feel across the island.

Sir, all this was in line with the Government's Vision of 1999. In 1996, Mr Goh, in his usual homespun humour, pointed out the way lifestyles of Singaporeans were changing. In his National Day Rally Speech, he noted that people were turning to strawberries instead of pineapples, and observed that even NTUC FairPrice now sells sushi. But Mr Goh knew that at a time of plenty, there would still be those who need help within the community. Way back before any of his wealth-sharing policy was implemented, Mr Goh shared with the MPs his concerns on the trend of widening income gap between the higher-income groups and the lower-income groups in Singapore. It was at a time when the forces of globalisation wreaking changes were still not obvious to many people. At one lunch with myself and two other MPs, he talked about his concept of "negative income tax" as a way of income distribution to bridge the widening income gap. I believe this was the genesis of the various wealth sharing schemes such as Edusave, the various rebates and top-up schemes as well as the ESS shares. Of course, these goodies are popular. But I do not think this was what made him popular. What did was his concern for the lower income and the less fortunate ones amongst us.

Mr Goh knows that the best way to help them was not to rely on a faceless bureaucracy but on the grassroots leaders and self-help groups, and to give resources to volunteer organisations and empower local interest groups. Thus, in 1997, the Community Development Councils were set up. At the swearing-in ceremony of the first batch of Mayors, Mr Goh said, "The establishment of the CDCs is part of the process to build a tightly-knit, compassionate and self-reliant society." As a result, today, we have more young professionals participating in a new kind of volunteer community work with the CDCs.

Sir, the next seven years from 1998 to 2004 were lean years. First, South-East Asia was struck by the Asian financial crisis in 1998. Then followed September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, and the economic recession aggravated by SARS.

To help the lower-income groups, as soon as the budget permitted it, Mr Goh announced in his 2000 National Day Rally that there would be a CPF top-up of between $500 and $1,700 to be given to Singaporeans. The first payment would benefit 1.9 million Singaporeans, and the second payment would be given out in early December 2001. By 2001, it was clear that many would miss out on this top-up, as they did not contribute the $100 required to qualify. In his 2001 National Day Rally Speech, one year later, Mr Goh announced that the 187,000 Singaporeans who missed out would be given a second chance. This demonstrated once again his flexibility and his genuine desire to help those who truly needed it.

By then, Sir, Singapore was in the second year of a recession. Factories were relocating and the unemployment ratewas atan all time high. The Economic Downturn Relief Scheme was implemented to assist those who lost their jobs on an urgent basis. This was a concrete, practical and compassionate way of helping Singaporeans.

Mr Speaker, Sir, during this period, Mr Goh also handled well some of the more divisive issues facing Singapore. For instance, the JI terrorist arrests, starting in December 2001 and continuing into September 2002, could have driven a wedge between the various races in Singapore. At that time, the newspapers reported that some Chinese Singaporeans would view any Muslim wearing a beard and a sarong with suspicion. Instead, Mr Goh seized the occasion to build a stronger bond between the races. He met with all the Malay Muslim leaders.

He instituted Inter-racial Confidence Circles in all wards as a new grassroots initiative. Sir, as a result, I believe that relationship between the races is now stronger than ever.

Mr Speaker, Sir, during his tenure as Prime Minister, his popularity increased year by year. He led the PAP from the low electoral popularity of 61% in 1991 to 65% in 1997 to the high of 75.3% in 2001. Still, few would view Mr Goh as the consummate politician. But it is political suicide to underestimate him - as Mr Chee Soon Juan learned painfully in the General Election of 2001. Chee Soon Juanhectored Mr Goh at a campaign walkabout in Jurong GRC, in front of television cameras, for all Singaporeans to see. As a result, the Jurong team polled the highest among the GRCs - 79.8% of votes, and the SDP became a spent force. In fact, in the General Election of 2001, some districts, with new PAP candidates, polled as high as 80%. Sir, Mr Goh has a long coat-tail that carried these new MPs into Parliament.

Sir, he achieved his popularity despite the numerous unpopular measures that had been implemented during his term of Government. For instance, bus fares cotninued to be adjusted from time to time, PUB bills went up, Town Councils' charges increased, medical bills increased as hospitals were corporatised, GST was introduced and later raised during his tenure. Bread and butter issues continued to irk the population. The interesting thing is that people blamed the Government and the civil service. Hardly anyone blamed Mr Goh. To me, that is the feat of a consummate politician. How did he do it? I think it is a difficult question. I do not know the answer, but perhaps I can offer some hints.

For instance, he mooted the idea of the Feedback Unit in 1985. He said:"I would like to encourage greater participation by Singaporeans in shaping the destiny of Singapore." Later, he also said: "Younger Singaporeans want to participate in determining the course of Singapore and we should encourage their participation." Apparently, this 1985 message is still valid as Prime Minister Lee also called for younger Singaporeans to step forward in his recent 2004 National Day Rally Speech.

The role of feedback is also given prominence in policy decision-making by his Government. Mr Goh, in his message to the book, "Building Bridges, the Story of the Feedback Unit" reaffirmed that, and I quote: "To govern effectively, the political leadership and public service must have their ears close to the ground. Feedback helps us to understand the concerns of the people."

Sir, it is clear to all that he implemented his policies with a heart. I remember how the Medifund scheme came about. At a debate in Parliament on the restructuring of Government hospitals, it was pointed out that such changes would impact Singaporeans already past their prime, who no longer had the earning power in the time remaining in their active life to save up for their medical care. The situation was indeed more grave for those who had already retired. To address these concerns, Mr Goh introduced the Medifund Endowment scheme in April 1993 with an initial capital of $200 million as a safety net.

Another example is that of the GST increase from 3% to 5%. When recession hit Singapore badly in 2003, it became an issue whether the Government should go ahead with upping the GST from 3% to 5% in one step or to 4%, followed by another 1% one year later. It is Mr Goh's concern for the lower income that swung the decision in favour of a two-step increase. His policies reflect his genuine concern for the lower income group.

Mr Speaker, Sir, from the feedback I got from the ground, Mr Goh is beloved by all Singaporeans, the old as well as the young, the rich as well as the poor.

Mr Goh has changed the way we live our lives, care for our parents and nurture our children. He has implemented wealth-sharing schemes such as the Edusave and Medifund. Together, they provide a comprehensive and yet reasonable welfare net for Singaporeans to ensure that they have access to good healthcare, even if they fall on hard times. More importantly, the Edusave scheme ensures that every child in Singapore would start from the same starting point in running the next lap.

Ultimately, Sir, the rootedness of Singaporeans is primarily a matter of the heart. In this respect, Mr Goh fundamentally changed the relationship between the Government and the people. Looking ahead to the time when Mr Lee Hsien Loong would take over as Prime Minister, most Singaporeans believed that the days of the gentler Government would be over, as they expected the new Prime Minister would pursue more hard-headed policies based on logic and less on the heart. Contrary to expectation, PM Lee chose to pursue the open approach of Mr Goh. Thus, indeed, the trend towards openness introduced by Mr Goh is entrenched. The legacy of Mr Goh lives on.

Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore has benefited from his steady hand on the helm during the good times and bad. He became Prime Minister at age 49 and stepped down at 64. It is a tribute to the man who has devoted the most productive years of his life in the service of Singapore. I know he will say that he did not do this alone, and that he had a good team. But he was first among his equals, and he had the grace and the wisdom to tap the greatness of every member of his team.

In the depth of recession, Mr Goh, in his 2003 National Day Rally Speech, talked about being in the valley of gloom. He promised to show the nation "the way out of the gloomy valley and up into the sunny highlands". Typically of Mr Goh, he fulfilled his promise. Once achieved, he did not linger to bask in the glory but stepped aside so that a younger team, led by Prime Minister Lee, could take Singapore into the next phase of its development.

Sir, this is the hallmark of a great leader - a selfless leader, a leader that will endure in the hearts of Singaporeans for all time!

After 14 years of Mr Goh's leadership, we have emerged as a more united people. In his National Day Rally Speech of 2002, Mr Goh talked about Singapore thus: "This is home because we built it. Every Singaporean has given a part of himself, big or small, to the country. Singapore is the sum of our dreams, our fears, our sweat. It reflects who we are and what we want to be." These words still resonate with us.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I believe I speak for all Singaporeans when I say, "Thank you, Mr Goh. We love you." [ Applause. ]