DEBATE ON PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS

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PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS:

Debate on the Address (4th Allotted Day): Order read for Resumption of Debate on Question [17th January, 2005],

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'That the following Address in reply to the Speech of the President be agreed to:-

"We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore, express our thanks to the President for the Speech which he delivered on behalf of the Government at the Opening of the Second Session of this Parliament.".' - [Mr Gan Kim Yong].

Question again proposed.

Mr Ahmad Khalis Bin Abdul Ghani (Hong Kah): Sir, I stand in support of the motion.

Much has been said about the tsunami disaster. One question which was not asked often enough, I think, is: why did we help in the way we did? Some said that we acted out of hard-headed realism. We help our friends so that they would help us later. We want our neighbours to be strong so that we prosper in turn. We show earnestness and leadership as a means to gain international mileage. We could not deny that elements of self-interest exist, but that is not all. There are other factors of equal, if not, greater significance. It is the right thing to do - to help when we see our friends in trouble - as noted by our Prime Minister in an interview. It is about good values. Whether or not our help would really bring in tangible returns is something yet to be seen, but it is a done fact that we helped, and we did so with gusto.

People comment that while economically Singapore is First World, but in terms of social graces we are not. Maybe true. But the tsunami disaster relief efforts show that we are on the way, and we want to get there. However, Mr Speaker, we could not wait for disasters to happen to show social graces. It has to be consciously inculcated and practised daily. Inculcation of social values is not a one-off campaign. It does not come under any one Ministry exclusively. It has to be done everytime, everywhere. There should be policies that promote social graces and

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values in all Ministries and agencies, regardless whether they specifically deal with research or recreation. I know many do have them already, but let these be expanded and deepened. Some may see courtesy and compassion as management skills, or may even enhance productivity. More important than that, social graces such as care, courtesy and compassion reflect the values which we want for our society. I, therefore, welcome the President's reminder that we balance our material pursuits with personal fulfilment and family life and, if I may add, with other less tangible matters such as values and ethics.

For a long time, Sir, we have used fiscal tools to shape human behaviour. If a person spits, he pays a fine. If he uses the Internet, he pays less fees. But not all matters could be so managed. Yes, as the Prime Minister said yesterday that many decided to have babies because of the baby bonus, yet others are still not convinced, in spite of the slew of monetary handouts. At the crux, our people have to decide based on our values about family, and our Government realises that.

What is the role in forging values for its people? We could not say that this Government does not play a role since it is secular. A secular government is not value-free. It may not be tied to any particular dogma or ideology, but it has to proceed on agreed values. The question is how should our Government decide on what values to uphold. Our national history is short, and our traditional values are as varied as the lands from which our forefathers come. This is a challenge.

One way for us to agree on common values is through sheer trial and error. We have now embraced as imperative values integrity and clean government. Some decades ago, these values were not so obvious to many people. We also tried to forge common values through

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widespread community dialogues, such as Singapore 21. Several thousand people participated in various discussions over a period of about two years. The result was a general consensus on five core values - strong families; equal opportunities for all; every Singaporean matters; active citizenry and the Singapore heartbeat. It is noteworthy, Sir, that some years after the S21 Committee closed these books, these five themes were present in this year's Presidential Address, although said in different terms. As we go along, we would have to continue to forge more common values, maybe through more creative ways.

The next issue is how do we implement these values, but perhaps the issue of implementation is better discussed in another debate.

The President further notes Singapore's growing role in the international scene. Social graces feature even more prominently there. We recall how a Chinese diplomat called on Singaporeans not to look down on their China counterparts, in other words, do not be arrogant. If we wish to play a more meaningful role internationally, we have to improve on this. We may not be able to make all Singaporeans gracious, but there must be enough of us. As things are, there is not enough.

Reports on Singaporeans helping in the tsunami-stricken areas give me cause for optimism. There was a report recently of Singaporeans helping with minimal fuss. Our soldiers worked closely, and I suspect, with much courtesy, with TNI soldiers, as alluded to by the Minister for Defence yesterday. We surely are on the way. But back home, caring for others is something that deserves a serious relook. One area in this respect is making sure that no one is left behind. Immediately what comes to mind is the plight of the structurally unemployed and their families and dependants.

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Sir, the Prime Minister said yesterday that in 2004, we had economic growth that substantially exceeded earlier forecast. We had our eighth million visitor. One success story was that of PSA. Their existing terminal port operations, as PM noted, handled an unprecedented 20.6 million containers. This is a jump of 14.1% over 2003. PSA International, meanwhile, managed 12.5 million containers, up 17.6% over the preceding year. According to the report in the Straits Times on 12th January, the factors were: (1) a rebounding regional economy led by China, and (2) measures implemented to sharpen the competitive edge, including slashing of handling fees and close cooperation with shipping lines.

We could reasonably assume that "slashing of handling fees" was made possible partly by retrenchments. Retrenchments have the intended effect of increasing, or at least securing, the income of those who are not retrenched, those who have remained. For those who have gone, who were retrenched, they would not partake of any joy in this rebound, although they were the ones, who arguably made the greatest sacrifice. I believe this same story could be repeated in other companies and industries which saw better growth or better profit after implementing cost-cutting measures. I think companies who perform better have a duty to repay the workers who had to leave. They could also set aside more funds to support skills upgrading schemes for all those who are still unemployed or for their own existing workers. Those who do well would have to show their empathy to those who do not. They must show that they care.

The possibility of an economic divide is real. I agree with Members who spoke before me on this. A report in the Straits Times, also on 12th January, said that even Hong Kong is facing a growing poverty problem and that social divide

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there is widening. This combination of poverty growth and widening social divide partly accounted for the huge demonstrations against the territory's administration in 2003 and 2004.

In Singapore, Sir, we probably have not reached breaking-point yet. But the factors that so stretch our society do exist. We have to manage very closely the increasing social divide arising from the widening income divide. We must ensure that the less well-off do not feel alienated or left behind. This is another aspect of the structural unemployment issue. A majority of the structurally unemployed have low education and are relatively poorer. It is imperative that we incentivise the high-flyers and industry captains. They fuel the economy, which in turn is supposed to create jobs for everyone, including the poor. But as we have seen in many instances, economic improvement does not always reach down to those who need it most.

Dr Tan Cheng Bock yesterday added yet another dimension to this problem. He observed that most of those affected, in this regard, are the Malays. If the racial element is added to poverty and social divide, it makes for a lethal cocktail. So Dr Tan quickly added that this is a national problem and not a Malay one. I agree. This point is not lost on the national and community leaders who are close to the Malay community. The Malay community had started to tackle the socio-economic challenges of the Malays head-on since the formation of Mendaki in 1981. Some may argue, even earlier. With leadership provided by the Malay Members of this House, this herculean task receives strong support from the Government, Malay-Muslim community leaders and Singaporeans from all races.

With the advent of a knowledge-based economy, when the financial crisis struck,

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we sharpened our focus on the more fundamental issues. We have since identified four key areas: family, education, youth and employability. The emphasis is to change the mindset, empower and build capacities. And, we do so as dignified members of the larger Singapore society.

Sir, throughout history, great nations and states have come and gone. Some lasted hundreds of years, some less than 50. The Prime Minister yesterday mentioned Valparaiso and Bahrain. Maybe I could just add Petra to this list. I visited this historical site in Jordan, two years ago as a member of the delegation led by Senior Minister Goh. The relics from Petra showed that it was a flourishing trade centre, straddling Egypt and Rome, about 2,000 years ago. They had a sophisticated defence and water distribution system. The Romans then built a highway, completely bypassing Petra. The leaders of Petra did not react sufficiently well to this challenge, and after a hundred years or so of glory, it disappeared. Members might have had a glimpse of Petra in the scene from Indiana Jones' "Temple of Doom". Today, archaeologists are still digging the area and finding astounding relics as deep as 20 feet underground. Maybe our friends there have learned a lesson from the past. They are now excavating gradually so that there is something new to announce every now and then to show to the tourists and the rest of the world. The point here is that states must stay relevant or risk perishing. To stay relevant, we have to continue learning and keep improving. To do so, we have to be honest in assessing ourselves, especially our shortcomings. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, in agreeing with an ancient historian wrote, and I quote:

"A nation's history has three stages. Success. Then, as a consequence of this, arrogance and injustice. And then, as a consequence of these, downfall."

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We have to be alert to anything that could contribute to decline. At the same time, we have to nurture our human spirit in the unending quest to improve our lives through education and social upliftment. We have to continue to seek collective happiness, even though our own individual definitions of happiness may differ, through sound political processes and mutual respect. Then, I believe, we have a fighting chance to keep on rising or at least not fall.

Mr Loh Meng See (Jalan Besar): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the motion standing in the name of Mr Gan Kim Yong.

The President has outlined the seven priorities of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's Government. I would submit that these have to do with the indomitable human spirit and the soul of our nation. We reap what we sow.

It is our duty to nurture and develop our young who are the hope of our future as a nation. We need to impart to them knowledge and right values. We hope that they will grow up and be mature enough to be able to independently handle life's many challenges and to overcome great odds.

The older generation of Singaporeans lacked formal schooling, but they were educated through the hard knocks of life. Growing up during the period of the Second World War, the Japanese occupation, British colony, merger and separation from Malaysia, and starting up as an independent Singapore were circumstances that made that generation of young Singaporeans grow up quickly to fend for themselves.

Indeed, for a period in the 1990s, the Government was concerned whether the young Singaporeans who lived in very comfortable and prosperous conditions of high economic growth, full employment

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and high standards of living would become soft. Would they be able to cope with a crisis when it happens?

The Asian financial crisis in 1997, the advent and speed of Internet and communication access and globalisation have since changed a complacent world. Singaporeans, both young and old, were confronted with situations that they had not encountered before.

In many ways, the experience of going through the recent period of economic restructuring, redundancies and retrenchments, competition from low-cost producing countries, relocation of factories and outsourcing have hit Singaporeans very hard, but provided valuable lessons that help keep us on our toes, learning and relearning, innovating and seeking out new opportunities and making adjustments to financial commitments and living expenses.

Prime Minister Lee has asked Singaporeans to see Singapore as a land of opportunity, to imbibe our city with the special X factor - entrepreneurial, dynamic and cosmopolitan, and make our small island into a great nation with a big heart.

Sir, we cannot be a great nation if we are a nation without a soul. We must have love, compassion, hospitality, service and respect for each other as our hallmark. They should be part of our distinctive national culture, individual psyche and natural selves. These are indeed qualities of gracious living expected of a developed society.

We want to emulate the Swiss in their high standard of living. My colleagues, working and living in Switzerland, told me that the Swiss take their Sabbath and rest day seriously. Residents are not allowed to wash their cars and mow their grass on Sunday, a day intended for rest and

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recreation. We are making good progress with the pro-family initiatives including, as we are told, adjusting the dates of parliamentary sittings to allow for family leave.

It is, however, troubling to note that even when we make good economic progress, we still lack the culture and grace befitting of an advanced economy. We see seemingly 'educated' individuals quarrelling with neighbours, inconsiderate driving habits on the roads, not helping to clear the tables after we finish the meal at hawker centres and food courts, the high-handedness with which we treat the domestic helpers, the cold reception given to foreign employees, especially the blue-collar workers and our fellow citizens at the lower strata of our society.

I hope Singaporeans have, by now, after going through crisis after crisis, learnt that the loss of loved ones is more painful and greater than all the material possessions. In death, we are all equal. We will be remembered for the person we were and what we did, not the houses we owned or the cars we drove.

It is indeed heartening to read reports of young scholarship holders who were modest about their academic achievements. They know that the more talents and abilities they have been endowed with, the more they are expected to serve others.

How a society takes care of the needy, disadvantaged, speaks of the society itself. I am therefore pleased with the emphasis given to the special education for students with learning difficulties and helping the disabled to be self-reliant and coping with independent living. There is also the movement to give those with previous convictions a second chance to start life afresh with a new beginning. We are giving the right and

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proper attention to the healthcare and well-being of our elderly.

The Government has recently taken the bold decision to institute pre-marital HIV screening and to ban the Snowball Party. For me, this is the moral high ground, and rightly so. But the most recent announcement to allow casino operations as part of an integrated resort is causing confusion to many Singaporeans. Are we saying that we have changed from the past that we are now prepared to compromise? Are we prepared to give up the values that we held dear in the past because of economic benefits? Singapore has, in the past, forgone revenue from cigarette advertising because smoking is bad for the health and well-being of Singaporeans, even though there are still many smokers in Singapore today. Does it mean that we should now change our policy to allow cigarette advertising? Definitely not!

The infamous 'Bugis Street' was the tourism icon of Singapore until the mid-1980s. The Government took the opportunity when building the MRT to do away with the bad image associated with transvestites. The site now is Bugis Junction, one of the most popular places for Singaporeans and tourists alike. The decision to remove the stigma of 'Bugis Street' was before the discovery of HIV and AIDS. We have done right and well. So, why do we bring in something now to spoil the clean image of Singapore?

Let us be steadfast and not succumb to the seductive arguments of rationalisation of economic benefits of the project. There was an interesting article in the Fortune magazine of 15th November last year. The article is entitled, "Money and Morals at GE". We know that General Electric is one of the world's most admired companies. To stay at the top, four things need to be done right - "execution, growth, great people and virtue." The last is most illuminating.

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The point was made that "trying to apply cost-benefit analysis to ethical decision can be tricky." Once we are distracted, confused and compromising, we would have lost our soul and tend to become weak, soft and yielding to objects that bring our downfall and the consequence and distress we are not prepared to bear.

We have been down this road before. Let us not falter, but let us persevere and build up ourselves with the right values, virtues and beliefs to galvanise our people forward. We need to remind ourselves that there is no free lunch. Hard work, diligence and discipline that have brought us this far, the same will be required for us in the future.

Mr Sin Boon Ann (Tampines): Sir, my speech this afternoon will focus on the work of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

Sometime ago, I had the occasion to be engaged in a forum organised for young Singaporeans. I went in my capacity as a panelist. Those who participated at the forum were JC and polytechnic students, undergraduates and young working adults. It was an occasion for me to have an insight into the thinking and increase my understanding of them, as they are what we would call those who come from the post-65 generation of Singaporeans. Our discussion was wide ranging. One topic surfaced during our discussion was concerning the necessity for doing national service. One member of the audience remarked that he saw no reason why he should do national service. After all, he said, when he completed his 'A' levels, he would be pursuing his studies overseas and may well be looking for career opportunities there. I had the impression that, to him, national service was an unnecessary distraction to be avoided if he could help it.

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I was, of course, totally incensed at such self-centred and totally self-serving attitude of this young man. I had begun to ask myself whether the sentiment of this particular Singaporean reflects the general thinking of the people of this generation. If it does, I would be certainly very worried for our future. It will show that we have failed to bring about a new generation of Singaporeans who, while they have become more mobile, are prepared to sink deep roots here and take ownership of this land.

Our Government has correctly identified the need to engage young Singaporeans in policy-making and discussion in order to give them a greater sense of belonging and identity. However, care must be taken to ensure that our engagement of the young must be deep and broad ranging. While it is important that the Government leaders be seen to be hip and trendy by identifying with youthful activities, we should also be seen to be actively listening to them,

hear out their concerns, problems and aspirations, and to help them realise their dreams. We may have a world-class education system, but has the Government sought to actively listen to our school children in their struggles with the pressures in schools? Are we prepared to consider the possibility that meritocracy and excellence, and a lack of self-esteem, are somehow linked, and it may well perhaps be the explanation why some youths are delinquent? Can we honestly say that our society has a place not only for those who are academically excellent, but also for others who are not academically inclined but are brilliant and achievers in their own ways?

While I do appreciate the various initiatives that the Government intends to take in the coming days, I do hope that these initiatives will not centre around the same usual suspects and groups but ones that will be deeper in its engagement and, in particular, to reach out to the silent

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majority of youths who struggle through the demands of schools and family dynamics while seeking to reach for their dreams.

Rootedness and commitment to Singapore by our future generation depend also on how much Singapore is seen to be, as we have seen, a land of opportunity for all. Our social assistance programmes are increasingly becoming more focused on improving their outcomes, especially in linking social and job assistance. This objective is laudable and one which must be actively pursued. I would nevertheless caution against being unrealistic in our approach. We know that in recent years, against the backdrop of a restructuring economy, there are Singaporeans who are out of work and will remain out of work because their jobs have gone elsewhere. Yes, we often cite the standard mantra for our workers, to go for training and retraining in order to stay employable and employed. Many Singaporeans have, in fact, dutifully done that. Unfortunately, the issue for many is not about training and retraining, but about employability at middle age. The issue of social mobility, if I may add, is not only about mobility upwards, but also of preventing mobility downwards through loss of employment and, in the longer term, the lack of available funds in their CPF to see them through old age.

We have schemes to help the poor and needy. In the Addendum to the President's Address, the Minister has highlighted the Government's intention to give needy families up to $100,000 for housing, children's education as well as grants. The generosity of our Government certainly brings great cheer to the heart. But I do hope that this new development will bring a refreshing change to the present perceived approach to social assistance standard, that is, using the CDCs to provide intermediate short-term

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relief rather than long-term intervention to properly address the root of the problem of needy families.

Low income and social mobility are relevant, if not crucial issues that we have to tackle. I am glad to note from the Prime Minister's speech yesterday that the Government will start a new endowment fund called the ComCare fund to help the poor and needy. The need to help the poor and needy is certainly important. If we do not address this well, I have no doubt that there will be many more middle aged and elderly Singaporeans who will be displaced and the younger Singaporeans will no doubt be observing these developments and forming their own conclusions about what the future will hold for them in this country.

Sir, the fabric of our nation comprises not only of those who are able but those with disability as well. We want to provide opportunities for the disabled in our society not only to improve themselves, but to help them integrate into the mainstream of our society at the same time. This is indeed our duty and our responsibility as Singaporeans to care and provide for all Singaporeans who are lame or mentally slow and to carry them, if necessary, all through their lives. Many Singaporeans, I suppose, will not quarrel with that principle. The more pressing question one would suppose have to ask is whether we are satisfied that we have done enough to help these fellow Singaporeans. Can we say we have done enough? To my mind, nothing is ever enough when we consider the amount of help that the disabled would require to get them to fully mitigate the negative effects of disability and to help them to fully integrate into societal mainstream. For many of these schools that deal with children with learning disability, for instance, it is a fact that enrolment at these centres is always full and there is a long waiting period to get them in. We

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must therefore do more, and we can do more, for them.

We need to effectively help the disabled to further integrate them into our society. The broader society, including civil servants, must embark with the same determination to change mindsets. Let me just give an illustration of how mindsets would have to be changed. My noble friend, Alex Chan, an NMP in this House, shared with me this recent incident. When a handicapped person, I believe Teresa Goh, returned home recently after having won a medal at an international swimming competition, the representative from the media who met her at the airport on her return did not come from the sports section of the local daily but rather the community beat. The absence of someone from the sports section clearly shows a lack of interest in the achievement of our fellow disabled Singaporeans who have won international fame and honour for our country in sports, something that is constantly eluding us. If we want to have a mindset change, that change must come from the way we look at success, the people who make up our society and redefining what is important in our lives. In the case of the handicapped sports person, that unfortunate episode would not have happened if we have the same regard and respect for these indomitable sons and daughters of Singapore as we have for the able-bodied athletes.

Like our disabled friends, the elderly in Singapore should not be marginalised or forgotten. Many MPs in this House, including Dr Tan Sze Wee, have echoed this sentiment. Particularly, we must not forget the contributions of the elderly Singaporeans on whose back they carried the burden of ensuring our economic survival. Indeed, but for the labour of the elderly in the early years, we would not have enjoyed success to the same extent as we know it. We therefore rightfully recognise the debt of gratitude that we

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owe to the older generation of Singaporeans.

Sir, the challenge for the Government is to build a society where the old and elderly can live out their final days in a dignified manner. Surely, it should not fall upon them the necessity to beg their children and their loved ones to provide financial and, at times, emotional support. In this regard, I applaud the Government for its initiative in starting the "silver industry". Presumably, the "silver industry" aims at finding sustainable employment or commercial undertakings for the retired and the retiring. To many, it seems an obvious waste of resources if we do not tap the huge reservoir of experience that lies in the hands of these retired administrators, doctors, bankers and even those who were engaged in non-managerial or non-professional positions. While the younger employees may be younger and more energetic, there is certainly no substitute or short-cut for understanding and wisdom which the elderly brings. In this regard, I would like to see the Government play a more active role. The Government should perhaps seed an agency with funds to provide opportunities for the elderly who are inclined to provide consultancy and guidance to younger Singaporeans in business and commercial undertakings. If the elderly are only too happy to be helping out and are not too serious about making serious money, then I am sure we could have a win-win situation for all. What the Government should therefore do is to provide a framework to facilitate the process. Such a framework would include tax incentives and grants to assist in the setting up of consulting agencies and the like. This was touched upon by several of my colleagues in this debate. If we can do this well, I am sure it will provide opportunity for the elderly to have a second wind in their life.

We want to give the retired Singaporeans the opportunity to stay

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active and healthy. Unfortunately, not all elderly Singaporeans are active and healthy. In this regard, we must ensure that the frail Singaporeans are well looked after. I notice that in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of maids being hired to look after the elderly and also more institutions and retirement homes have been set up to provide senior citizens care. In a society where both spouses are expected to keep a full-time job and where increasingly, it is not expected of those who are home-makers, who typically would be the housewives, to look after the frail elderly. I am not surprised that this situation, which I just described, has come about, particularly when we have an ageing population on hand. However, while we want to ensure that those who need care are not forgotten, we must take care to avoid falling into the trap of providing more opportunities for young Singaporeans to abandon the elderly. And I would include leaving the elderly in the hands of institutions or maids as abandonment. Indeed, the temptation to go this way becomes real when the elderly place increasing demands on their time, resources and attention, especially when they are hit by major illnesses.

Besides looking after the elderly, a strong and resilient society relies on strong families as its cornerstone. I note from the Address that the Government intends to target the problem of falling birth rates and singlehood while promoting quality family relationships. These are good objectives to achieve and I support it entirely. However, while we will not disagree with this remit on the part of the Ministry, of concern will be dealing with the changing values as society progresses and how these values impact on our traditional understanding of family values and social mores. Moving from the comfort zones of correct statements on family and procreation, we

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should perhaps be prepared to face hard issues that are fast emerging in recent years. For instance, is our society prepared to extend the definition of family to become more inclusive of singles who adopt babies, or those who choose to conceive through artificial insemination without necessarily having a spouse to support, or of couples of the same gender choosing to marry and settling down to begin life together? I know that in matters like these, we as a conservative Asian society should choose to follow rather than to lead. However, this does not mean that we will not be confronted with such issues. As a mature society, should we then be prepared to openly discuss these issues and take a position for ourselves?

My heart was greatly cheered when we won the Tiger Cup last Sunday. The last time we won this was in 1998 in Vietnam. This time round, we brought back the Kallang Roar. For those of us who still remember Singapore soccer of the 70s and the 80s, the Kallang Roar was the roar of the nation. The collective interest in soccer brought back the passion which drew the country together. And the same can be brought out in table tennis, badminton, bowling and other sports. What matters is a winning sport and not excuses. Everyone loves a winner. In this regard, we have often been told that as a country, we have to be realistic about our sporting performance since we are restricted by the size of our population. Increasingly, this argument does not seem to hold much water as we see how the other smaller countries with a small population are able to rise above their limitation and succeed in international competition. Think of Ireland, New Zealand and the North European countries, to name a few. The question which people are increasingly asking is, if we can have a world class economy, why can we not have a world class sporting community? The Government has chosen to use the public-private partnership

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model to build a sporting culture and to promote international sporting events here. The use of the public-private model may be relevant. However, I think we should bear in mind that the issue of a sporting culture is not just confined to the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports alone, but extends to the other Ministries as well. In this regard, I would like to see how the various Government departments and Ministries can work more closely together towards the common objective of raising the standard and quality of sports in Singapore.

Finally, Sir, the recent unrest in southern Thailand reminds us once again that as a multi-racial and multi-religious country, we have to learn to respect the rights of different groups and individuals to practise their customs and their faiths. Without that high level of tolerance, trust and respect, Singapore will be on a perpetual boil. Indeed, one reason why we have been able to maintain racial and religious harmony in Singapore is because of a relatively strong and performing economy. Take away economic stability and I suspect the picture of race and religious harmony may well result in a very different outcome. Our racial and religious harmony did not come as naturally as a Tembusu tree that grows here. It is the result of years of hard work put in by our predecessors. No doubt, the bank of goodwill and trust that was built up will see us through very challenging times. And I believe that if not for our strong social foundation, Singapore would not have weathered through the recent Jemaah Islamiyah challenge in the way we have done. We must therefore not let up on our efforts to continue to strengthen our multi-racial and multi-religious ties. The challenge is to ensure that our ties will remain strong even when the economic tide is down. We will continue to strengthen our resilience and cohesiveness as a society.

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Sir, we need to remain a resilient and cohesive society if Singapore is to be a land where opportunity exists for all. Certainly, the Prime Minister's speech yesterday gave us much comfort and assurance that we will get there; and that Singapore will not just be a place where people merely transact to make a living. Singapore will be a place where we call home; a place where, to use the words of our Prime Minister, everyone has a role to play, and everyone belongs, and where every Singaporean, no matter whether you are old or young, whether you are lame or able, will be able to live with dignity, and a place where we are proud to call home.

Will the ride be smooth for us? I do not think it would be. There are many challenges that lie ahead of us. Our economy has to be relevant and competitive; our workforce must be nimble and productive; and we have to ensure that those who are not able to keep up are not left behind. Nonetheless, we will get there. As the Prime Minister said, there is a great Singapore spirit burning that will help us achieve big things. We overcame the odds in the past. We will overcome the odds in the future. This is the challenge of the present generation. Surely, years down the road, this generation would like to be remembered as the one who sets a new milestone in making this small country a great nation.

With that, Sir, I support the motion.

The Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Sir, there are many things that the hon. Member has said in his speech. Some of them I will take up in the upcoming COS debate.

Sir, I would like to thank the hon. Member for Ayer Rayah, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, for highlighting the plight of the unemployed, especially in relation to the Malay/Muslim community. And as rightly

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pointed out by Dr Tan, this is indeed a national problem. The Government is committed to helping those who are willing to retrain and take on new jobs. Our Prime Minister yesterday announced the Re-employment Assistance Programme and ComCare. It is an effort by our Government to help the unemployed and low-income families. May I add that the Malay/Muslim community has been putting a lot of effort to support Government's initiatives.

Under your guidance and leadership, Sir, in 1999, we launched the KBE convention to alert the community to changes taking place in the economy. Today, allow me to take this opportunity to say how the Malay/Muslim organisations are working with national agencies, such as WDA and CDCs, to help unemployed workers.

Sir, the economic climate has shown some improvements and, with it, we have seen new jobs. These new jobs require the technical know-how and also require the workers to adapt to the changing environment. This process of learning a new scheme and adapting to a new job scope and workplace is difficult and more so for the older and unskilled workers. Knowing these difficulties that the workers face, organisations, such as Mendaki and AMP, work closely with WDA and CDCs to place our workers into mainstream employment. And our employers also play an important role.

Sir, Mendaki works with the employers to see how these job seekers can learn and adapt to the new working environment. The job seekers are briefed thoroughly on the job expectations through career talks. If need be, the job seekers are taken for a visit to the workplace to see the environment and have a clear idea of the job scope. When necessary, the job seekers are also

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counselled or attached to a 'Job Pal' who acts as the job seeker's mentor or buddy. The 'Job Pal' will systematically motivate and coach their wards to successfully land a job and, hopefully, keep it. The 'Job Pal' will give friendly yet firm advice to their wards to set expectations right and also encourage them to stick to a job during the first few weeks of adjustment.

Sir, let me cite a recent project Mendaki did with Old Chang Kee. Old Chang Kee wanted to widen its market to include Muslim consumers. They wanted Malay/Muslim workers as part of going Halal . Mendaki came up with a structured programme for 41 employees, who were formerly chronically unemployed due to age or lack of marketable skills. The job seekers were briefed on the job scope and visits were made to the kitchen and service counters. Old Chang Kee's management took an active role in explaining the requirements of the job. Apart from the functional skills training, they attended three workshops. At these workshops, the workers went through a soft skills training that covers customer service and communication skills. These courses are all funded by WDA. This is a good example of a successful tripartite cooperation among the employer, a community-based organisation, like Mendaki, and the Government agency.

Sir, my colleagues and I are happy that the Malay/Muslim workers are responding to our call to retrain and upgrade. A good example of one who has got on to lifelong learning as the only way to ensure employability is Mdm Hanah binte Abidin, 46 years old. She is a single mother with three children, aged between 10 and 22. She is also taking care of a father who is a kidney patient. She was a housewife for five years and then spent four years doing relief teaching.

She built on her 'O' level qualifications and got a certificate in early childhood education and worked as a teacher in a

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few childcare centres for 13 years. She is currently taking a Mendaki-sponsored part-time diploma course in early childhood. While pursuing her diploma, she took up NTUC Comfort taxi training in 2003 and is currently working as a taxi driver. Mdm Hanah has plans to take other courses later on, including a degree in early childhood. She encourages her children to keep learning and she wants to go back to the childcare field after getting her diploma in October 2005.

People, like Hanah, show the new resilience in the community that comes with support and understanding from community organisations, such as WDA, CDCs and, most importantly, our employers.

In fact, during my visit to a mosque in the Central District last night, I found that a number of the Mosque Management Board members, all of them volunteers, had been retrenched in the past few years. All of them picked themselves up and found new jobs. Some of them are even doing two jobs to pull through. I admire their tenacity and willingness to adjust quickly to the changing economic environment. While the small number that appears at our MPS may present a dismal picture, the large numbers out there show admirable resilience.

Indeed, the Malay/Muslim community has realised that the key enabler in Singapore's meritocratic system is education. And as Dr Tan pointed out yesterday, the educational achievements and skill levels of the Malay/Muslims are rising due to the tremendous effort put in by individuals, families with community organisations, like Mendaki, providing information and support. Opportunities for all at the workplace mean more Singaporeans can go on successfully to contribute towards our economy and excel.

Sir, another initiative called the Community Leaders Forum, which was

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started two years ago, has allowed the community to set up four networks to assist the community in four key areas. One of these networks is the Employability Network and is headed by three very able Malay MPs - MOS, Mr Othman Haron Eusofe, unionist, Mdm Halimah Yacob and General Manager, Dr Ahmad Magad. Among its initiatives was the production of a video entitled "It is Possible", which was funded by WDA. The video features four case studies of individuals who went through career switches and continuous retraining. They have shown that they can overcome the unemployability odds because they want to do so. The video is being shown to the community with the cooperation of 40 Learning Ambassadors who are Malay voluntary organisations and mosques to send the message across to the workers that to survive in the new economy, it is important to continuously upgrade and learn new skills.

Sir, I must also add that Mendaki has placed a total of 656 job seekers into jobs in the year 2004. Besides finding jobs for the unemployed, Mendaki makes an effort to persuade workers, who are at risk of unemployment, to undergo skills retraining to ensure that they remain relevant to the economy. Being a surrogate employer, Mendaki encourages them to not only strengthen their current skills but also diversify their skill sets. This is as a preventive measure to prepare workers who may be vulnerable to structural unemployment to switch careers if need be. By working closely with WDA, NTUC and IDA to promote lifelong learning, Mendaki managed to attract the community to take up a total of 7,929 training places for the year 2004.

Sir, these efforts are ongoing. Organisations, such as Mendaki, are running programmes with Government organisations, such as WDA, NTUC and CDCs, to assist these displaced workers.

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Employers, like Old Chang Kee, play a similar role in assisting displaced workers to contribute productively in the new economy.

Sir, we need to address two key groups of unemployed people in the Malay/Muslim community. The first group are those who have given up hope looking for jobs after many unsuccessful attempts. Mendaki and its partners are reaching out to this group of people and point them to specific areas where jobs can be found. The second group are those who are somewhat dependent on short-term financial assistance, and therefore not actively seeking a job. Some zakat recipients may fall into this category. For the benefit of the House, zakat is an annual tithe where all Muslims are obliged to pay. This is where MUIS, or the Muslim Religious Council of Singapore, comes in.

MUIS has initiated the Empowerment Programme for a pilot group of families receiving zakat . There are currently about 1,900 recipients who receive zakat through MUIS. Some 700 of this, like the frail elderly and the disabled, will require long-term assistance. However, the rest can potentially be helped to get back on their feet and become more self-reliant. MUIS will assess the needs of these families and address them holistically.

For example, breadwinners will get training to become more employable, pick up life skills and get help with job matching. The children will receive support in their education and be encouraged to take up religious education classes at the mosques. While undergoing programmes, the families will receive 12 months of financial assistance. The Empowerment Programme brings together the important contributions of many community partners, including our mosques, the Malay/Muslim community organisations and family service centres.

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MUIS will coordinate with the Community Development Councils to ensure that the MUIS' programme complements rather than duplicates existing national schemes.

Sir, being employed is fundamental to self-reliance and well-being. Hence, social assistance programmes, such as the MUIS programme, which I have described, must be supported by a concerted effort to enhance employability and tackle unemployment. Mendaki, AMP, together with other Malay/Muslim organisations, continue to work with our national agencies to ensure that our workers remain relevant and productive.

Mr Lawrence Leow Chin Hin (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for your indulgence in allowing me to join in this debate on the motion to thank the President for his Address at the Opening of this Parliament.

I will first touch on the area of building the economy in the President's Address. Apart from continued efforts to attract foreign direct investments, one other key aspect of building a strong economy would be to strengthen the indigenous part of our economic structure, that is, the part made up of local businesses. In this respect, we have to maintain a pro-enterprise environment and continue to promote entrepreneurship to help the growth of local businesses.

With a small domestic market, local businesses have to look beyond our shores for new growth areas to fuel their expansion plans. Increasingly, going global is not so much a buzzword as it is an essential step for local businesses to take in the current economic conditions. Since venturing abroad is becoming a must, it would be useful to look at some of the successful models that we can learn from. One such model is that created by Taiwanese businesses in various parts of China, particularly in the city of Kunshan and Dongguan.

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Looking for reasons to explain the success of Taiwanese businesses in China, the common Chinese Language medium and the geographical proximity of Taiwan to China are thought to be key contributing factors. Another significant finding is that in both Kunshan and Dongguan, the businesses are located in clusters.

I once had the opportunity to speak to the former Mayor of Kunshan, and he told me that Taiwanese businessmen have created such a big cluster there that they have not only gained significant negotiation power but also created a great impact on the local Chinese community so much so that Kunshan is also nicknamed "Xiao Taipei", meaning mini Taipei. The Mayor further elaborated on how he was involved in extensive negotiations with the Taiwanese businessmen and how he and his officials had to concede and gave in to the many requests put forth by the Taiwanese because the cluster effect had shifted the balance in the Taiwanese favour.

The Taiwanese were able to leverage on the strength of their cluster effect to negotiate for a very favourable relief package during the times of the Asian financial crisis. But the interesting point to note is that a good part of the relief package

has not been removed when the market conditions improved, a testament of the influence and benefits of cluster negotiation. In Dongguan, where there are more than 3,000 Taiwanese electronics firms, the cluster effect has also been put to good use whenever negotiations with the local authorities have to take place.

Sir, I would like to suggest that the relevant agency initiate a plan to identify strategic markets like China and India, and initiate the creation of clusters of Singaporean businesses in selected sites of these strategic markets. Where location is not a crucial concern, local businesses

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venturing overseas can be encouraged to co-locate in these selected sites, to create clusters of Singaporean business communities.

The relevant agency may seek the assistance of their foreign counterparts in these markets to allocate suitable sites that can come with attractive investment incentives, such as low capital commitment and tax advantages. For example, in many parts of China, the local authority is very keen to draw in Singaporean firms and see the setting up of a Singaporean business village, and they are prepared to offer, as carrots, attractive incentives, such as concessionary arrangements on land use and tax relief packages. The tax savings in China can be substantial when one compares the special tax incentive schemes in selected areas and the Special Economic Zones, such as Zhuhai and Shenzhen, where the tax rate is actually 15% at the moment, with the tax rate of 33% for locations outside these selected areas and zones. So, it will be advantageous to negotiate on a cluster arrangement, where greater leverage can be gained through a larger scale of firms, to achieve the desired outcome, notwithstanding the fact that the cluster may take time to build up before it is able to achieve the full effects.

The benefits of co-locating in clusters are obvious. An individual business may be small when alone, but big when aggregated with other businesses in a cluster, and it will stand to benefit from the more favourable package that the cluster can command. Co-locating in clusters also provides synergies amongst local businesses and, when the need arises, it will be easier to seek assistance from fellow Singaporean counterparts within the same cluster.

In essence, through the lead taken by the relevant agencies, such as IE Singapore, we can help our local businesses create a "cluster effect" in the

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foreign market, perhaps similar to those so successfully created in Kunshan and Dongguan by the Taiwanese businesses. Nurturing our local businesses into global players will be a process that involves time and resources, but the effort will be worth the while, as a stronger indigenous business sector will augur well for our economy in the long run.

Domestically, efforts at maintaining a pro-enterprise environment is important, and we have to continue to review areas where costs can be lowered to help businesses remain competitive. JTC comes across to me as a very good example in this respect. JTC has played a key role as the main industrial landlord in Singapore. It has impressed me with its forward-looking approach in meeting the industrial space needs of the new economy. Over the years, it has also adopted a very innovative approach towards self-renewal, and has reviewed and expunged rules and policies that it deemed to be inhibiting businesses or that were unnecessary. Recently, JTC also initiated the Private Sector First scheme that encourages private sector participation in projects that were once only the exclusive purview of the public sector. The Private Sector First initiative that gives priority to the private sector to undertake projects administered by JTC is indeed one to be lauded.

Besides the provision of industrial space, JTC also operates a land rental scheme that leases out land to companies to erect factories and buildings. The land rental scheme has served well the needs of industrialists by offering them the option of not having to commit to a substantial upfront capital investment on land. It is a good scheme but, with the over-riding concern of keeping operating costs low to enhance the competitiveness of our local industries, I have a concern to share. As JTC is currently the only active

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provider of industrial land on a rental basis, the other being HDB, which is relatively passive, it has always struck me as to how JTC can ensure that the land rents that it charges its lessees are competitive.

As it now stands, there is strictly no basis of comparison available with regard to the rates charged by JTC. I am concerned that if JTC land rents are indeed not competitive - and I reiterate the word "if", as I am not aware of any definitive way to ascertain this - then it would translate to higher costs for the lessees. In the current economic climate, where the neighbouring and competing economies offer relatively cheaper land, the need to keep this aspect of business cost in check is important.

Sir, I would like to suggest that the Government review the existing rules on Government Land Sales (GLS) for industrial land, including the applicable tax laws, with a view towards liberalisation that would allow industrial landowners to rent out land in its undeveloped state on a land rental basis similar to JTC's. At the moment, private landowners are prohibited from leasing out industrial land in its undeveloped state. I envisage that this would be a good way to open up the industrial land rental market, which makes up a substantial portion of all industrial properties in Singapore. Land cost is a significant component, and I have used the JTC land rental scheme to illustrate the need for the Government to continue to review areas where improvements can be made to help local businesses enhance their competitiveness through lowering operating costs.

Whether it is in good or bad times, keeping costs down must remain a top priority, given the rise of the huge economies like China and India, and the competition from lower cost countries in the region. The Government has to continue to provide assistance to

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businesses to maintain a low cost environment, even when the economy has picked up, and not to be too quick in revising upwards fees and charges. The Government should also not be too concerned with the private sector gaining extra leverage or greater benefit from the measures it metes out.

The recent initiative by JTC to carry out a one-off nation-wide downward revision of its posted rents to what it perceived as the market rates is a positive move that shows commitment in keeping costs down on a long-term basis. This is a welcome deviation from the past where rental rebates were instead handed out during bad times, and removed when the economy started to pick up. With the JTC initiative, which has received a lot of positive response from the local business community, there will hopefully be more such similar initiatives from the other agencies.

Besides lowering costs that are tangible, it is also important to look at intangible costs that may come in the form of lost time and opportunities. The civil service has gone through quite a fair bit of change over the years, and it is today more willing to engage the private sector for feedback in policy formulation. There is no doubt that the top leadership in Government sees the need for change and has initiated change to meet the needs of the new economy. Unfortunately, like what Mr Inderjit Singh, Member for Ang Mo Kio GRC, had expressed in his earlier speech, things may not have trickled down to all levels of the Government, such that some levels of the civil service are still reluctant to change. Mayor Amy Khor had also raised similar concerns about the civil service in this House earlier.

As the President of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, I have personally received feedback from my

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members that invariably suggests that there is indeed still such a problem in the civil service. Recently, the boss of a very small local set-up shared with me the problems that she encountered in her business, which is in the mass distribution of mailers and flyers. She told me that she employed mainly senior citizens, about 50 of them, and was able to offer a very competitive rate for the service. However, when mailboxes in HDB estates underwent a nation-wide exercise to convert to the anti-junk design some years ago, her business was quite badly affected as, over time, more and more mailboxes got converted. I understand that it was for proper control and security reasons that SingPost was given exclusive access to the master door of mailboxes by the Town Councils across the island. As such, she was unable to access the mailboxes to make deliveries.

She related to me that she had attempted to speak to the relevant agencies in her bid to turn the tide, but eventually gave up because things were not heading anywhere. Today, while she is still providing mass distribution services, her business has dwindled from an island-wide market to just serving Bukit Panjang CC on a very ad-hoc basis, and Hong Kah Town Council on the delivery of monthly GIRO statements. She told me that in the case of Hong Kah Town Council, her staff can only slot into anti-junk mailboxes that are not locked by the owners. But for those that are locked by the owners, the undelivered mails will have to be sent to the post office for delivery. Obviously, the manager concerned is helping her, but it also benefits the Town Council as her rates are more competitive than SingPost's. I will not dwell on the rates, but it suffices to say that, if the parties concerned are willing to help, help can be rendered. In this case, the manager of Hong Kah Town Council has helped her and given her the opportunity to do her business there.

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In the case of Bukit Panjang CC, she related to me that she was asked by the manager in charge to coordinate with cleaners who are foreign workers and who are holding the keys to the mailboxes so that her staff can carry out their work. She felt disappointed as it seems to her that more trust has been placed upon foreign workers who have access to the keys to the mailboxes than a Singaporean like her. She told me that she was disillusioned and decided not to pursue further, though she was very thankful, I must add, to Bukit Panjang CC and the Hong Kah Town Council for giving her the opportunity to continue to operate her business. Nevertheless, she revealed that the scale of business made available to her now is too little to sustain a meaningful operation and she is on the verge of closing down her business.

Quite a sad story indeed, but this case was brought up not for the purpose of illustrating the problems still existing in the civil service, but rather to highlight an important point, ie, some people would give up and suffer in silence when faced with a situation like the one I just mentioned. I am also not here to debate on the merits of this case. Instead, I hope to illustrate the point that there could be many cases that have gone unnoticed because the aggrieved party may have decided to just let the matter rest and not pursue further.

While we have Action for Community Entrepreneurship (ACE) and Pro-Enterprise Panel (PEP), which I would be the first to acknowledge had done a great deal of good in rendering assistance to the private sector, they can only play a part when problems are highlighted and escalated for attention. I believe that, for every case that was brought up for assistance, many more have gone unnoticed because some people just decide to let the matter rest and accept the outcome as final.

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I agree with Mr Inderjit Singh's view that, whilst the top level of the Government is driving pro-business initiatives, many in the levels below are still not in sync with such initiatives. This often results in frustration and confusion for the private sector, as businessmen are faced with unnecessary road blocks that run counter to the direction our leaders have set. Though there is a marked improvement in the civil service, where a general shift of policy from control to facilitate has taken place, more can and has to be done to align civil servants to the direction set by our leaders.

At present, the main channels for the private sector seeking assistance are either through ACE or the PEP. I have a suggestion to make. I would like

to propose that we attach an appropriate mix of civil servants in decision-making positions from the various Government departments such as the URA, LTA, NEA to ACE or the PEP so that these civil servants can be involved first-hand with helping the private sector resolve problems encountered in their dealings with the various Government agencies or departments.

This idea is to allow the civil servants attached to ACE or the PEP the opportunity to "feel" the pride of the private organisations that they are assisting and through their own experience in dealing with the various agencies, they would, hopefully, be better equipped to understand the needs of the private sector.

Through such attachment and working in ACE and PEP, these civil servants would be in a position to really feel for themselves the "treatments" that are sometimes dished out by their counterparts to the private sector. Quite often, the basis of rejection of private sector initiatives is premised upon the need to uphold certain policies without due regard to the actual circumstances and merits of

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the case on hand. By getting civil servants involved in the process that the private sector undergoes, we can better tackle the problem where it lies. The actual details of how we should go about administering this scheme on attachment of civil servants can be separately sorted out, but the key is to address the cause of the problem, which is the point I am trying to make here.

I would now move on to another part of the President's Address where President Nathan emphasised the need to balance economic pursuits with fulfilment of personal goals and family life as a key priority in the area of augmenting our population and talent.

After having contemplated the matter for a while, the Government has recently implemented the five-day work week for civil service as part of its overall goal of promoting a pro-family work environment. With the move towards a five-day work week for the civil service, private organisations that are not yet on a five-day week have also been encouraged to do so.

In line with the Government's pro-family measures, I would like to ask the Government to consider allowing free parking on Saturdays in HDB estates to facilitate families making visits and getting together.

Free parking on Sundays that was implemented several years back has been a very successful scheme in facilitating and promoting family-togetherness. So on Sundays, when we visit our parents or siblings, there is no need to worry about how many coupons to tear and when to leave to avoid a fine due to expired coupons. If the same scheme can be extended to Saturdays, it would allow greater flexibility for families to get together on Saturdays as well, without having to worry too much about parking

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charges or summons due to expired coupons.

Sir, I believe that allowing for free parking on Saturdays over and above the existing free parking on Sundays would be a move that serves to further augment the package of pro-family measures already implemented by the Government.

In conclusion, under the new leadership of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, we have witnessed some unprecedented changes in policies and directions that have undoubtedly made our island nation a more exciting and vibrant place to live, work and play.

As President Nathan mentioned in his Address, Singapore has enjoyed four decades of stability and progress and I am confident that while there are stiff challenges ahead, under this new leadership, we will continue to prosper and progress.

Mr Speaker, Sir, on this note, I support the motion.

Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Motion of Thanks moved by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Member for Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC.

As we all know, in the past few years, Singaporeans have experienced many new challenges, ranging from economic downturn, virus pandemics, tragic accidents, tragedies, and some are very painful for most to bear.

In the President's Speech, President Nathan has conveyed the Government's broad strategies and key focus areas for the country to move forward. These are eloquently expressed in seven key areas which I generally agree.

Sir, we are fully aware that the world we live in has been fundamentally altered, either by man-made tragedy or natural

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disaster. In the literal sense, it was reported in the papers, and I quote, "NASA scientists reported that the massive earthquake of Sumatra, which measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, had shifted the earth's north pole, changed the planet's shape, shortened its days, slowed its rotation and made it slightly more compact." On the human level, we are more globalised and more connected than any time in the human history. But, unfortunately, security and safety issues are and will inevitably remain a key concern for all of us.

The speech gives us hope and makes us proud to be Singaporeans. Together with the Addenda, it contains interesting principles and concepts that pillar on strong basic fundamentals that have brought us thus far and, I believe, furthermore. The challenge is for the Government to convert the vision that has been painted into reality for the citizens to benefit. Thus, it would be wise for us to remember that after the hard knocks that we have received in the past few years, the concerns of our people have always remained the same, ie, their livelihood, employment and their family's welfare. In this respect, Sir, I am glad that the Prime Minister, in his speech yesterday, showed that the Government has heard the calls. It was comforting to know, and the initiatives that he announced are very much welcomed.

Mr Speaker, Sir, now that the economy seems to be on the mend, we have a new leader at the helm and a new fresh team in its place, our citizens would be watching and assessing how much we can deliver. I sincerely hope that we can translate some of these broad strategies and policies to whatever level that can be clearly understood by the layman, accompanied with reasons and implications of each of them on our

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country and especially the citizens that we serve.

I would like to commend the Government and the Ministries for being progressive, forward-looking and, at the same time, caring in its plans. Nevertheless, Sir, as an eternal optimist, I would like to highlight some of my thoughts and concerns in the hope that the relevant Ministries would consider them in the review of their plans.

I would focus my views on two areas, namely, education and youth. The changes that are taking place in our education system and the education landscape can only be described just like the movie title "Fast and Furious". Kudos to MOE for all their efforts. The move towards greater flexibility and choice in education is a bold and, I believe, a right one. I am also glad that MOE is giving greater recognition to students' achievements and talents in areas that are not captured in national examinations.

The unfortunate thing is that we will only see and appreciate the results of these efforts many years down the road. But I am confident, Sir, that with proper implementation and support from all stakeholders, we will be able to see the achievements and the positive desired outcomes that we want.

I was hoping, probably against all hopes, that in the Addendum of the Ministry of Education, there would at least be some plans and strategies on pre-school education and how we can further improve this sector further. Alas, there was none. Nevertheless, I am glad that MCYS will focus on early childhood education.

Mr Speaker, Sir, everyone, from parents, educationists to policy makers, recognises the importance of the formative years of a child. The proliferation of nursery schools,

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kindergartens and other education centres, catering to those between the ages of 3 and 6 years old, shows the demand for pre-school education in Singapore. In this time and age, and especially in Singapore, can a child afford to miss out on pre-school? I do not think so. Should pre-school education be made compulsory, or should parents be compelled to home school their little ones as an alternative? If we all agree that foundation education is important, I believe we could and should be more proactive and put more resources in this area. Sir, I believe that this could help to ensure that our children get quality pre-school education that will prepare them properly for the next 10 years of primary and secondary education.

Mr Speaker, the compulsory education law, which became effective last year, is a clear indication of the Government's commitment to educating our future generations. This augurs well for us. Let us take this step further and incorporate the foundation years into the mainstream education. I would like to propose to the Ministry of Education to reconsider and make the early childhood education as part of the overall framework of our formal education system. There must be more active involvement and participation on the part of MOE in this area. This sector of our education system has mostly been left to the community organisations and private sector.

Sir, the Ministry of Education can ensure the quality and standards of the early childhood education and kindergartens. The external reputation of our education system that we enjoy abroad should also flow to the early childhood education in Singapore.

On the other hand, I am glad that there are plans outlined by the MCYS to enhance the employability of our out-of-school youth and the ex-youth offenders through further education and skills

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training and provision of more opportunities and social participation; this must be lauded. These youths are also our resources and they should be given extra support to realise their potential. May I propose that MCYS work closely with VWOs and youth organisations that are keen to focus in this area so that we can formulate a concerted effort for the betterment of the future of these youths?

Before I end, may I just mention a little bit about the recent Tiger Cup match which we have enjoyed? I also would like to declare that I am the Vice-President of FAS. Sir, the recent victory that we enjoyed at the National Stadium, with the presence of more than 55,000 of our fellow citizens supporting our team, is the result of a long and difficult journey. We have decided to focus on youth. We have decided to work on the vigour and dynamism of youth and I think this is a correct strategy.

For all the other organisations, if we want to move forward for the future of Singapore's sports, we need to focus on the young and develop their talents early. The effort that has been put in by FAS over the years has started to show results. I would like to say thank you to all the supporters and stakeholders of the football fraternity.

It was a great lesson for all of us to see a sea of red at the stadium and it makes us feel like it was National Day. So I hope you would continue to support sports, whatever it may be, in Singapore, at the community level and even at the national level.

With that, Mr Speaker, I support the motion.

Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for granting me the opportunity to speak in today's debate, and to be the last one in the list.

Sir, I support the motion in thanking the President for his Speech on behalf of

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the Government at the opening of this Parliament's Second Session.

In the Addendum for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, it stated that greater efforts would be placed in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emission and contributing to the international efforts in addressing the issue of global climate change.

Sir, the use of energy in Singapore is quite high per capita. We depend solely on fossil fuel, practically nothing on nuclear, no hydro-power, and very little emphasis on the use of renewable energy. Our emission of greenhouse gas per capita is high in order to support our high standard of lifestyle and industrial activities. Furthermore, in the treatment of solid waste, Singapore prefers the method of incineration. This would further increase the emission of greenhouse gas per capita for Singapore.

In the Addendum, although it mentioned about energy conservation and improved efficiency as a means to reduce the greenhouse gas, from the electricity consumption data, I noticed that the trend in energy consumption increases faster than the average GDP growth rate from year 2000 to 2003. We burned more fuel on the road due to the 0.8% annual growth in vehicle population in the same period. The most recent information shows that the Ministry of Transport is considering increasing the annual growth rate of the vehicle population to 3%.

In solid waste generation, there is a slight improvement. The quantity is reduced by an average annual rate of 3.5%.

As a whole, if things go along in this direction, I wonder how we could mitigate the greenhouse gas emission, as stated in the Addendum. In order to be a

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responsible world citizen and to play a constructive role in dealing with global warming, Singapore must take proactive measures in curbing the ever-growing greenhouse gas emission. To achieve this, the Ministry really has to work very hard together with other Ministries in exploring and implementing practical measures in the reduction of greenhouse gas emission.

We must have an aggressive plan in energy conservation for key areas of applications, like air-conditioning for buildings and the more efficient use of energy for big energy users in industries. Take this House as an example. Sometimes, on certain occasions, the air-conditioning in this room is so cold that we have to put on a jacket in order to keep ourselves comfortable and warm. The lighting system in this House is very bright, just to accommodate the video camera recording requirement. If this could be properly dealt with and managed, we could easily reduce the energy consumption and contribute towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emission. The Government must set the example and take measures in reducing energy wastage. We could set an annual energy reduction target for every Ministry to achieve, in the same manner when we decided to cut manpower in the Ministries. Every year, Ministries must cut energy consumption by a certain percentage. By doing so, we would contribute in a big way to the reduction of greenhouse gas and protect the earth from global warming.

Sir, the transportation sector uses almost half of the country's energy consumption and, therefore, it contributes almost half of the greenhouse gas. There is tremendous opportunity in this area to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission. This is because of the poor energy efficiency of the cars running on our roads. In fact, the efficiency averages not more than 20%, which means 80% of the fuel that we

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burn on our roads are all wasted. I feel that greater effort should be placed on the energy efficiency for vehicles.

Established technologies, like the compressed natural gas-powered cars, hybrid diesel-electric cars, are the options for environmental-friendly vehicles. The reason deterring people from owning these types of cars is that there is no infrastructure for gas refilling stations and, at the same time, the initial cost of such vehicles would be more expensive. The Government should take action in encouraging fuel companies to set up convenient filling stations and, at the same time, the Government should give substantial tax incentives to encourage more motorists to shift towards the environmental-friendly vehicles. The mindset of the Government officials should also be changed from one of worrying about the loss in revenue from the car tax to that of allowing more energy-efficient and environmental-friendly vehicles on our roads.

Sir, in the same Addendum, it mentioned about providing water at an affordable price to the people and also about the Build, Own and Operate (BOO) concept for the new water project. Sir, in my view, BOO is not a good idea. It runs contrary to the concept of affordable water. BOO means there is a middle-man and his objective is profit. Once a BOO contract is signed, usually 20 to 30 years, many of the cost-related parameters are fixed. Like our desalination contract, it pegs the price of water at a fixed rate with adjustment for energy price variation.

Sir, we know that the membrane technology evolves very quickly. The membrane cost is on a downward trend. The membrane operating pressure is also lowered. Once the BOO contract is signed, the consumer would no longer benefit from the cost advantage due to the evolution of the membrane technology and the process improvement. As

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membrane technology advances, operating pressure would reduce and it would mean that less energy would be used. The BOO contract again prevents the consumers from benefiting from a more energy-efficient technology.

For a BOO operator, the profit gained is unlike that of the PUB. The PUB ploughs the profit back to the whole water supply system, either for enhancement or further development of the new water supply system. Ultimately, PUB makes future water to be more affordable to the people.

Sir, a BOO is a famous concept for the Third World country. It is one of the rapid ways for development of infrastructure. Usually, the users pay a high price for using such facilities in meeting the investors' expected return. Take China road toll as an example. From my experience, the toll charge collected on the roads in China which are of a lower quality, could be doubled that paid in Malaysia, which are of a better quality. The latter is also a BOO, but it is a ruling-party-owned BOO.

Singapore is a well developed nation. We are efficient, no shortage of funds, nor are we lagging behind in terms of technological know-how. Why should we choose a BOO for critical projects like water supply? Ultimately, BOO works against the interests of the people.

Sir, the Addendum also talked about the creation of more opportunities for the community to enjoy our environmental resources. The recent opening up of the Bedok Reservoir for boating is a significant progress in this area. I fully support this idea and would like to call for greater relaxation of the use of public areas like parks, rivers and lakes for recreational activities. Sir, Singapore is a small island, there are limited places for the people to have fun and recreation. The space for Singaporeans is further

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limited due to the various restrictions like no swimming, no fishing and no boating in the lakes and rivers. Places in the HDB housing estates are purposely built with humps and the landscape is undulating to prevent people from playing football. Other than in the sites belonging to the few uniformed groups, one is not allowed to camp anywhere overnight. You cannot cycle in a park unless it is one of the designated cycling paths. If one dares to roller-blade on the roadside of Orchard Road, people would look at you in a very strange manner.

All this makes Singapore to be a relatively boring place. No wonder, every long weekend, the Causeway is packed with vehicles hurrying to enter Malaysia, because people aspire to have more space. The recent opening of the Bedok Reservoir for boating and the permission granted for people to camp in the East Coast Park are a significant move to free up more space for our people. I read in the newspapers about critical views on possible pollution of water in the reservoir, dirtiness resulting from irresponsible campers' behaviour, and private activities being conducted in the wrong place. Sir, all these are expected human behaviour. Our present laws are more than adequate to deal with all of them. We should not be deterred from further opening up our public places because of these behavioural concerns. The enforcement of laws and public education must work in tandem with the opening up of more spaces for recreational activities for our people. Singapore will become a better place to have fun for all of us.

Sir, the next issue I would like to deal with is university education. Here, I wish to disclose my interest as a teaching staff in NTU.

Sir, in the Addendum of the Ministry of Education, it mentioned about granting

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independent status to NTU and NUS, develop SIM to be the fourth university, and increase the total enrolment for our local students to 25% of the student cohort. All these are exciting news.

The various top executives of the universities spoke in strong support of the universities' independent status and they cited many advantages for gaining such independent status. To me, independence means the universities are now deciding for themselves the effective allocation of their resources, designing relevant curriculum in meeting the market demands, abort courses which are of low-market value or no demand, deciding on the direction for research which has commercial interest, setting up venture capital to further mature their intellectual properties, take appropriate action to lower their operating cost, and taking many other positive measures which are of interest to the university and students.

All these would lead to one simple important conclusion that the independent status of the universities would lead to the efficient use of the Government's fund and, in return, the unit cost for the operation of the undergraduate training would be achieved to the best optimum.

In my speech last year during the debate on the Budget Statement, I spoke on the university fee. I said that the 25% share of university operating cost as tuition fee should not include the cost which is unrelated to undergraduate teaching, especially research. I also said that the fee paid then already exceeded 25% of the norm of other university undergraduates' operating cost per student. The Minister for Finance then, who is the Prime Minister today, responded to my speech and said that research and other unrelated expenditure would be excluded from the operating cost for the computation of undergraduate fee.

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Sir, 2005 is the year for rising university tuition fee. Both NUS and NTU announced a 5% rise in the tuition fee and SMU announced a 15% rise in the fee just a few days ago. The impact of SMU's announcement to the students had been so great to the extent that the university's spokesman announced subsequently a one-in-ten financial assistance to the students and, later, announced a part-time job assistance service to help students who find it unaffordable after the fee hike, to find part-time employment to pay for the additional fee hike.

In this move of raising the fee, I wonder whether the Ministry and the universities did comply closely with the 25% share of actual operating cost per student as tuition fee committed by the Government during the 2004-2005 Budget.

For this purpose, I spent some time to revisit the Budget Book for 2004-2005. I realise that in the Budget, both NTU and NUS disclose their student number, the total operating cost per student, bearing in mind that this total operating cost includes everything - research and other unrelated expenditure relating to undergraduate education - and also the percentage of recovery from the student tuition fee. As a mathematician, I would like to multiply the figures together. When multiplying the student number by the cost per student, I realise that it is higher than the total operating cost provided in the budget for NTU. For NUS, there is a shortfall of 7%.

Talking about tuition fee in terms of recovery rate, NTU students pay 28-32.5% of the operating cost. NUS students pay 26-27.2% of the operating cost of NUS.

Sir, the figure I mentioned for operating cost is before the deduction of the unrelated undergraduate operating cost. The tuition fee charged already exceeds the 25% set by the Ministry in year 2004-2005. There should be no

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justification for the present round of fee hike. I urge the Ministry to look closely on the relevant operating cost per student in all the Government-funded universities, and make sure that the tuition fees charged by the universities are pegged to Government's commitment of funding 75% of the actual cost of the operation of the undergraduates' education.

After this debate, I urge the Ministry to check the figures. If I am right, first, the universities do not have the right to increase the tuition fee because it goes against the principle announced in this House when their budgets were approved last year. Second, the Ministry has the moral responsibility to halt the current round of fee hike and reinstate the fees which should be in accordance with the Government's commitment, and not otherwise.

On this note, Sir, I support the motion.

Mr Gan Kim Yong (Holland-Bukit Panjang): Mr Speaker, Sir, over the last four days, we have heard many Members speak passionately on Government policies as laid out in the President's Address. We also heard the Prime Minister's response to some of the points made by the Members. We have had a rather engaging, fruitful and, at times, entertaining debate. Now, Sir, I have the privilege to sum up the debate.

The thrust of Members' speeches over the last four days focused on four broad areas, and these are strengthening Singapore's role in the international community, growing the economy to provide opportunities and jobs, caring for the needy and engaging the people.

Firstly, Singapore's role in the international community. The recent tsunami disaster has brought into focus Singapore's role in regional and international arenas. Dr Lily Neo gave a

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blow by blow account of our efforts. Many MPs have also spoken on this subject. Mr Iswaran, Dr Ong Chit Chung, Dr Ong Seh Hong shared their personal encounters in the disaster areas and they have all concluded that the actions of our military, civil defence, healthcare workers as well as many civilian volunteers have made us proud as Singaporeans. I am particularly pleased that even the Non-Constituency MP, Mr Steve Chia, has also taken a stand on the side of Singapore and praised the Government's efforts. Our involvement in the tsunami disaster relief has strengthened the bond among Singaporeans. Indeed, the incident has shown that a small country like Singapore is able to contribute in a meaningful and impacting way to the region and to the world.

Our contribution must now go beyond disaster relief and reconstruction. We can also play a role in the promotion of free trade collaboration, in counter-terrorism measures and many other areas. We must continue to play our part as a responsible world citizen. Through ASEAN, the World Trade Organisation, the United Nations and other international fora, we will continue to advance the interests of Singapore and the world.

Growing the economy

The economy and job opportunities remain one of the key concerns of many Singaporeans. Despite the healthy 8% growth we achieved last year, some Singaporeans are still facing employment difficulties, especially the older ones. Mr Heng Chee How, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang and Mr Teo Yock Ngee all highlighted this issue and urged the Government to do more to help them. Addressing the issue, Minister Lim Boon Heng announced on Tuesday initiatives to be introduced by the NTUC, including the proposal to forge national consciousness to provide jobs to

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the older workers. The Prime Minister, yesterday, also announced the REAP scheme to help the unemployed and the setting up of a committee to help older workers stay employed.

There were also several suggestions on the way forward for our economy. While acknowledging that there have been encouraging changes, Mr Inderjit Singh and Dr Amy Khor wanted the Government to further streamline the bureaucracy and to make sure it filters down to the operating level. Dr Teo Ho Pin suggested that we should take a 3P partnership approach while Dr Wang Kai Yuen felt that it is better for the Government to stay out of business. I think perhaps this is an issue of balance. There is certainly a role for Government companies to play in certain sectors of the economy, but they should not be so extensive that the private enterprises are crowded out.

The crucial issue, I feel, is to create a pro-business environment here so that there are opportunities for everyone. If we have a vibrant and expanding economy, the pie will grow and there will be a slice for everyone - the GLCs and the private companies, the old and the young. We must therefore get ourselves plugged into the world, make sure that our environment is stable and safe, continue to trim our bureaucracy to ensure cost competitiveness. This way, we will have a secure future.

Caring for the needy

For the lower income group, rising cost of living is one of their key concerns. Mdm Halimah Yacob, Dr Chong Weng Chiew, Dr Warren Lee, Mr Ang Mong Seng and Dr Tan Sze Wee all spoke passionately about rising healthcare costs. With the proposed review of the MediShield scheme, contributions are likely to go up. Based on the figures shown by PM yesterday, healthcare costs increased some 11% between 1998 and

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2003, almost double the increase in per capita gross national income. I think many will feel assured with the PM's proposal to increase Medifund from $1 billion to $2 billion. I would urge the Ministry of Health to relax the Medifund criteria so that more will benefit from it.

The second highest increase is in education. Both healthcare and education are, to some extent, non-discretionary and the impact of the increases is most felt in the lower income group. With higher oil prices, many Singaporeans are also concerned that the next to be increased will be bus fares.

True, cost of living must go up over time as we demand and enjoy better services, be it healthcare, education or transport. Although wages have also increased, the lower income group and those who are unemployed will still be facing financial difficulties. We have heard Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Mr Wee Siew Kim and several others talk about real life stories of the needy. The $500 million ComCare Fund will go a long way to help them cope with their basic expenses. At the same time, the Government should also make sure that Government cost increases are kept to the minimum, and they should reflect real costs incurred by the Government.

Furthermore, we should not let up on our efforts to cut waste and thereby reduce cost. In this regard, I am pleased to see the Ministry of Finance's Addendum that they will reduce the burden on businesses by cutting red tape and setting its fees and charges at cost. What I wonder is: why restrict only to business costs? Why not apply the same principle to consumer costs as well?

Several MPs also talked about volunteerism and caring for the old and the disabled. Miss Eunice Olsen spoke about volunteerism while Dr Chong Weng Chiew wanted more autonomy for the

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voluntary organisations. Mr Sin Boon Ann also appealed for more concern for the disabled. Mr Ang Mong Seng suggested that public facilities should be made more friendly to older people and the disabled. The Prime Minister announced yesterday that the Lift Upgrading Programme will be accelerated.

As we progress as a nation and as a family, we must make sure that each and every Singaporean can benefit from our progress and that no one is left behind. The President's Address devoted an entire section on this. For us to build a truly gracious society, a country that we love, we must show commitment, care and compassion for the poor, the old and the disabled.

Engaging the people

Lastly, engaging the people. Mr Ivan Png, Miss Penny Low and Dr Geh Min have all touched on this all important and yet rather abstract subject. Mr Png suggested that we should build a sense of belonging through the 4Ps. Miss Penny Low talked about people-centre approach. And Mdm Cynthia Phua wanted to build character through sports. On the other hand, Dr Geh felt that we should empower the people by giving them greater access to information. She preferred the analogy of a bird rather than a kite! That is fine. What is important is that the message gets through, that more needs to be done in this respect.

Miss Eunice Olsen was of the view that the way to rootedness was through volunteerism. Like Ms Indranee Rajah said, we need to encourage our people to have passion and conviction to pursue what they believe in.

Yesterday morning, I was listening to the radio while I was driving to work. Apparently, in a survey, more than 70% of Singaporeans agreed that there was no better place to stay than Singapore. But

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the same survey also showed that half of them would not mind migrating. This sounds contradictory to me. If this is indeed the best place, why migrate to the second best? Maybe the accuracy of the survey is not very precise and perhaps we should not read too much into it. But it is important for us not to lose sight that we want to build a Singapore for Singaporeans. It is therefore critical for us to allow our people to be more engaged.

I would suggest that the Ministry of Education review its national education programme to determine whether it is effective and what else we can do to instill a sense of ownership, a sense of belonging and a sense of responsibility.

Three MPs have spoken out strongly against the proposed casino as it will erode the values of our society, and it will cause damage to our home. While I can see the economic value of a casino, I too question the wisdom of such a move. I would urge the Government to be cautious on this matter so that we can all have a home that we can cherish.

Mr Speaker, Sir, we have had four days of debate on the motion. Many points and issues were raised. Many concerns were highlighted. As Dr Wang said, Singaporeans have confidence in the new leadership. We have the people, we have the resources to get there. The best is yet to be.

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It now remains for me to thank all the speakers that have contributed to this debate, in particular, the NMPs who have made their maiden speeches in this House. I would also like to thank the Prime Minister for his enlightening speech that inspired much hope and confidence.

Sir, I would like to invite all Members to join me in thanking the President for his Address. [ Applause ].

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That the following Address in reply to the Speech of the President be agreed to:

"We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore, express our thanks to the President for the Speech which he delivered on behalf of the Government at the Opening of the Second Session of this Parliament.".