Hansard, 1990-06-07

Under the provisions of clause 2(d) of Article 46 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the following Members have been granted permission to be or to remain absent from sittings of Parliament (or any Committee of Parliament to which they have been appointed) for the periods stated:- Mr Davinder Singh (Toa Payoh GRC) - from 28th April to 1st May and from 7th to 16th June, 1990. Mr Mah Bow Tan (Tampines GRC), Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information and Ministry of Trade and Industry - from 2nd to 4th May, from 14th to 19th May and from 11th to 24th June, 1990. Dr Seet Ai Mee (Bukit Gombak), Minister of State, Ministry of Community Development and Ministry of Education - from 9th to 15th May and from 3rd to 5th June, 1990. Mr Ong Teng Cheong (Kim Keat), Second Deputy Prime Minister - from 9th to 15th May and from 15th to 29th June, 1990. Dr Hong Hai (Bedok GRC) - from 9th to 15th May 1990. Dr Wong Kwei Cheong (Cainhill) - from 10th to 12th May, from 17th to 18th May and from 28th to 30th May, 1990. Encik Sidek bin Saniff (Jalan Besar GRC), Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education - from 11th to 18th May, 1990. Mr Tan Soo Khoon (Brickworks GRC), Speaker - from 13th to 25th May and from 4th to 6th June, 1990. Mr Teo Chong Tee (Changi) - from 13th to 19th May, 1990. Dr Ahmad Mattar (Brickworks GRC), Minister for the Environment - from 13th to 16th May, 1990. Mr Ng Pock Too (Nee Soon Central) - from 14th to 16th May, 1990. Mr Wong Kan Seng (Toa Payoh GRC), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Community Development and Leader of the House - from 15th May to 4th June, 1990. BG George Yong-Boon Yeo (Aljunied GRC), Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Foreign Affairs - from 15th May to 4th June, 1990. Mr Philip Tan Tee Yong (Paya Lebar) - from 18th May to 10th June, 1990. Mr Lim Chee Onn (Bukit Merah) - from 20th to 23rd May, from 28th May to 3rd June and from 12th to 15th June, 1990. Dr Tay Eng Soon (Eunos GRC), Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education - from 20th to 24th May, 1990. Mr Loh Meng See (Kampong Glam) - from 21st to 29th May, 1990. Mr Lim Boon Heng (Kebun Baru), Deputy Speaker - from 21st to 25th May, 1990. Mr Ng Kah Ting (Punggol) - from 23rd to 25th May, 1990. Mr Chew Heng Ching (Eunos GRC) - from 27th to 29th May and from 13th to 15th June, 1990. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon (Tiong Bahru GRC), Minister of State, Ministry of Community Development - from 28th May to 4th June, 1990. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam (Sembawang GRC), Minister for Education - from 28th May to 6th June, 1990. Mr Heng Chiang Meng (Cheng San GRC) - from 28th May to 3rd June, 1990. Mr Chin Harn Tong (Aljunied GRC) - from 29th May to 31st May, 1990. Mr Tang Guan Seng (Hougang), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education and the Minister for Home Affairs - from 29th May to 5th June, 1990. Mr Chay Wai Chuen (Brickworks GRC) - from 30th to 31st May, 1990. Mr Chng Hee Kok (Tiong Bahru GRC) - from 30th May to 2nd June, 1990. Mr S Chandra Das (Cheng San GRC) - from 4th to 6th June and from 15th to 24th June 1990. Dr Koh Lip Lin (Nee Soon South) - from 16th to 30th June, 1990. Dr Yeo Ning Hong (Kim Seng), Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Defence (Policy) - from 16th to 27th June, 1990. Encik Abbas Abu Amin (Pasir Panjang GRC) - from 18th to 22nd June, 1990. Mr Goh Chok Tong (Marine Parade GRC), First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence - from 18th June to 8th July, 1990. Dr Tan Cheng Bock (Ayer Rajah) - from 18th June to 7th July, 1990. Mr Abdullah Tarmugi (Siglap), Deputy Speaker - from 18th to 22nd June, 1990. TAN SOO KHOON Speaker Parliament of Singapore

The President (accompanied by two A.D.C.s) entered the Chamber, accompanied by Mr Speaker, who was preceded by the Serjeant at Arms (without the Mace), the First Assistant Clerk, the Principal Assistant Clerk and the Clerk. On the Clerk announcing "The President", the President delivered his Opening Speech. The President (Mr Wee Kim Wee): Honourable Members, at the opening of the Seventh Parliament in January 1989, I outlined my Government's programme to create a better life for all Singaporeans. Since then, a substantial part of this programme has been completed. Several policies address longer term issues: these cannot be solved overnight. But the steps we are taking will in time yield results. A few remaining items will be taken up within the next few months. This will mark the end of a major phase in our nation building. Education My Government will continue to emphasise investments in education, both to develop the talent of Singaporeans to the fullest, and as the best way to raise the standard of living of Singaporeans over the long term. In the last two years, we have systematically reviewed and improved the entire education system. Nanyang Technological Institute will become a full-fledged university - Nanyang Technological University - in 1991. We are expanding university intakes, without lowering admission standards, to train more students in skills which will be in demand. We are building a third polytechnic to complement the present two. Singaporeans can now use their CPF savings to pay for their children's local tertiary education fees. Our priorities in the coming years will be to strengthen primary education, restructure and further improve vocational education, and offer parents and students more flexibility and choice in our educational system. Housing The Government's housing programme seeks not only to provide high standards of accommodation for the population, but also to achieve important social objectives. Town Councils have already taken over the management of most HDB estates from the HDB. Through them, residents will have more say on how they want to run their neighbourhood communities. Increasingly, individual Town Councils will launch their own projects to improve their estates and to meet their different needs. Eventually, each neighbourhood will develop a character and identity of its own. We have set limits on the racial composition of individual HDB blocks and neighbourhoods, to ensure that each is racially balanced. This has checked a disquieting trend towards greater segregation between the different races. HDB will launch demonstration projects to upgrade some blocks of flats in the older HDB estates. If these projects prove successful and popular, we will refurbish other older HDB neighbourhoods in stages, to standards approximating the newer estates. This will improve the quality of housing Singaporeans enjoy, without uprooting them from familiar surroundings, thus keeping the communities intact. It should increase the value of HDB properties, and enable Singaporeans to own a greater share of the wealth of the country which all have helped to create. Health Care In health care, we are restructuring existing Government hospitals, and building new ones, to provide better medical care to Singaporeans, and to offer everyone a wider choice. As Medisave balances build up, Singaporeans will be able to afford more sophisticated health care. The Government will always subsidise health services for those in need of treatment who cannot afford to pay for it. No Singaporean, whatever his income, will ever be deprived of the basic medical treatment he needs. Lower Income Groups With economic growth and full employment, incomes have risen across the board. This has been the best way to improve living standards of poorer Singaporeans, but the Government will do more: it will help to increase their assets, and help lighten the burden of bringing up their children, particularly in meeting their school expenses. We must also look after the disadvantaged and handicapped among us. The Government will help, preferably through community and charitable organisations. The 25th Anniversary Charity Fund shows one effective way to combine the resources of the state with the idealism and commitment of voluntary organisations. Consultative Government and Consensus Building The Government has consciously sought input and feedback from the public on national issues. This process of consensus building is part of our system of participatory democracy. It has helped the Government to improve policies and generate fresh ideas, and enabled the public to understand issues and policies better. We have debated thoroughly matters of wide public interest, like land transport, Nominated MPs, and the maintenance of religious harmony, at public hearings of Select Committees. On more technical issues, decisions which government departments once took upon themselves are now regularly discussed publicly. For example, the Ministry of National Development and the Urban Redevelopment Authority discuss Development Guide Plans for urban planning and redevelopment at public forums with private architects and city planners. In fact, two such plans are currently being prepared by private sector professionals. Through the Government Parliamentary Committees, the Government has consulted Members of Parliament and the public on new policies, often before they have been finalised. The Government introduced the scheme of Nominated MPs (NMPs) to give independent, non-partisan views a voice in Parliament. Now that the legislation is in place, the Government intends to ask Parliament to nominate the first few NMPs. Parliament will benefit from their different experience and perspectives. Religious Harmony The White Paper on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony laid out ground rules which both political and religious groups should observe. They should not mix religion with politics, nor cause disharmony between different faiths. The Bill which followed sought to translate these principles into practical, enforceable provisions, with adequate safeguards to prevent the powers from being abused. The public discussion of these delicate issues has helped to alert Singaporeans to the potential problem, and generated a consensus on the need to do something about it. When Parliament was prorogued, the Bill was still in Select Committee, and thus lapsed. The Government will reintroduce the Bill, as it originally stood, in the new Parliament, and again refer it to a Select Committee. Progress of the Malays A continuing issue is the varying rates of progress of the different races in Singapore. The Malay community has taken an important step towards uplifting itself by setting up Yayasan MENDAKI, to tackle comprehensively the social, educational and economic problems which they face. The Government supports MENDAKI. It will give MENDAKI whatever assistance it needs, so long as the Malay community backs its programmes, and so long as MENDAKI shows that it wants such help and can put it to good use. One key issue before MENDAKI is the proposal to charge Malay students from better-off families tertiary education fees. This will make available more money for projects which will benefit the children of the less successful, who can do with more assistance. More importantly, it will send a strong signal to all Singaporeans, both Malay and non-Malay, to show the way Malay Singaporeans want to go - to stand tall alongside the other communities, and not to be treated indefinitely as a community in need of support. MENDAKI has decided to meet the problem squarely. As a start, up to half the Malay students in tertiary institutions will pay fees. Some may be awarded partial subsidy, while those who can afford it will pay the full fees. The rest, who are less well off, will continue to enjoy full subsidy. The scheme will be implemented in 1991. This decision shows clearly the aspiration of the Malays to take their rightful and respected place in Singapore society. It augurs well for the progress of the Malays, and the integration of the different races in Singapore. Shared Values The purpose of a National Ideology is to crystallise a set of shared values, values which will help bind Singaporeans together, despite differences in race and religion, and in the face of many external influences, which are often not germane to their circumstances in Singapore. The Government intends to publish a White Paper on Shared Values, setting out those values which all the communities hold in common. Such a formal statement will help us gradually to evolve a Singaporean identity. Elected President The Government proposed creating an Elected President with veto powers, in order to safeguard the national reserves and the integrity of key appointments. It has taken some time to deliberate over this legislation, which is a major modification to our constitution. The Bill to provide for an Elected President is almost ready. The legislation will be tabled in Parliament this year, and will be referred to a Select Committee. The Changing World Outside Singapore, momentous changes in international affairs have reshaped the geopolitical landscape beyond recognition. It will be some time before their full implications become clear. Amid the uncertainties, there are many opportunities. Our foreign policy must adapt without compromising fundamental national interests. We will strengthen existing ASEAN ties, and take greater advantage of the economic dynamism of the Asia-Pacific. As we open a new chapter in relations with the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, we will strengthen our ties with the US, and encourage the US to maintain its presence in the region. Singapore must remain nimble and agile in adjusting to this rapidly changing world. A New Phase With the Bills on Maintenance of Religious Harmony and on the Elected President, and the White Paper on Shared Values, all the items in my previous address to Parliament will have been dealt with. The leadership transition is also almost complete. Mr Goh Chok Tong will take over as Prime Minister by the end of the year. This will be a watershed in our political development. We have prepared for it for a long time. The circumstances are as auspicious as we could have hoped for. The economy is robust and broad-based. We have provided adequately for our security and defence. Relations with our neighbours are good. Our sense of nationhood, while still not fully mature, is stronger than ever before. We have reasons to be confident about our future. In the next phase, we must find new challenges which will inspire our people to continue to strive for a better life. So long as we remain conscious of our vulnerabilities and of the potential dangers, so long as we maintain the same spirit, cohesion, and will to achieve which we have demonstrated, we shall not cease to forge ahead. At the conclusion of the President's Address, Mr Speaker, preceded by the Serjeant at Arms, the Clerk, the Principal Assistant Clerk and the First Assistant Clerk, escorted the President (accompanied by two A.D.C.s) out of the Chamber and the House adjourned without question put, pursuant to the Standing Order. Adjourned accordingly at Ten Minutes to Nine o'clock pm.

MR WONG KAN SENG Minister for Community Development Singaporeans now look forward to a better quality of life. MCD will, with community participation, promote programmes to help the family and foster a cohesive, culturally vibrant and robust society. Helping the Family We will encourage community organisations to set up Family Service Centres in housing estates, in order to help families to cope with their responsibilities and be socially independent. We will support voluntary welfare organisations with basic infrastructure and financial assistance, and help them to provide welfare services to the needy. To help the aged remain physically, socially and mentally active, we will promote community-based services, and assist families to look after the aged in their own homes. We will upgrade senior citizens' clubs into activity centres to create more social and recreational opportunities for senior citizens. We are encouraging child care centres to be set up in housing estates and workplaces. We will train more personnel to meet the expanding demands for child care. Building Community Cohesion Community cohesion is important for social defence. MCD will create more opportunities for individuals, families, grassroots and community organisations to play active roles in building a cohesive society. We will strengthen the network of grassroots organisations, to improve rapport between the people and the government. These organisations will organise more family centred activites, and also reach out to residents of private estates and condominiums. Public education programmes and community activities will promote family and community values, inter-ethnic understanding and cross-cultural appreciation. The Feedback Unit has developed into an effective and credible channel for two-way communication between the people and the Government. The general public and the grassroots organisations are writing to it in larger numbers. The Unit publishes "Perspective", a regular newsletter to help Singaporeans understand major Government policies and proposals. We will continue to use the Feedback Unit as an instrument for consensus building. Improving Quality of Life We will set up a National Arts Council to spearhead the development and provision of cultural programmes and facilities, raise the standards of our artistes and provide a fuller arts calendar. We will build an Arts Complex, and possibly develop new museum galleries, to provide better facilities for the arts. Over the next five years, we will erect a new National Library building and three more branch libraries in Yishun, Tampines and Hougang. We will build five new sports stadia, four swimming complexes and four sports halls for new housing estates as part of our continuing "Sports for All" policy. The People's Association will redevelop the Outward Bound School into a modern adventure centre for youths. Malay/Muslim Matters The Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) will help in community efforts to eradicate drug addiction among Muslim youths. More Religious Counsellors will be recruited to counsel Muslim drug addicts. The Government will continue to work with Malay/Muslim organisations, especially Yayasan MENDAKI, to improve the educational, economic and socio-cultural status of the Malay/Muslim community.

DR YEO NING HONG Minister for Communications and Information Air Transport Changi Airport has earned the reputation of being the best airport in the world. When the second passenger terminal is operational in the last quarter of 1990, the first terminal will be upgraded. Together they can handle up to 24 million passengers a year. Sea Transport The new container terminal at Brani will be operational in 1992. We will strive to maintain our premier position, and to raise productivity through wider application of information technology. We also aim to develop Singapore into a regional cargo distribution centre and cruise centre, and an international maritime centre offering a comprehensive range of maritime services at competitive prices. We will continue efforts to enlarge Singapore's ship-owning and ship-management base. Telecommunications In 1990, Teleview, the world's first public photo-video text system, will begin full scale operations. This will bring information technology right into living rooms, and enable Singaporeans to improve their productivity and quality of life. In 1989 we became the first country in the world to have a nation-wide Integrated Services Digital Network. The service is currently linked to major cities in Japan. In the coming year, it will be extended to cities in the US, Australia and the UK where such services are available. We will also upgrade the national and international telephone networks with a fully digitised national telephone network by 1995. To further enhance the quality of mail services, we will build a new mail and parcel sorting centre by 1995. Land Transport We have implemented the quota system for vehicle registration. We are studying a scheme of weekend cars, to enable more Singaporeans to own cars without causing more congestion on the roads, especially during peak hours. Preparations for introducing the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system are going ahead. Construction of the MRT is nearly complete. The last station, at Boon Lay, will be open in July 1990. We are actively studying extending the MRT system to serve Woodlands and the North East sector. We will continue to improve public transport, by integrating bus and MRT services and introducing through-ticketing. Public transport operators will be encouraged to improve their quality of service. Information We will continue to manage and promote domestic and overseas publicity of Singapore and its national policies, and develop among Singaporeans a commitment to the nation by fostering a sense of identification with Singapore. Programmes, campaigns and publications will inform the Singapore public, instil pride and confidence in Singapore, and promote national values and ideals shared by all Singaporeans. We will extend our external information programme to countries outside the region, to strengthen our friendly relations with them and to promote investor confidence in Singapore. Broadcasting The 1990s will see the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) investing more in human resources and technology, to improve the quality and variety of its programmes to better serve our people. SBC intends to meet rising audience expectations through audience feedback, recruitment and development of creative talent, and the use of new technology. With the installation of a second satellite reception dish, SBC will offer viewers more up-to-date and varied programmes. It will also introduce digitally based stereo sound on television. In addition, SBC has also just extended transmission hours of telecast on Saturday mornings.

MR GOH CHOK TONG First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Singapore's national security depends upon a peaceful and prosperous Southeast Asia. A durable balance of power is necessary to assure regional stability. We remain committed to the Five-Power Defence Arrangements, and will continue to foster good relations with our ASEAN neighbours. At the same time, we will maintain the SAF as an effective fighting force, to deter armed threats, and to secure peace and security for Singaporeans. Renewing the SAF The SAF will have to upgrade and modernise, to meet the demands of the battlefield of the future. Where it is cost-effective, we will upgrade older weapons and equipment. Where this is not worth doing, we will replace old items by new equipment. Optimising Manpower Resources The SAF is already feeling the effects of low birth rates. The SAF structure will have to evolve. Units will have to become leaner. Over the long term, we will have to make maximum use of reservists. More reserve units will be formed. SAF divisions will have to incorporate both active and reserve formations. Motivation of SAF Personnel To gain maximum value from the weapons and equipment in the SAF, the people who maintain and operate them must be well motivated and effectively led. MINDEF will develop programmes to strengthen the motivation of all personnel, both active and reservist, and to enhance the command and leadership ability of officers and NCOs.

DR TONY TAN KENG YAM Minister for Education Over the past few years, we have taken several initiatives to improve the quality of secondary and post-secondary education. In the next few years, the Ministry will accord a higher priority to strengthening primary education, restructuring and further improving vocational education, and giving parents and students more flexibility and choice in our education system. Secondary Education Secondary school pupils will enjoy a more conducive learning environment as we phase in single-session schools. The new civics and moral education programme will be introduced in the upper-secondary levels in 1992. It will help pupils to imbibe a sense of civic and social responsibility and sound moral values. The academic, personal and social development of students will also be enhanced through more effective and innovative curricular and co-curricular programmes. All these will better develop pupils into caring and thinking adults and prepare them for a fast-changing technological era. As the independent schools consolidate, they will initiate new programmes, paving the way for more innovations in all schools. Post-Secondary and Vocational Education To meet the demand for trained manpower in the 1990s, we will build a third polytechnic, complementing the two existing polytechnics. It will have a full enrolment of 9,000 students, and will provide more training opportunities for 'O' level school leavers. Its permanent campus will be ready in 1993. The Vocational and Industrial Training Board (VITB) will continue to improve the quality of its training programmes. VITB will also assist and support voluntary welfare organisations in vocational training for the disabled and in running their training centres. Tertiary Education We will be upgrading the Nanyang Technological Institute into a comprehensive university in 1991, giving us two strong competing universities, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Together, these two institutions will offer a wide variety of courses, including courses in the performing and visual arts. NUS and NTU will also step up their post-graduate studies and research. In the next four years, together they will establish five institutes. NUS will have an Institute of Micro-electronics, a Clinical Research Centre at the Faculty of Medicine and a Centre for Advanced Legal Studies. NTU will have the National Institute of Education and the Institute of Manufacturing Technology. Primary Education To give our children a good start in education in the primary school years, we will improve the professional training of primary school teachers. In 1991, the Institute of Education will merge with the College of Physical Education to form the National Institute of Education (NIE), which will become an institute of the NTU. We will upgrade the present Certificate in Education programme to a Diploma in Education programme, and remodel the existing Diploma in Education course for graduates to a postgraduate diploma programme preparing teachers for both primary and secondary schools. We will also introduce a new four-year undergraduate programme to train primary school teachers. To provide a more conducive learning environment, we will build better-designed primary schools, improve facilities in existing schools and work towards the introduction of single-session primary schools. Language acquisition is central to learning. We will review the language curriculum with a view to providing pupils with a strong foundation for learning English and the mother tongue. Young Singaporeans must learn their mother tongues if they are to acquire a strong cultural foundation, and retain their Asian identities and values. We have started with the preparatory year programme in ten primary SAP schools. With the experience gained from this programme, the Ministry will consider how the benefits can be extended to the other primary schools.

DR AHMAD MATTAR Minister for the Environment The Ministry will continue to strive to make Singapore a model environmental city, with a high standard of environmental cleanliness and with citizens who are mindful of their social responsibilities. The treatment capacity of Kranji Sewage Treatment Works will be doubled with the commissioning of its extension in 1990. The Bedok Sewage Treatment Works will also be extended, to increase its treatment capacity by 50 per cent. It will be completed in three years. Phase IIA of the Bukit Timah Flood Alleviation Project will be completed by July 1990. More drainage projects will be undertaken as new areas are developed. Our rivers and waterways will be kept clean. The third incineration plant presently under construction at Senoko will be completed in 1992. We will then be able to deal with all the incinerable refuse generated in Singapore till the turn of the century. To meet our long-term needs, we will study the development of an offshore site off Pulau Semakau for disposing non-incinerable refuse and ash. We will also encourage and support the recycling of wastes. To maintain the quality of the ambient air, we will continue to ensure that industrial emissions comply with international standards. The Ministry will work with the Registry of Vehicles to control emissions from motor vehicles. We will progressively tighten emission standards for diesel vehicles imported into Singapore over the next two years, and take enforcement action against vehicles emitting excessive amounts of smoke. To improve the living environment, the Ministry will introduce legislation to control excessive noise at worksites. We will continue to ensure that hazardous chemicals are handled, managed and disposed of safely. To protect the ozone layer, consumption of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons has been reduced to 1986 levels, and will be reduced further by 1993. To improve the standard of public health, the Ministry will continue its drive to raise the standard of hygiene and cleanliness in all food outlets. We will continue to conduct food hygiene courses. Only persons with adequate working knowledge of food hygiene will be allowed to operate as food vendors. We will also continue to inspect food factories and promote mechanised production methods to ensure that food are produced under hygienic conditions. Public participation in environmental protection and improvement is vital. We will launch more vigorous long-term educational programmes to instil a greater sense of social responsibility and concern for the environment among Singaporeans. The annual Tree Planting Day will be expanded into a Good Environment Week, starting this year.

DR RICHARD HU TSU TAU Minister for Finance Fiscal Policy To foster the growth of the private sector, the Government intends to limit the share of the nation's financial and manpower resources taken up by the public sector. We will tax factors of production as lightly as possible, so as to improve resource allocation and to strengthen long term economic development. We aim progressively to simplify our tax system, to achieve an equitable balance between taxes on income and on consumption. Legislation on a broad-based consumption tax will be introduced this year. Actual implementation will be deferred for as long as the revenue position permits. We will continue to invest in the human and physical infrastructure needed to support long term economic growth, e.g. housing, schools and tertiary institutions, research and development, arts, culture and recreation, and other programmes to improve the environment and quality of life in Singapore. Development of the Financial Sector We will continue to encourage financial institutions to expand and diversify into a full range of sophisticated and higher value-added services such as capital market trading, fund and risk management and offshore reinsurance. Incentives will be provided to attract international financial institutions to locate their regional headquarters and treasury operations in Singapore. Regulation of Financial Institutions Our regulatory environment must promote innovation without compromising the integrity or reputation of the financial system. We will supervise financial institutions to ensure prudent financial practices and to safeguard the interests of the public. This will be done without stifling initiative or hindering ability to adapt to international financial and technological innovations. Privatisation Privatisation of government-owned companies in mature industries will continue. Activities of statutory boards which are primarily commercial in nature will also be privatised. Both Singapore Telecom and PUB have announced plans to do so. The Civil Service A major revision of Civil Service salaries and careers was carried out last year. We will adjust Civil Service salaries responsively, wherever they are out of line with the market, to keep the service attractive to talent. The flexible wage system implemented since 1988 links public sector wages with the overall performance of the economy and the productivity of the Civil Service. As public service salaries move nearer market rates, the performance of the service must come under stricter evaluation and public scrutiny. Management accounting systems will be introduced in all Ministries by 1993. The systems will measure more accurately the economic costs of services the Ministries and their statutory boards provide, and help us to identify poor performance and wasteful practices. To optimise use of the limited talent pool, a Corps of Senior Administrators (CSA) will be formed this year. The scheme encompasses the Civil Service, statutory boards and the Singapore Armed Forces. Talent will be identified and tracked, so that the most promising and suitable officers can be appointed to key posts.

MR WONG KAN SENG Minister for Foreign Affairs Momentous changes have occurred in international affairs. The geopolitical landscape has been reshaped beyond recognition. Communism has crumbled in Eastern Europe. A united Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals is emerging, as the European Community (EC) moves towards tighter integration and as cold war divisions are erased. East-West relations have never been better. Both the US and the USSR are drawing down their military forces abroad. Sino-Soviet normalisation is making progress. New global actors are coming on the scene. It will be some time before the full implications of these changes become clear. Amid the uncertainties, there are many opportunities. Our foreign policy must adapt, without compromising the basic principles of our national security and identity. We will strengthen existing ties of friendship and cooperation within ASEAN, and give more substance to bilateral relations. Our economic links with Indonesia and Malaysia are growing. We will continue to cooperate with them, especially in the economic development of Batam and Johor, and explore new areas of mutually beneficial economic activities. The easing of great power relations has increased the pressure to settle regional conflicts. In Cambodia, Singapore believes that the best solution is an UN Interim Administration that will neutralise the political environment and allow free and fair elections to be held. A just Cambodian solution will open the way to better political and economic relations with the Indochinese countries. The Asia-Pacific will continue to be a region of vibrant economic growth. Japan and the Newly Industrialising Economies (NIEs) will become economically and politically more important. We will work for greater common ground with the Asia-Pacific countries and, together with ASEAN, support the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Western powers make a vital contribution to regional peace and prosperity, through their military presence and economic involvement. The EC is preoccupied with its internal developments and with Eastern Europe. The US is re-examining its regional deployments. We will encourage both to remain politically and economically engaged in the region. We have offered the US the use of some military facilities in Singapore, for their ships and aircraft. The changes in Soviet policy under President Gorbachev have opened a new chapter in our relationship with the USSR. The visit of the Soviet Prime Minister was a watershed in our relationship. We can build up our links with the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe as their economies liberalise and open up. Economic relations with China are well established. We expect to normalise diplomatic relations with China after Indonesia has done so. Singapore will continue to build up ties with countries in South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and the South Pacific. New issues such as the environment, drugs and disease are now on the international agenda. Solving them will require multilateral efforts. Environmental problems pose a special challenge to all countries. We will do our part, within our means, as a responsible member of the international community.

MR YEO CHEOW TONG Ag Minister for Health We aim to build a healthy population and to achieve a high standard of health care for all Singaporeans. Restructuring of Government Hospitals The restructuring of hospitals began with the opening of the National University Hospital in 1985. The Singapore General Hospital followed in 1989, and the Kandang Kerbau and Toa Payoh Hospitals in April 1990. The restructured hospitals, being autonomously managed, will be able to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively, and look after patients better. Despite all efforts to improve efficiency and productivity, hospital costs will inevitably rise over the years, as medical services are highly labour and skill intensive. Part of these costs have to be passed on through fee increases. We will adjust fees regularly so that individual increases can be kept smaller. The Government will always subsidise patients using the B2 and C Class wards and services. But subsidies on Class A and B1 beds will be gradually phased out. The National Eye Centre will begin operations this year. Construction of the National Dental Centre and the Institute of Health will begin in 1991. In 1992 we will commission the first Community Hospital in Ang Mo Kio, and a psychiatric hospital to replace Woodbridge Hospital. Rebuilding of Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Kandang Kerbau Hospital, and the construction of a new general hospital in the eastern part of Singapore, will begin in 1992. We will set up three more Senior Citizens' Health Care Centres in the next two years. Hougang Polyclinic will open next year, and the Yishun and Woodlands Polyclinics in 1992. We will expand screening of young children for early detection of developmental abnormalities. Public Health We will strengthen efforts to discourage smoking, and mount anti-smoking campaigns yearly. We will also launch a public education programme on cancer this year. A Clinical Research Department has been set up this year to encourage medical research and development. Medisave 75% of all hospital patients now pay their hospitalisation expenses using Medisave. The average Medisave balance has increased from $2500 in 1985 to $3400 in 1989. A catastrophic illness insurance scheme, MediShield, will be implemented on 1 July 1990 to cover medical expenses arising from major and prolonged illnesses. Birth Rates The response to the New Population Policy has been encouraging. The total fertility rate increased from 1.4 in 1986 to 1.8 in 1989. We will continue to encourage Singaporeans to have three children, or more if they can afford it, in order to achieve replacement fertility levels.

PROF S JAYAKUMAR Minister for Home Affairs The Ministry's priorities are law and order, Civil Defence, the drug problem, and the problem of deterring illegal immigrants. Police Neighbourhood police posts will be set up in all constituencies by mid-1991. The Police will install an automated fingerprint identification system this year to speed up identification of suspects. They will computerise the Police Operations Room, to enable them to respond more quickly to emergency calls. Over the longer term, Police will upgrade crime detection and investigation through a computerised criminal intelligence system, voice-print analysis, polygraph analysis and other scientific means. The Marine Police will upgrade its command, control, communication and intelligence system to improve the security of our coastal waters. Police will build a new Police HQ, Traffic and Marine HQs, plan for a new Police Academy, and re-develop the Gurkha Contingent complex. Civil Defence With the integration of the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Singapore Fire Service, the combined Forces (SJCDF) have pooled their resources for a better response to emergencies and disasters. SJCDF will have a new command, control and communication system by 1990. This will help them to coordinate the deployment of their units, which are spread out in different locations in the Republic. SJCDF will also install a public warning system by 1992, and develop a Civil Defence Academy and a new HQ building by 1995. Drug Enforcement We will introduce legislation on asset seizure and money laundering as an additional deterrent against drug traffickers. The Central Narcotics Bureau will continue to suppress the supply of and demand for drugs. It will focus its preventive education programme on the more vulnerable youth groups. Rehabilitation Prisons Department will tackle the problems of overcrowding, manpower shortage and recidivism. It will build two new maximum security prisons by 1992 and a new drug rehabilitation centre by 1995. It will improve the classification system of prisoners and drug addicts for more effective rehabilitation. Identification and Immigration Control The National Registration Department will introduce a new improved and more secure identity card this year. The Immigration Department will introduce machine-readable Singapore Passports, to speed up clearance at the immigration checkpoints. It will upgrade the entry and exit points to provide better facilities and services to the public. For the longer term, the Immigration Department will re-develop the Woodlands Checkpoint to meet the anticipated growth of traffic up to the year 2005.

MR LEE YOCK SUAN Minister for Labour We will work with management and unions to maintain the harmonious industrial relations and protect the safety, health and social security of our workers. Labour Relations Our excellent industrial relations climate has attracted investments and created more and better jobs. We will work with management and unions to preserve it. Many firms have adopted flexible wage systems. We will encourage others to do so as flexible wages enhance job security and improve our ability to compete internationally. Foreign Workers We will encourage the recruitment and assimilation of skilled foreign workers. We will continue to regulate the demand for unskilled foreign workers through the foreign worker levy, and by limiting the percentage of foreign workers per firm. We have allowed employers in hitherto non-approved sectors to hire such workers. Employers hiring foreigners without work permits will face higher penalties. Older and Part-Time Workers We must change the attitude towards the employment of older workers. We have made good progress raising the retirement age among unionised establishments. We will step up efforts to encourage non-unionised firms to raise the retirement age to 60. If necessary, we will amend the Employment Act to do so. We will work with employers and unions to promote more part-time employment. Social Security The CPF scheme is now a very comprehensive social security net, with the introduction in recent years of schemes for dependants' protection, catastrophic illness, education, investment, and the Minimum Sum. We will improve services to members who use these schemes. We will bring more self-employed Singaporeans into the CPF scheme. The CPF contribution rate will be restored gradually to the long-term target of 40 per cent, with equal contributions by employers and employees. We will amend the Workmen's Compensation Act to revise the rates and make other appropriate changes.

PROF S JAYAKUMAR Minister for Law The Attorney-General's Chambers is helping the Law Revision Commission to prepare a Revised Edition of the Subsidiary Legislation of Singapore. This task is nearing completion. The Revised Edition is expected to be published by 1991, and will make subsidiary legislation easily accessible to the public and law practitioners. We will be upgrading the standard of prosecution work in the Subordinate Courts by progressively replacing Police prosecutors with legally trained Deputy Public Prosecutors from the Attorney-General's Chambers. By mid-1990, Government departments, law firms and the general public will be able to subscribe to Singapore Law Net, an electronic database containing the complete Revised Edition of the Singapore Statutes. Singapore Law Net will be expanded later to include Subsidiary Legislation. A case-management and litigation-support computer system will also be developed for use by the Attorney-General's Chambers. The Trade Marks Act will be amended to revise the penalties provided for breaches of the Act, and to take account of changes in commercial practice which make it necessary to protect trade marks not only of goods, but also of services. The Registry of Trade Marks and Patents will introduce the registration of service marks at the end of 1990. The Registry is reviewing our Patent Registration System to see how it can be improved to promote creativity and innovation, and to help Singapore develop into a centre of high technology. The Land Data Sharing Network Project is progressing smoothly. This project involves other Ministries, Statutory Boards and government authorities which deal with land-related information. The Land Data Hub, commissioned in April 1990, will enable the Government to manage data on land from the various sources more efficiently. The Lot Base System, a computerised inventory of land parcels and strata lots, will be in full operation by end 1990. The Registry of Titles and Deeds is computerising the registration and search of Land and Strata Titles under the Singapore Titles Automated Registration System (STARS) project. The Registry of Trade Marks and Patents will speed up the processing of trade marks applications by computerising its operations. The Ministries of Law and Home Affairs and the Attorney-General's Chambers are studying possible legislation to protect computer data and combat computer crime. The Survey Department is progressively implementing Surmap, a computerised system for storing digital maps. It has also set up the Micrographic Registry which provides the public with quality prints more quickly and cheaply.

MR S DHANABALAN Minister for National Development MND will strive to improve the quality of housing, roads, infra-structure and recreational facilities in Singapore. This will require judicious planning and innovative ideas for using our limited land resources. Housing The HDB will continue to build better housing to meet the desire of Singaporeans for more pleasant living. It will release more land in HDB estates for private residential developments. It will upgrade its old estates to bring them to the standards of new estates, and closer to those found in private residential developments. HDB has introduced a new booking system to enable it to build according to committed demand by applicants. Increasingly, prices of flats will reflect construction and land costs, and take into account buyers' preferences for locality, design and orientation, as in private developments. HDB will also simplify some of its rules and regulations. By 1991, the Town Council system will be well-established. Town Councils will give all HDB residents a say in the running of their estates. They will participate in the comprehensive upgrading of precincts, help make physical improvements to housing estates, and implement community projects. These changes will improve social and community relations in housing estates. Planning and Developing a City of Excellence The Ministry started the review of the Concept Plan in 1988. The revised plan should be completed by early 1991. It will safeguard land for major developments and guide the physical development of Singapore. URA will involve the private sector in its planning. Private sector architects are preparing detailed Development Guide Plans at Kampong Bugis and Simpang. In addition, URA will ask private sector architects to propose new ideas on housing forms and planning standards. The Ministry will place greater emphasis on the quality of the environment. It has formed a Water-bodies Design Panel to ensure that waterways and canals are aesthetically designed, and reclamation profiles are made more interesting. Where possible, waterways and canals will be used for recreation. The Ministry will release a steady supply of state land to the private sector, and announce in advance the annual programme of sale of sites. URA will continue to take the lead in the conservation of historic districts, and in creating a distinctive identity for the Civic District. Roads PWD will improve the road network to support a reasonable growth in the vehicle population. It will build new roads and expressways to new areas, besides widening and upgrading existing roads and expressways. It will build more interchanges to relieve bottlenecks at road junctions, and traffic tunnels to carry through traffic under the city. It will extend the computerised traffic management and information system to areas outside the Central Area to improve traffic flow. It will design pedestrian walkways to integrate them with public transport systems. Parks PRD will develop parks with diverse themes and character, to serve the different recreational needs of the people. It will build green corridors to connect parks and integrate them into a park network system. The new National Parks Board will tap the full potential of the Botanic Gardens, Fort Canning Park and the Nature Reserves. Construction CIDB will encourage the construction industry to improve quality and productivity. It will introduce incentives for contractors to upgrade through mechanisation, to introduce better construction management, and to raise the skill levels of workers. We will introduce legislation to encourage the formation and growth of large multi-discipline consultancy firms to provide comprehensive services. Primary Production PPD will maximise the productivity of our limited agricultural land by developing agro-technology parks. Pig farming will be completely phased out by the end of 1990.

BG LEE HSIEN LOONG Minister for Trade and Industry The Economy Singapore's average annual growth exceeded nine per cent for the past three years, higher than the four to six per cent that our indigenous resources, namely land and labour, can support. We will strive to keep up this growth for as long as possible, by raising productivity, tapping international and regional markets, and cooperating with our neighbours for regional prosperity. Singapore has benefitted by integrating our economy with the region. Our traditional entrepot trade in commodities has expanded to include raw industrial and other intermediate inputs. We are becoming a hub for services like telecommunications and tourism. Many multinational companies are distributing their activities throughout the region, to exploit the competitive advantages of each country. We will promote Singapore as a strategic node in their regional strategy. We will continue to encourage investments in high-value manufacturing-related activities like automated production, research and development, and product design. We will promote centres for data processing, financing, distribution, shipping, and aviation to the region. We will capitalize on our communication links, business infrastructure and strategic location, and encourage both local and foreign companies to invest in neighbouring countries to develop their potential. Productivity NPB's Productivity 2000 initiative focuses on five main areas: work attitudes, skills upgrading, labour-management cooperation, management practices and use of manpower. NPB is targeting for employers to spend four per cent of payroll to train workers each year, especially those more than 40 years old. The SDF will set aside $20 million a year for the next three years to develop better training programmes and facilities. It will launch a pilot video-based scheme for workers this year. Research and Development The Science Park will build three new blocks of starter units and a Software Technology Building. SISIR will provide technical consultancy and R & D incubator units to help companies, particularly SMEs, to upgrade and do research. We will restructure Government support for R & D including setting directions and priorities for new developments in the universities, the research institutes, the science park and the private sector. Public Utilities The PUB will spend $4.2 billion over the next five years to expand its generation, production, transmission and distribution capacities for electricity, water and piped gas. Pulau Seraya Power Station Stage II will be completed in 1993. Preliminary work has begun on the Linggiu Reservoir Project in Johore. When completed in 1993, the dam will enable Singapore to draw 250 million gallons of water a day from the Johore River, as provided for under the 1962 Water Agreement. PUB is discussing with Malaysia and Indonesia the purchase of natural gas. It is converting five boilers at Senoko Power Station from burning oil to gas. Infrastructure JTC will develop "business parks" to provide integrated facilities and buildings sited in well-planned park environments. Each park will accommodate a variety of business activities, e.g. design offices, data-processing centres, and marketing and distribution centres. JTC will construct three multi-purpose berths at Jurong Port to build it up as a significant regional bulk distribution centre. We will set up an Export Institute, an International Arbitration Centre and a Design Centre to support our exporters. We will develop more Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) application systems to increase the productivity of our traders. Tourism Singapore is one of the world's top convention cities. STPB aims to maintain this position by promoting incentive travel and overseas conventions. In 1990, STPB will open new offices in Seoul, Osaka, Perth, Zurich and Stockholm. We will continue to develop attractions that serve both Singaporeans and tourists. Work is under way to build a 3 km beach at Sentosa island. We will build a causeway to Sentosa, carrying a people-mover system. We will construct holiday camps, hotels and other attractions on the island. We will reclaim land between Buran Darat and Sentosa to build houses for resort style living, and for sports and commercial uses. We will develop the Southern Islands for recreational purposes.