Hansard, 2000-05-23

PERMISSION TO MEMBERS TO BE ABSENT 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: NameFromTo (2000)(2000) Mr J B Jeyaretnam 23 May23 May Assoc Prof Chin Tet Yung 23 May23 May Mr K Shanmugam 23 May23 May Mr Lee Kuan Yew 23 May23 May Mr Davinder Singh29 May17 Jun NameFromTo (2000)(2000) Mr Goh Chong Chia6 Jun11 Jun 15 Jun21 Jun TAN SOO KHOON Speaker Parliament of Singapore

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES asked the Minister for Communications and Information Technology whether he will consider banning or introducing stricter laws on the carriage of people, in particular workers, on the open backs of pick-ups and lorries.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government allows the carriage of workers in goods vehicles. This will help reduce business costs. We should continue to do so, provided the workers' safety is not compromised as a result. Under the Road Traffic Act, the owner or hirer of a goods vehicle is allowed to use the vehicle to transport his workers to their place of work or business subject to various safety rules and requirements. For example, the workers must be properly seated and in a manner that would not cause them to fall off the vehicle. For pick-up trucks, the vehicles are required to have proper side railings to further protect the passengers. In addition, the drivers of such vehicles are not allowed to carry an excess number of passengers or travel faster than the stipulated vehicle speed limit for goods vehicles, which is currently set at 50 km per hour. Penalties for the violation of safety rules and requirements are stringent. The LTA monitors the situation closely and, if necessary, they will work together with the Traffic Police to step up enforcement action against drivers or vehicle owners who violate the safety rules and requirements while conveying workers on their goods vehicles.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Sir, I would like to ask whether allowing the continuance of carriage of workers in open trucks is a contradiction of trying to build a gracious society in terms of how we treat foreign workers.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Sir, I think the answer is no. What is more important is safety. So if safety is not compromised, and if they are seated properly, I think it is an acceptable way of transporting workers in this part of the world.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Do we have an assurance that there will be a step up of enforcement? Because it is evident travelling on the road every day that there are breaches of these rules.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Yes, indeed, LTA and the Traffic Police have been stepping up their enforcement and will continue to do so. We will also publicise the rules so that companies know how to behave.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Sir, in what way does the LTA monitor the carriage of these passengers? What has been done? Because I see that many of them are packed and some of them appear to be over-packed from time to time.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Sir, in the same way that we enforce traffic rules, speeding, and so on and so forth. Just to give the Member an indication, in 1998, 206 goods vehicles were booked for committing these offences and in 1999, this number has increased to 486. So we will continue to send a strong message to these companies.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Sir, is message enough? That is what I am trying to find out. Because many of the passengers are perched in very dangerous positions, and if safety is one of the basic requirements, then other alternative arrangements would need to be undertaken. So I want to know what plans there are for improving transportation conditions for these workers.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES It is not just a message. We have stringent rules. For instance, depending on the floor area of the vehicle, there is a formula that calculates the permissible number of passengers. The fines are also quite steep. And we are also looking at other measures, for instance, hand straps or hand holds and, if practicable, we can get them installed.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Sir, may I ask the Minister of State how many workers have been injured using this mode of transportation so far, and have any workers died because of this mode of transportation?

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES According to Traffic Police statistics, they have monitored accident rates involving goods vehicles, but they have not divided them, eg, whether the injured are open back passengers or passengers in the vehicles. But even this figure shows that the number is quite low compared to, for instance, motorcycles. If you are concerned, motorcycles are even more risky. But, of course, the point is that if you observe safety rules, then there is no concern about safety. The reason why motorcycles have high accident rates is that a lot of them speed and do not observe traffic rules. My point is that as long as we observe safety rules, there should not be any safety concern. And if the Member is interested in the actual figures, I can give him a comparison. For instance, number of passengers killed in 1999 for pick-ups and lorries, 2 (and we do not know whether they are the open back passengers or the drivers); number of people killed for motor-cycles, 11 (5 times). So I do not see the concern.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES May I ask the Minister of State so far, how does the Ministry enforce the rule that the workers are safely transported during the night, especially during the early morning where construction works are going on along the roads?

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Sir, as I said, there are traffic regulations, whether it is the proper lighting of the vehicles, or whether it is our road conditions, road lighting, and so on. And, of course, there are measures that we can look further into, for instance, fixing of luminous tape at the back of the vehicle. All these can be measures to enhance safety.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Sir, I do not think we should wait for an accident to happen before acting on it. Will the Minister of State consider stiffer penalties such as impounding the vehicles that are caught breaching the rules?

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Sir, I think the present penalty is stringent enough. Let me just give the Member the figure. The punishment for first time offenders is a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding three months.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Will the Minister of State consider labelling the vehicles on the maximum number of persons they can actually accommodate?

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Yes, I have just said that there is a formula, depending on the floor area of the vehicles.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES Can you label it on the vehicle itself?

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - CARRIAGE OF PEOPLE ON OPEN BACKS OF PICK-UPS AND LORRIES I will ask LTA to look into this.

(Effect) asked the Minister for Finance, in the light of the Singapore Pools' intention to open 50 more betting outlets in various parts of Singapore, whether his Ministry has considered that by allowing legalised gambling to be more accessible to the public, it can have a long-term unintended effect of indirectly influencing and promoting undesirable values amongst more Singaporeans.

(Effect) Mr Speaker, Sir, in any society, there will always be people with the propensity to gamble. It is far better for the Government to provide legal channels for gambling; as otherwise, those who wish to gamble would be encouraged to do so through illegal operators. The number of Pools' outlets of 150 has been kept constant for 14 years despite a 12-fold increase in sales. The growth of the lottery market has therefore created the urgency for new outlets. If we do not make it equally convenient for people to bet at legal outlets and offer a reasonable standard of customer service, the long queues could well drive them into the laps of the illegal operators. Retailers appointed will have to observe strict operational procedures prohibiting service to persons under 18 years of age.

(Effect) Can I ask the Minister if there are any studies to substantiate that opening more legal betting outlets will help to reduce the number of illegal betting outlets? That is the first question. Second question: May I ask the Minister whether, as a means of counter-balancing any ill social effects of making betting outlets more accessible, there will be a public education campaign, similar to the anti-smoking and anti-drinking campaigns, to remind the public of the ill-effects of gambling or excessive gambling?

(Effect) On the first question, it is impossible to obtain accurate statistics. We would have to ask the public at large: do you patronise illegal outlets? What do you think the answer is going to be? So I think it would be quite difficult to obtain the figures he wants. On the issue of a public education campaign, I think that is something we can do, although excessive gambling is undesirable. But I do not think the level of gambling in Singapore has reached a stage where we need to mount a major campaign. We are nowhere near the propensity of gambling compared to many other countries.

(Effect) Sir, by opening 50 more outlets, is that not a signal to the people of Singapore that it is all right to gamble or to condone gambling?

(Effect) I do not think so. We have 150 outlets. Another 50 outlets will be provided to make it more convenient. We believe that unless you can say that gambling can be wiped out altogether, which I think it is impossible, then we have to make it reasonably convenient for those who want to have a flutter to be able to do it conveniently, and that is the main purpose. From 150 to 200 outlets over 14 years is not a large number.

(Effect) Could the Minister consider making such premises nondescript and enclosed so that under-aged people are restricted from entering the premises?

(Effect) To do that defeats the purpose. I think he would appreciate that the locations selected are reasonably far away from places where children will gather, schools, places of worship, and so forth. Pools will exercise due care and not to place outlets at places where children might be attracted to, although legally children are not allowed to patronise them anyway.

(Effect) Sir, on the one hand, the Government tells the people of Singapore that gambling is anti-social, it is bad for the family. On the other hand, it is making it more convenient, opening more outlets for people to gamble. How does the Government reconcile the two?

(Effect) I think it is very difficult to reconcile human nature.

CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION OF BUSINESS FIRMS - (Renewal fee) asked the Minister for Finance, in regard to renewal fees of Certificates of Registration of Business Firms, what is the reason for those who pay by Giro paying less (i.e. $75) and those who pay by cash paying more (i.e. $105).

CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION OF BUSINESS FIRMS - (Renewal fee) Mr Speaker, Sir, the differential fee structure for the renewal of Certificates of Registration for Business Firms was implemented on 1st April 2000 to reflect the different costs of processing the different modes of payment. Before 1st April, the annual renewal fee was $25. This rate has remained unchanged since 1974. As a result of increasing costs over the years, the fees for renewal by cash and cash equivalents had to be increased to $105 for three years to reflect the higher operational costs. If, however, renewals are done by GIRO, the processing costs are lower. Therefore, MOF is able to pass on the cost savings to the business firms, and keep the renewal fees unchanged at $75 for three years, or at $25 per year.

CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION OF BUSINESS FIRMS - (Renewal fee) Sir, people are asking why there is such a big differential rate. When you pay by GIRO, it is only $75 and when you pay by cash, it is $105. So they are asking: as far as the registration of business firms is concerned, cash payment does not have the same value as paying by GIRO.

CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION OF BUSINESS FIRMS - (Renewal fee) By paying cash, you require someone, a clerk, at the counter to receive and process the cash. For GIRO, you do it by just pressing a button. Surely, the difference is quite significant, in terms of cost processing. Lower cost of electronic processing is not only applicable to business registration but to other activities where you are moving away from counter services to electronic services.

LICENSING AND CONTROL OF CATS The following Question stood in the name of Mr Simon S C Tay - 4. To ask the Minister for National Development what are the policies and practices relating to the licensing and control of cats.

LICENSING AND CONTROL OF CATS Question No. 4, Sir.

LICENSING AND CONTROL OF CATS Mr Speaker, Sir, cats are not licensed in Singapore. Unlike dogs, cats would not play an important role in the spread of rabies in the event of an outbreak in Singapore. Hence, the licensing of cats to enable quick location of the animals for disease control is not necessary. However, under the HDB Rules, lessees are not allowed to keep cats in HDB flats because it is difficult to confine a cat within a flat. By nature, they tend to wander around and can find ways and means to get out of the flat thus creating a nuisance to other residents. The Agri-food and Veterinary Authority's (AVA) policy on the control of stray cats is to promote responsible cat ownership within the community through a voluntary Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme implemented by various town councils. This scheme was successfully tried out as a pilot project in Tanjong Pagar Town Council in 1998. A survey of residents in this area showed that more than 80% of them were agreeable to having the stray cats around, provided the cats are sterilised and managed so that they do not cause problems. To date, 39 areas under 12 town councils are registered under the scheme. Under the Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme, volunteers get the stray cats in their community sterilised. They assist town council officers to attend to complainants of cat problems and help to resolve them. The volunteers feed the cats in an organised and hygienic way. They clear away the food remnants after feeding the cats. The sterilised cats do not reproduce and their presence deters other non-sterilised cats from settling in the area. Unsterilised cats and cats causing nuisance can be removed from the area. AVA loans cat traps free of charge to residents who are bothered by stray cats and will collect the trapped cats without charge. Impounded cats which have been tagged, ear-tipped (to indicate that it has been sterilised), or have any other indication that it is owned, will be detained for five full working days after they are collected by AVA. Subsequently, cats that are not claimed from AVA will be put down humanely. Stray cats are usually found in areas where food is readily available. Hence, the effective control of stray cats requires cooperation of every member of the public to dispose food waste properly and also not to feed the strays indiscriminately. Very often, well-meaning citizens feed strays indiscriminately and leave food scraps lying around. Such unhygienic practice not only increases the stray cat problem, it also exacerbates other animal nuisances, such as crows, pigeons and especially vermin. The AVA is currently reviewing its policies and practices with a view to control indiscriminate feeding of animals as well as the abandonment of pets.

LICENSING AND CONTROL OF CATS Although cat is not my problem, I am asking on behalf of somebody else. If the Minister of State is in agreement that we should control cats, why do you not license them so that at least we do not shoot the wrong cats, to begin with, and whoever is the owner will have a responsibility in making sure that the cat does not stray around, but is confined to the flat?

LICENSING AND CONTROL OF CATS Sir, I do not think licensing is the solution to stray cats. The cat can still move around and create nuisance, or scavenging on food, and so on. So I do not think there is a need, at this point in time, to license cats.

LICENSING AND CONTROL OF CATS If you can license dogs, what is the difference for licensing cats?

LICENSING AND CONTROL OF CATS If something is not necessary, why do you want to create that machinery and system, just to do something which some people want.

SINGLE SESSION SECONDARY SCHOOLS - (Adjustment to reporting time) asked the Minister for Education whether any secondary school has adjusted the daily reporting time with the introduction of single session so that students do not have to wake up so early to get to school on time.

SINGLE SESSION SECONDARY SCHOOLS - (Adjustment to reporting time) Mr Speaker, Sir, no secondary school has done so.

SINGLE SESSION SECONDARY SCHOOLS - (Adjustment to reporting time) Sir, I would like to ask the Minister that since secondary schools have gone into single sessions, do we not want to encourage schools to start later so that their children will not tire themselves out by having to wake up so early to catch the school bus?

SINGLE SESSION SECONDARY SCHOOLS - (Adjustment to reporting time) Mr Speaker, Sir, principals are free to decide what time they wish to start school in the best interest of their students.

SINGLE SESSION SECONDARY SCHOOLS - (Adjustment to reporting time) Sir, generally, the feedback from principals is that school bus operators have to operate within certain hours. Without the Ministry coming out with a suggested later starting hour, most schools will be reluctant to make the change.

SINGLE SESSION SECONDARY SCHOOLS - (Adjustment to reporting time) Sir, most secondary school students find their own transport to go to school and they do not usually take school bus. Principals are free to decide for themselves what time they wish to start school.

HAW PAR VILLA AND TANG DYNASTY - (Long-term plans) asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether his Ministry has any long-term plans for theme parks such as Haw Par Villa and Tang Dynasty, for which the number of foreign and Singapore visitors has been dwindling over the years.

HAW PAR VILLA AND TANG DYNASTY - (Long-term plans) Mr Speaker, Sir, the Singapore Tourism Board has accepted the surrender of Haw Par Villa by International Theme Parks (Singapore) Pte Ltd, or ITP. ITP had sought to operate the park based on its theme of Chinese mythology, but found that this is not commercially viable. STB will keep the park open to the public for the time being, while it explores options for the park's future. Tang Dynasty has also incurred losses since it started operations in the early 1990s. The park is currently under judicial management, and talks are ongoing with a third party to take over the park. Failing which, JTC would re-tender the site out and retain the use of the land for recreational purposes.

HAW PAR VILLA AND TANG DYNASTY - (Long-term plans) Would the Ministry consider opening up the attractions free of charge to the public, as in the past, as heritage attractions, in the case of Haw Par Villa?

HAW PAR VILLA AND TANG DYNASTY - (Long-term plans) Our plan is to find a third party to take over the park, to redevelop it, to enhance its attractiveness and manage it.

HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read.

HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Objective of Bill The objective of the Bill is to amend the Housing and Development Act to enable the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to introduce a new class of upgrading works, known as "special upgrading works", to cater for block works that will directly benefit only some flat owners in a HDB block and to remove the restrictive covenant that HDB flats can be used only for residential purposes to enable the flats to be used as home offices under the Technopreneur Home Office (THO) Scheme. Sir, let me now explain the rationale for the amendments in greater detail. Special Upgrading Works In implementing the Main Upgrading Programme (MUP), MND and HDB have been receiving requests from Members of Parliament and residents for upgrading works which are outside the scope of the standard upgrading packages offered to MUP precincts. This has arisen due mainly to the many different designs and configurations of HDB blocks, and the diverse needs of our HDB residents. Take, for example, lift upgrading works. At present, HDB provides lift upgrading only to HDB blocks that meet a set of criteria, such as lift-to-flat ratio and the accessibility rate. These criteria are necessary to ensure that the upgrading works carried out are cost-effective. Some HDB blocks are unable to meet the criteria, mainly because not all the flats are served by common corridors. For these HDB blocks, it will be necessary to add extra lift shafts and lifts in order to provide direct lift access for all the residents in the block. The benefits of such works are obvious, especially for the elderly and those with mobility problems. Some Members of the House have fed back to my Ministry that lift upgrading is one of the more appreciated items in the MUP. However, these works can cost anything between $10,000 and $30,000 per flat. There is therefore a need to obtain a strong endorsement from residents before we proceed with the works. The Bill seeks to introduce a new class of upgrading works, known as special upgrading works, to cater for block works of this nature. The objective is to give HDB greater flexibility to do more during the MUP to bring maximum benefits to the largest number of Singaporeans living in various types of HDB blocks. The special upgrading works will proceed only if they are valued and endorsed by the residents. To gauge the level of support for such works, HDB will conduct a separate poll among flat owners who stand to benefit directly from the works. HDB will implement these works only if the minimum 75% "yes" vote is obtained. The Government will pay a majority share for such upgrading works. However, flat owners who stand to benefit directly from such works will be required to co-pay part of the cost. This is only fair. It also helps to ensure that flat owners consider the need for such upgrading works carefully. Use of HDB Flats As Home Offices Let me turn now to the subject of allowing HDB residents to use their flats as home offices. Sir, in order to create a conducive environment for technopreneurs to start a business easily and at low cost, the Technopreneur Home Office Scheme was set up. This scheme allows technopreneurs to operate their IT-related start-up businesses from HDB and private residential premises. However, HDB flat leases issued prior to 1983 contain covenants which impose on lessees the obligation to use the premises solely for residential purposes. These covenants are made between the lessee, HDB and all other lessees in the same building. This means that consensus amongst all the lessees living in the same building is required if a particular lessee or tenant wishes to conduct activities beyond those of a residential nature. This Bill discharges HDB and the affected lessees from this obligation under the lease and allows all HDB flats to be used as registered offices of companies. This will facilitate the use of HDB flats as home offices under the THO scheme. Nonetheless, NSTB and HDB will regulate the scheme to ensure that the residential character of public housing estates and the safety and comfort of surrounding residents are not affected. Administrative Measures In addition to the two main amendments that I have highlighted, the Bill also introduces some administrative changes to improve the enforcement of public housing regulations and policies. Firstly, the Bill allows HDB to prosecute any person who knowingly makes any false statements to HDB in relation to the sale, purchase, mortgage or transfer of an HDB flat. Secondly, the Bill confers on HDB the exclusive use of HDB's logo and the acronym "HDB" by making it an offence for other persons to use HDB's logo, the acronym "HDB" or one that is so similar as to cause any deception. Thirdly, the Bill removes the requirement to obtain the sanction of the Public Prosecutor before HDB takes prosecution action for offences committed under the Housing and Development Act or Rules. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.

HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL Sir, most Members in this House must have heard about this IQ question: A man who stays on the 12th storey of a flat always takes the lift up to the 9th storey and walks up three storeys to his flat. However, when he leaves for work every morning, he always takes the lift on the floor where he stays, ie, the 12th storey. Why? The answer is that the man is short, not tall enough to press the upper button. He can only press the lower button so he can reach only the 9th storey. But in many of our mature housing estates, many residents living on the upper floors are doing exactly the same as the short man though they are not short. Why? It is because our lifts do not reach the top floor. Our lifts do not stop on every floor either. Thus, residents living on the upper floors have to walk up or down a few storeys to take the lift. This is especially so for residents of the 4-room segmented blocks. Due to structural constraint, some need to go a few storeys down to the common corridor floor, and walk past a few units to take the lift; as not all staircases are equipped with a lift. As a standard, only two lifts are provided in a block where there are five pairs of staircases. Thus, residents wish that a new lift can be added to the segment. As a result, when we urge residents to vote "yes" for the Main Upgrading Programme, the most frequently asked question is, "Will the new lift stop on every floor?" or "Will there be a new lift in our segment?" Residents also comment that in the lift that serves a 12-storey block, we normally can find only five buttons. The buttons numbered "5" and "9" are to enable you to reach the 5th floor and the 9th floor. And one more button is for everyone to go down. The other two buttons do not bring you up or down. It is just meant for the door to open or close. An hon. Member: What about emergency?

HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL For emergency, it is the green button. Normally, we do not press this button. Sir, HDB's existing lift upgrading criterion is that each new lift landing must serve at least four dwelling units. This has caused disappointment and unhappiness to residents of 4-room segmented blocks as there are only two units in each of the segment on every floor. Residents are of the view that they should benefit from the new lift landings at every floor if there is already a lift and should not be deprived of it just because the proposed lift landings cannot comply with the criterion. During my meet-the-people sessions, there have been several requests from senior citizens or families with aged parents of swapping their flats with those on the floor where there is a lift landing. I must commend Mr Mah for moving this amendment. As Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Ageing Population, he is in the best position to understand the frustration and disappointment of residents who cannot enjoy easy access to the lift due to the existing regulations. It is timely that we made these amendments to meet the needs of an ageing population. It will be too late if we do not make this amendment in time as such segmented blocks constitute 22% of all the high-rise blocks built by HDB. More and more of these blocks will undergo the Main Upgrading Programme. Though similar blocks in the earlier MUPs were not given the full lift upgrading, it cannot justify that all other segmented blocks should not be given full lift upgrading just because the earlier blocks could not. The Bill empowers HDB to carry out selective polling and payment for special upgrading works. I support this as this will give the affected HDB blocks a more realistic chance of achieving the minimum 75% vote as only flat owners who will benefit directly from the works will vote and pay for it. However, the residents are concerned about the cost of sharing as it may be too high that they cannot afford. The Minister did not mention the percentage. Thus, I would like to urge the Minister to set a lower ratio so that the owners need to pay, say, 15% to 20%, instead of the normal 30% for the additional upgrading item, especially if they opt for a new lift. Sir, I support the Amendment Bill.