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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 (2002-(2002- 2003)2003) Dr Lily Neo7 Dec14 Dec Dr Warren Lee9 Dec11 Dec 13 Dec16 Dec 18 Jan26 Jan Mr Wee Siew Kim9 Dec20 Dec Mr K Shanmugam11 Dec18 Dec 24 Dec27 Dec Mdm Ho Geok Choo12 Dec20 Dec Mr Cedric Foo12 Dec15 Dec 18 Jan22 Jan A/P Koo Tsai Kee14 Dec15 Dec 19 Dec28 Dec Mr Goh Chok Tong16 Dec17 Dec 10 Jan12 Jan Prof S Jayakumar16 Dec17 Dec 10 Jan12 Jan 26 Jan30 Jan Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed16 Dec20 Dec Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon16 Dec31 Dec Mr S Iswaran17 Dec29 Dec 12 Jan15 Jan 20 Jan24 Jan Mr Zainudin Nordin20 Dec22 Dec Ms Irene Ng22 Dec31 Dec Mr Matthias Yao23 Dec31 Dec Dr Ong Seh Hong26 Dec27 Dec 12 Jan15 Jan Mr Loh Meng See27 Dec30 Dec Dr Wang Kai Yuen27 Dec30 Dec Mr David T E Lim28 Dec31 Dec 10 Jan12 Jan 11 Mar13 Mar Mr Abdullah Tarmugi2 Jan3 Jan 9 Jan13 Jan 22 Jan30 Jan Mr Ang Mong Seng2 Jan6 Jan Mr Lee Yock Suan3 Jan11 Jan Mr Khaw Boon Wan3 Jan11 Jan Mr Inderjit Singh3 Jan12 Jan 15 Jan17 Jan NameFromFrom (2002-(2002- 2003)2003) Dr Mohd Maliki Osman3 Jan12 Jan Mr Raymond Lim5 Jan7 Jan 23 Jan25 Jan Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam7 Jan12 Jan Mr Charles Chong8 Jan11 Jan 16 Jan17 Jan BG George Yeo10 Jan12 Jan Mr Gan Kim Yong10 Jan16 Jan Mdm Halimah Yacob11 Jan24 Jan Mr Hawazi Daipi12 Jan16 Jan Mr Ahmad Md Magad12 Jan17 Jan Mrs Lim Hwee Hua13 Jan15 Jan 17 Jan18 Jan 3 Feb6 Feb Mr Arthur Fong13 Jan17 Jan 21 Jan23 Jan Mr Seng Han Thong16 Jan18 Jan Dr Vivian Balakrishnan16 Jan18 Jan Mr Davinder Singh20 Jan24 Jan Dr Low Seow Chay20 Jan- Dr Ong Chit Chung21 Jan22 Jan Dr Tony Tan21 Jan22 Jan Mr K Shanmugam21 Jan22 Jan Mr Lee Hsien Loong23 Jan29 Jan Mr Chew Heng Ching23 Jan25 Jan RAdm Teo Chee Hean31 Jan2 Feb 7 Feb10 Feb Dr Balaji Sadasivan1 Feb9 Feb Assoc Prof Ho Peng Kee8 Feb12 Feb ABDULLAH TARMUGI Speaker Parliament of Singapore
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - RSS COURAGEOUS - (Collision with ANL Indonesia) asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence (a) what are the causes of the collision between RSS Courageous and merchant vessel ANL Indonesia and (b) whether follow-up actions are being taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - RSS COURAGEOUS - (Collision with ANL Indonesia) asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence (a) if he will provide a status update of the recent collision between RSS Courageous and ANL Indonesia; (b) what measures are being taken to assist the family members of the deceased, especially on a longer term basis; and (c) how will the Republic of Singapore Navy ensure that this accident will not leave a psychological scar on existing navy personnel and impact the recruitment of potential navy recruits.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - RSS COURAGEOUS - (Collision with ANL Indonesia) asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence if he will explain how the collision between the naval vessel RSS Courageous and the container vessel ANL Indonesia occurred in Singapore waters recently.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - RSS COURAGEOUS - (Collision with ANL Indonesia) Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, I will take the three questions by Dr Ong Chit Chung, Mdm Ho Geok Choo and Mr Chiam See Tong together.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - RSS COURAGEOUS - (Collision with ANL Indonesia) Yes, carry on.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - RSS COURAGEOUS - (Collision with ANL Indonesia) Sir, the collision between the RSS Courageous and the merchant ship ANL Indonesia was a most tragic event for the Navy, the SAF and Singapore. On behalf of the Singapore Government, I offer our deepest condolences to the families of 1SG Seah Ai Leng, 1SG Heng Sock Ling, 2SG Chua Bee Lin and CPL Goh Hui Ling. This has been a very difficult time for their families and we share in their grief and sorrow. It is to be expected that Singaporeans want to know what happened that night and what caused the accident. The investigation by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is ongoing. MINDEF's own Higher Board of Inquiry is still in the process of putting up its report. It would not be appropriate for me to give a full public account at this point. But I will give Members some facts of the situation leading up to the collision. RSS Courageous, an Anti-Submarine Warfare Patrol Vessel, was conducting a regular operational patrol in Singapore territorial waters. This is part of the Navy's mission of safeguarding our territorial sovereignty. RSS Courageous was in the waters off Pedra Branca. There has been a spate of violations of our territorial waters at Pedra Branca by foreign state vessels recently. There were a number of violations in the two weeks before the incident, and there have been several since then. On the night of the collision, ANL Indonesia was heading out of the Singapore Straits towards the South China Sea. RSS Courageous was sailing in the opposite direction. The two vessels were headed in the general direction towards each other. RSS Courageous had detected ANL Indonesia on radar. ANL Indonesia was also visually sighted by the duty watch personnel on board RSS Courageous. The two vessels subsequently came into a close quarter situation, and both took action to try to avoid a collision. But unfortunately the collision took place. ANL Indonesia rammed into the right rear section of RSS Courageous and a portion of the tail end of the Patrol Vessel was sheared off. This portion included the aft mess, where four servicewomen who were off duty at the time were resting. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is carrying out an independent investigation into the incident, and MINDEF has given MPA our fullest cooperation in this investigation. The Commanding Officer and crew members of RSS Courageous have been interviewed by MPA. MPA expects to complete its full investigation by the end of the month and will make known its findings in due course. Separately, MINDEF has convened a Higher Board of Inquiry to determine what happened on the part of RSS Courageous. Until the various investigations are completed, we do not have a complete picture of the events that happened that night. At this juncture, it would not be appropriate for us to speculate on how and why the collision happened, or to apportion responsibility for the collision. I would like to reassure the House that MINDEF takes a very serious view of this incident and we will take close heed of the findings of the inquiries and rectify any problems that are identified. In the meantime, the RSN has taken immediate steps to reinforce the existing emphasis on safety and professional training. It is increasing checks on shipboard practices and operational training, and conducting a thorough review of its procedures and processes. Safety has always been a matter of high priority for the SAF. There are inherent risks involved in military activity, and we take every precaution to mitigate such risks with intensive and comprehensive training of our people and a thorough system for risk management. We cannot entirely rule out accidents no matter how safety conscious we may be, because other elements such as errors of judgement and mechanical failures sometimes come into play. Whatever the cause of the tragic accident involving RSS Courageous, the SAF will use the findings to make further improvements so that we further reduce the risk of another accident. We can be proud of the way the crew of RSS Courageous responded in the extreme circumstances after the collision and the way the whole Navy has responded since then. It underscores the capability, resolve, and professionalism of the RSN, and its esprit de corps. In the face of difficult sea conditions, the Commanding Officer and crew of Courageous fought to stabilise their severely damaged ship, while tending to injured crewmates and searching for those who were missing. They displayed their mettle in the face of grave adversity and professionally and resolutely carried out what they were trained to do. A search and rescue operation was launched immediately after the collision. In the immediate aftermath of the collision, the Police Coast Guard provided critical assistance. Over a period of ten days, the RSN and RSAF conducted an extensive and intensive search and rescue operation. We received valuable assistance from the Indonesian armed forces. In coordinating the search and rescue operation, the RSN also sought the assistance of the Malaysian armed forces for the search of the Johor coastal areas as we wanted to cover every possibility. We deeply appreciate the assistance and co-operation our neighbouring countries extended to our Search and Rescue operation. I should also note here the dedicated efforts of the salvage crew in their attempts to recover the sheared-off portion of RSS Courageous under adverse monsoon conditions. We know how difficult this must be for the families who have lost their loved ones and we are deeply sorry for their loss. After the incident, the RSN has been keeping in close touch with the families to give them support and provide assistance. Professional counsellors have also been helping them through this difficult period. MINDEF will continue to provide the necessary support to the families of the four servicewomen. This has certainly been a difficult period for the RSN and the SAF. But it is also in such moments of adversity that the real quality and character of the organisation and its people shine through. The RSN plays a vital role in protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Singapore's waters. We cannot shy away from our responsibilities in the face of tragedy. The RSN will continue to conduct patrols to safeguard Singapore's territorial waters. I have every confidence that the RSN and SAF will overcome this tragic event and continue to discharge their mission with even greater determination.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - RSS COURAGEOUS - (Collision with ANL Indonesia) Sir, I want to express our deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families and I am sure the RSN will put all this behind it, and learn and move forward. I want to ask whether the Deputy Prime Minister could clarify the Malaysian statement that Singapore had asked Malaysia for permission to conduct search and rescue operation in the waters off Pedra Branca. What is our response to the Malaysian request for such joint patrols? Further, could the Deputy Prime Minister clarify what he mentioned earlier, ie, there was a spate of violations of our territorial waters at Pedra Branca by foreign state vessels recently? Could the Deputy Prime Minister please tell this House what actually happened?
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - RSS COURAGEOUS - (Collision with ANL Indonesia) Sir, the incident happened in Singapore territorial waters off Pedra Branca and Singapore did not ask permission from Malaysia to conduct search and rescue operation. To put this in the proper context, in accordance with well-established international search and rescue procedures, there is an arrangement for aircraft to enter foreign airspace in a search area to conduct search and rescue operation, if necessary. This requires prior diplomatic clearance to enter foreign airspace. For this particular operation, both Indonesia and Malaysia granted Singapore prior diplomatic clearance to enter their airspace to conduct search and rescue operation. As for joint patrols, there is no question of joint patrols in Singapore's territorial waters. Sir, as you know, the Singapore and Malaysian governments have agreed to refer the issue of Pedra Branca to the International Court of Justice. In fact, both sides have agreed to proceed with the signing of the special agreement on 6th February to International Court of Justice. Unfortunately, Malaysian government vessels from both their navy and marine police have recently stepped up their intrusions into Pedra Branca waters and this despite the fact that the Malaysian government is aware that after the two countries agreed in 1994 to take the case to the ICJ what happened on the ground at Pedra Branca will have no bearing on the judgment by the ICJ. There were three violations by Malaysian state vessels over the last week of December. There were five more violations last week. In these incidents, the Malaysian vessels came close to Pedra Branca and conducted various activities. As Members know, the Malaysian media reported extensively on the 24th December 2002 incident where a Malaysian marine police patrol craft brought along a group of journalists. Besides these violations, it is also regrettable that the Malaysian government has seized on the tragic accident involving RSS Courageous to try to advance their claim to Pedra Branca. The Malaysian government presented a Third Party Note to the Singapore Government on 14th January 2003 protesting "the violation of Malaysia's territorial waters around the Malaysian island of Batu Putih" by RSS Courageous at the time of the collision. The TPN further stated that as the collision had taken place in Malaysian territorial waters, the Malaysian Marine Department had commenced investigations and the TPN attached forms for the Commanding Officer of RSS Courageous to submit to the Malaysian Marine Department. It is most unfortunate that the Malaysian government has chosen to exploit this tragic accident which can only serve to stir up emotions and make it more difficult to have an amicable settlement of the issue. Sir, Pedra Branca is Singapore's territory. The RSN will continue to carry out its mission of safeguarding Singapore's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The RSN will continue to patrol our territorial waters off Pedra Branca.
VESSELS PASSING THROUGH SINGAPORE - (Security measures against terrorist attacks) asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether Singapore, as the world's largest container trans-shipment hub, is a prime target for acts of terror; and (b) what are the measures his Ministry is taking to enhance security and harden the area against terrorist attacks for vessels passing through the area.
VESSELS PASSING THROUGH SINGAPORE - (Security measures against terrorist attacks) Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore has the world's busiest port. The Singapore Straits is also one of the world's busiest sealanes with about 140,000 vessels a year passing through it. It is Government's top priority to ensure that incidents similar to the suicide bombing of a French flagship, the Limburgh, off Yemen on 6th October last year do not happen here. Sir, although newspaper reports have highlighted the likelihood of terrorists seizing a ship and crashing it into another vessel or into a refinery or port, there is currently no specific intelligence of such an attack in our ports and the sealanes around Singapore. Singapore waters have been free of sea robberies inclusive of terrorism for the past 12 years as a result of relentless efforts put in by our security agencies. But we are conscious of evolving developments and are constantly looking for ways to protect ourselves against the terrorist threat. The Singapore Police Force, together with other relevant agencies, has audited and reviewed the security measures at our ports and other landing points. We have introduced enhanced security measures. These measures include ensuring security of our ports' perimeters, controlling access via security passes, checking of personnel, baggage and vehicles, closed-circuit monitoring of port facilities guards. These are landward security measures. On the seaward side, the three lead agencies, ie, the Police Coast Guard, the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, work together and have introduced additional security measures to safeguard vessels in our waters. Sensitive areas such as the waters around petrochemical installations and the approaches to them used by tankers are declared out of bounds to all other traffic. The Navy has also been escorting certain high-value merchant vessels such as oil and gas tankers, large container vessels and cruise ships through the Singapore Straits. The Police Coast Guard (PCG) has increased its deployment by 30% since September 11. The PCG is also in the process of upgrading its surveillance capabilities and acquiring newer and better patrol boats. Sir, Singapore was among the first few countries to sign up as a pilot port under the Container Security initiative to screen sea containers exported or trans-shipped to the US. As part of the initiative, US container security officers would be deployed in Singapore to work together with our enforcement officers to jointly target and prescreen containers bound for the US. In addition, Singapore will be deploying radiographic scanners at our ports from next month. The scanners will be used by our officers to boost their detecting capability for containers entering Singapore and help move containers in our ports in a more secure and expeditious fashion.
JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE - (Particulars) asked the Minister for Manpower for a breakdown of the number of job seekers (a) seeking employment assistance for the period January to December 2002 from (i) his Ministry, (ii) each of the five Community Development Councils and (iii) each of the four self-help groups (namely the Chinese Development Assistance Council, Mendaki, Sinda and Eurasian Association); and (b) successfully placed by the respective organisations as a percentage of the number.
JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE - (Particulars) asked the Minister for Manpower (a) if he will provide a status update on (i) the unemployment situation by occupation, age group and qualification (ii) job vacancies and their distribution in the various industries and (iii) the extent and success of job creation; and (b) what other measures will the Government consider to change the mindset of (i) employers with regard to employing those above the age of 45 years and (ii) potential job seekers, especially those who have been retrenched and are above the age of 45 years.
JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE - (Particulars) asked the Minister for Manpower if he will provide an update on the success of the 'People for Jobs' programme implemented by his Ministry, including the number of people who have enrolled in programmes such as the Skills Redevelopment Programme and the rate of job placement for these individuals.
JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE - (Particulars) asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the number of people who have sought assistance for jobs from the Community Development Councils (CDCs) in 2002 and how many of them have successfully gained employment; and (b) what is being done to further improve the job placement rates for retrenched Singaporeans who have sought help from the CDCs.
JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE - (Particulars) Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to take Questions 5 to 8 as they cover related issues on unemployment.
JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE - (Particulars) Yes.
JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE - (Particulars) In December 2001, MOM established the "Distributed CareerLink Network". This comprises 13 organisations - the five Community Development Councils (CDCs), the five self-help groups of MENDAKI, the Eurasian Association, SINDA, CDAC and the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP), as well as the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and the Singapore Professionals' and Executives' Cooperative (SPEC). This network was formed to improve employment assistance services to the unemployed. This Government and community organisations network would be more responsive to the needs of those looking for jobs. Mr Charles Chong and Dr Mohamad Maliki have both asked for a detailed breakdown of individual performances by the various placement agencies. I will provide data in four broad groups because they serve different communities: that of MOM itself, the CDCs, the self-help groups and others which are made up of SNEF, SPEC and NTUC. From December 2001 to November 2002, MOM provided employment assistance services to 54,600 visits from job seekers. 62% of the job seekers were provided with at least one job referral. Approximately 15% of all job seekers were placed in jobs within three months. In that same period, the CDCs collectively provided employment assistance to 38,310 job requests and placed about 13% of these into jobs. The corresponding figure for the self-help groups was 15,961 persons with a placement rate of 6.4%. SNEF, SPEC and NTUC together provided assistance to 8,206 job requests and placed about 19% of them. In total, MOM and its DCN partners attended to 117,000 job requests and helped 15,701 get jobs. This is about 13%. In 2002, 47,000 Skills Redevelopment Programme training places were taken up by 33,516 workers. Given that the number of unemployed now stands at around 80,000, these figures suggest that the majority of those looking for jobs know where to seek assistance and have made repeated visits to our Distributed CareerLink Network. Sir, at this juncture, let me correct the wrong impression that only 13% of those looking for jobs are successful. I have to clarify that the Distributed CareerLink Network caters to a select group of retrenched Singaporeans who find it harder to get jobs. In fact, our reemployment data indicates that in 2001 and 2002, 60-65% of those retrenched are able to secure a job within six months of retrenchment. The re-employment rate for the quarter ending September 2002 was 67%, the highest in the last two years. This indicates that the majority of Singaporeans who have lost their jobs are realistic. They know where to go for training and indeed are able by themselves to secure new employment. Government will continue to assist those with general enabling schemes. And in response to Dr Maliki's request on one such scheme - the People for Jobs Traineeship Programme - I am pleased to report that more than 3,000 companies from various sectors have hired approximately 8,000 workers in 2002. This particular programme provides an incentive to encourage employers to recruit workers who are 40 years and above who may lack relevant experience for the new jobs or work environment. The hon. Members' questions also touch on a more important concern that other Members of this House also share: "How can we help that particular group of Singaporeans like those which the DCN serves who are at higher risk of being structurally unemployed to get jobs?" Sir, the figures I have provided indicate that access to services - dissemination of information about jobs and provision of training courses - appears adequate, but the actual placement of jobs for this group of workers - about 13% - could be improved. In other words, we have told this group of people where the fish are, we taught them how to fish, but the actual number who are catching fishes could be better. Why is this so? Let me now ask the Clerk of Parliament to distribute a fact sheet (Tables (Cols. 2131-44) Nos. 1, 2, 3A, 3B and 4), which contains the data on the unemployment and vacancy situation sought by Mdm Ho Geok Choo. She has asked for a detailed list. I have provided it and I do not propose to go through the detailed list. Let me just summarise and say that while there were 72,000 unemployed residents at the end of September last year, there were over 17,000 job vacancies in various sectors. We also have nearly 450,000 foreign workers here to supplement our local workforce; in other words, 450,000 potential jobs held by foreign workers at this point of time. So, in that context, why should there be Singaporeans who are unemployed? Since its inception in January 2002, the Jobs Task Force has posed this question to ourselves and to our members who comprise CEOs of various industries, unionists, mayors, EDB, and as well as those looking for jobs. Let me share with you some of the common reasons given to the Jobs Task Force for this select group of workers. First of all, the pool of jobs available is relatively smaller compared to the past. We had a tremendous run - 15 years of above 7% GDP growth that created, in essence, two jobs to every Singaporean. In that climate for 15 years, even those with less skills could wait for that `dream' job. But as we have been deliberately repeating, the world has changed. No mature economy, which we are, expects to achieve such growth rates and job creation. Instead, fewer jobs will be created which will have higher value-add. Lower skilled jobs will also be available but may be in more vigorous working conditions. It would be unrealistic and indeed frustrating to wait for the best job to come along. In the marine industry, 30,000 jobs were created in the last five years and even now, there are about 1,300 vacancies. With overtime, the take-home pay is substantial, with a median wage of $1,800 per month, but Singaporeans shun this industry. In the retail and restaurant sectors, there are 2,000 vacancies now but these jobs are not attractive to locals. Even in the manufacturing sector, there are about 3,000 vacancies. However, some Singaporeans who qualify for these jobs do not want to work in wafer fabs because they dislike donning suits, working in clean rooms or the 12-hour shifts. Others have practical difficulties. For example, some, especially mothers with children, find it difficult to work shifts because the hours make it difficult to juggle their roles as caregivers and breadwinners. Others still find travelling to factories in certain parts of Singapore too far. Companies do provide transportation, but they have to wake up earlier to get to work on time. These are practical considerations which I empathise with. We are working with related agencies to see how to address these impediments. We have also had feedback that some Singaporeans looked at wages and calculate the take home pay minus CPF, transport and meals. If the wages are low compared to what they used to earn, they may decide that it may be better to wait for better times. Perhaps some can afford to do so since the average retrenchment benefit in our last survey was 5-6 months, and they have some savings to live on. But we cannot count on the luxury of waiting for a better and higher paying jobs to appear soon. MOM will continue to work with its partners at Spring, EDB and DCN agencies and the MPs to help workers adjust to the new environment to alleviate unemployment. We will continue to upgrade job matching and referral services, market training programmes, and disseminate labour market information to job seekers and also residents who want to retrain themselves for higher-skilled jobs and help workers adjust to the new economic conditions. A recent survey conducted for full-time Skills Redevelopment Programme graduates who have completed their courses between May and August of last year showed that one in two of those who participated in the course secured a job within three months. These figures are encouraging and indicate that those who upgrade themselves do enhance their employability and get meaningful jobs.
JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE - (Particulars) Sir, I was indeed surprised to learn that there are so many job vacancies available. Could I ask the Minister to enlighten this House as to how he has arrived at these numbers and the specific reasons why Singaporeans reject these jobs which are now available?
JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE - (Particulars) Sir, I have provided detailed figures, in terms of the job vacancies, and these are data collected from current job vacancies. HR personnel and other related streams of information tell us that these are the jobs available. So, these are hard figures. As to how to make Singaporeans take up these job vacancies, there are many factors why they do not in the first place, and you have to address them one by one. Some Members may have come across a number of mind-changing initiatives that we have tried to undertake to help them adjust to new job market conditions. And as I have said, we will continue to tackle these issues by working with industry and our related partners to try to increase their acceptability.
JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE - (Particulars) Sir, I requested detailed figures of the individual breakdowns of the various organisations. The Minister of State has not provided the detailed breakdown yet. Could the Minister of State confirm that the Ministry of Manpower has the individual figures, and he would provide them to me, if not now, then in a separate note?
JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE - (Particulars) Sir, I did not choose to nit-pick and give details of 13 agencies, not because we do not have the data, we do have the data. But I wanted to be clear, to send the signal, which I think the question implied more than what was asked. I am sure that the hon. Member is not obsessed with details. What I wanted to show was the four groups, which tend to different sectors of workers, have different results, and you can see from even within the four groups that there are different measures of success, if you like. I also wanted to emphasise that in the overall universe of those who were retrenched, that it was about 67%. In other words, the majority of people who lose their jobs know where to look for the information and get it. More importantly, I wanted to emphasise the point that it may be wrong, and we would arrive at erroneous conclusions by comparing different members in different agencies, because the people that they tend to are different - different employability, potential, different educational and training skills. Another point which I also want to emphasise is that while it is useful and, indeed, it should be commended, that there are efficiencies to be gained from enhancing our job-matching skills, we should not exaggerate the potential of that impact. The answer to job creation is to make our economy more attractive so that we can increase the overall pie. MOM and its DCN partners must, of course, continue to work in this current climate, to make sure that where there are jobs available, we should help people to get them and, indeed, as Mr Sin says, there are jobs available, about 17,000 vacancies. When I read about the initiatives of Mr Charles Chong and Mr Ahmad Magad, and his Tampines GRC MPs, I was cheered, because of their job programmes which have 1,500 vacancies. I think such measures are to be commended. MOM is willing to work with MPs who would want to serve their constituents better, and give them the information that they need. But we should not exaggerate the impact of that potential. There are jobs available. We will try to increase our efficiency and where we can, we will continue to work at that.