Hansard, 2004-03-12

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: Name From (2004) To (2004) Mr Davinder Singh 13 Mar 13 Mar Mr Sin Boon Ann 17 Mar 19 Mar

ABDULLAH TARMUGI Speaker Parliament of Singapore

Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [3rd Allotted Day].

Head P - Ministry of Home Affairs (cont.) ---

Resumption of Debate on Question [11th March, 2004],

"That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100." - [Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung].

Question again proposed.

Sir, may I just respond to some of the points raised by Members concerning homeland security and terrorism yesterday before we adjourned.

Sir, international terrorism remains a significant threat to global security in spite of increased efforts by many countries, including Singapore, to combat terrorism. Al-Qaeda is believed to retain the capability and intention to mount terrorist attacks, and its ability to inspire like-minded terrorist organisations and radical individuals to become instruments of terror has not diminished.

Terrorist attacks remain unabated. In May last year, suicide bombers attacked residential estates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, causing heavy casualties. Six months later, suicide bombers struck Riyadh again, also targeting innocent civilians. Just yesterday, the European Union experienced its worst terrorist attack in recent history in the Madrid train bomb blasts. These attacks not only underscore the ruthlessness of terrorists in their determination to harm innocent civilians, but also demonstrate the extent of our vulnerability. In addition to attacks on land, the possibility of a major aviation or maritime attack by terrorists, which will result in severe loss of human life and dire economic consequences, cannot be ruled out. Terrorists have even explored the use

of chemical and biological weapons in attacks.

Sir, closer to home, terrorist organisations like the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Abu Sayyaf Group continue to pose a significant threat to security in our region. The suicide bombing attack of the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in August last year is a case in point, as it is the worst attack in the country since the suicide attacks in Bali in 2002. "Soft targets" remain the greatest risk of another attack, as terrorists, who are constantly on the look-out for opportunities to carry out their operations, face more obstacles in targeting hard or heavily fortified targets like embassies. The Philippines continues to experience sporadic incidents perpetrated by suspected militants, while southern Thailand recently faced a spate of attacks early this year beginning with a raid on one of its military armouries.

Mr Ravindran has asked for an assessment of the terrorist threat faced by Singapore. Terrorism still poses the gravest threat to our country's security. Singapore remains a prime target for attack. The regional JI terrorist group has not been eliminated despite the arrests of key JI terrorists like Hambali and Arifin Ali and our crippling of the local JI network through a series of security operations that began in December 2001. The most recent one was the January 2004 detention of two more JI members and the placing of restriction orders on 12 Singaporeans.

JI militants, like Azahari Husin (who is an expert bomb maker), Noor Din Mohd Top, Dulmatin and Zulkarnaen remain at large, and are reportedly planning more terrorist attacks. Another concern is that the JI has shown itself to be a resilient organisation, which is already grooming its next generation of leaders and operatives. This is evident in the recent discovery of the JI "Al Ghuraba"

cell in Pakistan in September 2003. What is more disturbing is that the arrests in Pakistan indicate that the next generation of JI leaders, if they are not stopped in their tracks, would be "better educated" and better trained. They would have undergone a more structured religious indoctrination at radical madrasahs, and trained with established foreign militant groups like Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. Moreover, the fact that the JI has gone beyond Southeast Asia into South Asia demonstrates its resourcefulness and ability to network with other terrorist groups.

Mr Ravindran also asked about our state of readiness in preventing terrorist attacks in Singapore. We are well prepared. Till now, we have been able to stop planned attacks by using a combination of good intelligence, international cooperation and security measures, which we review regularly to keep pace with the changing conditions.

Mr Ravindran also raised the issue of whether our security agencies have become better at sharing intelligence. Intelligence sharing is not new. After September 11, we strengthened our inter-agency cooperation on counter-terrorism. A Joint Counter-Terrorism Centre, hosted by the Internal Security Department (ISD) and the Security Intelligence Division (SID), was set up to provide intelligence assessment on terrorism. ISD's Counter-Terrorism Research Division maintains a round-the-clock website for the security and intelligence community in Singapore. This website houses a terrorism database and postings of the latest terrorist threat alerts and information for immediate dissemination to all significant parties who need to know.

Sir, let me update the House on some of the key measures we have taken to strengthen security. First, we have imposed 100% security screening of visitors and vehicles entering Singapore

by land since March 2003 to prevent terrorist infiltration and the smuggling in of arms and explosives. We make good use of technology to ensure effective checks, despite the heavy volume of visitors and vehicles. For example, radiographic scanners are deployed to screen sea cargo at PSA sea terminals at Tanjong Pagar and Pasir Panjang. We will buy more such scanners to beef up our cargo screen capacity at our checkpoints.

Second, we have enhanced security for critical installations and "hardened" "soft targets" in Singapore. Recently, enhanced security measures were taken at areas where large numbers of people congregate, such as Mohamed Sultan Road, to minimise the possibility and impact of bomb attacks.

Third, we are acting to deter terrorists from mounting unconventional attacks in Singapore. Licences are now required for the import, transport and storage of flammable substances such as magnesium and hydrogen over a certain threshold quantity. We have also taken steps to prevent terrorists from gaining access to dual-use goods like explosive precursors, radioactive substances and toxic materials. A security review of critical biological laboratories has been carried out to reduce the likelihood of terrorists getting hold of highly contagious pathogens from the laboratories in Singapore.

Dr Mohamad Maliki has asked if the enhanced security measures have affected the productivity at our checkpoints. In the current global security environment, Singapore is not the only country that must balance efficiency with security needs. With the ongoing terrorist threat, we must build security considerations into the way we conduct commerce and businesses. Members may recall that last year, I informed the House that as we stepped up security checks at our checkpoints, some inconveniences

might be experienced during peak hours. But the occasional inconveniences are but a small price to pay to enhance our security. Let me add that our officers at the border control points have done very well in responding to the added security demands placed on them.

Sir, the Government has done much to protect Singapore against terrorist attacks. But the war on terror is a shared responsibility between the Government and our people and businesses. Everyone must be aware of the terrorist threat and play his part in fighting terrorism. In the White Paper on the JI that we tabled here last year, the Government had asked Singaporeans to approach the authorities if they were aware of terrorist or other suspicious activities. I am pleased to report that Singaporeans have indeed become more alert. Last year, the authorities received some 120 calls, that is, one call every three days, from members of the public about suspicious people or vehicles. Such efforts increase our chances of busting yet another terrorist plot or attack.

It is also important to strengthen our social cohesion and resilience as a society, so that Singaporeans are strong enough to carry on with their lives, even if a terrorist incident were to take place. To achieve this goal, my Ministry works closely with other agencies, such as MITA, which drive mass-awareness programmes and public education efforts like the "Anti-Terrorism Preparedness Workshops" at the constituency level.

The Home Team is also engaging the community directly on security issues. For example, we have conducted nearly 1,000 briefings to build awareness of the terrorist threat and encourage everyone to assist the Government in combating terrorism. For the business community, in particular, the briefings seek to increase

their security awareness and encourage them to take ownership of their own security. After the Jakarta Marriott Hotel bombing last year, about 300 CEOs and senior management of hotels and major commercial buildings were briefed, and given a security handbook "Guide to Securing Your Organisation's Security". I was encouraged to note that our efforts had been effective when I read a Straits Times' article on 10th December last year that hotels were treating the terrorist threat seriously, and were beefing up security on their premises. Some had set up clusters to coordinate anti-terror responses, while others had implemented security measures like restricting parking at critical frontages or erecting anti-charging barricades to deter vehicles from charging in.

For the general community, our efforts are aimed at educating everyone about the security threat and the measures that they can take to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) plays a key role in these efforts. It has refocused the theme of its Community Emergency Exercises to prepare the community for a terrorist attack. It has also enhanced the role of its civil defence volunteers. The Home Team, together with the People's Association, will build on the network of civil defence volunteers, in rolling out a new grassroots programme to prepare residents to deal with such emergencies as infectious disease outbreaks, water shortages and bomb blasts. I am pleased to note that the idea of forming teams to deal with emergencies was suggested by the grassroots leaders themselves - it indicates that our efforts to involve the community in security are making good progress.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force formally introduced the In-place Protection Procedure to public housing during Civil Defence Day in September last year, to help residents protect themselves against

a hazardous materials release or terrorist attack. The in-place protection procedure is being progressively extended from residential buildings to commercial and industrial ones through their Fire Safety Managers. In January this year, the occupants of some 13 commercial buildings around the Raffles Place MRT station successfully exercised the in-place protection procedure during a multi-agency exercise simulating the release of a chemical agent within the station. The SCDF will engage more companies this year to guide them in designing in-place protection plans.

The Police also engage the community on security threats. They have distributed information pamphlets on counter-terrorism responses and instituted target-hardening mobilisation exercises. To-date, 51 Security Watch Groups, comprising representatives from

357 buildings, have been formed to encourage private building owners and security managers to implement target hardening measures.

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Dr Mohamad Maliki asked whether we use a colour code in our public alert system like some other countries, for example, the United States. No, we do not. Instead, we inform those who are the potential target of a terrorist attack directly and quickly so that they can swiftly take the appropriate preventive and protective measures. This approach has served us well. It ensures that we do what we need to do, without generating unnecessary anxiety among the general population. If not, every time we raise a code, people get anxious; we bring it down, they will say, "Times are back to peaceful time again", and so on. That would cause a lot of anxiety to our population.

Although our security measures are resource-intensive, I would like to assure Prof. Chin and the House that our success

on the terrorism front has not come at the expense of Police law enforcement duties. The Police has made the organisational adjustments to meet the surge for manpower, for example, by increasing recalls of operationally ready National Servicemen and deploying officers in staff positions to operations. I would elaborate on this later on.

Sir, international cooperation is a vital component in the fight against terrorism because terrorism is a transnational problem which no country can fight alone.

My Ministry has been sharing intelligence about terrorist identities, movements and activities with other countries. This has contributed to several successes, such as the arrest of the JI members, like Hambali, Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, Arifin Ali and the Singapore JI leader, Mas Selamat Kastari, in our neighbouring countries. Arifin's arrest had in turn led to the discovery of a terrorist plot to bomb certain embassies and targets in Bangkok, and the Singapore Embassy was one of those targets. This gave the Thai authorities the lead to investigate and arrest the culprits before they could complete their planning, thus averting a tragedy.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked about our cooperation with the Malaysians and the Indonesians. I wish to inform Members that cooperation with the Malaysians has been invaluable in our efforts against the JI. The Malaysians were the first foreign intelligence counterparts that ISD alerted on the JI case. We gave law enforcement officers from Malaysia and Indonesia access to our JI detainees to assist them in their investigations. We also assisted the Indonesian authorities in their prosecution of cases by allowing the detainees they had interviewed and who were willing to testify through video-conferencing at the trial of Abu Bakar Bashir.

International cooperation is critical also in the area of aviation security. Our air marshals are operationally ready and are flying to selected countries, providing security cover to our national carriers. This arrangement allows us to meet foreign demands for protection for our national carriers flying to other countries. We are also working towards developing a protection system for our airlines against the threat of surface-to-air missiles.

Mr Tan Soo Khoon asked what my Ministry has done to deal with the threat of maritime terrorism and piracy. Mdm Ho Geok Choo has also asked on the extent that our Police Coast Guard (PCG) has beefed up its resources.

Within Singapore waters, Sir, the Police Coast Guard undertakes law enforcement and security policing. Mdm Ho would be assured to know that the PCG has increased its manpower establishment by 134 permanent posts, so that the security operational deployment within our Singapore territorial waters will be strengthened. PCG has also developed projects to boost its training and operational capability. These projects include enhancing surveillance and monitoring capabilities, and buying new training simulators to improve the realism and the scope of training options for our PCG officers. All these projects serve to improve the effectiveness and professionalism of our PCG officers. The PCG will continue to upgrade its capabilities to face new challenges. On the landward side, the security of facilities serving maritime assets has also been enhanced.

The Police Coast Guard's strong enforcement efforts have been highly effective. One measure of success is that since 1990, there has been only one reported sea robbery incident within our Singapore waters. We have also received

intelligence that the stepped-up measures to safeguard our territorial waters have made it difficult for human smuggling syndicates to convey illegal immigrants to Singapore by sea that they now have to resort to asking the illegal immigrants to swim to our shores under the cover of darkness.

Sir, we have also taken a serious review on our port security. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is implementing security measures to meet the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) newly introduced International Ship and Port Facilitiy Security (ISPS) Code. In the pipeline are other proposals like the need for all vessels, including Singapore registered small craft, to be fitted with transponders to let authorities identify them electronically. This is beyond the IMO requirement for identification transponders for vessels above 300 gross tonnes.

Nonetheless, Mr Yatiman and Mr Tan Soo Khoon correctly pointed out that there has been an increase of piracy attacks, and a real risk of terrorists collaborating with pirates outside Singapore territorial waters, especially in the Straits of Malacca. This is a vital waterway not only for us but also to the world. International and regional cooperation is key to preventing terrorist attacks and piracy and ensuring the safety of our sea lanes. One international initiative to address piracy is the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Anti-Piracy in Asia (ReCAP). All ASEAN nations, Japan, China, Korea, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are working under ReCAP to set up an information network and a cooperation regime to prevent piracy and armed robbery against ships in the regional waters. We have worked closely with our neighbours too. One such example is the IndoSin Coordinated Patrols, a bilateral anti-sea robbery cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia, involving both the navies and police coast guards.

Mr Yatiman Yusof and Mr Tan Soo Khoon also mentioned the dire consequences if a tanker were hijacked and used as a bomb as it is piloted towards our shores. To minimise this threat, vessels deemed to be of higher risks must give a 24-hour advance notice of their arrival, and are required to move along specific designated routes. Their movements are closely tracked using our Vessel Traffic Information System and the Automatic Identification System by the MPA. As a deterrent, the Navy also carries out selective escort of high value or high risk vessels through the Singapore Straits.

As piracy attacks and maritime terrorism grow in sophistication and complexity, we need to adopt a multifaceted approach on maritime security and to strengthen our linkages with the Government agencies. I would like to assure the House that my Ministry works closely with the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Transport, the Maritime and Port Authority in maritime security. DPM and Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence, Dr Tony Tan, recently announced the creation of a high-level Maritime Security Task Force to tackle piracy and to further strengthen our maritime security. The Task Force has identified a number of preliminary tasks, including strengthening multilateral cooperation, enhancing coordinated patrols and other operational measures to deal with the issue of maritime terrorism, and enhancing law enforcement to deal with piracy.

Sir, the Government has put in place a strategic National Security Framework, which enables strategic policy coordination and intelligence sharing among the Home Team, MINDEF, SAF and other Government agencies involved in security and counter-terrorism. This synergy, among these agencies, has been greatly enhanced since September 11, with the creation of new outfits, such as

the National Security Task Force, the Homefront Security Office and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. These structures enable us to integrate our counter-terrorism efforts and streamline coordination between MINDEF, MHA and other Government agencies. Nevertheless, DPM and Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence, Dr Tan, is currently leading a review of our Strategic Framework for National Security to make our policy coordination and intelligence sharing even more seamless and sustainable in the long term.

Within my Ministry, we have reviewed our operational coordination framework to dovetail the overall strategic framework review. Sir, since 1978, the Government has an inter-agency management structure called the Executive Group (EG), which is tasked to manage all civil security-related incidents. The EG is headed by my Ministry comprising the Permanent Secretaries of Ministries and Chief Executive Officers of statutory boards. It has been successfully tested in such crises as the rescue efforts when Hotel New World collapsed in 1986, and the hijacking of SQ 117 in 1991. It has met regularly over the years to discuss contingency plans for managing crisis situations for a wide range of scenarios including terrorist bomb explosions, hostage situations, aircraft hijacks and civil emergencies, like building collapses and air crashes. More recently, the EG was activated to help the Ministerial Committee to manage the SARS crisis. It is currently maintaining an oversight on the Avian flu situation, and coordinating the inter-agency contingency plans to handle an outbreak, if one should occur in Singapore.

Sir, my Ministry has reviewed the crisis management structure in order to improve it. The Ministerial Committee, which I chair as the Minister for Home Affairs, will be formalised as part of our crisis management framework. It will

provide policy guidance during a national crisis. The Ministerial Committee will be named the "Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee", while the Executive Group will be renamed the "Homefront Crisis Management Executive Group" and its scope expanded to deal with all civil contingencies, including security related ones. Multi-agency subgroups that report to the Executive Group can be formed, where necessary, so that cross-agency issues can be coordinated and resolved quickly. A Homefront Crisis Management Centre will be established to support the Ministerial Committee and the Executive Group to maintain the latest situation pictures and perform horizon scanning of emerging potential threats. The enhancement to the crisis management structure will enable my Ministry to plan for contingency responses more holistically.

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Sir, our multi-pronged strategies and integrated approach towards security have thus far kept the threat of terrorism at bay. The right against terrorism will be for the long haul because terrorism has become a global and regional phenomenon. Dr Mohamad Maliki would be happy to hear that we will continually adjust our strategies to suit changing conditions and seek international cooperation

to narrow the space for terrorists to operate. However, whilst the Government can take all the necessary measures, we need the public and the business community to be firmly with us as strategic partners in the fight against terrorism. I am confident that we can win this fight, just as we have overcome the deadly SARS with our tenacity, determination and unity.

Youth Crime

Sir, when the police force recently released

the crime statistics for 2003, I noticed that there was a slight increase in youth crimes. I am very concerned whenever there is a rise in youth crime because, if we can check youth crime, we will prevent many youths from progressing to become adult criminals.

As such, I would like to ask the Minister whether any study has been done to identify the causes, and also to develop new strategies to deal with youth crime. In particular, I would like to ask whether many of these crimes are related to gang activities. I would also like to ask the Minister how MHA deals with schools, the community and families to help youths to prevent them from committing criminal acts. How does the MHA deal with youth offenders? Do all youth offenders get charged in court or do they get warnings and are given a second chance, because we do not want to spoil the future career of youths by charging them at a young age and getting a criminal record? What is the approach in dealing with youth offenders?

Sir, in addition to the questions from the speaker before me, can the Minister enlighten us on the trends of crime involving youths, say, for the last few years? Is it true that more teenage girls are getting involved in gang-related activities? What are the lessons that we can learn from these trends and what efforts have been made to arrest such unhealthy trends? From the information culled thus far, are we able to have a profile of the youths who have a high risk of being involved in delinquency or crime? Having such a profile would enable the authorities to direct their efforts in a more effective manner and to take more preventive upstream measures. This should reduce the problem in the longer term. Is the Minister able to share with us the profile of such high risk groups? If the Minister is not disposed to do so, could he see whether the profile

information could be shared in confidence with relevant persons, such as school principals or grassroots or community leaders?

As spoken earlier, there are other aspects to these issues besides legal enforcement. Delinquent behaviour could be related to family, social or school problems. Curbing delinquent behaviour among youths therefore requires the coordinated involvement of several parties, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Community Development and Sports, schools and even parents. Would the Minister agree that such a coordinated and comprehensive approach would be more effective and, if so, are there efforts being made in this regard?

Sir, building on the comments from the two colleagues who spoke before me, I also note with concern the rise in the figures for youth crime. I think it is important that we try to guide our youths on to the right path, so that they do not develop into adult criminals. In this connection, I would like to ask the Minister whether there has been any correlation between the increase in youth crime and the growing attendance of our young people at entertainment venues, and also whether or not there is a correlation between the increase in youth crime and the increased use of drugs by young people. I say this because, even as our society frees up, I think we have to strike a very good balance between allowing for more fun and not wanting to jeopardise the future of our young people, but at the same time maintaining the overall discipline of our society.

Proceed with your next amendment, Mr Heng.

Loan Sharks

Sir, we hear regularly of the trauma that residents face

as they are harassed by loan sharks. In many of these cases, the loan sharks harass those families because certain members of the family have taken loans from them and have not paid up on time and so on. At the same time, I also hear regularly of families whose members did not borrow from loan sharks, and those families include instances where they had purchased flats from other households, and then the loan sharks may be actually pursuing people who had borrowed from them but who had been members of the previous household, the one which had sold the flat to them. I also notice that there had been instances where it seems that different loan sharks pursue and harass these families, suggesting that the borrowers, after they had sold the flat, had continued to use the old identity card in order to take up new loans with different loan sharks, therefore, causing more harm and harassment for innocent parties.

In this connection, I applaud the stepped up efforts of the police in curbing loan sharking and in arresting the loan sharks. At the same time, I would like to ask the Minister whether more efforts are being done to track down these borrowers and, in particular, those who had borrowed using identity cards that have not been updated, and whether besides constituting an offence under the National Registration Act for not changing the address on time, there are other offences such people may have committed and therefore other penalties would then apply.

Auxiliary Police Force

Sir, for many years, the CISCO and Auxiliary Police Force in Singapore have been known to be the major service providers for security services. Over the years, it has grown

both in size and capacity. While we have seen other security service groups, such as the Airport Police and the PSA Police, entering the area, the very nature of these groups' operations which are confined within the geographical areas, has left CISCO to be the real monopoly in offering such services nation wide.

Sir, such services are not free. Over the years, we have found that the cost in hiring security service from CISCO has increased. Community and non-profit organisations organising major events, especially in open public areas are required to provide safety and security personnel to ensure public safety. They have no choice but to hire the CISCO police. I understand that for the last Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown, the organiser had to fork out as much as $150,000 to pay for the CISCO service. The duration and scale of celebration are said to be the reason why they have to pay such a big amount. I wonder whether the continuation of this monopolistic situation is good for the public. As competition is known to lower the cost and improve the quality of service that will ultimately benefit the consumers, I think it is high time to allow new player or players into the field. This, I think, is the direction that we should take. I would like to strongly suggest that the Ministry help to initiate or facilitate the creation of a competitive auxiliary police service. I would appreciate the Minister's comment on this matter.

Quality of Security Guards

Sir, I am very heartened to hear from the Minister this morning about his Ministry's very integrated homeland security policy and its very comprehensive series of measures to deal with the security threat. It is in this context that I am raising the question

over the quality of security guards that we have.

Traditionally, security guards are employed to safeguard properties and premises and the safety of people in such premises and at events. Now, of course, they should actually form part of a new vital link in our anti-terror efforts. What are the various policies and regulations that we have pertaining to the recruitment, training and monitoring of service standards of the security guards that we see so prevalently in shopping centres, condominiums and other places? Are they appraised and brought into this whole Home Team effort, so to speak, so that we can also rely on them for preventive as well as remedial action? In this regard, are there national standards in the recruitment, training and service quality of this category of personnel? And are these standards adequate in today's security-conscious environment?

Citizenship Policy

Sir, I had prepared a speech urging the Minister to amend provisions in the Constitution on citizenship by descent to ensure gender equality for both Singaporean men and women. I had also taken quotations from speeches made by Members in this House, from Dr Kanwaljit Soin in 1994, several other MPs through the years, and from Ms Irene Ng who made a speech on this subject just last year. However, DPM Lee's response to Dr Amy Khor's speech on Wednesday had made my speech really redundant. It now leaves me just to request the Minister for details as to when the constitutional amendments will be made, and could the Minister also explain the circumstances which led the Government to change its position on this issue. Perhaps, hon. Members would benefit by getting an insight into how sacred cows or "scared bulls" get slaughtered in Singapore.

Sir, similarly, as with Mr Charles Chong, I was very happy to hear DPM announce that the Government has decided finally that the children born overseas of a Singaporean mother and a foreign father will be accorded citizenship by descent in the same way as children born overseas to a Singaporean father have been all these years. This is in fact the only tenable decision possible in this day and age if we are to claim to be a modern and progressive society.

While the absolute numbers of children to benefit from this may be small, the significance of the change is huge, as it heralds the recognition that Singaporean women are not second-class citizens. I would like to acknowledge the Minister's efforts in presenting a persuasive argument to Cabinet to move them to this decision and, as with Mr Chong, I would like to ask when we can look forward to the constitutional amendments that will enable this. I trust that there will not be any remaining conditions which will continue to differentiate between the citizenship rights of Singaporean men and women in this matter.

Sir, many Members have spoken on the rising crime rate and expressed concerns on specific areas concerning law and order, youth crimes, crime against the elderly, and so on.

Let me first touch on the overall crime situation so that we can all see this in perspective and not just look at little peaks from time to time on specific issues and then get too concerned about it. Of course, we are very concerned about every increase and every aspect of crime. I will deal with them one after another later on.

On the overall crime situation, last year, the total seizable offences increased by about 5% to around 33,600 compared

to the year 2002. The corresponding increase from 2001 to 2002 was 10%. That means that we increased at a slower rate. The increase was mainly attributed to increases in offences, such as drink-driving, housebreaking, cheating and related offences. The increase was also due in part to the intensified policing efforts which resulted in more arrests. Last year, nearly 24,000 persons were arrested, an increase of about 8% over that of 2002. These figures should, however, be seen in the context of an overall declining crime rate since 1988. The crime rate in 2003 is still lower than that in 2000. It works out to about 800 crimes per 100,000 population, a figure lower than that in many other parts of the world. Singapore remains a safe place to live, work and bring up families. As I have said, even during times when the crime rate was falling, the reality is that the crime rate will go up and down from year to year. It will fluctuate. Whichever way it goes, the police will continue to take effective steps and work with the community to keep Singapore safe and secure. Keeping Singapore safe and secure is not just the primary responsibility of the Police. As it is with the issue of counter terrorism, all Singaporeans have a part to play.

On crimes against the elderly, Sir, a few Members expressed concern over crimes committed against the elderly. In year 2003, there were 104 elderly victims of robbery, a slight increase from the 95 cases in 2002. Many of these were actually committed by two serial offenders. One of them was responsible for over 50 cases of robbery, most of which were committed against elderly persons. The number of elderly persons who were cheated also rose from 63 to 87 last year.

11.45 am

Although these numbers are small when compared to the 389,000 elderly

persons in Singapore - by that, I mean those who are aged 60 and above - Police views such crimes seriously and will spare no effort to track down the perpetrators. In 2002, Police noted a spate of robbery, snatch theft and cheating cases committed against the elderly. Only 21% of the cases were solved at that time. Police quickly intensified its crime prevention and public education efforts. This bore some results as Police managed to solve half of such cases last year.

Mr Heng Chee How suggested prescribing tougher penalties in the law for those who commit a crime on an elderly person. The Member no doubt drew this idea from the enhanced penalties we have for specific offences in the Penal Code when these are committed against a domestic worker by the employer or member of the employer's household. These provisions were introduced as domestic workers are kept in the confines of their employer's home and isolated from the rest of the community for most of the time. This makes them more vulnerable to being abused by the employer. But the situation is slightly different here for the elderly, for the young and so on. Besides the elderly, there are also other vulnerable groups such as young children, the handicapped and people with mental deficiencies who may be vulnerable and fall prey to crime. Do we then prescribe heavier penalties for offences committed against these groups of people? The answer must be no, we should not do that.

A better and more pragmatic approach is that, at the prosecution level, when the case is being put up in court, the prosecution will ask for a deterrent sentence, after taking into consideration the various aggravating factors, including the circumstances in which the crime was committed. That is a better approach. In

other words, if there are reasons why a deterrent sentence should be asked for, an offence, which has been committed against an elderly person or a young child, then it will be up to the prosecutor to make his case for a deterrent sentence. This will give flexibility in the application of the law. Let me give an example. In the case of a serial robber who preyed on the elderly, the offender was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane. Already, the prosecution knows what to do when there is a need to ask for an increased penalty.

Besides tracking offenders and bringing them to justice, the Police also works with other agencies to organise crime prevention activities. Last year, there were over 1,100 of such events reaching out to nearly 110,000 elderly persons. Those with elderly persons in their family can help by explaining the various crime prevention messages to the elderly.

Prof. Ngiam suggested that elderly persons be equipped with personal devices, such as sirens, like some ladies used to carry. These are already widely available. If the elderly want to use it, it is up to them to decide. Nevertheless, where the Government can help, it will, and it has already done so. For example, to deter people from committing robbery in lifts, CCTVs and lift doors with glass panels are already progressively introduced in our HDB estates. Members would have seen these in the newer estates and upgraded HDB precincts. I would encourage the private condominium developers to also do the same.

On youth crime, Sir, several Members have raised concern over the increase, in particular, shop theft and rioting. Several Members asked what is being done to address this problem. Last year saw a marginal increase of 5% in the number of youths arrested, from 4,441 to 4,658. This is a much smaller increase compared

to the 61% increase from 2001 to 2002. Similar to the trends in the previous years, 60% of the youths were arrested for shop theft, simple theft and rioting. First-time offenders made up 70% while 74% were students.

Just like the overall crime rate, we should not read too much into these fluctuations. Mr Ahmad Khalis asked about the fluctuations in previous years and what were the figures and whether we share such information concerning the profile of these people. The fact is that, firstly, the figures can go up and down year after year. What is important, however, is to focus on the comprehensive slew of programmes and measures to deal with youth crime. This issue is coordinated and led by the Inter-Ministry Committee on Youth Crime (IMYC) chaired by Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee. This inter-agency collaboration provides a useful platform to examine important issues concerning juvenile delinquency and youth crime, and to discuss preventive measures to address these issues. The Committee comprises representatives from the Education Ministry, Community Development and Sports Ministry, key youth organisations like the NYC, and several other stakeholders. There are principals who are represented in that Committee as well. So the crime statistics concerning youth and their profile, their background, their socio-economic environment are all presented at the IMYC. They would then look at the profile and target the areas which they think we can do something about.

For example, the National Crime Prevention Council and educational institutions organised a series of Youth Crime Prevention roadshows for 198 educational institutions in the second half of 2003. The roadshows focused on theft, shop theft and rioting which were the crimes most commonly committed by youths, and aimed to impress upon

students the adverse effects of committing crime and to inform them of the simple steps they can take to avoid the lure of crime.

The multi-agency approach has contributed significantly to slowing down the number of youths arrested. Youths arrested for shop theft fell by 5% last year. For simple theft, it increased by a smaller 18%, compared to the whopping 90% increase in 2002 and again, for rioting, it increased by 7%, compared to 78% than the year before that. Not all these rioting and other youth crime occurred in entertainment outlets, as Mr Heng suggests. It happened whenever there is an opportunity for crime, when they stared at each other and they did not like the face, they will start a fight. Sometimes, their youthful exuberance got carried away.

Mr Ravindran asked if all youth offenders get charged in court. The answer is no. First time offenders who had a minor brush with the law may be put on the Guidance Programme managed by the Ministry of Community Development and Sports. This programme helps to reform youth offenders by giving them a second chance. Upon completing the programme, the Police may caution the youth to stay away from crime, instead of charging him. I would like to assure the Member that Police officers are trained to deal with offenders of all ages, from youths to the elderly. The Police is also mindful of the need to handle young offenders sensitively. For example, young offenders are not put together in the same cell with other adult offenders when they are detained in the police station.

So what more can be done, especially in reaching out to the youths who are at risk of turning to crime? Let me just briefly mention some of the new initiatives under the IMYC. Police will work with the Ministry of Education to

introduce electronic gaming as a channel of communication that youths can better identify with to drive home the crime prevention message. Police will also emphasise the seriousness of rioting offences by impressing upon our youths that they can be charged in court even if they are not fighting, but merely supporting their friends in the fight.

Other IMYC partner-agencies will also implement various preventive measures to fight youth crimes. For example, MCDS will enhance the capabilities of voluntary welfare organisations in school-based social work. MCDS will also be setting up a secretariat to coordinate the various programmes targeting out-of-school youths. The Minister for Community Development and Sports will elaborate on this in his Ministry's Committee of Supply.

Parents must also play their part, in other words, parents should not leave it to the school nor the Police to deal with their children. Parents must play their part by paying attention to the company that their children hang around with. Voluntary welfare organisations are also encouraged to come forward and work with the Government agencies to tackle the problem of youth crime. I would like to put on record my appreciation to the volunteers and there are many of them, but I will just name two - Elim Chew of 77th Street and radio personality, Danny Yeo, for putting together a book, "My Voice" to help bridge the communication gap between the youths and adults, and the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers, which intends to publish a book to explain the law simply to the youths. These are examples of how the many-helping-hands approach can be used to address the problem of youth crime.

Sir, Mr Heng Chee How spoke about the harassment by loan sharks. There

was an increase of about 80% from 2,800 such cases in 2002 to about 5,000 last year. A small number of these were due to borrowers who had used their NRICs with the old addresses when borrowing from illegal moneylenders. For such people, when they are caught, they will definitely be punished for committing another offence. They are the ones who have moved homes and therefore did not change their address leaving the new owner the ordeal of having to deal with the loan sharks.

I can understand the frustrations and anguish of these victims. But there is no easy solution. Police's investigation and enforcement are often impeded because the debtors themselves are not forthcoming in providing the information. Indeed, in many instances, the debtor is a member of the family being harassed. In addition, the syndicates are careful to evade attention. It is difficult to catch them red-handed, short of having Police officers lying in wait for weeks in all these flats that have been harassed, and sometimes for months, to ambush the offender. Members would appreciate that this would be a waste of Police resources. Instead, what Police can practically do is to continue to conduct anti-loan shark operations based on intelligence, and targeting the syndicate leaders so as to cripple the entire syndicate. Last year, Police carried out about 580 operations, and arrested a total of 330 persons for illegal moneylending and harassment. This is an improvement over 287 arrested in 2002. Just last week, Police arrested 45 members of three syndicates in a major sting operation. They were believed to be responsible for more than 600 instances of harassment against debtors over the past 12 months.

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The Member also suggested having tough penalties for borrowers who did not change their addresses and continued

borrowing. I fully agree with him. The penalties are already severe. A person who fails to change his address can be fined up to $5,000 and be jailed up to five years. When we come across such cases, the Police will press for a deterrent sentence. Last year, 48 offenders were investigated and those convicted were given fines ranging from $500 to $5,000 and imprisonment of 1-3 months.

On house-breaking, which was raised yesterday, Prof. Chin and Mr Charles Chong would like to know if there is anything more that the residents and the community can do to prevent house-breaking. Mr Chong was particularly concerned about the rise in the number of house-breakings in HDB flats. Many of these break-ins were committed by serial offenders in HDB flats and commercial complexes. About three-quarters of the break-ins into HDB flats were committed during the day. Most of the culprits forced open the sliding windows and grilles facing the common corridors. It would be overly simplistic to attribute this to a deficiency in the design of the HDB's grilles and windows. Rather, it shows that many Singaporeans pay scant attention to the security of their premises. They should secure their doors, windows and grilles properly with good quality locks. They can also install an alarm system to deter would-be burglars. Residents can take other simple steps, such as not leaving notes outside the home and cancelling all deliveries while they are away, even for a few days because these are clear tell-tale signs that there is no one at home. If residents need help they can always have access to the police who can give them crime prevention tips. In fact, crime prevention roadshows have been held from time to time in the community and I hope residents take a close look at them and see how they can prevent the crime being committed in their own homes. Clearly, and certainly, the residents themselves

must take the initiative and not leave everything to the police.

Thirty-five Community Safety and Security Programmes (CSSP) have been formed to specifically address house-breakings in estates where house-breaking was prominently higher. I am pleased to note that quite a few of these have been successful and I just want to cite one example. In early 2003, two flats in Hong Kah North Zone 4 were broken into in separate incidents and a large amount of property was stolen. The residents came together with the Hong Kah North Zone 4 and the Bukit Batok Neighbourhood Police Centre to implement the Community On Patrol (COP). Residents and RC members conducted regular joint patrols in the neighbourhood and helped to spread the crime prevention message. As a result, no further case of house-breaking has since been reported in Hong Kah North Zone 4. The residents living there now feel safer. So, for those estates where residents feel that they are fearful of house-breaking crime in their own estates, please do something to help themselves.

Let me now move on to the topic of community policing which some Members have raised yesterday. Mr Ahmad Khalis asked how effective community policing has been. Since its introduction in 1983, community policing has served us well. There are three strengths of community policing. First, it brings together different stakeholders to address concerns of the society or neighbourhood which, if not tackled at their roots, may otherwise degenerate into crime. Second, the involvement of different stakeholders, and not just the Police, allows expertise, knowledge and resources to be brought together to tackle a problem. Third, the extensive involvement of various parties help to generate civil responsibility and a pro-social attitude and behaviour.

From 1989 when the Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) system was fully

operational, the crime rate declined from 1,871 per 100,000 population in 1989 to about 800 per 100,000 population last year. The proportion of arrests for major offences with public assistance has also generally risen and currently hovers around 30% to 50%, which means that the residents' involvement in anti-crime as well as in the arrest of individuals who commit crime has been very encouraging. That is the kind of public-spiritedness that we want to see in our people.

Police officers and their CSSP partners are given training on how to formulate and implement community safety and security programme projects. We also recognise good community safety and security programme projects through the CSSP Awards. These best practices and experiences, accumulated through past CSSP projects, are then shared with their other community partners. This will help the new Residents Committees kick-start their CSSP projects. So, to answer the Member's point, yes, there is a proper and a structured framework for the implementation, monitoring and sharing of the community safety and security programme projects.

Mr Charles Chong also asked for an update on the CSSP. Last year, over 800 CSSPs were implemented in over 600 Residents Committees and Neighbourhood Committees, which shows that practically all our RCs and Neighbourhood Committees have got a CSSP of one sort or another. Not all CSSP projects are the same because the kind of problems that each estate and each precinct face may be different and, therefore, they have to identify what is needed in their own neighbourhood. The large and growing number of diverse CSSP projects, addressing a wide range of concerns and implemented with active support of residents, shows that CSSP is not an illusion. Nevertheless, my Ministry is well

aware that numbers alone do not tell the whole story. CSSP activities that seek to raise safety and security consciousness, such as exhibitions on fire safety and crime prevention, are clearly necessary and useful. However, the true benefit of the CSSP can really be reaped only if Members are able to encourage residents in the community to play an active part in coming up with solutions to their own community's safety and security concerns, which means that they must take ownership of the problem that they face in their own constituency and find a solution to that with the help or resources of the Police.

Mr Ahmad Khalis asked if the Police is willing to intervene and to address the disparity and quality of CSSP projects in the different precincts. I would like to assure the Member that the Home Team will continue to support and assist the community to implement these projects. But I must stress that for these CSSPs to work, the strong support of the community is crucial. But we cannot even out the performance of all the CSSPs. Much depends on the leadership, as well as the enthusiasm and interest of the community leaders and the residents.

Prof. Chin suggested a unified approach instead of having different kinds of committees and structures in the neighbourhood to address emergency and crime, instead of having, for example, Emergency Preparedness Groups, Neighbourhood Watch Zones, Civil Defence Executive Committees and so on. The Emergency Preparedness Groups (EPGs) were introduced by the People's Association to lead and coordinate emergency preparedness activities of the various grassroots organisations, and to prepare the residents to deal with such emergencies as an infectious disease outbreak, water shortages, a huge fire, or even a bomb blast. The EPGs are deliberately formed under the Citizen's Consultative Committees because, being

the apex of the constituency grassroots organisations, the CCC will have the necessary overview of the capabilities of existing grassroots organisations and the community resources. In this way, the EPGs are best positioned to leverage and assemble the appropriate package of resources to respond to different kinds of emergencies. While the various groups will continue with the regular programmes, for example, the Civil Defence Executive Committee (CDEC) will continue to deal with civil defence issues, and the Neighbourhood Watch Zone to deal with crime prevention, some of them may well have to build new capabilities to discharge new emergency roles.

Turning to the security industry and the training of armed guards, let me first touch on the issue of security guards' training as a few Members, like Prof. Ngiam, have voiced some concerns. We all know that security guards play an important role in ensuring security in the place where they guard. To complement our efforts in combating crime, Police will also continue to work closely with the security industry. I would like to assure Prof. Ngiam that we take the training of security guards seriously. To enhance the competency and standards of private security guards, the Police, SPRING Singapore, the Workforce Development Agency and the security manpower industry have jointly developed a set of skills standard under the National Skills Recognition System (NSRS). Under this framework, which was introduced in November 2002, security guards undergo a five-day course where they receive training on skills such as how to perform access control and patrols, preserve crime scenes and manage a bomb threat. On completing the course, they are required to pass a four-hour hands-on assessment conducted one-to-one by former law enforcement and military officers engaged by the Workforce Development Agency. From 1st March 2005, only guards who

are trained and certified to be competent can be deployed as security guards. This is a licensing condition for all security agencies which they will have to comply with. That means, only those operating as security guard agencies will need to comply with this requirement.

But Prof. Ngiam also mentioned security guards in condominiums. Now the condominium guards are different. The condominium guards are employed directly by the condominium management corporation. It is no different from employing a gardener or a technician, and so on. So, if the condominium management corporation wants these guards to be trained, by all means send them for training. But the Police will take a step further to engage them, that is, by informing these management corporations the kind of necessary training that they need to perform their guard duties in their own condominiums.

The training of armed guards is a totally different matter. It is more robust. All armed guards, or what you call auxiliary police officers, carry weapons. They have to go through a mandatory six-week course conducted by CISCO. Their training syllabus is vetted by the Police. It includes training in physical fitness, protective security, police procedures, law, and the handling of firearms. They are also trained to manage bomb threats, deal with difficult persons, check suspicious items, vehicles and personnel and in the usage of equipment such as X-ray machines and metal detectors. The training is conducted by serving CISCO police officers with many years of ground experience and who have to be certified by Police as trainers. In other words, they are trained as trainers. At the end of their course, the trainees are assessed by the Police, and must pass a shooting test because they are handling arms, as well as a written and other scenario-based tests.

Mr Yatiman asked if it is timely to introduce competition to the armed guards industry. Today, besides CISCO, there are six other auxiliary police forces that provide armed security services. However, as Mr Yatiman pointed out, they are only allowed to operate within specified locations, such as the airport or the sea port areas. Unlike these auxiliary police forces, CISCO can operate islandwide as it was formed way back in 1972 to take over from the Singapore Police Force the functions of providing armed security services to Government departments and commercial and industrial establishments.

Despite being a monopoly, the prices that CISCO charges have been reasonable. CISCO's prices have not risen over the years. Its current prices remain at 1997 levels due to its aggressive cost management measures. The example cited by Mr Yatiman, for the cost of engaging CISCO guards seems high only because of the scale and the duration of the Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown this year. The celebrations lasted 19 days, five days longer than last year, and it covered a much larger area. As a result, more guards were required.

Let me now address Mr Yatiman's queries about competition in the armed guards industry. With the increasingly challenging security environment, my Ministry has been looking at how to strengthen the armed guards industry. Later this year, the Ministry will table an Auxiliary Police Force Bill in Parliament to enable all auxiliary police forces, other than CISCO, to operate islandwide provided they meet certain conditions. This move will introduce limited competition to the industry, which we hope will raise standards and performance. This also means that community and non-profit organisations

such as the ones Mr Yatiman mentioned would not be limited to engaging only CISCO guards when they need such services. With this development, we are hopeful that prices will come down. In the meantime, Mr Yatiman may wish to note that CISCO is reviewing its pricing tier for non-profit and non-commercial entities to see if prices can be lowered.

The proposed Bill will empower the Ministry of Home Affairs to mobilise any Auxiliary Police Force to support the Home Team during peacetime contingencies and other crisis situations. In other words, we can mobilise them. With these changes, we are confident that the armed guards industry will become a capable and competent partner of the Home Team in ensuring homeland security.

Now, Sir, let me address Mr Charles Chong's and Dr Jennifer Lee's question about citizenship. She asked what caused the Ministry to change. Well, times have changed. As times change, we review what we have done before and, therefore, now is the time to change because the situation has changed.

It is as simple as that.

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The Remaking of Singapore Committee, last year, also made a similar observation. Dr Amy Khor also raised this and DPM Lee has already given Members an idea of what the Government will do. The Government will review the citizenship provision in Article 122 of our Constitution.

Right now, Article 122 of our Constitution says that only male citizens can pass on citizenship by descent to the children born overseas. Children born overseas to female Singaporeans can acquire citizenship but by registration. It is not that female citizens with children born overseas cannot have their children

registered as citizens. They can, but it is under a different Article - by registration and not by descent. Even though Singapore is customarily still very much a patrilineal society, we need to recognise that an increasing number of Singaporean men and women travel overseas to work, to study or to pursue their other personal goals. Correspondingly, there is an increasing number of Singaporean women who marry foreigners, and some may even start a family abroad. We recognise this new trend and we want them and their children to remain connected to Singapore. The Government has therefore reviewed this policy and will amend the Constitution to allow female Singaporeans to transfer citizenship by descent to their children born overseas. This, effectively, makes the grant of citizenship by descent gender neutral.

Related to this issue of citizenship by descent is that the Constitution currently does not allow a Singaporean citizen by descent to pass on citizenship by descent to his or her foreign born children. This is the current situation. The child can only acquire citizenship by registration. The intent behind this provision was that we do not want to end up with a generation of absentee Singaporeans who do not even know much about or feel for the country. Nevertheless, with the recognition that there are more mobile Singaporeans - more Singaporeans are now going abroad - we have reviewed this policy and will be amending the Constitution to lift the limitation on the transfer of citizenship by descent to one generation. However, the Singapore parent must demonstrate a nexus to Singapore. This will take the form of a residency criterion. The Singaporean parent must have stayed in Singapore for a stretch of at least two years within the five years before the birth of his or her child. This is similar to the criterion that we use for overseas voting for determining whether a Singaporean is eligible for overseas voting.

Alternatively, the child can qualify for citizenship by descent if the parent had been resident in Singapore for a total of five years or more cumulatively over his or her entire lifetime up to the birth of the child. The Bill to amend this part of the Constitution will be tabled in Parliament by the end of this Committee of Supply.

I would like to emphasise that the Government values every citizen. The grant of citizenship by descent is one of the privileges that Singaporeans enjoy. However, I must stress that we should not take citizenship for granted. All Singaporeans have a stake in the nation's success and share a responsibility for the welfare of their fellow Singaporeans. Even with the changes, Singaporeans living and working overseas must continue to make an effort to ensure that they and their children remain rooted and committed to Singapore.

In conclusion, Sir, as I have covered quite a few areas this morning, I would like to summarise the key points of what I have said. Terrorism will remain as the most severe threat to our nation's security. However, the House can be assured that my Ministry will take all the necessary and practical measures to prevent a terrorist attack. We will ensure that adequate preventive measures are put in place and we will continually review our contingency plans and crisis management mechanisms to meet the changing environment. The enhancements to the crisis management structure, which I have just announced, will be improved in tandem with the operational imperatives. We will also continue to work closely with regional countries and with the international community on counter terrorism cooperation. Nonetheless, there is no foolproof defence against terrorism. The population must remain vigilant and be prepared for the possibility of a terrorist attack. Together we can and must work to minimise the terrorist threat.

We will also not let up in our efforts to keep the crime situation under control. Singapore remains a safe place to live, work and bring up the family. Our crime rate is one of the lowest in the world. But there will always be specific areas such as youth crime and crimes against the elderly which confront us from time to time. We will rise to the challenge and take all the necessary steps to nip the problem in the bud. The Ministry will keep abreast of the changing environment and, where appropriate, bring about changes to the laws and policies to keep up with the times. The proposed changes to the Constitution and the enactment of the Auxiliary Police Force Bill are just two examples. It bears emphasising that the community must also continue to play its role in ensuring the safety and security of Singapore.

I have outlined a few examples of how the community and the Home Team successfully brought together the expertise, knowledge and resources to address a particular issue, and I encourage more of such efforts. We will also leverage on the security industry to complement our counter terrorism and crime prevention efforts. Our security environment is constantly changing and getting more complex. We will continue to pay attention to the training of security guards. There will be no sacred cows, bulls or any animal.

The Auxiliary Police Force Bill that we intend to table before Parliament this year will further strengthen the armed security industry in Singapore so as to gear it up to meet the new challenges that lie ahead as a strategic partner of the Home Team. Together, all of us can make <<font size="3" />Singapore a safe and secure home.

Penal Code

Sir, the recent convictions under section 377

of the Penal Code for oral sex offences have triggered public debate and concern. The convictions raised at least two serious questions. First, is whether oral sex should be considered a criminal activity; and, second, there is a principle of certainty in relation to the nature of this offence and the prosecution. I do not propose to deal with the first question. Whether oral sex should be criminalised depends on society's values and, ultimately, what this House decides. I am not, in this speech, touching on whether it should or should not be criminalised.

My focus is on the second issue. The question is quite fundamental. As we sit in this House today, do we know for certain whether oral sex will always in all situations be considered an offence and will it be prosecuted? Or does prosecution depend on a host of factors which we are not certain about? I ask this question against the backdrop of the recent cases, the public debate that followed and the explanations that have been put forward. A number of points can be made.

The public debate confirms the conventional wisdom, which is that oral sex appears to be common amongst a not insignificant part of our society. Let us not shrink from acknowledging that. Facts have to be confronted squarely.

There is a wide degree of prosecutorial discretion. The prosecution can choose which cases to prosecute. Indeed, the Hon. Senior Minister of State has confirmed in this House, in another context, the wide extent of that discretion.

That results in some cases of oral sex being prosecuted while many would not be prosecuted.

Is this a satisfactory state of affairs? Should we have a situation where we believe that many are committing an

offence but accept that the prosecution will prosecute only "deserving" cases? That derogates from a very basic principle that underpins our society, which is the rule of law. If it is an offence, then it should be made clear that there might be a prosecution in every case that comes to the notice of the police. Whether or not there is a prosecution should not depend on whether the offender is a policeman or whether his partner was 15 or 16 years old. These are factors relevant for sentencing. They are not relevant in deciding whether an offence has been committed in the first place.

Mr Shanmugam, could you hurry up with your amendment, please?

Last point, Sir. If it is an offence, it does not matter whether you are a Minister, MP, judge, police officer or a private citizen. It should be the same for all and it should not be a matter of discretion. I understand the law is being reviewed. Can we know when that review would take place? And whether, in principle, until then there will continue to be prosecutions?

Sir, the Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs told this House at the beginning of this year that MHA's review of the Penal Code would be completed in 2-3 months' time. As mentioned by Mr Shanmugam, of particular interest would be the possible reform of provisions dealing with so-called unnatural sex offences contained in section 377. While I am not known to be a cunning linguist, I will nevertheless try my best to convince the House that the current provisions are not in line with today's mores. A true crime must have a victim. It may be an individual, a corporation, and might even be a state. But I would contend that any form of safe sexual activity between consenting adults

of full capacity in private surely cannot be considered a crime. Furthermore, it does not do us any favour to have crimes on our books that either cannot realistically be policed or, even worse, are selectively prosecuted, as mentioned by Mr Shanmugam. Of course, we have to draw the line somewhere. But our emphasis should be on the protection of those whom the law deems to be unable to protect themselves - the young and people of not full capacity being prime examples.

Sir, I was delighted that the Chief Justice took a very sensible view of the recent case of Anis Bin Abdullah in stating that the protection of the young was of paramount concern and that consent of victims below the age of 16 was to be disregarded.

Sir, I would also like to ask the Minister to review the Penal Code to make it more gender neutral. Section 498 of the Code, for instance, makes it an offence for a man to entice a woman away from her husband for the purpose of illicit intercourse. The penalty may extend up to 10 years in jail and fine thrown in for good measure.

Sir, I take issue with the suggestion that a man may be criminally liable for enticing away the wife of another man, while a woman who entices away the husband of another woman will have no sanction applied to her in the Penal Code. This surely flies in the face of our efforts to become a more gender equal society.

I also hope that the Penal Code review will deal with sections 366, 493 and 509 that appear to target only men. I am not advocating a reduction of protection for women in criminal law. All that I am saying is that while women are deserving of protection, the same levels of protection should also be extended to men, wherever applicable.

Review of Criminal Laws

Sir, like old books, old laws are left in the books, passed by lawmakers long forgotten for reasons many of which are no longer relevant and appropriate to our present society. We forgot about them until, from time to time, someone is hauled before the court. The laws in our books about victimless sexual offences between two adults fall into this category. What takes place between two consenting adults behind close doors is increasingly being viewed as a private matter between them. The State should not come between them.

In this respect, Senior Minister of State Ho Peng Kee's reply to Mr Ravindran's question on 6th January this year that there has not been any prosecution for consensual oral sex in private between a male and a female for many years, except in justifiable cases, is no comfort. It merely means that the State retains the discretion to selectively prosecute some while turning a blind eye to others. These people are criminals in the eyes of the law. They are just not caught. So the message seems to be that as long as they are not caught, it is OK. This is definitely not a healthy attitude to the law that we should encourage in Singapore. Further, the recent case where the Chief Justice reduced the sentence of a convicted offender highlighted the disparity of penalties meted out under different sections of the Penal Code.

I urge the Minister to bring his review to a speedy conclusion and to decriminalise all sexual acts between consenting adults and to bring about a better parity between penalties under sections of the Penal Code.

Sir, the conviction of a male police corporal for oral sex with his wife's sister has

aroused much public outcry recently. In light of it, it is timely to consider this question: should oral sex between persons of the opposite sex be criminalised? The public outcry suggests that oral sex between consenting persons of the opposite sex should not fall within the ambit of section 377 of the Penal Code (Chapter 224).

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I understand that judges are divided over this issue. The former Judicial Commissioner, Mr Amarjit Singh, was of the view that oral sex between a male and female does not come within the ambit of section 377 of the Penal Code (Chapter 224). But it is also my understanding that his decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal which prefers the decision of Justice Lai Kew Chai whose opinion is that oral sex between a man and a woman, which is performed as a lustful substitute for and not a prelude to and enhancement for natural sex, is carnal intercourse against the order of nature and punishable under section 377 of the Penal Code.

Sir, the recent outcry clearly suggests that this distinction, that is, it finally leads to intercourse, is absurd and untenable. What if one consenting party subsequently changes his or her mind about proceeding to have sexual intercourse after having had oral sex? What if the male experiences premature ejaculation while having oral sex? What if the female suddenly becomes frigid and would no longer proceed?

Oral sex itself is either a perverse form of sexual conduct or it is not. Its legitimacy cannot depend on whether it leads to full natural intercourse, in which case it is acceptable and lawful. Whereas it is perverse and unlawful, it does not lend to full natural intercourse. Therefore, such a distinction is untenable. The public outcry over the conviction of the police

corporal, therefore, suggests that oral sex between a male and female is not perverse or depraved conduct. If this is so, then there is no reason to criminalise such a behaviour. In a letter to the Forum page of 4th March 2004 edition of the Straits Times, a writer Mathias Korber expresses mockery at the fact that a soldier who knocked down a cyclist while driving under the influence of alcohol only got a four-month jail sentence, whereas the police corporal got a jail sentence of one year for oral sex.

Sir, if the law is archaic, we should amend it so that the law will not be held in mockery and over time, will lose the respect of the public besides earning their ridicule. On the other hand, if indeed an amendment is passed, then how should we deal with the case where a man forces a woman to perform oral sex on him? Also, is there an age limit to be considered if both parties of the opposite sex are minors?

Sex with Minors

Thank you, Sir, for letting me speak on this topic.

Sir, the number of children who are abused is rising - 193 in 2002; 205 in 2003, of whom five were below the age of five. A third of these children, I am told, were sexually and/or emotionally abused. It is this last group that I am concerned with.

I would like to ask the Ministry if there is a special team to handle such cases where children are involved in such sexual offence against their will, of course. And if there is such a team, how are they trained? I am also told that the average length for such investigations is right now about nine months, putting the children through much psychological revisiting of their trauma. Can we streamline this

process and shorten the investigation process in any way?

I would like to also ask the Ministry how do prosecution charges come to bear on the offenders in such cases. Let me explain. In some cases, it is incest, and in others it is statutory rape. I would like to know where the bloodline, in terms of the victim-offender relationship, really ends in certain cases.

The next question in relation to this is that, in some countries, these charges are turned into charges on paedophilac activities. In Singapore, I am just wondering why they remain as incest and statutory rape when it involves very young children. Is the sentencing structure in other countries stiffer for paedophilia, and is there any comparison? I would like to know if, in Singapore, the incest/statutory rape charges, when it comes to young children, are adequately stiff both in stigma and in sentencing as opposed to paedophilac charges of other countries. And why do we label them differently?

Lastly, I would like to ask for cooperation with Interpol when it comes to paedophiles who are passing through Singapore en route to other countries.

Drug Abuse

Sir, I am very concerned about two trends that are taking place in the drug scene in Singapore. First, there are now many more synthetic drug users compared to heroin abusers. In 2003, for instance, 54% of the drug abusers arrested took synthetic drugs. Among new drug abusers, an alarming 72% took synthetic drugs.

The second worrying trend is that the number of young people abusing drugs as a percentage of the total number of drug

abusers continues to be high. In 2002, 28% of drug abusers were in their 20s. Last year, the figure had increased to 34%. For new abusers, those in their 20s, they continue to form the majority of new abusers arrested at 52%.

Sir, I am concerned over these trends as drug abuse is a terrible malice that causes wastage and death. I have seen some cases in my own constituency. Once trapped, they cannot get out of it. They cannot hold a job and their family life is torn apart. Despite our stringent laws to prevent drug peddling and drug taking here, I am concerned that our young continue to be attracted to drugs.

I would, therefore, like to ask the Minister how effective are our measures to fight drug abuse, particularly among the young. Are there any reasons for the huge increase in the use of synthetic drugs and what new strategies have been developed to deal with them? Has there been any in-depth research done to identify the causes of drug abuse in Singapore, particularly among the young? Are the synthetic drugs that are in the market manufactured here or are they smuggled from overseas? And what measures are in place to prevent the manufacturing of synthetic drugs in Singapore? Can some of the laboratories here, for instance, be used as a cover for the production of drugs? What public education programme has the Ministry embarked on, specifically targeted at warning young people about the dangers of synthetic drugs, as some were under the mistaken impression that such drugs are less deadly compared to the traditional drugs?

Expunging Criminal Records

Sir, this is my third COS

debate, and I am making this cut many times. I know I am not the only one who has been raising this. Many Members before me have raised this matter at every COS debate. I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but I suppose the matter is important enough for me to continue to pursue this cut.

Sir, we all know that persons who commit crime must pay their dues. Their freedom must be taken away from them; thus, the need to incarcerate them. The belief also is that society must be protected from them. But while we incarcerate them, we also rehabilitate them. But rehabilitation is not limited to the periods of incarceration alone. Upon release, they need to feel accepted and welcomed in society. Many struggled to get back on their feet because society, especially employers, views them with suspicion. Marriages have broken down due to the chronic instability in their lives. Innocent children suffer as a result.

Sir, we should help those who have shown grit and determination despite the odds. These are the people who have been able to resist the temptation of returning to crime when all else fails. But still we are already lagging behind in this.

I recently came across a resident whose criminal conviction (when he was 18 years old) prevented him from getting a job as a security guard. The relevant authority had apparently rejected his application. He is now near 50 years old. Some 30 years of leading a crime-free life, his criminal record is still held against him.

Sir, our employers must be more forgiving. Last year, DPM Lee told the House that the civil service has begun employing ex-criminals. Though the numbers are small, it is a good start. As a Government, we should really set the tone for the development of a more forgiving society, of course, not at the expense of public safety and security.

The Senior Minister of State had on two previous occasions, in the COS debates, reported to the House that the Ministry is reviewing the Registration of Criminals Act, so that those convicted of minor offences will have their criminal records spent or expunged after a certain period, if they do not re-offend. I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State on the outcome of that review. I hope we do not have to wait much longer for the review to be completed, so that this broken record need not be played again at next year's COS.

Sentencing and Prison System

Sir, the sentencing system in Singapore appears to emphasise on deterrence as the most effective measure to deal with persons convicted of crimes. Whilst this may be one of the effective ways of dealing with convicted accused persons, one could ask: what happens to persons who are sent to prison, especially for a long period of imprisonment? I would urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to review the effectiveness of deterrence and long imprisonment sentences to serve the cause of justice.

Would it be better if shorter imprisonment terms are given, especially for first-time offenders, and coupled with long compulsory community service, including work in charitable homes, old folks home, hospitals, etc? This may make them better citizens rather than angry and frustrated people when they come out of prison. A task force could be formed, encompassing the Ministries of Home Affairs and Law, Attorney-General's Chambers, the courts, the Law Society and the Law Faculty of the National University of Singapore, to analyse critically and carefully the best ways to deal with different people who are sentenced for different crimes.

There are also other forms of sentences available which are seldom utilised by the courts. They are probation, conditional and unconditional discharges under the Probation of Offenders Act, reformation, rehabilitation and retribution. Our courts do not seem to exercise the discretion so willingly to adopt these forms of sentencing lately. Why is that? Are these dead letters in our statutes book? Do we have a strict court system that is overly deterrent-minded? Does it work well for our criminal justice system and the long-term interest of prisoners and our society? And, if so, is this the best route to take? Let us really analyse these things with impartial specialists in criminal law and sentencing, so that we come up with a better system of sentencing convicted persons.

There is also often talk, Sir, amongst criminal legal practitioners about the "yellow book" which guides the Subordinate Courts judiciary on the tariffs to be imposed in criminal cases. If so, should that book be made available to the public or, at least, to the criminal bar so that accused persons can be advised on possible sentencing for the crimes they have committed. This would save the courts' time. Is it in some ways superseding the written laws as Parliament has passed the punishment for each offence in the Penal Code and other criminal statutes in Singapore? Perhaps, it was all meant well for efficacy and sound management. That is all right. But, most importantly, it must be emphasised that Subordinate Courts judges must be given the full discretion within the law which Parliament has passed and, overall, there must be compassion and long-term reformation of prisoners when sentences are imposed on convicted persons.

We have a good and efficient prison system. Can we improve the prison system in Singapore? With the new Prison Complex to be located at Changi and

which will be ready soon, there will be greater facilities available, I am sure. I do hope that a good system is in place for rehabilitation and reformation of prisoners.

Please wind up your speech, Mr Chandra Mohan.

Lastly, Sir, are there facilities within the prison for work-related activities and facilities for studies for prisoners? We must do our level best to give these prisoners a second chance in life. Perhaps the Minister could give us an update of the new Changi Prison Complex. There should also be better access for spouses, children, parents, siblings and relatives to see prisoners, so that prisoners would always be in touch with their loved ones, and this must be good and rehabilitative in nature.

Rehabilitation of Prisoners

Sir, firstly, I would like to commend the Ministry for moving into a more offender oriented approach towards the prisoners. The Singapore Prisons Service is now called Captains of Heart with an emphasis on rehabilitating, renewing and helping ex-offenders to restart. I would like to ask the Minister, in this aspect, the number of staff and the quality of the staff who have been retrained to take on this approach and to help offenders to rehabilitate. Where else have our prisons officers gone for training to cope with this approach? There is also

a customised recovery route under the Prisoners Housing Unit Management System and an Integrated In-care System. What are the details of these systems and what are some of the outcomes where prisoners' rehabilitation is concerned?

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In the current climate of job instability for some of our own citizens, could I also

ask the Ministry how successful has the care network been since it was formed in 2001, I believe, in helping ex-prisoners to secure jobs?

Lastly, the last statistics on the relapse rate that I could find was one of 1977, concerning prisoners with criminal records covering five years, where the relapse rate was 30%. A search in the Library, both NUS as well as the National Library, did not turn up a similar research. Is it possible to look into good academic research area, if it has not already been done, to see how our prisoners are rehabilitated and to also look at lessons that we can learn?

Ms Indranee Rajah, you have two cuts. Can you take one after the other?

Stateless Persons

Sir, with respect to the first cut on stateless persons, I would like to ask the Minister whether the Ministry of Home Affairs has reviewed and looked into the status of stateless persons in Singapore. I have, for example, in my constituency at least two stateless persons, one who is quite elderly, and another one who is fairly young. I am particularly concerned, especially for the young one, because if a person is stateless, he or she is a lot more restricted in the ability to move. Perhaps, if the Ministry could inform us as to the status of their review and what could be done to redress the situation of these persons.

Legislation on Harassment

With respect to the next cut, Sir, legislation on harassment, I had first raised this issue in the COS debate in 2002. At that time, the Minister of State had indicated that this matter was being looked into. I would like to ask what is the current status of legislation on this

issue. I am concerned particularly because there are many ways in which people can be harassed nowadays: one is stalking, another through e-mail, thirdly, through SMS. The legislation that we presently have does not appear to be adequate to deal with the advances in technology and the changing situation. So I would be grateful if the Minister could let us know the status.

Societies Act

Sir, it is commendable that the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Registry of Societies have taken positive steps lately in expediting matters like registration of certain societies under the Societies Act through the newly implemented Registry of Societies Electronic System (ROSES). It is also positive to know that there are better feedback sessions between the Ministry and Registry of Societies with our citizens, civic society organisations to improve the system and liberalisation of civic organisation activities.

In order to assist new societies, Sir, and the 5,000 odd registered societies in Singapore, may I suggest that certain payments be waived, or reduced, under the Societies' regulations. As it stands now currently, under the Societies' regulations, for instance, to register a society costs about $400, to change the place of business or registered society, $25, the name of a registered society, $55, etc. And also under the regulations, every application to inspect or to be supplied with a copy of or extract from any document from the Registry of Societies also requires some form of payment. For instance, inspection of a document is $35; search, $5 and copy of a document extract, $10 per page. Perhaps, these amounts could be reduced, if not, eradicated completely.

We must be more generous with our voluntary organisations. They are not rich

like our state is. The electronic filing under the ROSES fees should be cheaper, or should be waived. Would the Ministry please consider my plea so that more activities could be created by volunteers without worrying about fees payable?

Sir, I would also strongly urge our Government to give more space and freedom to our civic organisations and non-governmental organisations to express their views, organise public forums, with no or minimal restrictions. The Police permits constantly asked for should be waived in most, if not all, cases, except very sensitive cases which affect peace and public security in Singapore. Let the responsibility lie with the management committees of these societies which are organising these functions. This will create more excitement and colour to our lives in Singapore. We must have more faith in our citizens, have the confidence even to allow them to be different and even to challenge the Government fairly on various issues. There are many volunteers who are genuinely interested in wanting to contribute and make the changes and improve Singaporeans' lives. Some of these have been roped in by the Government at the last elections to serve the country too. I wish them all the very best in high office.

Our Government seems to be opening up the last few years, and for this, we must thank the Prime Minister and his colleagues in the Cabinet. More should be done with confidence and I am sure our people will respond positively.

Efficiency in the Police Force

Sir, last year, I had been very concerned about a spate of loan shark and arson cases in my constituency which had remained unsolved. I believe other Members may have similar experience in their constituencies. Such cases not only

tarnish the physical environment of the neighbourhood, but they could also in turn lead to other crime, if not solved quickly. It has also affected people's confidence on the Police. I was glad to read about the successful Police operation which led to the arrest of loan sharks in several areas in Singapore. But my question is whether there is a performance indicator to measure how efficient Police would solve a case of crime. For example, how fast the Police will respond to a member of the public who makes a police report on crime? I believe that Police are trying to work within the resources available to tackle the crime situation. But the question is whether they can cope with the current operational demands.

Since the September 11 attacks in 2001, we know that the Police has had to deploy additional manpower towards protecting sensitive, vulnerable targets. Air marshals will also be drawn from the Police. In June 2003, the Minister for Home Affairs assured us in a Written Answer that the Police are able to handle the twin challenges of combating crime and preventing terrorism. However, a look at the crime situation over the last two years raises concern. Based on Police statistics, the total number of seizable crimes in 2002 was up from 2001 by 10% and in 2003, there was a further increase from 2002 by another 5%. There are also significant increases in street crimes, especially robbery, house breaking, snatch theft and cheating. I do not know how many more cases are unreported to the Police.

The Minister has earlier answered in this House that the increase in crime rate should be seen from 1988 as the trend has been declining. Sir, I am puzzled why from 1988. Based on his logic, why not from 1960? The plain fact is that the crime rate had increased 10% in 2002 and was increased again by another 5% in

2003. Feedback has shown that people are beginning to question whether the Police is as efficient as before in maintaining a safe social environment. My concern is whether the Police has enough resources allocated to them, whether the operational readiness of the Police will be affected, especially with the 2% budget reduction for MHA this year. Is the Minister not concerned that resource constraint will further reduce the Police effectiveness in the light of the increased demands on them?

Role of the Police

Sir, I have a cut on the role of the Police. The role of the Police is quite clear to me. It is to keep the peace, prevent and to fight crimes, etc. But these days, the Police is also needed to combat terrorism.

In Singapore, there is an additional role of the Police and, that is, to escort RC members on their house-to-house visits. From this, three issues arise. One, whether the Police in Singapore is truly apolitical? Are they supposed to accompany grassroots members on their political work? It is political in nature because they associate themselves with support and also do the work for the PAP prospective election candidate in my constituency. Two, can a superior officer in an NPP order his junior officer to go on duty with RC members? Three, can a RC member give orders to a Police officer?

Police officers may not be trained to do this kind of work - going on household visits with RC members. They want to do real police work. If not, are they compensated to do this additional duty? A Police officer must be neutral and must be apolitical. The Police officers whom I saw went around on escort duty with the RC members and they were not carrying any crime prevention leaflets. They were not on their rounds to give the crime prevention message. Even if the Police

officers were to visit households to convey the crime prevention message, surely they are trained to go on their own. They need not be accompanied by RC members.

Road Safety

Sir, last year, there were a total number of 201 fatal road accidents. This is a slight increase over the 190 fatal road accidents in 2002. My concern today is with pedestrians, the second most vulnerable group after motorcyclists and pillion riders. Sir, there were 63 pedestrians who were killed on our roads last year. But what is most alarming is that one out of two pedestrians killed were over the age of 60 years. My question to the Minister is how can we focus our effort on this age group, bearing in mind that the older you get, you tend to be less nimble and less alert. I know that we have road safety outreach programmes. We work very closely with the community groups, such as the Singapore Action Group for Elders. But I believe that much more efforts can be made in this direction so that we can prevent more road deaths in the older age group.

Sir, this brings me to my second point and that has to do with jaywalking. I remember that, years ago, we used to take very firm action against jaywalkers. And, of course, a lot has to do also with the way we design our roads. Take, for example, the stretch of North Bridge Road, just in front of the Peninsula and Capitol Shopping Centres. Each time, when I drive past that stretch of road when I come to Parliament, I notice that there are a lot of pedestrians who just dash across the road, just because in this short stretch of road there are three bus stops. For some reasons, very few people are inclined to cross the road at the traffic junction, although the traffic junction is less than 50 metres from the bus stops. Perhaps, roads like this, we cold construct

barriers to prevent people from haphazardly crossing the road and compelling them to use the traffic light junctions.

Sir, the last point I would like to raise pertaining to road safety has to do with the road works and even things like tree cutting along our roads, especially along the expressways. I think the contractors do place pylons to warn motorists of the danger ahead. As a motorist, I have come across many instances where there are so few pylons that you have to brake very suddenly or you have to switch lanes and this can in itself be a very hazardous act to other motorists who are driving behind me. My question to the Minister is whether there are any regulations to determine the number of pylons that must be placed or a minimum distance ---

Please speed up your speech, Mr Tan.

--- for warning motorists.

Dr Ahmad Magad, you have three cuts. Can you take them one after another?

Thank you, Sir. I am taking road safety and pedestrian-first policy together, followed by traffic in school zones. Sir, building on what Mr Tan Soo Khoon has just said, the topic of road safety is becoming an increasingly perennial issue in this House. Pedestrians are increasingly left at the mercy of motorists and cyclists on our roads, car parks and even at pedestrian crossings. As a larger number of Singaporeans use public transport,

the Government needs to ensure that the free mobility and safety of pedestrians are at the top of the hierarchy of road users. In essence, it affects all of us also, as we too are pedestrians at some point in our journey. I would like to propose for the consideration of a

balanced approach to divide and increase the responsibilities of road users among the three groups, namely, pedestrians, motorists and cyclists.

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Pedestrian-first Policy

First, pedestrians. I suggest that we move pedestrians to the top of the hierarchy. Our present set-up places pedestrians behind motorists and cyclists in terms of getting the right of way, particularly on minor roads or in residential areas. We need to create an environment where motorists and vehicular traffic develop greater respect for pedestrians in such areas. I would like to ask the Government to review and improve current conditions to keep pedestrians within proper sidewalks to enhance their safety. This could be done by (a) improving and quickly restoring damaged sidewalks in various parts of the island; (b) broadening sidewalks in busy road zones to keep pedestrians off the road; and (c) to use more street walk signs to indicate proximity of crossings and forewarning poor crossing spots. In turn, there should be stricter enforcement action on pedestrians who disobey rules, such as jaywalking, as what Mr Tan had said earlier, across dual-lane carriageways, or those who fail to use pedestrian crossings properly.

Second, motorists. Aggressive driving starts with lax laws. Stop signs are becoming more and more irrelevant in Singapore, as motorists nowadays tend to not yield at stop signs and drive continuously without stopping. This increasingly dangerous practice poses a serious threat to pedestrians. In this regard, I would like to ask the Minister to consider stricter enforcement action on motorists, before more lives are lost due

to this irrational act. I also feel that there is a need to calm traffic down in residential and some industrial areas. Too often, motorists behave as if the highway starts as soon as they move their vehicles from the parking lot and have no respect for the speed limit of pedestrians around them. I would suggest that we continue to find ways in calming and slowing traffic down in such environments. The present speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour may be relatively high, considering a 10-kilometre per hour margin. Perhaps, lower speed limits in high density environments could be considered to protect pedestrians. Another suggestion is to require headlights to be turned on round-the-clock when motorists travel in urban and high population density areas. This is implemented in Canada, and the results have been very encouraging. Turning on headlights in busy areas increases the alertness of people to approaching vehicles and improves their distance judgement.

Let me now turn to cyclists. I note, Sir, that cyclists too are increasingly posing a danger to pedestrians. They ride on pedestrian pavements, pedestrian crossings, in the parks, and do not stop for passengers alighting from buses. I have had a number of complaints from residents at my meet-the-people sessions complaining about irrational cyclists. The irony is that the police seems to be not too willing to take action on irresponsible cyclists. Where does the safety of pedestrians stand relative to cyclists? Do we have to wait for a fatal accident before the police would act? I have nothing against cyclists, and would like to encourage cycling as part of healthy lifestyle, but we need to make them more responsible and wary about pedestrians as well as their own safety. I would like to ask the Minister if stricter enforcement action could be taken by the police on errant cyclists in the interest of enhancing our overall road safety.

Can I move on to the next amendment, Sir?

Which cut are you going to, Dr Ahmad Magad?

Sir, this is on the second cut.

You mean you were on your first cut all the time? It was a rather long first cut!

No, that was the first and third cuts. I am sorry.

Your second amendment, then.

Traffic in School Zones

Sir, the issue of accidents occurring at or near school zones came to the fore last year when two school children were knocked down and died in my constituency division, Pasir Ris East. Research has evidence that it is the design of the street rather than the posted speed limit that determines how fast people drive. Hence, apart from education and enforcement, engineering methods should be considered as part of a holistic approach to traffic calming. Changes in road surface, including changes in paving materials or colour can make the road appear narrower than it is and, therefore, can augment the visual message to tell motorists to slow down. The use of interlocking concrete blocks has been successfully applied in many European countries. These concrete pavers, available in various colours, effectively provide the visual and physical contrasts causing motorists to quickly react and reduce the speed of their vehicles. I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider the use of interlocking block pavers in school zones, especially on roads leading to a pedestrian stop, to enhance the safety of our school children crossing within school zones.

Civil Defence

It is good to hear from the Minister earlier this morning of new developments in enlarging the role and functions of civil defence volunteers. It shows the Ministry's innovative and pioneering spirit in adapting existing resources to meet new needs and changing societal circumstances.

In this regard, I would like to ask if the Ministry could consider including in the training of CD volunteers basic nursing care in addition to learning of first-aid, so that these CD volunteers can, for example, assist Home Nursing Foundation nurses when these nurses visit discharged patients from hospitals and visit them in their own homes to follow up on their nursing needs. These discharged patients could be their own family members or their neighbours, eg, a single elderly person or an elderly couple living on their own where one of the spouses needs such nursing care. This would actually help enlarge the scope of CD volunteers, particularly where it comes to helping neighbours. The CD volunteers can play a useful role in promoting neighbourliness and, therefore, we achieve twin purposes. There is also the promotion of people sector involvement in encouraging family and community bonding. So, this is something new, but I hope the Minister could consider this and collaborate with the Home Nursing Foundation, for instance.

Sir, let me thank the various Members for speaking. They have covered quite a wide area. I will take each area in turn.

First, let me take the cuts by various Members on the review of the Penal Code, in particular, review of the sexual provisions. This topic has indeed aroused some passion in this House. This

question of oral sex is a topic of some interest to our Members. Some Members have indeed painted the situation in quite graphic terms.

Mr Charles Chong, in particular, asked about the review of the Penal Code. This is Mr Chong's favourite topic. He has asked it successively at each year's COS. Let me assure him that work is in hand. In fact, it is something that we want to complete. It is taking some time. But, as I have explained before in this House, because of the massive nature of the exercise involving more than 400 provisions, and because we have to look at other legislation, it has taken some time. But we are nearing completion. We are doing this not alone but also with other Ministries.

Broadly speaking, as I have said before, this review will look at the Penal Code and see whether there is a need to introduce new offences, to expand and clarify the scope of existing offences and update existing definitions and terms. We will also look at the penalties in the Code to ensure that they retain their deterrence value, especially on account of inflation. In deciding the appropriate penalties, we will also dovetail these penalties with other legislation.

As for sexual offences, which I think was the focus of Members' speeches, let me say that we have a multi-agency committee to review the provisions on such offences in the Penal Code and other legislation. What we will try to do is to tie disparate provisions on sexual offences together in a coherent and consistent manner, because they are found in different pieces of legislation, eg, the Penal Code has some, the Children and Young Persons Act has some, the Miscellaneous Offences Act would have some, and the Women's Charter would have some. So, we will take these

provisions as a discrete group and see whether we can bring greater coherence to the entire area. In particular, we will study whether the current provisions are adequate, focusing on the scope of these offences, whether they should be expanded or further clarified. So, we are looking, for example, like marital rape, whether that should be enhanced or reduced.

We will also look at whether there is a need to introduce new offences and, indeed, if certain offences need to be repealed. I think Mr Chong mentioned section 498, enticing a married woman and then causing her to have sex, is one offence we are looking at, whether to repeal it. As to whether the terms should be more clearly defined or clarified, I think this point also has arisen in the course of the debate, in particular, in regard to section 377, although some terms are fairly clear already. I think Ms Braema Mathiaparanam mentioned incest and asked when incest is committed. The Penal Code, section 376(a) states the relationships in which incest would be deemed to have been committed but, then, it uses words like carnal knowledge. This is one area which we can look at, whether it is carnal knowledge or carnal connection, whether there should be greater clarity in when these are committed.

Mr Chong also mentioned gender specific provisions. Yes, that is something that we will look at, eg, section 509, although on this point I should add that, as a starting point, I think we should not be too hasty - Mr Chong also makes this caveat - to make everything gender equal. No doubt, we have done it for citizenship, but I think Penal Code offences, particularly those that relate to sex, they start from a different point, especially in terms of deterrence. I think all of us in this House will agree that the males are normally the aggressive party in such matters. So,

really the provisions should seek to deter them. But, with that in mind, we will take a very open approach and see whether any of the provisions can be made gender neutral. We will also ensure that the sentences for these offences reflect the relative seriousness of the offences. I think Dr Wang mentioned this point, with reference to the recent case decided by the Chief Justice. In fact, this is one area we are looking at. For example, in the specific instance in that case, he was comparing the punishment for the offender who has natural sex with a girl under 16 when he would be prosecuted under the Women's Charter (section 140) for carnal connection. The maximum jail term is five years. An offender who has oral sex with a girl under 16, in terms of his possible punishment - that goes up to life - under section 377, it is 10 years or life. But that is because section 377 covers such a wide range of acts. I will come back to that later on. In that case, the Chief Justice took pains to explain why two years' imprisonment was out of line with other similar cases. That was the crux of the decision.

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam has raised some points. Let me assure her that for sex offenders who have sex with minors, we do have tough laws in place. In fact, the thrust of our laws with regard to sexual offences, in particular when consent is given, is targeted at those who, because of their age, are vulnerable. So, whether it is statutory rape under 14 or carnal connection under 16, the laws are in place. Of course, we will look at the sentences in these provisions to see whether they also need updating. For example, she compared statutory rape and incest. One has a higher range of sentences than the other. So, these are areas we are looking at to see

whether there is a need for greater relativity or parity in the light of present circumstances.

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Ms Braema Mathi's other concern is how we handle cases relating to young victims in sexual cases. Let me assure her that Police is very mindful of the need to treat them sensitively. In fact, in this House, over the years, I have taken many questions and had debates with parliamentarians who have also expressed this point that Police should be open to being trained by voluntary welfare organisations when it comes to matters like this. This in fact has happened. I want to assure Ms Mathi that this is so not only in terms of the training, but also in terms of the officers who are chosen to handle such young offenders. I understand that whenever there is a rape case being investigated, we will have a female officer who is present. So what more if the victim is a young person. I think more care is taken. In fact, if she goes down to CID, she will find that the room is specially configured to help the young offender in recounting the incident without causing too much trauma to her. All these are taken into account.

Let me address the points that Mr Shanmugam has made. Mr Shanmugam argues that the law in section 377 should be consistently applied. I think this is also the point that Dr Wang raises. Let me first say that section 377 has indeed been applied in a clear and consistent manner. There may have been some doubts before the Ministry clarified. We issued a statement earlier on this year to assure Singaporeans how section 377 is prosecuted, notwithstanding its wide phrasing. What is the section really targeted at? What sort of mischief is being addressed? The statement made it very clear. But let me just say it once more here. Basically, the prosecution's approach is to prosecute an offender under the section, when oral sex is performed with a minor under 16 years of age or when the act is carried out in

public or involved deception, coercion or which amounted to sexual assault. We will also prosecute persons who have taken advantage of the mentally deficient or who abuse their position of trust, dominance or authority to sexually abuse and exploit those who are in their care. In these situations, for example, when there is a mentally handicapped victim involved or when the victim is a minor under 16, or if there is a relationship of trust, authority or dominance, even though there may be apparent consent, it is not consent recognised in law because of the vulnerability of the victim. The facts in the case bear this out. That is an important point.

As I have said before in this House and also in the statement, no man or woman engaging in consensual oral sex in private, even though, strictly speaking, coming within the ambit of the section, has been prosecuted for many years now. Indeed, in all the other cases that have been prosecuted, there have been these factors present, sometimes, single factors, and quite often, more than one factor. We will continue with this approach. Mr Shanmugam asked whether pending the completion of the review, what will happen. This is the approach that AGC has been taking all along. We will continue with it. Then we will see after the review, what will come out of it. I am sure the thrust of this approach will be maintained.

Underlying the concern is the fact that section 377 is framed in wide terms. Yet, AGC only prosecutes certain cases, not others. Is this a desirable approach? As all of us know, under Article 35(8) of the Constitution, the AG as the Public Prosecutor (PP) is vested with the discretion to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for any offence. There is a Privy Council case emanating from Malaysia, of persuasive

authority, which says that there are many factors which a prosecution authority may properly take into account in exercising its discretion whether to charge a person at all. The PP takes into account all the relevant factors of an individual case before taking a decision to charge a person. Essentially, our Constitution requires all cases to be given unbiased consideration by the PP and that the decision made not be dictated by irrelevant considerations.

What is at stake is the primary consideration whether it is in the public interest to prosecute the offender. Hence, as the clarification stated, even if the victim purportedly gives consent, the public interest in such prosecutions is to protect those who are vulnerable. That is the scope of coverage that is also evident from the other legislation, whether it is the Children and Young Persons Act or the Women's Charter. When there is consent given, it is really looking at whether this victim is a young victim whose apparent consent is not valid in law. I should also add that this is also a similar approach taken in other jurisdictions. Hence when AGC takes this approach, it is not a derogation from the rule of law.

Members have asked about the review of section 377. Indeed, we are doing just that. We are considering decriminalising consensual oral sex done in private between a male and female above 16 years. We will study the most appropriate approach to effect changes to this aspect of the law which will also ensure that non-consensual oral sex remains an offence. This is where Mdm Ho makes her point whether if we have a review and after that, what happens to non-consensual oral sex if a man forces a woman to perform oral sex on him. I think Mdm Ho can rest easy because even now, for non-consensual oral sex, it is an offence. Let me say that any amendment we make to section 377 would make

clear what the scope of the section is. Then, there will be clarity in the law.

Mdm Halimah asked about the drug situation. I want to assure her that the drug situation remains well under control. The number of drug abusers arrested last year dropped sharply by 47% over the year 2002 to a record low of 1,809. This was due to the 75% fall in the number of heroin abusers arrested. With the sharp decline in heroin abusers, synthetic drugs displaced heroin as the main drug of abuse for the first time in history. Synthetic drug abusers form 64% of abusers arrested, while heroin abusers form 31%. While the proportion of abusers who take synthetic drugs has gone up, the overall number of synthetic drug abusers has thankfully remained relatively stable over the last two years.

Mdm Halimah raised concerns about drug abuse among young adults. Although the proportion of drug abusers in their 20s increased last year, compared to the year 2002, in terms of absolute numbers the figure fell by a significant 33% from 946 in the year 2002 to 634 in the year 2003. Similarly, for new drug abusers in their 20s, the number fell by 19% from 463 in the year 2002 to 374 in the year 2003.

Mdm Halimah asked about the causes of drug addiction. Regular surveys by Prisons Department show the common causes are peer pressure, curiosity, stress and depression but we will continue to work at the Home Team to try to identify other causes and pinpoint how to address these causes. I must add that the increasing popularity of synthetic drugs is not peculiar to Singapore. It is a world-wide phenomenon. For example, for ketamine, last year, locally, ketamine abusers continued to show a rising trend, increasing from 78 in the year 2000 to 252 in 2002. Last year, 497 ketamine abusers were arrested, forming 27% of all abusers arrested and 51% of synthetic drug abusers arrested. But, thankfully, for

methamphetamine abusers, the number arrested dropped 40% to 369 in 2003 compared to the year 2002. I am happy to say that Ecstasy is under control.

Let me say that MHA takes a very serious view of what is happening on the drug scene. We are thankful that overall, the drug situation is well under control but we are focusing now on synthetic drugs, but, of course, not neglecting heroin abuse, seeing what more can be done. For example, we are studying whether the penalty for trafficking of synthetic drugs should be enhanced to deter would-be traffickers. We will look at that. The other area is that we will continue with strict enforcement. I think CNB does a good job to ensure that our laws are strictly enforced.

In the area of preventive education, NCADA will continue its good work. Some Members would have seen the recent advertisement on this. And for rehabilitation, we are considering whether or not for synthetic drug abusers, we should send them to DRCs as well. Currently, they are sent to prison because the DRC regime is now only for heroin abusers. But having studied the problem, we have reviewed this and we will be introducing a DRC regime for synthetic drug abusers which will, hopefully, help them rehabilitate and this will bring the numbers down in due course. We will continue with this multi-pronged approach.

On the penal and rehabilitative system, let me say that we do have a balanced system - there is deterrence, there is rehabilitation, there is retribution and there is protection of society. The main plan is still deterrence, but let me assure Members that rehabilitation is something which the Prisons Department has been doing a lot of. Prisons officers are trained to do more of that. That was Ms Braema Mathi's point. Training is important and so prisons officers take being Captains of

Lives - not Captains of Hearts - seriously. Not only have they introduced a lot of programmes, but they have also improved in terms of the quality of their staff. That is something that we are mindful of.

As Ms Braema Mathi has said, there is an integrated rehabilitation approach, from in-care to after-care. Even when they are in prison, there is a personal roadmap where prisoners will have a supervisor who will be in a way, a friend, who will help them through their time in prison. This through care approach has, in fact, shown good results because the re-incarceration rate has fallen from 56.8% in 1995 to 41.3% in the year 2001. We will press on.

What are some of the new measures that we will introduce to improve this process of rehabilitation? First, the Home Detention Scheme. This scheme was introduced in May 2000 to promote the re-integration of amenable offenders into society. Between May 2000 and December 2003, more than 3,000 prisoners were emplaced on Home Detention, of whom over 99% successfully completed the programme. Given the success of this scheme, MHA will be expanding it to allow more inmates to benefit from it. Details will be announced in due course.

Another initiative is the Halfway House programme for inmates serving long-term imprisonment. This was piloted in 2001. Since then, more than 95% of the participants have completed the programme. These are people who have completed a three-year long-term imprisonment because they are third-timers. So far, only less than 10% of those who completed the programme have returned to prison. That is very encouraging. We will see whether we can increase the intake and expand this scheme.

Education is another area where more is being done. I think we all know about the prison school. More of our prisoners will be given the opportunity to acquire scholastic knowledge. Hopefully, more will have 'N' level qualifications. This is where, for example, the VWOs and others in the community can help out. For example, we have the Lee Foundation who has come in with a scheme to help fund prisoners after they leave prison who want to continue their studies but cannot afford it. They have come up with

a scheme to help them.

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The new Changi Prison Complex will facilitate more of these rehabilitative efforts. That was Mr Chandra Mohan's point. This is an opportunity for Prisons to plan a custom-made building. Changi Prison was inherited from days past, serving a different purpose. Now, we have the opportunity to plan a Prison where there will be more space, more opportunities for work, more opportunities for rehabilitation. I agree with both Dr Maliki and Ms Mathi that it is important that employers should be more enlightened. So work scope will also increase.

Ms Braema Mathi asked about the CARE Network. CARE Network is a very inclusive programme, where we have got many partners. There are SACA, SANA, Halfway Houses, SCORE, all coming together to ensure that the prisoners, from in-care to after-care, their needs are taken care of. For example, SCORE, on this front has worked relentlessly with companies to offer ex-offenders a second chance. Last year, SCORE helped over 700 ex-offenders to secure employment.

Let me address Dr Maliki's point. Here again, like Mr Charles Chong, he is a constant reminder to me that we have this on-going exercise to expunge records or consider them spent. Let me assure

him that we are not slackening on the job. MHA does not slacken on the job, but this is a big exercise. We want to get it right. We have been taking some time to study our approach, and also the approaches of other countries. Last year, I told him that we will look at Hong Kong and the UK. Indeed, we have done that. But we find that they do not go far enough because they only consider records as "spent", so that if the person comes to court again, the records will surface. We want a situation where we can consider the records to be expunged. So in a situation where, if the ex-prisoner has to fill in a form by a potential employer: "Have you been convicted in a court of law before?", he can truthfully say, "No", because the record has been expunged. So it is a clean slate. Here, again, we are completing the exercise soon. So my assurance to Dr Maliki, as I assure Mr Chong, is that we have made progress. We hope we will turn out something this year.

For stateless persons, let me assure Ms Indranee that we do take care of the plight of stateless persons. There are about 2,800 such people in Singapore at the moment, and about 75% of them are over 50 years, 57% over 60 years. They come from various situations, eg, three-quarters of them came from other countries to live and work in Singapore. They came during the early days of our independence, and later became PRs here on their own merit. Some of them held foreign citizenship, but over time could have lost their citizenship after being away from the country for a long time. There is also a small number, about 6% who claim they were born here, before Singapore became independent in 1965. However, they are unable to prove that they were born here and, therefore, could not be conferred citizenship after Singapore gained independence. Then, there is also a third group of people who were born here, about 6%, but could not

get Singapore citizenship at birth as their parents were not Singapore citizens. They should have followed the citizenship of their parents, but their parents did not register their births with the respective countries.

The basic point I want to tell Ms Indranee is that we are mindful of these people. I know they want to upgrade their status and, therefore, when they make their applications we will consider them carefully. Of course, they will still have to satisfy the requirements of PR and citizenship. But I am happy to say that almost all, about 95% of these stateless people have had their status regularised as permanent residents. And, over the last five years, 730 stateless persons have become Singapore citizens. And, indeed, if they want to travel, we will issue them a Certificate of Identity, which is valid in the first instance for five years.

On stalking, this is another favourite topic of Ms Indranee Rajah, it is something that we are looking at, although I did say last year that given Singapore's close urban setting, we must be careful that any laws must be enforceable. So we will not rush into it but we will study the extent and characteristics of the stalking phenomenon in Singapore, both in the physical and virtual world, and see whether we need to implement new measures such as provisions or legislation on stalking. But even then let me assure all that without such specific legislation, there are other provisions which could be invoked. It may not cover the entire gamut of stalking situations, but provisions such as sections 506 and 507 of the Penal Code, section 13(a) or 13(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, and indeed even provisions in the Computer Misuse Act, may be invoked when the elements of the offence are made up. But I know that many of these provisions may require elements such as the causing of alarm, or

harassment in a public place, and so forth. So, there may be gaps that need to be filled.

On Mr Chandra Mohan's point on the Societies Act, I note his comment that we have been doing quite a bit to facilitate the growth of civil society in Singapore. Indeed, this has happened. In 1999 there were 5,377 societies. Now, there are almost 5,800 societies. ROSES, for example, which was mentioned, has made information on societies more accessible to members of the public.

On fees, we will take a look at them. We are introducing a system called the Automatic Registration of Societies where societies which are assessed not to pose law and order or security considerations, or where registration will not be contrary to national interest, will be given automatic registration. Then, they can commence activities rightaway once they have submitted the necessary documents and paid the prescribed fees. We will amend the Societies Act to effect this. In fact, this is already work-in-progress because we have consulted members of the public on this. The feedback has been favourable. With this new system, we will see whether the fees can be reduced because there will probably be less work involved. So that is something that we can look at.

On civil society in Singapore, again I note Mr Mohan's point that this, in fact, has been growing in Singapore over the years. No society will find it difficult, for example, to hold talks. Many licences for talks are issued to many groups over the years and, in particular, when it is indoors and when there are no law and order problems, a licence should be very expeditiously granted. My point really is that civil society should make use of this space. Where we can we will lighten up

the licensing regime, but we must also bear in mind the need to ensure, as what we have talked about this morning, law and safety and that Singaporeans will feel safe in Singapore. This must also be borne in mind.

On Mr Low Thia Khiang's point about the efficiency and responsiveness of Police, I thank him for his concern. I want to assure him that the Police is up to the mark. The Police is stretched - with terrorism and other concerns, SARS last year, but it has looked at its resources and it has managed its resources so that it is keeping Singapore safe. This is shown in many ways, eg, international polls and surveys, the Mercer Report, the PERC report, all said that Singapore and Singaporeans feel safe here. We have been rated very highly in these polls. And, indeed, even in terms of compliments and complaints received by the police, compliments have gone up, complaints have gone down, which shows that the public is appreciative of the good work done by the police.

There are some performance indicators that show this. For example, I think he mentioned responsiveness. That is one key factor. The percentage of urgent incidents that police responds to within 15 minutes, first dipped initially, arising from the terrorism threat, it dipped from 93% to 85%. But, thankfully, last year it went up again to 95%. And so Police is indeed able to respond to these urgent incidents.

The speed of investigation has also improved. The number of days required for Police to complete investigation has fallen from 55 days in 2001 to 45 days in 2002 and to 33 days last year. So Police will continue to leverage on technology and also on better-trained officers and better-qualified officers to ensure that they are able to carry out their core function of maintaining law and order.

On Mr Chiam's point, first of all, it is very clear the Police is not political. It is apolotical because the police officers serve all Singaporeans regardless of political affiliation. That is why Mr Chiam and Mr Low also have an NPP in each of their constituencies. That is the first point. Why do Police officers accompany RC leaders on their house visits? Again, from this morning's discussion, the Minister has said that RCs play an important part in crime prevention because RCs and CCCs and other grassroots organisations are part of the People's Association's wider network. So there is a network in place. There is a ready body of volunteers who are also residents where they are. So, as residents, they know the place. Other residents are familiar with them because they are fellow residents. They also know the local problems. When they visit them, there is connectivity, there is identity, and that is why police walks with the RC leaders. I do not know about the incident he mentioned but I think there will be brochures and pamphlets that they bring along. But even without them, on such visits, as part of the Neighbourhood Watch Zone scheme, police will knock on the doors, and say, "Hello, how are you? Any problems?" Maybe they will take down particulars if the residents want to give them and they will encourage them to form neighbourhood watch groups. So let us not be suspicious about what the Police is doing with the grassroots leaders because together they are partners to ensure Singaporeans continue to feel safe.

But no one gives orders to each other. Mr Chiam asked whether Police receives orders from these people. I think they work together. There is community involvement and the community here includes key grassroots leaders. This is why Singapore continues to be safe and secure. Incidentally, this morning, as I got out of the lift, a woman was coming in and she commented to her maid,

"Singapore is very safe." That reflects Singaporeans' view of the Police.

Sir, some Members raised questions concerning road safety in Singapore which boils down to the question whether our roads are safer today than before. Sir, in general, compared to many countries, such as Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Japan, Singapore's accident fatality rate of 5 per 100,000 population is one of the lowest anywhere in the world. Dr Ahmad Magad and Mr Tan Soo Khoon raised concerns about our senior citizens. Yes, this group could be vulnerable on our roads, as has been shown. However, Sir, although the number of senior citizens who died in road accidents last year comprised more than half, 33 out of 63, overall there has been a drop in the number of pedestrians involved in accidents - from 923 in 2002 down to 850 last year. Of this figure of 850, 752 of them, including senior citizens, sustained slight injuries. Many of these accidents are attributed to the fact that people still jaywalk, a matter raised by Mr Tan Soo Khoon just now. There were also drivers who failed to look out for pedestrians.

Sir, in these two respects, I must say that the Traffic Police is very well aware of such incidents and has been taking action against jaywalkers. In fact, last year the number of people booked for jaywalking has gone up. The Traffic Police is also taking action against the drivers who have become a danger to road-users, pedestrians, especially the elderly. But what is the long-term effort that we are doing to make our roads safer? Sir, the Traffic Police is taking a 3-pronged approach, comprising education, enforcement and legislation.

In terms of education, we work with many community groups. Last year,

Traffic Police organised more than 330 road safety talks and exhibitions for school children, senior citizens and others. And we have also organised another 220 road safety training programmes for school children and other groups, altogether reaching some 300,000 Singapore citizens. These efforts have proven to be useful.

For senior citizens particularly, the Traffic Police is going to be of greater help to them by leveraging on Rediffusion to broadcast some road safety messages in Chinese dialects so that some of them who only speak dialects could at least understand and learn more about how to use the roads in a safer manner. For senior citizens also, we are looking into the possibility of allowing the green light signals for crossing the road to last longer in areas where we know there are a lot more senior citizens staying. So the green light will probably stay longer. This is being looked into and, hopefully, it can be implemented soon.

Sir, in terms of enforcement, yes, there are traffic patrols all over the island every day, and we also undertake special operations to keep violators in check. One example is the action against drink driving, and this has resulted in a number of accidents due to drink driving and the number dropped over last year. We have also clamped down on other drivers who continue to put the lives of pedestrians at risk. One example is that last year, almost 3,000 motorists were booked for committing offences against pedestrians, such as failing to give way at pedestrian junctions and crossings. This is an increase from 2,700 in year 2002.

Finally, the third prong is tough and effective laws. MHA and Traffic Police regularly review the laws to ensure that they remain relevant and to provide

sufficient deterrence to undesirable driving behaviour.

Sir, there are some other suggestions made by Members, eg, lighting throughout the day. I am not sure whether the weather referred to by Dr Ahmad is similar to Singapore. But drivers can switch on their lights all day and this is not against the law. But to make it compulsory is another thing. I think the Traffic Police has got to look into this proposal.

On his idea of interlocking concrete blocks in school zones, at the moment, we find it not appropriate partly because it is going to cause a lot of noise pollution and it is going to incur a lot more maintenance cost as a result of frequent wear and tear. However, his concern is recognised. We are having some programmes to ensure that cars will slow down, especially near schools. We have provided safe crossing facilities. There are traffic calming measures like road humps and speed regulating strips as well as road dividers to discourage indiscriminate parking and overtaking.

Even in industrial parks, similar provisions are provided to slow down vehicles. However, at the moment, in these areas, the speed limit is already very low at 40 km per hour. We are not sure whether we should reduce it further because it will impact on the traffic efficiency in such areas. Anyway, if there is a need, Traffic Police with the LTA will look into the specific needs of certain areas and if 40 km per hour is regarded as dangerous we will look into it.

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Mr Maidin, it is guillotine time. Prof. Chin, would you like to withdraw your amendment?

Sir, I thank the Home Team Ministers and

Parliamentary Secretary for doing their best in the limited time to give comprehensive answers.

I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $1,826,647,090 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $522,176,200 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.

Head W - Ministry of Transport. Amendment No. (1), Mr Chay.

Public Transport

Sir, I beg to move,

That the total sum to be allocated for Head W of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100.

Sir, the Public Transport Council (PTC) has been charged with the duty of administering the service standards of public transport operators and the approval of routes and licensing among other things. It also has the not very welcome task of approving applications for fare adjustments and hikes from time to time by operators.

To maintain a world-class transport system, the Government must harness technology and equitable rules to the area of public transport operations so that there are benefits and gains to both the public and operators. The public is understandably always unhappy whenever there are fare hikes. Operators, however, need to perform to certain overall service standards and in certain sectors of routes to ensure their role as universal operators.

If the operators fail to perform to service standards in overall performance or in certain sectors of the routes, how does the Minister hope to impose penalties or fine the operators so as to nudge them to do better? If operators do not manage cost well with the rise in cost of operation, will allowing them to raise fares be fair to the public? On the other hand, if the bus operators do well and achieve productivity gains which result in lower cost of operations, should the operators not be rewarded fairly?

Somewhere in this web of technology, service standard criteria, efficiency and productivity yardsticks, the transport operators' performance will be evaluated and rewarded. If the quality of service is good, the public will be less unwilling to pay. Using the CPI plus X formula with a cap of 1.5% for X, as in the current model of fare adjustments, seems workable. X is a small percentage to account for various cost factors such as wages, charges and gains from productivity that will influence fares. This has been capped at 1.5% for five years, from 2001 to 2005. As this Budget covers up to March 2005, does the Minister have any plan to review the model to factor in efficiency and equitable rewards and payment?

Sir, Singapore is working towards the goal of building a world-class transport system for our people. To achieve this goal, it is important to address the issue of how we can best measure the effectiveness and efficiency of our transport system.

One prime concern often cited by the workers and commuters is that of time effectiveness. People who rely on public transport to commute on a daily basis is mainly interested in the time that it takes for them to move from point A to point B. For most Singaporeans who commute by bus, especially those living in the housing

estates, their daily journey to work or to school can often take more than one hour. Surely, we should consider how we can best reduce such lengthy travel time for all our Singaporeans.

One way to improve on efficiency of travelling time is to put in place a more comprehensive rail network. In Singapore, there are still quite a number of areas that are denied the benefit of an efficient rail network. I am interested to know what are the plans for expanding our rail network. I would like to ask what is the status of the new rail line projects, such as the Bukit Timah Line, Eastern Regional Line and Jurong Regional Line, that were previously announced. While some will argue that these lines should not be added now because of budget constraints, one should also not ignore the social benefits of the comprehensive rail network. In any case, we should consider the potential long-term cost benefits of building such new lines sooner rather than later.

Sir, transport cost is the other key concern. What are the measures taken by the MOT to moderate public transport costs? MOH has set a good example in its efforts recently to reduce healthcare costs. Is the MOT doing something similar? Another question I wish to raise again is: why can the bus operators not be allowed to retain the rental revenues from the bus interchanges like the MRT operators? This is particularly so given that the operators will pass the cost they pay for the maintenance of the interchanges to the commuters.

I would also like to ask the Ministry whether some of the guidelines imposed on operators, eg, to achieve world-class standard, are actually so onerous that it drives up costs for them, and thus the commuters end up having to pay more. Should we not reconsider trimming some

of these unnecessary frills that commuters may not actually need it?

Sir, Singapore is a compact city. While town planners had approached the development of public housing to include the creation of self-contained satellite towns, the nature of Singapore as a city state is such that heavy movement of our people around and across the island cannot be avoided. The land constraint dictates that there is a limit to the growth of private vehicles. Hence, the imposition of multiple measures on vehicle ownership and usage. This means that the majority of Singaporeans will have to rely on public transporters.

Over the years, we have seen improvements made in the public transport sector. But as our population grows to its current four million plus another 7.5 million visitors annually, there is a real need for the Government to improve both the qualitative as well as the quantitative aspects of public transporters. In this respect, I would like to know whether the Minister for Transport can share with us what he considers is the key performance index (KPI) for the public transporters in Singapore. Also, what else can we do to make Singapore's public transport the best in the world?

Sir, on 3rd June last year, it was reported in the Straits Times that the feedback to the fiscal development feedback group indicated that many Singaporeans asked the Government to spend more on public transportation. Cost effective and affordable public transportation is key to the functioning of our economy and for the pursuit of leisure activities of our citizens. It is both a matter of livelihood and lifestyle. However, with salaries seemingly not going up, with families suffering wage cuts, there is a strong possibility that the rate of increase of cost

of public transportation may very quickly outstrip the ability of our citizens to pay, for we all know that the PTC looks at a basket of factors in determining fare increases and as the objective of keeping transport operators economically viable as well.

When the cost of public transportation rises, the impact will be most felt by families in the lower income categories. I ask the Minister to provide an awareness of the proportion of the disposable income of families in households with household income below $1,500 to pay for transportation, especially if one takes a typical family of two working spouses and two school-going children, and if we can articulate a policy such that transportation cost as a proportion of disposable income for such families will not reach a level that they become unaffordable. On many other things, we can advise citizens to cut back, but transportation for most people is not a discretionary luxury good. Ensuring availability and affordability of transportation is key.

Rail projects

Sir, road and rail projects require huge investments in infrastructure which can run into billions of dollars and take a long time to complete. New roads, once completed and open to traffic, tend to attract more traffic and get filled up pretty quickly as motorists find them more convenient or faster to use. Also, through the ERP, the authorities can influence the usage of certain roads and divert traffic away from more congested stretches of our roads. However, unlike roads, rail lines are fixed and ridership numbers are dependent on the population living in the vicinity of that fixed route. We have long-term plans for rail projects such as the ERL, BTL, JRL and other LRTs. It takes many years of study, planning and construction, and involves multiple agencies. Before major projects get the

go-ahead, there is no doubt that the Government spends a lot of money and attention engaging consultants and experts to conduct

feasibility studies. Sometimes, projections and forecasts are an art more than a science. Also, circumstances change over time and new developments happen. If there is insufficient ridership when the project is completed, it will operate at a loss. From the recent experiences of Buangkok Station and Sengkang LRT, such systems will not be put into operation, although huge capital expenditure has been committed and incurred on the infrastructure. It is such a waste of public money to spend constructing such infrastructure only to see it lying there and not put into operation.

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Therefore, instead of embarking on totally green field projects, like building an LRT in an undeveloped area that is only projected to be developed later, we should introduce other more flexible and low-cost mode of public transport, such as bus services first, to build up ridership. When there is sufficient commuter demand, and this is proven, these services can then be replaced by more fixed and capital intensive infrastructure like rail lines.

Light Rail System

Sir, I share some of the views of the previous speaker, Mr Ong, on the rail system. The question I want to raise here is whether the light rail system is economically viable and efficient as a mode of transport feeding to the main line MRT system. Can the Minister give us his views on whether the present light rail system is an anachronism of public transport technology and system? I am not a user of the light rail. But having travelled a few times in Bukit Panjang, my observation is that it is quite inflexible and uncomfortable, especially when crowded, as there is only a limited

number of two coaches running at one time. Then there is the hassle of walking up the stairs and crossing the rail line to get to the right side, depending on where you are heading.

There is also the big loop that one has to go when one has to travel in different directions to get to a nearby point. The time taken to get nearby to connect seems like eternity when crowded. In principle, I believe that there is something wrong with this LRT system. It is a rather inefficient way of ferrying people, I believe, collecting more and more people on the undersized coaches, longer than necessary, and therefore, causing over-crowding on the LRT, and everybody ends up paying for nobody to go nowhere. Will the Minister not think that a simpler and more direct feeder bus service which costs a fraction of the LRT system will do the job, and giving the LRT some competition of private bus operators even now at this stage may do the trick?

Competition is good for the consumers and the economy. This will give choice to the consumers. Then we can truly value the so-called quality of service and lifestyle things that is so wanted in the current LRT system. I understand there are further LRT projects in view. I urge the Minister to do a review in order for money to be well spent here. Although the Government pays for the LRT system and operators recover operational cost, we must realise ultimately in all these that it is not the Government who pays. It is always the people who pay, and they pay and they pay. Rail operators and bus operators sometimes think that they are so efficient and so good. But it is the public who is providing the ridership, as pointed out by the previous speaker, and the road factor that makes the operation viable. And when they cannot balance the cost, they go to the Government to raise the fares. The Government owes it

to the people to build systems which can be efficiently operated with minimum cost and maximum benefit. Such a system should also be flexible and speedy in delivery, with minimum waiting and travelling time. Considering all the ---

Mr Chay, you have got to speed up your speech on the LRT.

Will the Minister review the LRT projects on its economic viability and efficiency?

MRT Monopoly

It is generally agreed that competition, as Mr Chay has mentioned, however imperfect, serves to improve the level of services and level prices down for the benefit of the consumers. While the MRT and bus operators provide different forms of land transportation, they are actually quite similar, in terms of affordability and the degree of privacy. Thus, competition exists between MRT and bus operators for passengers. In a healthy competitive environment, the MRT operator should not be the owner of the buses which ply the same routes. For example, competition between MRT and buses along the NEL was reduced and, I quote from the Straits Times, "SBS slashed its network of bus routes to avoid cannibalisation of its train services." The resulting monopoly means that the consumers now have less choice and possibly less convenience and less comfort as they would have to vie for a place on the MRT, especially during peak hours. I hope the Ministry will review its policy regarding this aspect of public transportation. If we want less congestion, less cars on the roads, if we want to encourage more Singaporeans to take public transport, we must ensure affordability, speed, comfort and choice for different individual needs and preferences.

Also, on another point which is on a lighter note, as we become a developed country, we should be looking and providing our country men more choices in life. We spend about 10% of our life travelling. We should try to enjoy our journeys to and from work as well. And the choice to travel by train or bus would really sometimes depend on the mood of the day. Let us give our Singaporeans more choices in life.

Last, but not least, the Minister mentioned the potential merger of two MRT operators a couple of months ago. Could the Minister give us an update on this issue?

Bus Operators

Sir, there has been much speculation and media interest about a possible merger of SMRT and Delgro. If it is proposed that the services presently offered by these two companies are merged and run by one operator, should the regulator allow it? The Ministry has stated that both companies are public listed companies and they will have to make their own corporate decisions for the benefit of the company. I can accept that it is up to the managements of the two companies and their shareholders to decide what is best for them. In principle, I have no difficulty about the rail operations being merged and run by one operator in the interest of efficiency and economy of scale. But should we allow the bus operations to be merged?

We have to consider the consequences of a merger on the commuter. Even at the present, the bus services offered by these two companies do not actually compete along the same trunk services. Will a single operator lead to monopolistic behaviour, resulting in poor quality of service for the commuters? There is a contradiction, on the one hand, to take the stance that these are two

public companies and they should be free to decide for themselves without Government intervention and, on the other hand, to restrict competition in bus trunk services by not opening up for other operators to come in. If we want to have free competition, why not let other local bus operators to come in to compete in offering public bus services? When there is commuter demand or where the incumbent operator is not providing adequate services, others should be allowed to come in to offer those services.

First let me thank the Members who have spoken on the land transport system in Singapore. Sir, let me start with the points made by Mr Chay Wai Chuen. Sir, first let me thank Mr Chay for having raised an issue that is close to the hearts of most Singaporeans. He was talking about the fare revisions and the role of the PTC. Sir, as all of you know, public transport fare revisions, no matter how small, never fail to ignite extensive and emotionally-charged public debates. As Mr Chay pointed out, the Public Transport Council (PTC) is responsible for assessing fare revision applications by the public transport operators. He called it a very thankless task, but actually it is a very delicate balance between safeguarding commuter interests and ensuring the financial viability of the public transport operators. It is a difficult and very unenviable task, but it is a very important one. And I am indeed glad that the PTC members have carried out this very difficult task in an outstanding manner.

Sir, the PTC is guarded by the CPI+X formula, as outlined by Mr Chay. The formula sets the cap for fare increases each year and was first implemented from 1998. As Mr Chay pointed out, the value of X takes into consideration cost increases and discounts for productivity. I think this latter part is very important

because, if the operators do not gain from the productivity improvements, then really there is no reason for them to look into improving their productivity.

Sir, I am glad that the PTC has indeed safeguarded the commuters' interest very well under the CPI+X framework. Since the adoption of the formula six years ago, public transport fares have increased by a total of about 5%. This is much lower than the cap of 15% allowed under the CPI+X formula and certainly much lower than the 20% increase in average wages over the last six years.

Sir, although the CPI+X formula has worked out well, I agree with Mr Chay that it is timely to review the fare review framework, and to see how it can be further improved. And I think this is especially so, because the current value of X in the formula will expire next year.

Sir, I am therefore very happy to inform this House that I intend to appoint Mr Chay, as the Chairman of the GPC for Transport, to form a Committee to undertake this review. The Review Committee will study and propose improvements to the framework for the annual fare review exercise, including the CPI+X formula.

Sir, the outcome of the review should be a framework that continues to achieve a good balance between affordable fares and sustainable public transport operations. I look forward to the Committee completing its work within a year. My Ministry and the PTC will support the secretariat and provide other support for the work of the Committee. I hope Mr Chay will be kind enough to undertake this very challenging assignment.

Mr Yeo Guat Kwang asked about the expansion plans for our rail network and a

few other matters. Sir, one of our key strategies to achieving an efficient land transport system is to develop a comprehensive Rapid Transit System (RTS) as the backbone of our public transport system. To achieve this, LTA has developed an RTS Master Plan to provide comprehensive coverage of key parts of Singapore, including those parts which Mr Yeo pointed out are not covered yet.

Sir, however, the rail projects involve very heavy capital investments. We therefore have to ensure that taxpayers' money is spent prudently. As such, we will only proceed with a new rail line if it is financially viable.

Based on LTA's current construction programme, our rail network will already grow by some 50% from today's 122 kilometres to 172 kilometres in the year 2010, when the Circle Line is completed. Sir, the Circle Line will significantly enhance the connectivity of our rail network, and it will allow commuters to achieve far greater savings in travel times. We are also in the final stages of planning for an extension of the East-West Line into the Jurong Industrial Estate. This would reduce travel time for workers in the Jurong and Tuas Industrial Estates, and reduce the heavy congestion at the Boon Lay MRT station and the bus interchange there.

Sir, Mr Yeo asked about the status of the three new lines that we had talked about - the Bukit Timah Line (BTL), the Jurong Region Line (JRL) and the Eastern Region Line (ERL). Sir, LTA is currently carrying out feasibility studies on these three lines.

The implementation schedule will depend on their financial viability, and whether the current public transport modes can cater to the prevailing demand. If they are able to cater to the prevailing demand, then there is no need

for us to sink billions of dollars into building the new lines. Sir, being heavy investments, the development schedule will also depend on the Government's financial situation. So while I agree with Mr Yeo's sentiments about the social benefits of a comprehensive rail system, unfortunately, we cannot throw fiscal prudence to the wind.

2.15 pm

Sir, Mr Yeo also asked about measures taken

to moderate public transport costs. Sir, I would like to assure him that my Ministry certainly shares his concern and is mindful of the need to keep statutory costs of public transport services low. For example, as part of the relief package that we announced last year, LTA extended the statutory lifespan of buses by two years, from 15 to 17 years. So, this had helped the operators lower costs through savings in depreciation and in terms of the capital cost of having to buy new buses.

Sir, many people appear to have the perception that public transport costs have gone up significantly over the years. It is therefore important for me to assure Members of the House as well as the public that this is not so. Between 1987 and 2002, average wages went up by 136%. But for an average 8-kilometre trip, bus fares only went up by 14%, from 90 cents to $1.03 for an 8-km ride and train fares by 30%, from 80 cents to $1.

04. As such, we should commend the operators for having done a good job of providing a service that is even more affordable today, compared to 17 years ago, relative to average wages. I think Members would also be happy to know that SBS Transit has indicated that it would not be applying for a fare adjustment this year and I think this is indeed good news for commuters.

So moving forward, we will continue to work with the operators to help them

lower costs. Mr Yeo had asked that the bus operators be allowed to retain the rental revenues from the bus interchanges. Sir, this is not allowed at the moment as the bus interchanges are built by the Government and leased to the operators for a nominal fee of $12 a year. Notwithstanding this, I am happy to inform Mr Yeo that we are currently reviewing this policy and I hope to get back to him shortly.

With regard to our standards, I would also like to reassure Mr Yeo that LTA has not imposed onerous standards and requirements on the operators. What LTA strives to achieve is to ensure that the bus operators are able to have an acceptable level of service, safety and operational efficiency. The aim is to keep the cost of public transport low, while maintaining safety standards and service quality. I would like to assure Mr Yeo that we keep in close touch with the operators and I can assure him that if the standards are too onerous, they will not hesitate to make sure that we know about it.

Sir, let me move on to Mr Wee Siew Kim first, because his cuts are pretty much similar to the points brought up by Mr Yeo. Sir, Mr Wee Siew Kim asked about measures to help address the rising cost of public transport and whether the Government could perhaps help to make the transport services more affordable for the lower income group, in a way implying that we could find a way to subsidise them.

Sir, as I have replied to Mr Yeo, the perception that transport costs have been going up and going up rapidly, and therefore becoming unaffordable, is a very much misplaced one.

Fares have gone up much less than the average wage increases over the last 17 years. As a result, public transport expenditure, as a proportion of household

expenditure, has decreased from 5.1% in 1988 to 4% in 1998. So from 5% in 1988, it has gone down to 4% in 1998, over a 10-year period. I think he also asked about the lower 20th percentile, those people with household incomes of about $1,300 to $1,400. Sir, I do not have the actual figures to compare between that 10-year period, but what I have is that in 1988, the household income was $642 for the 20th percentile. And 10 years later, in 1998, the 20th percentile income had gone up, and had more than doubled to $1,368. And as I mentioned just now, the average fares have gone up very marginally over the last 10 years. This means that, actually, with regard to the lowest 20th percentile, the impact on them has also been that the fares have become a lot more affordable.

Sir, nevertheless, we do recognise that there will be some people who may genuinely face financial difficulties and do need help. I think the Government's approach is to target the financial assistance at those who really need it, through the various schemes implemented either at the Government or community levels. And such assistance is normally given in a holistic manner, with counselling given on how to help them manage their finances. I think the counsellors would also try to match them with a job nearer their home, if they find that that particular person who is appealing for help is spending too much money travelling to and from work. Nonetheless, some short-term assistance with the cost of transport is available for those in financial need. One example is the Public Transport Fund set up recently by NTUC and the CDCs, with financial contributions from the transport operators.

If Mr Wee is aware of people who require financial support, I would urge him to refer them to the relevant Government

and community organisations for assistance.

Sir, Mr Yatiman Yusof asked about the KPIs for the public transport operators because of the importance of the public transport system. Sir, I agree with Mr Yatiman Yusof that the level of public transport service contributes greatly towards enhancing the mobility and quality of life in Singapore. That is why we have put in place minimum standards to ensure that our public transport service operators are able to meet adequate service levels. Today, LTA imposes service standards on taxi and rail operators, and the PTC specifies service standards for the bus operators. Sir, the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are very detailed and lengthy. I will highlight the philosophy and the approach taken by LTA and PTC instead.

Generally, these standards cover the areas of service availability, safety and customer satisfaction. For example, the rail operators have to comply with schedule adherence and service availability indicators, while the bus operators have to ensure that their services meet stipulated headways during the peak periods. When the taxi industry was deregulated last year, LTA also introduced a set of Quality of Service (QoS) standards to ensure minimum service levels for taxis. These relate to service factors, such as safety and responsiveness to radiophone bookings.

Sir, as our public transport industry evolves, our regulators will review the standards regularly to ensure that they remain relevant to our needs. For instance, PTC is now reviewing and updating the bus service standards which were established in 1994. And I can assure Members that when conducting such reviews, we will continue to balance the commuters' expectations of service with the cost implications of imposing high standards on the operators.

Sir, Mr Chay also asked about compliance with the standards and what happens if they do not comply. To ensure compliance with the standards, LTA and PTC do conduct regular audits on the operators, including ad-hoc on-site audits. If the operators are unable to comply with the required standards, they may face financial penalties of up to $100,000 for the taxi operators, and up to $1 million for rail operators.

For the bus operators, their security deposits of $2,000 per bus route can also be forfeited. I am happy to inform Mr Chay that the audit of the operators' performance in the year 2003, last year, showed that they have generally been able to meet the required standards, but we will continue to monitor them to make sure.

Sir, let me now reply to the points made by Mr Ong Kian Min on the rail projects. Sir, he asked about the three new lines, which I have replied already, and he also stressed that we should not build new rail lines to new areas under development in case there are changes to the development schedule which will make the new line non-viable. Circumstances do change, as he has pointed out. Sir, as I had pointed out to Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, the Government will only embark on a new rail line after it is fully satisfied that the new line is really needed, and that it will be financially viable.

Mr Ong is correct in stating that the rail lines were previously built based on projected demand and ridership. Sir, that was not a problem when we first built the North-South and the East-West lines, because these two lines serve areas that were already largely developed and well-populated. Unfortunately, as you have pointed out, rail projects are major developments that can stretch eight to 10 years from the approval stage to the completion stage and during the long

construction period, unforeseen developments may occur and, as we have seen with the NEL, do occur.

And because of our experience with the NEL system, we are now proceeding very carefully with future rail projects. So, I can assure Mr Ong that we will build new lines in the future only when we are satisfied that they will be viable. And in the meantime, we will continue to provide the residents in the areas under consideration with a good and well-proven system of the feeder bus network.

Mr Chay asked me to give my views on the LRT system, whether they are really cost-effective and he asked also if we should be building new ones. Sir, let me first explain that the Government decided to build LRT systems that are available today to serve as feeder services because there are several notable, in actual fact, advantages connected to LRT systems. Firstly, it is a more efficient form of transport compared to buses in densely populated towns or areas with high activity levels. The train is also more reliable in its time schedules and, unlike buses, is not subject to delays from traffic congestion. In addition, the elevated train system frees up land which would otherwise have to be used to provide more road space. So, this allows for a better use of our limited land, especially in areas that are already very densely built up. However, as Mr Chay has rightly pointed out, the LRT projects also require heavy investments. And in that, it means that the Government has to subsidise, also very heavily, this mode of transport. Sir, for this reason, we will only proceed to build new lines, the LRT lines, when we are assured that they are viable, when there are positive cost benefits, and I think also, when we are sure that the location under consideration is suitable for introducing such a system.

Dr Chong Weng Chiew asked that we give commuters a choice, that in this day

and age, especially with our present state of development, commuters are entitled to have choices. And he also asked about the merger of the two transport operators. Sir, I can understand the point made by Dr Chong that the commuters would prefer to be served by both buses and trains along the same corridor. It gives them the ability to choose between one or the other. However, such duplication of expensive resources is very wasteful and certainly not cost effective. It will only lead to a lose-lose situation for both the bus and rail operators, and ultimately, the commuters. This is because ridership must suffer for both operations that duplicate one another, and they will become less viable. The higher operating costs needed to run systems concurrently would eventually have to be passed on to the commuters in the form of higher fares.

So, this is why we have to rationalise bus services each time a new rail line opens and this is to prevent or, at least, reduce unnecessary duplication. Sir, he was afraid also that by having the MRT operator running the bus routes, the monopoly would enable the train operator to over-rationalise and deprive commuters of bus services which may be very needed. Sir, I want to assure him that this is not so, because the rationalisation plan is independent of whether the same operator runs both the train and the bus services. In fact, the rationalisation plan

is done by TransitLink which is an independent operator. And after that, it has to be submitted to PTC for approval. So there are plenty of safeguards to make sure that if it is a single operator, the single operator does not abuse its monopoly position.

2.30 pm

Sir, he also asked about the merger of the two operators. Mr Ong Kian Min also

touched on that, so I will combine the two answers together. Mr Ong spoke of the possibility of the SMRT and Delgro merging their bus and rail operations and asked whether, whilst he understands about the rail operation, we should agree to the merger of the bus operations.

Sir, as pointed out by Mr Ong, the two public operators are public-listed companies. They are free to explore mergers, whether in bus or rail, if they think there are commercial benefits in doing so. At this point in time, let me correct the mistake made by Dr Chong. He said that I had talked about the merger of the two companies. And in fact, Mr Inderjit Singh, on Monday also in this House, said to the effect that it was not right for a Government Minister to direct the two transport operators to merge their rail operations.

I think he was referring to me, of course. Sir, both Mr Inderjit Singh and Dr Chong are wrong, because I never directed them to do such a thing. What happened was that I was asked a supplementary question in this House in August last year, whether it would not have been better, for one operator to run all the rail lines in Singapore. This took place, I think Members would recall, during my answer to Mr Charles Chong's very famous question on Buangkok MRT station.

Sir, in my reply, I explained the background as to why the NEL was given to a second operator. I also said that we cannot do anything to change the operators now, as both rail operators are listed companies. But my Ministry will not object should they decide to explore the option of merging their rail operations.

So, at no time did I direct the two rail operators to merge the operations. Dr Chong asked what is the status. I would like to inform Dr Chong that neither my Ministry nor LTA has received any

proposals from any of the two operators about this option.

Sir, on the issue of allowing competition in bus services, Mr Ong may recall that two years ago, I had announced that PTC is prepared to allow feeder bus competition in HDB new towns. Unfortunately, up to now, no private bus operator has come forward to express its interest.

Sir, however, despite this lack of response, we are still very keen on this idea and will continue looking for ways to introduce more competition in the provision of bus services. And since we are still pursuing the idea of enhancing bus competition, I think we will have to think seriously whether it will make sense for us to allow a merger of the current bus services, should the two operators come to us with this option.

Sir, I think I have answered all the points made in this order.

Order. I propose to take the break now.

Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the whole House.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 2.34 pm until 2.55 pm.

Sitting resumed at 2.55 pm

Debate in Committee of Supply resumed.

Head W (cont.) -

Amendment No. (1). Mr Ang Mong Seng.

Taxis

(In Mandarin ): Sir, right now, our public transport system consists of MRT, bus and taxi services. For the elderly and the handicapped who are less mobile, the better form of public transport is taxi. If we expect our taxis to render better service to the elderly and the handicapped, then we need to modify our taxis.

If taxi companies or the taxi-drivers themselves want to take the initiative to modify their taxis, they would have to bear the full cost of such modification. I would like to know if the Minister would consider giving them tax incentives on the cost of such modification so as to encourage them to upgrade part of their taxi fleet in order to render better service to the elderly and the handicapped people. If we want to put our public transport system on par with the best in the world, we should look into improving our services to all citizens, particularly those who are less mobile.

When I was in San Jose, California, for an attachment, I came across a taxi-driver who was the sole owner and operator of a taxi. This man was very enterprising. While driving me to my workplace, he showed his wealth of knowledge about interesting places, the political system and the way of life in San Jose. I was impressed with his performance and decided to hire him throughout my stay there as I had to travel 30 kilometres to the office where I was attached to.

Sir, Singapore too had its own one-man operated taxis. In the 1960s, many of us were familiar with the pirated taxis known as "pa wang chia" which charged 30 cents for the fare from Geylang to Chinatown and 20 cents from Chinatown to Alexandra. Users need not have to wait for more than three minutes to get

connected and transported. While I am not in favour of the return of "pa wang chia" because of the downside of such services, I wonder whether the current policy of strict licensing for taxi operators is the best that we can have. The condition imposed on newcomers for taxi operations is so restrictive that at best, it allows only a very few number of players in the industry. A new operator needs to have 400 taxis, which can be bought over a period of four years, to obtain a licence. It seems that the rationale is to enjoy economy of scale and to have back-up services needed for such operators. Why 400? Why not 200, 100, 50 or 10 taxis to be allowed to apply for a licence if they can come up with an arrangement where the back-up and other services needed can be shared by the players?

In this way, we can provide real competition to the existing major players such as Comfort Delgro, TIBS, CityCab and the SilverCab. Just like in any other economic sector, where the big MNCs are able to live side by side with the local manufacturers and the small and medium enterprises, we should be creative enough to allow the transportation sector, especially the taxi service, to open up a little more so that the current oligopolistic competition can be changed into an open competition. I would be happy if the Minister could share with us his views on this matter.

Sir, the taxi service in Singapore has generally improved over the years. Taxis are clean and the drivers are generally courteous. One problem, Sir, is around midnight when it may be difficult to get a taxi. This has to do with midnight charges. Another problem, Sir, is the various charges we have to pay for a taxi ride. There is a basic charge, a midnight charge, an electronic road pricing charge, early morning and evening

charges in the Central Business District. All these can be confusing to our people. When I go to court early in the morning in the Central Business District, say, from home, all or most of these charges come into play. I just pay what is asked for by the taxi driver without querying because it may be time-consuming, and the taxi driver may be a little impatient, having to explain. Once in a while when we ask, they do explain. Could the Ministry try and fine-tune all these taxi charges so that it is simple and easy to understand for the lay persons? Let there be one charge generally.

The cost element, Sir, also should be considered. If there are less charges imposed by the Land Transport Authority on road tax, taxi licences, etc, and also by taxi companies which own the taxis, in terms of rentals of taxi, reduced petrol charges by petrol companies, etc, then we might see the taxi fares, which commuters need to pay, reduce or maintain at today's level.

Certificates of Entitlement

(In Mandarin): Sir, at present, when a car owner buys his car, he pays cash for the Certificate of Entitlement. But when he scraps his car, all he gets is just another certificate, and not cash. This certificate can only be used to offset the cost of the Certificate of Entitlement of his next car.

If the car owner wants to get back the rebate in cash, he would have to sell his paper to a third party, such as a second-hand car dealer. Of course, the third party would charge 2-3% as commission. This does not seem to be logical. Initially, he paid for it in cash, but when he deregisters his car, why can he not get back his PARF rebate in cash? In recent years, many car owners have been facing financial difficulties and could no longer afford to own their cars. They could not sell their cars as the second-hand car

market has been discouraging. As a result, they have no choice but to deregister their cars with the hope of getting some cash back to tide over the difficult times.

As a matter of fact, the Land Transport Authority should know and be able to forecast how many cars are being imported each year, and how many cars are deregistered. This information is certainly in the hands of the Ministry of Transport. As such, I hope that the Minister will reconsider the plea to make cash refund to motorists who deregister their cars.

Land Transport System

Sir, one of the two points in the Ministry of Transport's vision to achieve a quality and efficient land transport system is to have congestion-free roads. I agree we should minimise congestion so that we do not waste time stuck in traffic. But we must also not forget that roads are there to serve a number of objectives, not only to get us there as quickly as possible, but once we get there, to allow us to achieve our other purpose of wanting to get there in the first place. By that I refer to parking places and loading and unloading facilities. I feel that the present policy emphasises too much on congestion-free roads. Vehicles are supposed to get off the roads as soon as they arrive at their destination by going into parking places provided either in buildings or designated areas. I feel that not enough attention has been given to providing for facilities for parking, waiting, loading or unloading, so that people can go about doing their business more efficiently. In our CBD, parking is always a problem for despatch riders and delivery men. These are important contributors to our economy. Parking for them is ad hoc, ill-planned and unsystematic. We see motorcycles parked along the pavements and loading and unloading done anywhere that is possible

and not hounded by the parking wardens or traffic police.

Traffic and parking in Central London used to be horrendous. However, in recent years, they introduced limited short-term parking, where you are allowed to park in curbside lots for up to a maximum time limit ranging from 15 minutes to one hour. It has now become quite easy to find a parking space for short-term parking. It is now so convenient to stop, park, run into a shop to do an errand and be off. It does not allow drivers to hog the lots even if they are prepared to pay for them. It allows short stays to encourage people to come, do what they are there for, and go off quickly and efficiently. The turnover is fantastic, and businesses and customers benefit.

Road and Traffic Management

Sir, although road pricing is an effective way to keep our roads free-flowing, I feel that more should be done in the area of road management. In particular, more attention should be paid to the following areas.

First, although there is a committee to coordinate roadwork the problem still exists as roadworks appear to occur at the most inopportune time at places of high usage. For example, there are constantly roadworks that cut off one lane on roads that are heavily used during peak hours. Braddell Road is one of the examples. I just saw them repainted the bus lane a week ago, after a month-long of digging, and yesterday they started digging again. Is there anything that the authorities will do regarding the appropriate timing and duration of such roadworks?

Second, despite the fact that there are regulations to keep our roads free-flowing, eg, zigzag lines to prevent cars from stopping and clogging up congested

roads, they are usually not effective due to insufficient enforcement. The situation outside Clifford Centre is one example. What plan does the Ministry have to better coordinate efforts between the LTA and the Traffic Police especially when some functions of these two agencies appear to overlap?

Third, on the issue of clarity and effectiveness of road signs. Many new roads are built and the road network is getting more complex. Many motorists end up circulating a few times because they missed a certain or critical turning. This contributes to the density of traffic. Is there anything being done to look into how we can better position our road signs that can effectively assist motorists so that they do not end up circulating and choking up the roads?

The above issues need to be resolved in order to convince motorists that the authorities have indeed done their best to address the issue of road management before introducing additional road pricing.

Finally, many Singaporeans find driving here a stressful experience. Would LTA, together with the Traffic Police, step up efforts to improve the "heartware" of our motorists to get them to show basic courtesy by using the car signal lights whenever applicable, appropriately and pay more attention to road safety?

Local Traffic Management

Sir, what I shall be speaking on may sound a little contrary to the call to delegate more authority to the community, but I do think minimum professional standards must always prevail for all things.

Sir, of late, there has been a conscious move by the Ministry,

specifically the LTA, to involve the community more in local traffic management. This is extended to a whole range of issues from which car park lots to be reserved for season parking, to whether humps should be built along accident-prone stretches and, if so, where precisely. Sir, everyone knows that there is nothing scientific about which side of the road to draw double white lines, or where the single white line should end. As my parliamentary colleagues would well know, there is frequently no right answer nor consensus as everyone would readily support the building of humps but no one would want it right outside his home. Yet this can frequently give rise to unexpected, un-neighbourly behaviour.

Sir, whilst the move to involve the community is very commendable, it should never be done at the expense of a professional opinion. Towards this end, I would like to ask the Minister to state what is the Ministry's position with respect to LTA's rendering of professional views for local traffic management issues, as not doing so is tantamount to passing the unpopular buck to grassroots volunteers. Grassroots volunteers are happy to help facilitate the getting of feedback, but I do think it is unfair to impose the burden of professional decision-making on them.

ERP for Motorcycles

Sir, the current cash card reader on motorcycle is big and bulky and openly subjected to theft of cash card. Many motorcyclists, myself included, as I declare here, are known to have lost many cash cards when they forget to take it out from the reader, after they have parked the motorcycle. Not everyone is born with the talent of good memory and habit of checking for our cash cards before leaving our machine. Bikers should not be financially penalised with loss because of the design system

issue or problem. The ERP reader has been in place for almost 10 years since the start of the road pricing. It is high time an alternative to the cash card reader be considered and implemented for motorists to alleviate this problem of stolen cash cards in motorcycles and also smashed windscreens in cars.

My suggestion is for LTA to consider the setting up of a system whereby the motorists, whether car drivers or motorcyclists, can sign up for a monthly billing and Giro deduction system. Under such a system, the card reader records the different entries under different ERP gantries and LTA can bill the registered motorists electronically at month-end and receive payment via Giro automatically. I believe this is not a very high-tech nor expensive system and it will greatly reduce the inconvenience that road users have to bear, especially when they forget to insert the card, top up the cash card, hide or lose their cash card or stolen through windscreen breakage. This will also discourage petty theft as there is less opportunity to tempt the thief into stealing and smashing windows for that cash card. I hope the Minister will at least agree to look into this idea before giving his objection.

Public Transport for the Disabled

Sir, I would like to first say thank you to the Minister for letting me park this topic under MOT instead of the usual place, which is MCDS. The reason is that I do see it as a national policy because such a provision actually caters to four groups of people: parents with strollers; the disabled; the elderly and the normally healthy people, who because of an injury, are wheelchair-bound for a temporary period. As such, providing transport for the disabled becomes a national concern that affects everyone right now, or in the future. So, it does need a mindset change. If we leave it with MCDS, the

provision of a dedicated service will be transferred to, in all probability, the VWOs to manage, which will then come back to the citizens, in all probability, as a charity dollar to support the system. Therefore, it is my hope that if we truly believe in our desired outcome of providing a first-class transport system for the citizenry, that is seamless, we have to bite the bullet and look into providing at least kneeling buses that will complement the NEL and the SMRT lines. We do not have to look very far. They are already in Singapore on Sentosa Island, brought in at $250,000 and they are giving our tourists the best experience. A recent report in the Straits Times, I quote the Deputy Communications Director who says, "These are just small touches that we hope will give our visitors a pleasant experience." My question then is: what more are our own small touches, big and small, that we have to provide for our own citizenry? Let me quote a visitor's experience. A Mr Huang from Hong Kong said, in that same report, "It is very convenient, these kneeling buses. We have something similar back home. Only it has an additional ramp. This is more convenient."

Sir, we are providing wonderful experiences for our visitors. What more do we have to do for our own citizens? And, if the Minister is going to ask me whether the citizens will want to pay for this, I see it as corporate responsibility. The state, the two bus operators and the citizenry must pay, so that the disabled do not just have to go to Sentosa.

Sir, let me thank the Members who have spoken again. Let me start with the reply to Mr Ang Mong Seng. He asked for assistance for the taxi operators for the wheelchair-enabled taxis.

Sir, today, there are already close to 100 wheelchair accessible taxis in Singapore. It shows that the lack of

incentives before has not prevented the taxi companies from buying them. The good news I have for Mr Ang is that last year, we did come up with an incentive for the operators.

As part of this incentive scheme, wheel lifts and associated installation costs are exempted from Additional Registration Fee (ARF) and excise duty. So what this means is that this will now help to lower the upfront cost of such taxis by some 20%. So it is quite a significant incentive and I hope that this will encourage the taxi operators to bring in additional taxis that are so fitted.

3.15 pm

Sir, Mr Yatiman asked that we open up the taxi industry even more. The current policy is still too restrictive, too strict. Sir, when we liberalised the industry last year, we did consider the number of taxis that we should stipulate for the new operators. LTA did a study and found that in view of the high overheads related to the cost of the despatch system and the radiophone system that we need a certain minimum size. The calculation showed that 400 was already a very minimum number, and anything lower than that will not be viable at all.

And I am glad that since we liberalised last year, the taxi landscape in Singapore has changed. Today, we have three new taxi companies, bringing the total number of players to seven. This shows that our objective of allowing greater competition in the taxi industry is working. And I hope in the years ahead, we will see new players coming in, once the three new players have settled down.

Sir, Mr Yatiman asked why not allow the small operators to come in and share the back-end costs, so that they can start with a smaller number of taxis. Sir, there

is nothing to prevent them from joining together as aspiring entrepreneurs to join up together and pool their resources, rather than starting one on their own. In any case, Sir, we allow them a four-year period to invest in 400 taxis. So, it is not something that they are required to invest in upfront.

Mr Chandra Mohan touched on the complexity of all the different charges for the taxi fares. The taxi fare in Singapore is not unique to Singapore. It is very similar to the taxi fare structure in other major cities like London, Hong Kong, New York and Sydney. This is because the surcharges are meant to cater to the varying situations over the 24-hour period in a normal day.

Sir, since September 1998, taxi fares in Singapore have been fully de-regulated. And, as such, taxi companies are free to determine their own fare structures and pricing strategies to respond to the demand and the needs of the commuters. However, the taxi companies are required by PTC to provide sufficient information so that commuters can understand the fare structure and make informed choices. If Mr Chandra Mohan does not know what he is paying for, what he can do is to look at the fare information, which I understand is displayed very prominently in the back of the taxi and on the rear windscreen, as well as at the taxi stands. So you can see what you are paying for at that time of the day.

But having said that, I am quite happy that the taxi companies are starting to innovate, for example, to address the shortage of taxis before midnight, CityCab recently adopted a different pricing strategy. It has implemented a staggered late-night surcharge in January, with a staggered surcharge starting from 11.30 pm and fully implemented at 1.00 am. I hope that the other taxi companies will also come up with innovative solutions to this and other challenges that they face.

Sir, Mr Ang Mong Seng talked about the COE rebate. At the present moment, the rebate is given through a rebate certificate rather than cash. He asked why not give out in cash. Sir, let me explain the reasons for not granting the rebate in cash.

As Members are aware, the COE allows vehicle owners to use their vehicles for 10 years. However, we do recognise that some owners may have to scrap or export their vehicles before the expiry of the COE. Therefore, as a concession, the Government has allowed owners to use the residual COE value to offset the upfront taxes payable for a new vehicle. We have also made the process for utilising the rebate as flexible as possible. For example, an owner can transfer the COE rebate to another person, say, a friend or relative, if he does not intend to use it. He can also combine the rebate certificates or split them up when utilising them. Sir, as such, the process is a simple and very flexible one, and the Government does not intend to change the rebate into a cash payment.

Mr Ong Kian Min said that we emphasised too much on road congestion and we are not paying enough attention to looking after the people who are loading or unloading or parking their vehicles in the city. I think Mr Yeo Guat Kwang also touched on the need to keep our roads free flowing.

Sir, one of our measures to achieve this, ie, keeping our roads congestion free, is through controlling the population of the vehicles in Singapore and through congestion pricing. With the proper measures in place to manage congestion, we will be able to allow our vehicle population to grow at a sustainable rate. This is currently set at 3% per annum.

At this juncture, I am pleased to announce that the total COE quota for 2004 is 120,538. This is a 1.6%

increase from last year's quota, with the quota for cars increasing by about 4%. LTA will be releasing the detailed breakdown of the 2004 quota later today.

Let me now address the specific points raised by Mr Ong Kian Min. He spoke about the need to provide adequate parking spaces for parking, loading and unloading activities. He felt that today the provision of such spaces is ad hoc, ill-planned and unsystematic, especially in the CBD.

In land-scarce Singapore, we all recognise that we need to ensure that our limited road space is used for the efficient movement of people and goods. Roadside parking facilities may serve the needs of motorists such as delivery men or despatch riders, who need to park and deliver something quickly. However, the provision of such facilities must be balanced against all conflicting demands. As such, on the main city roads, where traffic volume is high and the roads are already congested, kerbside parking is not allowed. But where the impact on traffic is manageable, and there is a need to increase the supply of parking facilities to meet the demand, URA and LTA have introduced roadside parking facilities, eg, along the minor roads in the CBD. This is very similar in almost all the big cities in the world.

He is therefore mistaken in claiming that the provision of such spaces is ad hoc and ill planned. In fact, LTA requires all developers to make provisions for adequate parking and loading/unloading facilities when they submit their project proposals for planning approval. In reviewing these proposals, LTA would ensure that the provisions are indeed sufficient so that the loading and unloading activities do not spill over onto the main roads and affect the traffic flow of the surrounding roads and affect the safety of the road-users.

Sir, I can understand that the despatch riders and the delivery men will want to park as close to the entrance of the buildings as possible. But this is not always possible. Nonetheless, in such situations, the drivers and the despatch riders will still have to observe the road regulations. Otherwise, they will impose inconveniences on other road-users, or worse, break some road regulations.

Of course, we can always ask the Traffic Police to increase the enforcement actions - I think this is what Mr Yeo Guat Kwang has also asked. But there is also a need for people to be more observant of road regulations. This is part and parcel of becoming a more civic and gracious society.

Moving on to Mr Yeo Guat Kwang. Sir, the road works problem is a perennial problem and there is no easy solution. We have a Committee set up to coordinate the road openings. As far as possible, the road openings are timed to coincide with LTA's road construction and maintenance programme. But, it is not always possible to do so, given that Singapore is a highly urbanised city, with many of its utility services running below the roads. There are many reasons why roads may need to be opened, for example, to lay additional utility supply because of new property developments in the area, emergency repairs to the utility services, upgrading of aged utility infrastructure, and so on. Some of these works are not easily planned or even foreseeable. I can assure him that LTA and the Committee will try to find ways for the coordination.

Mr Yeo also talked about improving road signs. I agree with him that proper directional signs play an important role in minimising unnecessary traffic circulation, especially in the city area. The key is to have clear and well-positioned directional

signs. They are usually placed near road intersections where motorists have to decide whether to turn right or turn left or go straight. More importantly, we need to avoid a proliferation of signs, as these will mar the landscape and confuse motorists. So I can assure him that LTA pays a lot of attention to having appropriate signs and to make sure that the signs are meaningful. If Mr Yeo has any feedback on places where signages can be improved, I will be happy to hear from him.

Mr Yeo also said that we should explore alternative measures to keep the roads free-flowing before we introduce ERP. Let me assure him that this is already being done today. When there are congested roads, LTA does not go in and implement ERP straightaway. In fact, we have not implemented ERP for quite some time. This is because LTA will go in to analyse the situation and find if there are other ways to relieve the congestion first, and will only resort to ERP as the last measure.

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua stated that minimum professionalism needs to prevail when devolving responsibilities to the community, and she asked what is our position. Sir, let me assure Mrs Lim that LTA remains the authority on road matters. It should never shed its responsibility from what needs to be done.

LTA has a clear two-level approach where the community is concerned. If there is a definite need to implement a scheme due to safety or traffic reasons, LTA will proceed to do so without consultation as these are essential, but they will explain to residents in the area why there is a need for the scheme.

But where there are no safety and traffic efficiency concerns, LTA has adopted a more consultative approach. This is in keeping with the times. This allows LTA to tap and benefit from the

local knowledge of community leaders and the local residents.

For example, many local issues such as introducing parking restrictions or road humps do not impact directly on the safety or efficiency of the road network. But they do affect the local residents in one way or another. As such, LTA will work with the local community and grassroots organisations (GROs) to ensure that

the interest of the residents in the neighbourhood is taken care of. And I have reminded LTA that they should not pass the decision to the residents or claim that they are doing it on behalf of the residents. They are doing it because they have heard the feedback and they agreed to the recommendation. So I will make sure of that and if Mrs Lim has any feedback on such a problem, I will be very happy to hear from her.

3.30 pm

Mr Steve Chia mentioned about the poor design of the motorcycle IU. I agree with Mr Chia that the present In-vehicle Unit (IU) for motorcycles is not really ideal. But the key constraint that we have to bear in mind is that the IU has to be mounted in front of the vehicle to allow it to communicate with the ERP gantry, and to enable the motorist to view the value of his Cashcard. This applies to both cars and motorcycles. I think the problem is, unlike cars, for motorcycles it is very difficult to place the IU in a position where it can be locked and concealed because the motorcycle is a very open one.

The good news I have for Mr Chia is that LTA is now looking into a new generation IU that would have improved features to reduce the incidence of Cashcard theft. In the meantime, we have to continue to remind motorists to avoid the risk of losing their Cashcard by remembering to remove it from their IUs when they lock up their vehicles.

He also suggested a system where the motorist can sign up and have their ERP charges deducted automatically at the end of the month. Sir, in fact this was one of the options looked at when designing the ERP system and designing the in-vehicle unit. But the feedback was a very negative one, because what this means is that there will be a record kept of where you were at each time of the day for the whole month. Many thought this was an intrusion of the privacy of the individual. And in view of the very negative feedback, LTA decided not to adopt this system. I would imagine that the objections will still prevail today if we are to propose it. So, let us look for other solutions instead.

Sir, Ms Braema, in her appeal for better transport for the disabled, felt that we should take this under the public transport system. As she said, bite the bullet€”because kneeling buses are already here, why can we not have them elsewhere in the city. And why are we looking after the tourists better than the local citizens, especially when Sentosa has already got them?

I can sympathise with the sentiments of Ms Braema. We would like to do our best to help the disabled. But I think we have to look at the issue from a very holistic manner and see what is the best way to help the disabled in a very proactive manner. At the moment, this issue is taken up under MCDS, because MCDS is looking at the whole situation of what to do in terms of looking after the needs of the disabled, including the transport needs.

It is not feasible for MOT to take this over under the public transport system because the public transport system caters for the mass transport needs on a daily basis of the millions of Singaporeans who need to move from one place to another. Why is Sentosa able to do it? The reason is very simple. Sentosa has a

few million visitors each year and many of them will either go on to the monorail or they will take the bus. So the number of people taking the bus on Sentosa island is probably two-thirds of the total visitors.

In contrast, on the public roads every day, we have about three million public transport rides. If you look at our public roads, buses are going past every few seconds. A delay of 20 or 30 seconds for each bus at the bus stop will create huge jams on our public roads. It will result in higher fares, and much longer travelling time for all Singaporeans. So we have to look at the national requirements and see how we can cater for the majority and, at the same time, have a different plan to cater for the niche group of people who may need assistance. That is why MCDS is still the best place for looking after the specific needs of the disabled.

Let me remind Members we are running out of time. Mr Chay.

Sir, can you spare me a minute for me to respond to the Minister?

Half a minute.

On the Minister's unenviable offer to the GPC to take on this task of looking at the new model for the CPI+X, I have discussed with my members of the GPC and we have agreed that we should take on this task, and we will not shy away from it. However, I would like to urge the Minister that the GPC has got quite a good record in the past of making good suggestions to the Ministry of Transport, in particular I would like to add the open bidding system, the VQS report that we did, and also the suggestion that the Ministry should consider privatisation of berth terminal operations by private operators many

years ago, which was only accepted recently. So, in that spirit, we will take on this offer and we will consult the experts and the public on this new model which we will make recommendations.

Sir, I would like to touch on this topic on port competition.

You have got two minutes.

Port Competition

We were told again that Singapore has become the world's busiest port for shipping tonnage and we are the top bunkering port with a record TEU last year from PSA of 18.4 TEU. So we aim to be both a world-class hub port as well as an international maritime centre. However, it is significant to note that in 2003, PSA did its record best TEU at considerable discounts to its tariffs, the year of celebratory discounts, so to speak. I do not know the exact number, but I believe it to be in the range of at least 20-30% of the tariffs. For several years, I have argued in this Committee the need for privatisation and competition in port operations, in berth operations and terminals, in downstream operations, and I have also pointed out the risk of PSA as a monopoly dinosaur earning 50% of profits before tax on turnover just barely a few years ago.

The good performance of a re-awakened PSA shows the importance of sensitivity to the voice of the market and competitive response to market signals. Not even our so-called renowned locational advantage, connectivity and IT superiority can retain the top two shipping customers when an upstart port from across the Causeway offered privatised berth operation. The challenge I would pose to PSA is, "What's next?" As I argued last year, the world's shipping industry is changing rapidly with supply change and industrial structural changes.

The single factor which accounts for businesses going out of business is the failure to respond to industry-wide changes. Although volumes and TEUs have hit a record, operating profit of PSA has fallen drastically. 2002 saw operating profit at $740.6 million compared to $1,080 million in 2001, a fall of more than 30%.

We should note that the pull to Tanjong Pelapas has not stopped. The berths are full to capacity and they are probably building new ones. Hence, there is currently no position to attract new customers. Bearing in mind that PSA brings many downstream economic activities to the economy, is the Minister satisfied that PSA will continue to ensure that port services, which are responsive to market demands, will bring more benefits to the Singapore economy?

(In Mandarin): The Singapore Port Authority manages the world's largest container port with good service and high efficiency which has won us many awards. In recent years, the ports in our neighbouring countries have become competitive, resulting in the loss of some of our major customers to them. This is shocking and disappointing. But it is heartening to know that some of these customers are coming back to us. I would like to ask the Minister, after all these setbacks, how was the Singapore Port Authority's performance in 2003. Has it reached its set targets? What is its forecast for 2004? What is the development strategy for the future in the face of keen competition?

When countries in the world are actively fighting terrorists, what measures has our Port Authority taken to strengthen the security of our ports? In particular, how does the Port Authority strengthen security checks on transhipment cargo vessels entering Singapore so as to prevent the attacks by the terrorists and to avoid explosions taking place in

Singapore, which would undermine our image as the number one container port in the world?

Air Hub

I find the stated strategy of the MOT and CAAS to reduce cost of operating at Changi Airport very comforting. For example, the three main areas that MOT and CAAS strategise to reduce costs are in the area of liberalising the ground handling sector, reviewing charges and, of course, reviewing cost of land in relation to other airports around the world. The authorities have also stated a package of incentive schemes, for example, $210 million fund for air hub development, $40 million growth incentive scheme, $45 million SARS relief package and $10 million air traffic development scheme. Many of these schemes are aimed at where the mouth is, at the users of Changi Airport.

When the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore is on top, they are talking about liberalising the downstream sector. I detect these responses are quite different, for example, from the way our sea hub status was guarded some years ago till the customers voted with their feet. I wish to congratulate the Minister and the Civil Aviation Authority on this forward looking approach. The civil aviation sector contributes as much as 9.6% to our economy on account of the downstream and ancilliary services. With so many changes in airplane technology, planes flying longer, non-stop, for example, the Airbus 380, and the changing route pattern, I believe these planes can fly non-stop from Sydney to London. With the changing technology of planes, will transfer hubs, such as Singapore, continue to have a slice of the international air route business? Is there still a need to stop for refueling or to connect flights after all the planes can fly long distance to any destination?

I was told that the Emirates Airline ordered 48 Airbus 380, while SIA only ordered 10, which would be delivered in 2006. I am sure SIA is a great airline. But I also believe that the top class Changi Airport is as much an asset to SIA and Changi Airport's success rubs on SIA. With newer long flying planes, will the hub status of Changi Airport be affected and, with it, our SIA? I would like to have the Minister's comment on the technology challenge to our air hub status and what he sees of the future of our civil aviation sector in the economy.

Sir, Singaporeans are proud on learning that for many years, the Changi International Airport has been voted as the best airport in the world. This has certainly enhanced our image as a desired destination for air travellers and an important air hub. As the air hub industry accounts for more than 5% of GDP and the inclusion of downstream effect of Changi Airport on related industry makes a total of 9% of our GDP, it is indeed a major contributor to our economy. However, the growth of China as an economic power and a direct competition coming from countries like Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Bangkok to become the world air hubs have created a new competitive environment

in the air service.

3.45 pm

With air travel in Asia projected to grow 5% to 8% per annum over the next 20 years, Singapore will have to face stronger competition from old and new players. Despite our small population base, we have strengthened our position by capitalising on our advantage of being able to provide quality services and maximising our geographical location, among others. However, the technological change and development of new generation aeroplanes with longer

range will change this equation. The growth of China as an economic giant will mean over the long term an increase in intra-Asia and trans-Pacific passenger movement. At the same time, there will be stronger competition coming from our neighbours, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and even Brunei. Can the Minister share with us his views on how Singapore can sustain and strengthen its position as the world's air hub, and what are the factors that can guarantee that Singapore will remain ahead of the others?

Budget Airlines

(In Mandarin): Sir, in recent years, many budget airline companies have sprung up. Their main feature is their low-price air tickets, while maintaining a standard of service not inferior to the normal airlines.

SIA, with its superior service and the Singapore Girl image has become our national icon and international brand name, the main challenge is in the price of air tickets. Therefore, we have to be more flexible in order to attract more passengers. Singapore Airlines tickets are generally more expensive than other airlines. The fares of the Chinese airlines are more attractive. If you buy more tickets, you would even get discounts. SIA offers some discounts from time to time too, but with many conditions attached. A one-way ticket from Singapore to Bangkok costs only $23 on the budget airlines. In view of these changes and the intense competition, what will be the strategy of Singapore Airlines to meet such challenges?

Infrastructure for Low Cost Carriers

Sir, budget airfares provided by low-cost carriers, something that was unique in America and Europe, are now becoming the trend in Asia too. These low-cost carriers offer

travellers attractive and relatively cheap airfares coupled with promises of efficient service and reliability. The growth in the number of low-cost carriers will be a boon to budget-conscious travellers in the region who are eagerly waiting to see if competition amongst budget carriers will result in even cheaper travelling. It is imperative that Singapore, being the region's international airhub, moves fast to position itself to adapt and respond to this growing market.

I am heartened to note that CAAS is considering building a new airport terminal to specially cater for low-cost carriers. However, Sir, I am concerned that if we do not move fast enough, we will be overtaken by our competitors who already have the infrastructure to cater for low-cost carriers. I therefore urge the Minister for Transport to urgently decide to build the new airport terminal and, in the meantime, to also make accommodation in the infrastructure to cater to the specific needs of the operators of the low-cost carriers. It will mean that airport charges may have to be lower for these airlines, but we should not lose the big picture in wanting to position ourselves as the leading airhub of the region. As the Minister for Transport himself has eloquently put it, this new form of air travel requires not only a mindset change in terms of nimbleness in adapting to this new trend, but also take into account the perception of the travelling public who has long been accustomed to the high standards of our Changi Airport. Hence, low cost as it may be, it is imperative that service standards cannot be that much different from the current plethora of services and efficiency that Changi has been world-renowned for. We must preserve Changi's reputation at all costs.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong. You have about 20 minutes till the guillotine time on the Ministry of Transport.

Sir, first, let me thank Mr Chay for accepting the invitation to chair the Committee to review the framework for fare increases.

Let me address his question on the airhub. He asked what are the technological challenges posed to Changi from the development of the new planes. There is no doubt that the new technology planes will definitely change the air travel patterns.

First, from the ultra long range plane, we may lose some hub traffic if passengers choose to travel non-stop the ultra long range planes and bypass Singapore. But we must also remember that this same technology is also an opportunity for Changi. Why? SIA is one of the first airlines in the world to acquire the A340-500, the ultra long range plane, and SIA started non-stop services from Changi to Los Angeles last month. I understand that demand is quite high and it will fly non-stop from Singapore to New York starting late June. The new plane therefore allows SIA to take full advantage of our open-skies agreement with the US. And I think given the huge US market and our excellent connectivity to South and Southeast Asia, this is likely to generate new demand and traffic for Changi Airport.

Apart from the A340-500, we will, in 2006, see SIA launch the new A380. This is a huge plane with a capacity of about 550 passengers, almost double the size of most aircraft today. Its operating range is similar to that of the 747. As such, the advent of this new aircraft will again create opportunities for hub airports like Changi. For example, it will support Changi's hub operations by enlarging the current pipe that links Changi to the other established hubs like Heathrow. It will also enable airlines to overcome slot capacity problems at busy hub airports, again like Heathrow. The new A380s will

require new infrastructures at airports, such as wider taxiways and double level aerobridges, and I am happy to inform Mr Chay and Members here that Changi Airport has already begun preparations and we will be ready to handle this new plane when it starts flying in 2006.

But at the same time, however, I think I should add that the key to maintaining our hub status here is to ensure that Singapore remains attractive as a stopover point and as a destination point for the airlines and the millions of passengers that they carry, and that this challenge extends beyond CAAS. We need the Singapore Tourism Board, EDB and other Government agencies to continue to play their part and to work hard to ensure that Singapore remains a premier business and tourist destination.