Hansard, 2006-11-02

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 (2006) To (2006/2007) Mr Charles Chong 30 Oct 05 Nov Mr Sin Boon Ann 30 Oct 02 Nov Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng 03 Nov 05 Nov Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee 03 Nov 03 Nov 13 Nov 16 Nov Dr Lee Boon Yang 03 Nov 10 Nov 14 Nov 23 Nov 25 Nov 26 Nov 01 Dec 05 Dec Mr Lim Hng Kiang 03 Nov 04 Nov Dr Ng Eng Hen 03 Nov 04 Nov Dr Balaji Sadasivan 05 Nov 10 Nov Mrs Lim Hwee Hua 06 Nov 14 Nov Mr Wee Siew Kim 06 Nov 06 Nov 15 Nov 18 Nov Dr Ahmad Mohd Magad 09 Nov 15 Nov 19 Nov 24 Nov 05 Dec 12 Dec 16 Dec 25 Dec Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan 09 Nov 12 Nov Dr Ong Chit Chung 10 Nov 10 Nov 13 Nov 13 Nov Mr Ang Mong Seng 11 Nov 14 Nov Mr George Yong-Boon Yeo 14 Nov 19 Nov 23 Nov 02 Dec Mr Lee Hsien Loong 17 Nov 19 Nov 23 Nov 30 Nov Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat 17 Nov 22 Nov Mr Inderjit Singh 22 Nov 26 Nov Prof. S Jayakumar 22 Nov 27 Nov 28 Nov 30 Nov 09 Dec 11 Dec Mr Lim Biow Chuan 24 Nov 27 Nov 09 Dec 10 Dec 15 Dec 17 Dec Mr Seah Kian Peng 24 Nov 24 Nov 27 Nov 01 Dec 07 Dec 09 Dec Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien 26 Nov 08 Dec Mr Teo Chee Hean 27 Nov 30 Nov Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman 20 Dec 05 Jan

ABDULLAH TARMUGI Speaker Parliament of Singapore

At 4.00 pm the Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms laid the Mace below the Table.

stood up, and addressing himself to the Clerk of Parliament said: Ms Ng, I do propose,

That Mr Abdullah Tarmugi do take the Chair of this Parliament as Speaker.

stood up, and addressing himself to the Clerk of Parliament said: Ms Ng, I support the proposal.

There being only one proposal, the Clerk then declared Mr Abdullah Tarmugi to have been duly elected as Speaker of this Parliament. [Applause.]

Mr Speaker, standing at the Table, made an Affirmation of Allegiance.

Mr Speaker went to the Chair and sat down.

Then the Mace (which before lay below the Table) was placed on the Table.

Honourable Members will now proceed to take the Oath of Allegiance at the Table, commencing with the Prime Minister and thereafter in the order as arranged.

Members took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance, or made Affirmation of Allegiance, in the order below (in groups):

Mr Lee Hsien Loong (Ang Mo Kio)

Group 1

Mr Goh Chok Tong (Marine Parade)

Mr Lee Kuan Yew (Tanjong Pagar)

Prof. S Jayakumar (East Coast)

Mr Wong Kan Seng (Bishan-Toa Payoh)

Group 2

Mr George Yong-Boon Yeo (Aljunied)

Dr Lee Boon Yang (Jalan Besar)

Mr Mah Bow Tan (Tampines)

Mr Lim Boon Heng (Jurong)

Group 3

Mr Lim Hng Kiang (West Coast)

Mr Teo Chee Hean (Pasir Ris-Punggol)

Mr Lim Swee Say (Holland-Bukit Timah)

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim (Jalan Besar)

Group 4

Mr Khaw Boon Wan (Sembawang)

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (Jurong)

Dr Ng Eng Hen (Bishan-Toa Payoh)

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (Holland-Bukit Timah)

Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat (East Coast)

Group 5

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M (Tampines)

Mr Hawazi Daipi (Sembawang)

Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee (Tanjong Pagar)

Mr Gan Kim Yong (Chua Chu Kang)

Mr S. Iswaran (West Coast)

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien (Jurong)

Dr Balaji Sadasivan (Ang Mo Kio)

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee (Nee Soon East)

Group 6

RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew (Tanjong Pagar)

Mr Lee Yi Shyan (East Coast)

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua (Aljunied)

Mr Heng Chee How (Jalan Besar)

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (Hong Kah)

Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman (Sembawang)

Mr Teo Ser Luck (Pasir Ris-Punggol)

Group 7 (In Malay)

Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed (Aljunied)

Dr Ahmad Mohd Magad (Pasir Ris-Punggol)

Mdm Halimah Yacob (Jurong)

Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh)

Group 8 (In Mandarin)

Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon (Holland-Bukit Timah)

Mr Ang Mong Seng (Hong Kah)

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang)

Mr Seng Han Thong (Yio Chu Kang)

Dr Ong Seh Hong (Marine Parade)

Mr Ong Ah Heng (Nee Soon Central)

Group 9

Mr K Shanmugam (Sembawang)

Mdm Ho Geok Choo (West Coast)

Mr Yeo Guat Kwang (Aljunied)

Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade)

Mr Arthur Fong (West Coast)

Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Marine Parade)

Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong (Tanjong Pagar)

Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Marine Parade)

Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah)

Mr Matthias Yao Chih (MacPherson)

Ms Indranee Rajah (Tanjong Pagar)

Mr Inderjit Singh (Ang Mo Kio)

Group 10

Miss Penny Low (Pasir Ris-Punggol)

Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang)

Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng (West Coast)

Dr Lily Neo (Jalan Besar)

Mr Sin Boon Ann (Tampines)

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong (Hong Kah)

Mr Chan Soo Sen (Joo Chiat)

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir)

Mr Hri Kumar (Bishan-Toa Payoh)

Mr Michael Palmer (Pasir Ris-Punggol)

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast)

Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Hong Kah)

Group 11

Ms Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio)

Mr Alvin Yeo (Hong Kah)

Dr Lam Pin Min (Ang Mo Kio)

Mr Ong Kian Min (Tampines)

Mr Wee Siew Kim (Ang Mo Kio)

Mdm Cynthia Phua (Aljunied)

Ms Irene Ng (Tampines)

Dr Ong Chit Chung (Jurong)

Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang)

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar)

Ms Ellen Lee (Sembawang)

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah)

Group 12

Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tanjong Pagar)

Mrs Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh)

Dr Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade)

Ms Sylvia Lim (Non-Constituency Member)

4.25 pm

Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of all Members of this House, I extend to you our warmest congratulations on your re-election as Speaker of the Eleventh Parliament.

Sir, you bring to the office of Speaker a distinguished parliamentary record of some 22 years, with your experience on both the front and backbenches. Members have often benefited from your gentle persuasion and enjoyed the good humour, qualities which you have brought to the Chair since 2002.

Sir, since your election as Speaker in 2002, your quiet patience and determination in discharging your duties fairly and impartially at all times has gained the respect of Members of both sides of the House. In presiding over the proceedings, you have upheld the prestige and decorum of this House in your rulings. With your firm hand in applying the rules and Standing Orders, you have also ensured that proceedings of the House are carried out expeditiously and orderly. Your unanimous re-election today reflects the confidence that the House has in you. We have no doubt, Sir, that under your guidance, the good standing of this House will continue to be maintained.

On this note, I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the 24 new PAP MPs and one Non-Constituency MP to the House. With this new term of MPs, and another 17 and 21 PAP MPs elected in 1997 and 2001 respectively, this House has undergone a transformation. This group of MPs makes up 73% of the Members in this Chamber. As a result, Parliament is able to remain relevant to the people.

Just one word of advice to our new Members. It is a privilege and an honour to be a Member of the Parliament. This role comes with a great responsibility. We are elected by the people to represent their interest and we must perform our duties with a high standard of honesty and integrity. We must never abuse the privileges accorded to us as Members and must be worthy of the House which we are elected to. Indeed, I urge Members to maintain a measure of discipline and decorum at all times in this august Chamber, especially on occasions of robust or provocative debate, so as to uphold the dignity of the House.

We eagerly look forward to the maiden speeches of the new Members next week and their contribution to the debates in this Chamber in the coming years.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to congratulate you on your re-election as Speaker of Parliament.

Sir, you have been re-elected again and I believe that in your past years as Speaker of the House, your eyesight has been trained to be as sharp as a razor and to be swift as lightning, and I think we can all expect that whoever wishes to speak will catch your eye.

Honourable Members, let me first thank the Leader of the House for proposing me as Speaker of this House and for his kind words. I also thank my other colleagues for their support since 2002. I am truly grateful for, and honoured by, all these gestures. At the same time, I am very mindful of the responsibilities that lay before me and the expectations that you rightly have for this office. Be assured that I shall commit myself to carrying out my duties diligently, impartially and firmly.

To the new Members of Parliament, I bid you a very warm welcome and I look forward to your contributions to the work of this House. Your constituents and other Singaporeans will be anxiously waiting for your maiden speeches and engagements in the debates to come. Be fearless in your engagements, but avoid playing to the gallery or being petty or contentious. Be honest and sincere when putting forth your arguments and views. Above all, be clear in what you say, preferably with some economy in words. Long and ponderous speeches tend to lose their direction and, along the way, their audience. As a rough guide, hasten to end your speeches when the Speaker begins to appear restive or look towards the ceiling for alternative amusement!

Hon. Members, we live in very exciting times. We will have to steer this little red dot to meander and meet the challenges that come our way and to ride on the abundant opportunities that an increasingly globalised environment offers to us. This Chamber will be the crucible where all our ideas, dreams and concerns are crystallised into action and reality. Indeed, we have much to do.

All these years, we have managed to keep a House that is orderly, dignified and efficient. I have every intention to keep it that way and I seek Members' cooperation in ensuring that we continue in this direction. Parliament then becomes an institution that is not only respected but also plays a crucial role in managing the present and shaping the future for our citizens. Let me conclude by wishing Hon. Members all the best in their journey through this Eleventh Parliament. [Applause. ]

I wish to inform Hon. Members that the President of the Republic of Singapore will be present in this Chamber at 8.30 pm to deliver his speech at the Opening of Parliament. I therefore suspend the sitting until 8.30 pm this evening.

Sitting accordingly suspended at

4.33 pm until 8.30 pm.

Sitting resumed at 8.30 pm

The President (accompanied by two A.D.C.s ) entered the Chamber, accompanied by Mr Speaker, who was preceded by the Deputy Serjeant at Arms (without the Mace), the Assistant Clerk, the Principal Assistant Clerk and the Clerk.

On the Clerk announcing "The President", the President delivered his Opening Speech.

Singapore at a turning point

Honourable Members, forty-one years ago, Singapore was thrust into independence and an uncertain future. At that defining moment of our history, we resolved to succeed. Together, Singaporeans made key choices that made us what we are today – a united people of different races living and prospering in harmony.

Singapore now stands at another turning point. Globally, our environment is changing rapidly, and often unpredictably. With globalisation, countries cooperate to prosper together, but also compete more intensely. Moreover, new problems cross borders with greater speed and virulence, including diseases like avian influenza and security threats like extremist terrorism. In Asia, the rise of China and India will transform the entire continent, and indeed the rest of the world.

Within Singapore, fundamental changes are taking place. First, our economy has undergone a significant shift. Globalisation is putting a higher premium on skills, knowledge and flexibility. Professionals and highly-skilled workers are in demand and can command global wages. But those who are less-skilled will have to compete with the large population of low-wage workers in China, India and Vietnam, as these countries attract more foreign investments and increase their exports.

Second, our age profile is changing rapidly. From being a young population and workforce with few aged dependants, we are becoming a more elderly society, with older workers and many more retirees. Singaporeans are living longer but not producing enough babies to replace themselves.

Third, we are experiencing a generational change. The founding generation that lived through the upheavals of separation, independence and nation-building is giving way to the P65 generation, born after independence, who have grown up amidst peace and prosperity.

Finally, the generational shift will require a new social and political compact. The P65 generation is better educated and more globally exposed than their parents, and completely at home in the internet age. They need avenues to try out their ideas and fulfil their ambitions. The most successful ones must learn instinctively to identify with their fellow citizens, and lend a hand to those in need. We must also deepen the sense of mission in this new generation, and provide them more opportunities to take responsibility for our country and build our future together.

The General Election this year was thus a milestone in Singapore’s political history. Singaporeans of all races, young and old, strongly endorsed a new leadership team, which includes many new MPs from the post-independence generation. Voters gave them a clear mandate to take Singapore forward. My Government will work with all Singaporeans to set the agenda and directions for the next phase of our nation’s development. Fostering security

The first imperative is to maintain a safe and secure environment for our people to pursue their dreams and aspirations. A small state needs an active foreign policy, for it to be a responsible and effective player in the international arena. Singapore enjoys good relations with all the key powers. We participate actively in ASEAN, APEC, the East Asia Summit and other regional forums. These are important platforms to strengthen cooperation as well as to manage conflicts and transboundary problems like haze.

Sound foreign policy and diplomacy are only effective if we are strong enough to fend for ourselves. A compact but credible SAF deters potential aggressors, protects our national interests and secures us against both conventional and unconventional threats. An effective Home Team, as well as the vigilance of every citizen, ensures a safe and secure home for all.

One critical aspect of security is social defence. We have worked long and hard to foster peace and harmony in our multi-racial and multi-religious society. We must never take this for granted. Instead we must do more to strengthen cohesion, trust and confidence between the different communities. At the same time, we must uphold the fundamental principle of meritocracy, so that all citizens, regardless of race or religion, enjoy fair and equal opportunities. Growing the economy

An orderly and safe environment will enable us to generate the wealth for our needs. Without economic growth, we cannot invest in our future or realise any schemes to help Singaporeans. When conditions are favourable, as they are now, we must grow as fast as we can. Then even when conditions are tough, we can weather the storm and help those in need.

To achieve our full potential in this ever-changing environment, we must be nimble, flexible and alert. Our companies must build their capabilities and expand both locally and abroad, especially in Asia. Our people must continue to work closely together, with a strong tripartite partnership among workers, employers and the Government.

We must also maintain a stable and predictable political climate, tackle problems rationally and constructively, and take a long-term view when making decisions for Singapore. This is the way to build a better life for all.

To sustain growth and vitality, there must be enough people living and working in Singapore. So we must encourage Singaporeans to marry, and couples to have more babies. At the same time, we need to attract more new immigrants. They will not only augment our numbers but also add talent and diversity to our city, and help us all to prosper. So each of us must make an effort to welcome new immigrants as part of our Singapore family, and help them to integrate into our society.

Maintaining an outstanding public service

The private sector will take a leading role in creating wealth. However, the Government creates the preconditions for the private sector to prosper. It is critical for Singapore to have an effective government and an outstanding public service, with high standards of competence and integrity, able and determined to deliver results for the country. The public service must offer competitive and attractive careers, in order to recruit and retain talented and committed people and maintain the quality of government that Singaporeans have come to expect. This is a key competitive advantage for Singapore which makes up for our small size and other disadvantages.

Investing in our future

One important way the Government can facilitate growth and prosperity is by investing in the future of Singapore. We will invest in our people, by upgrading and transforming our education system at all levels – primary, secondary and tertiary. All students will have opportunities to pursue their diverse interests and develop their creative talents.

We will invest in R&D to build new capabilities, particularly in the emerging areas of biomedical sciences, interactive and digital media, and environmental and water technologies. We will also continue to deepen our capabilities in the electronics, chemicals and engineering manufacturing industries. These R&D efforts will move our economy up the value chain, spur growth and create fulfilling and well-paying jobs for Singaporeans.

We will invest in our infrastructure to meet the business needs of tomorrow. Singapore will be fully connected to the digital highway, as we build a pervasive wireless network and high-speed broadband connections to every home and office. We will enhance our air and sea ports to entrench our position as a major transport hub. We will build a high-quality, affordable public transport system to serve commuters.

We will invest in our city to make it vibrant and cosmopolitan, energetic and exciting. Arts and culture will add a creative buzz to Singapore. We will transform Marina Bay and the business district to create something special that will attract visitors and create a sense of pride and belonging in our people. At the same time, we will renew and rejuvenate our HDB estates to improve on our first-class living environment. Singapore will become the best place in Asia to live, work and play. Building an inclusive society

Even as we meet competition and pursue growth, we need to strengthen social cohesion. We will build an inclusive society which leaves no one behind. Because of globalisation, incomes in many countries are stretching out. Singapore faces this problem too. While most Singaporeans will benefit from the opportunities that globalisation brings, some segments of our population are finding it more difficult to cope.

We cannot solve this problem by resisting change, or hiding from competition. This is futile and will only reduce growth and make things worse for all Singaporeans. Instead, our basic approach must be to stay open to the world and pursue growth and competitiveness, while doing more to assist Singaporeans who are adversely affected.

Education is the best way to level up our society. The Government already invests heavily in each child. Going forward, we will continue to provide every child access to a top-rate education, so that he or she gets the best possible start in life. We will further reduce attrition among students, and help those who are at risk of dropping out. Children from low-income families will not face a digital divide, because we will help them to own computers and access broadband services.

To help lower-skilled workers, particularly the older ones, the Government will provide them with more skills training and upgrading, in close cooperation with unions and employers. We will redesign low-wage jobs so that such workers can become more productive and earn more. The workers too must make the effort to learn new skills and keep themselves employable as the needs of industries change.

The Government will also do more to assist lower-income Singaporeans, to help them progress with the rest of society. We will target our assistance, and encourage them to work and upgrade themselves, to build up their assets, and to support their families.

A second looming social issue is the ageing of our people. Ours is one of the fastest ageing populations in the world. On current demographic trends, the number of Singaporeans aged 65 years and above will double in 15 years. This will be a dramatic change, with far-reaching implications for our society and economy.

The post-World War Two baby-boomers will soon be retiring. We need to tackle holistically, on many fronts, all the challenges of a greying society. Singaporeans need to stay active longer, retire later, and lead productive and fulfilling lives in their golden years. We need to build a living environment with more user-friendly features to help the elderly and the disabled. We must help older Singaporeans to unlock the substantial asset value of their homes and convert it into income for their retirement. We must keep good basic medical care affordable to all. Most of all, we need fundamental mindset changes – on the part of families, workers, employers, and the Government.

The growing needs of lower-income and older Singaporeans require us to strengthen our social safety nets. This calls for many helping hands. Individuals have to make the effort to help themselves, and to provide for their future needs. Employers have to adapt workplaces to suit older workers. Families have to stay together, sharing responsibility for one another and helping to care for elderly parents. Community and voluntary welfare organisations have to support troubled families and the disadvantaged, and provide avenues for Singaporeans to volunteer and contribute in a spirit of cohesion and generosity.

For its part, the Government will do more. Already, we have implemented schemes such as Comcare, the CPF and Medisave Top-ups, the Utilities Save, the Additional CPF Housing Grant, the Workfare Bonus, and the Progress Package. These measures have helped many lower-income households to weather their recent difficult years. We will introduce more such measures to help needy Singaporeans more systematically, learning from our experience about those measures which work and those which do not.

Our social security system is based on three pillars. First, the CPF helps Singaporeans save for their retirement. Second, the 3Ms – Medisave, MediShield and Medifund – help us afford good quality healthcare. Third, HDB home ownership provides a roof over the heads of all Singaporeans, and gives every household a stake in Singapore. This approach is sound. It enables almost every Singaporean to be self supporting, and avoid becoming dependent on the state. We will adapt, reinforce and update these three pillars of our social safety net. We will provide more support for those facing difficulties, and help them to save more in their CPF and Medisave accounts. Emphasising achievement and work

However, in building an inclusive society, we must avoid the mistakes other countries have made in pursuing welfare schemes. Starting off well-intentioned, many are now stuck with increased dependency and higher unemployment. The work ethic of their people has been eroded and their motivation sapped. With this heavy burden of welfare, these economies have stagnated.

We would all like the Government to do even more, but the Government can only spend within its means. We have kept taxes in Singapore low, especially direct taxes on income. This keeps us competitive, and ensures strong incentives for Singaporeans to work, to excel, and to make the most of their abilities. That is a main reason why people and companies want to live, work and invest here.

We have to maintain this approach. Therefore, we must be very cautious in taking on new state-funded welfare commitments. We must ensure that our programmes are sustainable and affordable, and that we have the resources to fund and sustain the schemes we want.

However, Government spending will inevitably rise over the next decade, as we invest more in Singapore’s future and spend more to meet our growing social needs. We have to provide for this, in order to balance the budget and command the resources that we will need. Every citizen must contribute to our shared well-being, but better off Singaporeans have a responsibility to do more to help their less successful fellow citizens. Only then can we maintain social cohesion, and foster an inclusive society where every citizen has a stake in Singapore.

Conclusion

Today, as in 1965, we face major choices that will profoundly shape our future. But we are far better equipped today to make these choices and act on them than our founding generation. We have built sound institutions, our people are better educated, and our economy is one of the most competitive in the world.

Our choices will determine Singapore’s future in the 21st century. If we are fearful and reluctant to adapt to new challenges, we will lose ground amidst a changing world, and Singapore will become a nation divided by wealth, race and religion. But if we respond boldly and creatively to our challenges, we will make Singapore secure and prosperous, harmonious and cohesive – a country that all Singaporeans are proud of and love, and that other nations respect and admire. Let us resolve to stay together and move ahead. Let us build a competitive economy and an inclusive society for ourselves and our children in Singapore.

Adjourned accordingly at Five

Minutes to Nine o'clock pm.

MR KHAW BOON WAN

Minister for Health

Our mission is to build a healthy nation of Singaporeans. Based on the principles of personal responsibility, early intervention, and integrated evidence-based health services, we work with the private and people sectors to ensure that high quality and appropriate healthcare is available and affordable to all.

Keeping healthcare affordable

Our healthcare financing framework ensures that Singaporeans can afford to pay for care. There will always be a social safety net for the poor through targeted Government subsidies and Medifund. Beyond this, healthcare is a shared responsibility between the individual and society.

Government will strengthen the 3Ms (Medisave, MediShield and Medifund) framework to address the concerns of (a) Singaporeans who worry if they get hit with high medical bills; (b) older Singaporeans whose Medisave has run out; and (c) Singaporean workers who do not have employers to help cover the costs of their outpatient care. We will also try to accommodate the desire of Singaporeans with substantial Medisave balances to use them for private healthcare.

We will get Medisave to cover a greater share of costly medical care. If successful, the initial Medisave coverage for four chronic diseases at outpatient level will be progressively expanded to other chronic diseases.

We will expand the use of insurance for low-probability but large bills by further enhancing MediShield. MediShield policies with different scopes of coverage, deductibles and premiums will be developed to better suit individual needs. We will also partner employers, unions and insurance companies to improve medical benefits for workers.

We will take care of needy Singaporeans. We will build up Medifund as an effective safety net for the needy and review our financial support for intermediate and long-term care. Where the Budget permits, we will consider Medisave top-ups for low-wage workers through Workfare.

Strengthening our healthcare system through long-term and integrated care

We presently deliver excellent care when people fall ill. We can improve further by partnering Singaporeans to look after their health and improving integration between healthcare providers across the spectrum – primary, step-down, acute; the private, public and people sectors.

Singaporeans must take responsibility for their health. We will develop programmes to support and empower Singaporeans to actively manage their illnesses, especially those with chronic diseases. National health promotion efforts will be complemented with more targeted programmes for at-risk groups.

We will support family physicians to deliver better primary and preventive care as they are the best and most trusted patient advocates and long-term care co-ordinators. We will promote stronger partnerships between family physicians and specialists to better manage the major illnesses afflicting Singaporeans.

We will review intermediate and long-term care for our ageing population. We will improve the quality of rehabilitation so people can return to independent and productive lives in the community. Government will support the training and deployment of professional and administrative manpower. We will encourage more private sector participation to improve performance and efficiency.

We will accelerate IT adoption across all healthcare providers. MOH will publish bill sizes, clinical outcomes and service standards from public and private providers, so that patients can make better choices for themselves.

Improving healthcare accessibility and service standards

We will renew our healthcare infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing population. The new regional hospital in Yishun will open in 2009. We will rebuild the National Heart Centre and expand the National University Hospital, while opening new beds in existing hospitals to meet rising demand. Where appropriate, we will co-locate community hospitals with acute hospitals to improve integrated care. We will continue to pilot innovative infrastructure such as the newly opened Jurong Medical Centre.

We will deploy more quality manpower to improve service standards and clinical quality. We recognise that anxious patients and their families require attention and reassurance, and will improve workflow within our institutions and patient interaction skills of our front-line staff, particularly when communicating medical conditions and providing financial counselling.

Pursuing medical excellence

We will drive clinical quality improvements to advance patient safety. Excellent health services research will lead to evidence-based clinical improvements. Clinical outcomes will be tracked in electronic medical records. The Ministry will also reinforce the culture of teaching and education that have made our public institutions icons of quality and progress.

The Government will invest in our professional and healthcare manpower – doctors, nurses and allied health professionals – so that we continue to deliver quality care to a growing population. New schools and courses will be provided locally. Continuing education and accreditation will cover more groups of professionals. We will review our regulatory frameworks to attract world-class foreign talent to Singapore. We will also encourage more private sector professionals to contribute to the people and public sectors.

To keep up with advances in biomedical science and develop new clinical treatments for Singaporeans, we will invest in clinical and translational research in partnership with A*STAR, MOE and the National Research Foundation. We will strengthen our supporting infrastructure by promoting academic medicine and strengthening our biomedical ethics regulations.

MOH will develop new programmes for our future healthcare needs. This includes a broader approach to elderly care, such as facilitating affordable solutions for ageing-in-place in the community. We should help our patients spend their final days and moments with their families in peace, comfort and dignity. We should acknowledge the limitation of medical science and address end-of-life issues based on good sense, realism and compassion, as the alternative of delaying the end will merely be at great physical, social and emotional costs to the patients and their families. We will also upgrade our mental health programme to make Singapore an emotionally resilient community with good access to effective mental health services.

Tackling infectious diseases

The Ministry remains vigilant to the threat of global infectious disease outbreaks. We will invest in a national public health laboratory, and partner the WHO and the international community to counter infectious diseases and keep Singapore safe. We will tackle emerging communicable diseases in our local population, such as HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases amongst youths.

Singapore medicine

As healthcare becomes more globalised, Singapore should leverage our reputation for quality and trusted medical care to re-position ourselves as the regional medical hub. We will collaborate with other Government agencies and healthcare institutions to maximise our potential without compromising our core mission of delivering good quality and affordable healthcare to all Singaporeans.

MR MAH BOW TAN

Minister for National Development

MND’s mission is to make Singapore one of the most attractive Asian cities to live, work and play in. We will steer Singapore’s development as a distinctive global city, celebrated for its green and quality living environment, a hub for talent and enterprise, and home for our people. Through our public housing programme, we will continue to provide Singaporeans a stake in the country as well as help foster an inclusive society.

A distinctive city, a quality environment

MND will drive Singapore’s development as a distinctive global city by meeting land-use needs, enhancing strategic areas, promoting architecture and urban design excellence, and stepping up our greening efforts.

The Greater Marina Bay area will be a key focus of our efforts. Plans are taking shape with the implementation of the Integrated Resort, the Business and Financial Centre, the pedestrian and vehicular bridges, the Gardens-by-the-Bay, and the Marina Barrage.

We will continue efforts to realise the vision for Orchard Road to be a premier shopping street; transform the Bras Basah-Bugis area into a learning and cultural enclave; create a new commercial node at the Jurong Regional Centre; and provide new leisure options in the rustic Lim Chu Kang and Jurong Lake areas.

Through architectural and urban design excellence, and the conservation of memorable places, we will develop a distinctive city that would engender a sense of pride and belonging in its people.

Given the growing importance of a quality environment in attracting talents, tourists and businesses, MND will initiate measures to create a sustainable and attractive living environment. We will step up our greening efforts and transform Singapore from a Garden City to a "City in a Garden". We will double our network of park connectors, intensify our streetscape greenery, green our waterways and turn our waterfront parks into exciting recreational venues. We will also develop rooftop greenery and encourage various forms of vertical greening.

We will work with the construction industry to make quality and safety a hallmark of the industry. To create a sustainable built environment, we will promote the development of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings in Singapore. We will also work with key stakeholders to deliver an accessible and user-friendly living environment to meet the needs of an ageing population.

Consistent with the high quality living environment, MND will ensure that the needs for high food safety standards and supply resilience are met. We will continue to improve our food safety management system, and maintain a high level of vigilance to safeguard Singapore against the incursion of the Avian Influenza and other food-borne diseases.

A home and an inclusive society

Public housing will continue to play a critical role in promoting rootedness and social cohesion among Singaporeans. It gives our people a tangible stake in the country and helps upward social mobility. We will continue to provide affordable and quality public housing, so that 90% of Singaporeans can afford to own an HDB flat.

MND will fine-tune our public housing policies to serve the needs of the different groups of Singaporeans, including low-income families, the elderly, and young couples setting up their first home. We will further expand the range of housing options and encourage financial prudence when buying flats. To meet the needs of an ageing population, we will step up the pace of lift upgrading, develop a barrier-free built environment in HDB estates, and continue to facilitate options for senior citizens to monetise their flats. To meet rising expectations for more variety in public housing, we will progressively liberalise the public housing market to promote greater private sector participation in the design and development of public housing.

Older HDB estates will be rejuvenated through the upgrading programmes and the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme. This will also be a way for Government to enhance the assets of Singaporeans.

Beyond meeting the physical needs of Singaporeans, MND will also enhance the living environment in HDB estates to foster vibrant and cohesive communities. To this end, we will continue to provide communal facilities, and encourage greater participation from residents to cultivate emotional bonds and strengthen community ties. We will also engage citizens by involving them in the greening of their neighbourhoods.

DR YAACOB IBRAHIM

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources

Building a quality living environment

Through years of careful environmental management, we have built a clean, green and healthy living environment that has benefited all Singaporeans. Our sound management of the environment has garnered international recognition and is an important factor in attracting investors, tourists and talent to Singapore.

Moving ahead, we will continue to work closely with the community and businesses to enhance Singapore as a model city for environmental sustainability, where all can share and enjoy our environmental and water resources, whilst pursuing robust economic growth.

Ensuring water for all

With the construction of the Marina Reservoir and other new reservoir schemes, our local water catchment areas will be significantly enlarged. This, together with continuing expansion of our NEWater production capacity and investment in new technologies, will ensure the sustainability and resilience of our water supply. We will also continue to work with the community and businesses to promote water conservation and manage the demand for water.

Through the Active, Beautiful and Clean (ABC) Waters Programme, we will enhance the quality of life by creating more aesthetically pleasing community spaces for everyone to enjoy. We will facilitate more water-based lifestyle activities in the waterways and waterbodies, adding to the vibrancy of our living environment.

Upholding high public health standards

We will continue to actively monitor our ambient air quality and put in place measures to ensure that the air quality is one of the best among major cities around the world.

To maintain a high standard of public cleanliness, the Ministry will step up efforts and work with the community to keep public premises litter-free, in addition to continuing efforts on public education and enforcement. We will strengthen our surveillance and vector-control programmes in partnership with the community to prevent and curb the spread of dengue and other vector-borne diseases.

We will also intensify efforts to encourage households to take greater ownership to reduce, re-use and recycle, and work with industry to minimise the volume of waste generated.

Addressing climate change concerns

Climate change is one of the major environmental challenges of our time. We have consulted extensively with our stakeholders in developing our national climate change strategy. The Ministry will identify the necessary adaptation and mitigation measures to better respond to the challenges posed by rapid and disruptive climate change.

Through public awareness programmes, we will encourage everyone to play an active part in protecting our environment through energy efficiency and conservation. This will ultimately translate to cost savings for industry and households.

Seizing opportunities in the environment and water industry

A vibrant environmental and water industry in Singapore creates business and job opportunities for Singaporeans. We will attract global research laboratories and companies to Singapore, groom local companies and build up a pool of specialist manpower to lead in research and commercialisation of new technologies.

We will also leverage on the expertise and excellent track record that we have built up over the years to offer environmental and water capabilities and services to meet growing demands in the region and beyond. In doing so, we will work with strategic international partners to respond to the needs in various overseas markets.

Engaging the community

We will reinforce our close partnerships with the 3P (People, Private, Public) sectors to strengthen the community ownership of environmental and water initiatives. We will reach out more to young Singaporeans to tap their ideas and energy on issues like recycling, water conservation and public cleanliness.

Hawker centres are a special feature of Singapore and our way of life. We will continue to upgrade hawker centres and engage the stakeholders to organise more activities in and around the hawker centres.

Through our efforts to further deepen commitment among Singaporeans to the environment, we will make Singapore a city which citizens can be proud of, and which residents and visitors find attractive. In doing so, we will achieve a higher quality of life for ourselves and future generations.

MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM

Minister for Education

Opportunities for all through quality and diversity

Education is our best hope for the future. We are shifting our focus to quality and diversity in education. We will develop the potential of every child to the maximum, so that we create a mountain range of talents in Singapore, with many peaks of excellence.

We are introducing more choices for students, and more opportunities to develop diverse strengths and interests in sports, arts and intellectual endeavours. Within the next five years, we expect a third of our schools to have niches of excellence of their own.

We will progressively allow further flexibility in student admissions to support schools’ stronger emphasis on all-round development and the nurturing of different talents. More secondary schools, including those with emerging niches of excellence, will be allowed to admit a proportion of their students based on their own assessment of students’ talents, beyond results in national examinations.

We are also allowing individual schools to differentiate their curricula from others. We will retain a strong, common foundation in our schools. But beyond this core that is common, we will allow for more customisation. Students will be able to take a wider selection of elective modules, as well as a range of new school-based and applied O-level subjects. This flexibility will ensure that our curriculum remains rigorous, forward looking and responsive to the changing needs of the times.

At primary levels, we will implement further refinements to our approach to ability-driven education in Primary 5 and 6 by adopting Subject-based Banding to replace the EM3 stream. These changes build on the experience that schools have gained from the changes that we have put in place over the years, including the integration of EM3 students with others in Mother Tongue Language and non-core subjects.

We will also do more to enrich and broaden the learning experiences for students with high intellectual abilities. Students in the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) will have more opportunities to learn and interact with other students. Students outside the GEP with exceptional abilities in specific subjects will also be given further opportunities - by taking these subjects together with GEP students and being exposed to special enrichment programmes and activities.

Levelling up through education

Education is the best gift we can offer our children, especially those from lower-income families. We will work together with social agencies to minimise non-attendance at pre-school education, and reduce dropouts at primary and secondary school levels. Within five years, we aim to halve the proportion of students who drop out of our schools, from the current 3% to 1.5%.

The Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) and the Edusave Merit Bursary (EMB) awards have been expanded to benefit more students from lower income families. With the revisions earlier this year, more than twice the number of families now qualify for FAS and about a third more will qualify for the EMB awards. We have introduced a new Government bursary to help needy university students pay for living expenses during their studies. The universities have also increased the quanta they have set aside for financial assistance by almost threefold.

We will raise the quality of education for children with special needs. To allow children with mild to moderate special learning needs to benefit from being part of mainstream schools, we will deploy Special Needs Officers (SNOs) as well as provide training in special needs to selected teachers in mainstream schools. MOE has also significantly increased its recurrent funding to Special Education (SPED) schools, and is accelerating the redevelopment of nine purpose-built SPED schools to be completed in 2008.

Strengthening rootedness and preparing for the world

Through the school experience, we will strengthen heartware and rootedness among our young. Our schools will continue to find new ways to foster a strong sense of belonging and pride in Singapore, and create more opportunities for interaction, multiracial bonding and partnerships with the community. We will also encourage students to initiate activities, and help them develop the desire to write the next chapter of the Singapore Story.

We will also expand twinning relationships between our schools and those overseas. These programmes will help our students gain confidence in working across cultures, and build collaborative networks from young.

MOE is making it easier for Singaporean children abroad to join our schools when they return home, so as to support and encourage Singaporeans in their efforts to venture overseas. At the same time, we will strengthen the integration of foreign scholars and students into our schools and tertiary institutions. Over time, these students will either contribute to Singapore’s cosmopolitan and diverse make-up, or build up a network of friends for Singapore when they return to their home countries.

Supporting our teachers

Our teachers are at the heart of our efforts to improve the quality of education. We will provide them with more time and space to interact with their students, reflect on their teaching, and engage in effective professional development. We are making significant improvements in pupil-teacher ratios and have allowed schools greater flexibility to recruit additional qualified teachers directly through the Adjunct Teachers Scheme. Schools will also be receiving greater administrative support, for example, through provisions of new staff to support co-curricular activities.

The GROW package, launched in September 2006, will support teachers in their professional development and better recognise their contributions. Teachers will have benefits such as sabbaticals, which give opportunities for fresh learning and growth.

Going forward, improvements in the quality of education will come from innovations on the ground – new teaching practices and curricula, driven and owned by schools, responding to the needs of their students. MOE’s role will be to provide top-down support for these ground-up initiatives.

Building a vibrant tertiary sector

In tandem with the changes in our economy, ITE training will continue to shift from a predominantly manufacturing focus to a broad-based focus including the services sectors. We will also work to maximise the number of students who go on to ITE, who would otherwise not have post-secondary education.

MOE will provide more local university places for Singaporeans, reaching 25% within a few years. Our three autonomous universities will aim to provide a top quality education at affordable cost. Polytechnic graduates will have more choices to pursue quality degree courses locally. Besides the growing university sector, they will have opportunities for further study in niche areas of an applied nature, to be offered by foreign specialised institutions in collaboration with the polytechnics.

Our universities and polytechnics will also work to develop world-class capabilities in research and development, as part of Singapore’s broader thrust towards R&D excellence. MOE has also put in place an enhanced academic research framework to support the development of Research Centres of Excellence in our universities. The polytechnics will also establish Centres of Innovation in selected areas, so as to further deepen their links with key industries and boost local research and innovation efforts.

DR NG ENG HEN Minister for Manpower

Singapore must have a globally competitive workforce that drives economic growth and the creation of employment opportunities for Singaporeans. To achieve this, MOM will help develop a dynamic and productive workforce with the right attitudes and skills to attract new investments and sustain business competitiveness. We must also have a flexible and responsive labour market that can help companies adjust to business cycles. This in turn depends on our efforts to build strong tripartite relations, and measures to help our workers train and re-skill to take advantage of new opportunities. We will also safeguard our workers’ welfare by upholding good employment practices and ensuring safe and healthy work practices.

Building a globally competitive workforce to drive economic growth and restructuring

We want all Singaporean workers to be able to participate in the opportunities generated by an improving economy. To complement the education system, we must also have a good adult training infrastructure to help workers upgrade their skills and build their careers, or switch industries and change careers to adapt to economic restructuring. We will establish employability skills training and further develop the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications Framework across more industries to provide alternate pathways for workers to build vocational skills and take up new jobs. We will develop a stronger service culture through the Go-the-Extra-Mile for Service movement, to better position our workforce for the growing services sector.

A labour market that is flexible and responsive to the manpower needs of employers is a key strength of our economy. We will continue to improve the effectiveness and responsiveness of our policies to attract global talent and meet industry needs. We will also push ahead with wage restructuring to help more companies implement flexible and performance-based wage systems.

We will also engage overseas Singaporeans to provide information on employment opportunities in Singapore, to help them make informed decisions on returning home to pursue their careers.

Ensuring safe and healthy workplaces with good employment practices

We must have good workplace practices to protect the health and well-being of workers, and optimise workplace performance. Through the new Workplace Safety and Health Act, we will implement an effective regulatory framework to raise overall safety and health standards. We will work closely with the Workplace Safety and Health Advisory Committee to engage employers as a key partner in adopting safe and healthy practices to take greater ownership of safety outcomes. We will also promote the benefits of high standards in workplace safety and health as well as recognise best corporate practices.

In an intensely competitive business environment, we need to safeguard our workers’ employment conditions. We will step up enforcement and promotional efforts to ensure that basic employment rights and workers’ well-being are respected.

We will step up efforts to ensure that foreign workers here are fairly treated in accordance with acceptable employment standards. We will ensure prompt salary payment, adequate housing and medical care and safe working environments during their employment in Singapore.

We will work with our tripartite partners to promote fair, non-discriminatory and progressive employment practices that enable employers to attract, develop and retain valued employees.

Enhancing retirement adequacy and creating opportunities for lower-income workers

Singaporeans are living longer and having smaller families. Although family support remains an important pillar for retirement, Singaporeans will need to build up their own savings. We will look at ways to enhance returns on Singaporeans’ CPF savings, to better help them achieve retirement adequacy.

As our economy continues to restructure, low wage and older workers will be more vulnerable to structural unemployment due to skills mismatches. We will help those who are less able to help themselves, while continuing to reinforce the strong work ethic that has been the foundation of Singapore’s success. We will work with our tripartite partners to address these challenges through skills upgrading and conversion, job redesign, and employment assistance. We will implement the recommendations of the Ministerial Committee on Low Wage Workers and the Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers, and also develop new ways of helping less-skilled, lower-income Singaporeans stay in work.

DR VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN

Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports

MCYS seeks to build a cohesive and resilient Singapore – a multicultural nation united by shared values and steadfast in the face of new challenges. Our vision is that of an inclusive society, where all citizens have opportunities to be the best that they can be, and no one is left behind.

Helping lower-income and lower-skilled Singaporeans improve their lives

Every Singaporean who wants to work will have the support and opportunities to become self-reliant. MCYS will work with community partners to refine our social safety net. We will introduce ComCare Local Networks to link agencies providing social services in the community, so that help for the needy can be provided in a more coordinated manner. We will also introduce ComCare Connection, to help match community resources from corporations and private individuals to effective programmes that help the needy.

Preparing inspired and committed youth for the future

Every young Singaporean has a part to play in shaping Singapore’s future. MCYS will support our youth to develop their potential and realise their aspirations, and prepare them for the future. Through initiatives like the Youth Expedition Programme, the Young ChangeMakers funding scheme, and the Youth Hub (*scape) project, MCYS will provide opportunities for the youth to develop a stake in the community, and take responsibility for the well-being and future of Singapore.

For youths disengaged from society, MCYS and our community partners will step up outreach, strengthen early intervention, and enhance the re-integration of young offenders, by providing more opportunities for employment and education.

Supporting older Singaporeans

The Committee on Ageing Issues (CAI) has put forth its recommendations to harness economic and social opportunities for our seniors and prepare for the challenges arising from Singapore’s ageing population. These recommendations will be implemented. MCYS will help older Singaporeans lead active lives as fully integrated members of the community. Through the Golden Opportunities! (GO!) Fund and a new Council that will be set up to promote active ageing, more opportunities will be created for seniors to pick up new skills, work or volunteer.

More opportunities for people with disabilities

MCYS will chart out the directions, programmes and services which will help persons with disabilities be as self reliant as possible and to integrate with society. For children with special needs, we will improve early intervention and education to help maximise their potential. For adults with disabilities, we will look into improving employability and employment opportunities.

Making Singapore a great place for families

The family is the basic building block of society. To ensure that our environment is conducive for raising families, the new National Family Council will engage stakeholders in the People, Private and Public sectors to promote and build resilient families in Singapore. The People Sector-led "Making Businesses Pro-Family" Initiative will also rally businesses to support a pro-family environment. MCYS will also continue to review our policies to support parenthood, and facilitate family support.

Bonding the nation through sports

Besides building character and resilience, sports provides a focal point to rally Singaporeans together and boost national pride. MCYS will provide more opportunities for Singaporeans to play sports, by working with MOE to open up more facilities for public use, and by enhancing sports programmes at public sports facilities.

We have achieved record performances at the last Asian Games, and the recent South East Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. MCYS, the Singapore Sports Council and the Singapore National Olympic Council will strive to bring our sports performance to a higher level through enhanced and customised support for our athletes, and work towards doing well at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

Promoting a philanthropic culture

The transfer of the office of the Commissioner of Charities from Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore to MCYS and the formation of the Charities Unit in MCYS signify the Government’s commitment to strengthen the governance of charities and sustain community support for the charitable sector. A Charity Council will also be set up to promote self-regulation and good governance amongst charities and Institutions of Public Character. The Council will also advise the Commissioner of Charities on key regulatory issues.

Preserving racial and religious harmony

MCYS will continue efforts in promoting racial and religious harmony. Under the Community Engagement Programme, MCYS will forge closer partnerships with stakeholders across the religious, community and social service sectors, so that we are better prepared to deal with external developments that may threaten racial and religious harmony in Singapore.

The National Steering Committee (NSC) on Racial and Religious Harmony will be the national platform to promote racial and religious harmony; and build understanding across religious, ethnic and community organisations. The NSC will provide the directions for engagement at both the leadership level and at the grassroots level through Inter-Racial Confidence Circles. The NSC will also facilitate two-way communication between the Government and community groups, and devote special attention to the engagement of young religious leaders.

MR RAYMOND LIM

Minister for Transport

We will help Singapore to be a vibrant, global city by strengthening our position as a leading transportation and logistics hub in the world. We will also help to create an attractive living environment by providing Singaporeans with an effective, efficient and affordable urban transport system.

Building a world class hub port and maritime sector

Singapore is currently the world’s busiest port. Despite intense competition, we have maintained our hub port status by building on our efficiency, reliability and connectivity. To ensure that we stay ahead, we will expand Pasir Panjang Terminal over the next six years to become a world class megaport with a capacity of over 30 million TEUs, which will enable it to maximise its operational efficiency and handle the largest future-generation container ships.

We will also continue to develop and promote Singapore as Asia’s premier international maritime centre. Our aim is to grow a strong and vibrant cluster of maritime services to be a second engine of growth for our maritime sector, creating new business and employment opportunities for Singaporeans.

Keeping Changi ahead

Further entrench Singapore as a key air hub, Changi Airport will be opening Terminal 3 in 2008, bringing our total handling capacity to 67 million passenger movements a year. With T2’s recent upgrading and T1 to be upgraded over the next few years, all three Terminals will be able to continue to offer passengers the sort of service that even other airports talk about - the "Changi Experience".

We will also support the growth of airlines at Changi by keeping costs competitive and incentivising them to operate new services and grow Changi’s network. We will continue with our liberal aviation policy to allow both Singapore and foreign carriers to expand their network and services at Changi. We currently have 17 "Open Skies Agreements" (OSAs) with other countries, and will pursue further liberalisation of our Air Services Agreements with key partners such as China, India and ASEAN countries. We are also working closely with our ASEAN partners to fully liberalise ASEAN’s aviation regime by 2015.

Our Budget Terminal is up and running and doing well. We will facilitate its growth by encouraging more regional budget airlines to fly here.

Providing a high quality urban transport system

We continue to strive to provide Singaporeans with a high quality and affordable transport system. A critical pillar of such a system must be a world class public transport system. This is because the vast majority of Singaporeans will use this as the principal mode of travel, and increasingly so with a growing population and the need to restrain private transport because of our land constraints. We will therefore continue to invest in our public transport infrastructure and work with the public transport operators to improve service levels.

We will extend our rapid transit system (RTS) network, bringing the RTS to new areas and reducing travel times. The Circle Line will greatly enhance inter-suburban connectivity and cut down travelling time. LTA will also complete the feasibility studies in the next few years for the 40 km Downtown Line, which will enhance connectivity across the island to the Marina Bay.

Buses will continue to be a key part of our public transport system. We will drive improvements through enhanced service quality standards, focusing on commuters’ priority concerns such as reliability, waiting time, and keeping transfers to a minimum, whilst keeping fares affordable.

We will also increase the accessibility of our transport system. Our RTS network is already disabled-friendly, and all new buses since 2006 are also wheelchair-friendly. Commuter facilities such as walkways and bus stops will also be upgraded to make it easier for the less mobile to move around.

To ensure congestion-free roads, we will continue to refine the various ownership and usage restraint measures to reduce reliance on cars. Besides developing a comprehensive road network, we will continue to make use of technology such as intelligent traffic systems to improve the efficiency of our roads.

As we continue to evolve our land transport policies and strategies to meet the changing needs of our economy and our society, we will take stock of the 1996 White Paper on a World Class Land Transport System and work with stakeholders to develop a new roadmap to guide the key land transport developments over the next 10 to 15 years.

DR LEE BOON YANG

Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts

MICA is committed to the transformation of Singapore into a vibrant global city by developing the infocomm, arts and creative sectors, while rooting Singaporeans emotionally to our home and strengthening national resilience.

Seizing opportunities

Building on our strong foundation in IT, the Infocomm Development Authority will implement a 10-year Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015) masterplan which will strengthen Singapore’s competitiveness by harnessing IT for key economic sectors. We will establish a Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure by 2012. When completed, this Next-Generation Infrastructure will be a critical enabler to build new capabilities and transform our industries. There will be new opportunities in infocomm, media, arts and design. We will also continue to strengthen local infocomm enterprises and develop a globally competitive infocomm and media savvy workforce. IT will drive our economic growth and provide good jobs for our citizens.

The Creative Industries Development Strategy comprising the Renaissance City Project, Design Singapore and Media 21 masterplans will raise our capability for innovation, encourage the creation of intellectual property and facilitate access to global markets for made-by Singapore content, products and services.

Singapore can be a Global Interactive and Digital Media (IDM) Capital. MICA will partner the National Research Foundation to conduct R&D in IDM. The Ministry will set up an IDM R&D programme, develop R&D manpower and facilitate the commercialisation of R&D outcomes.

Nurturing Singaporeans

Singaporeans will be encouraged to participate in the creative economy through programmes, such as Creative Community Singapore, which support individual and community projects in the creative industries. MICA will award Creative Industries Scholarships to nurture the best young talents. In addition, MICA will begin student enrolment in 2007 for the School for the Arts, which opens in 2008.

Through the President’s Design Award, MICA will recognise the contributions of our design talents and encourage excellence in designs that improve the quality of life and enhance national competitiveness.

The Library 2010 Plan will cater to the learning needs of Singaporeans. We will provide services to stimulate lifelong learning, increase knowledge resources, create social and learning spaces and use technologies for effective learning.

Building a vibrant global city

MICA will contribute towards making Singapore the best home for Singaporeans and global talents. The Renaissance City Project will continue to fund initiatives to promote greater public engagement in arts and culture, support new works and encourage a greater diversity of involvement in our arts and cultural sectors.

Our arts and cultural infrastructure will be further improved with the development of the National Art Gallery and the conversion of the Asian Civilisations Museum into the Peranakan Museum (by 2008). These projects will provide the community with more avenues for arts and cultural appreciation.

Fostering social harmony and resilience

MICA will nurture national resilience through its public communications and education efforts. We will ensure Singaporeans have ready access to accurate Government information on conventional and online platforms, especially in crises. MICA will support the national Community Engagement Programme by involving the arts and cultural sectors in preserving social harmony and resilience during crises.

Our citizens’ ties to the nation will be strengthened through nation building events, such as the annual HeritageFest, Explore Singapore!, as well as community engagement projects through the collaborative efforts of our museums, libraries and grassroots organisations.

Reaching out to the world

Finally, MICA will reach out and engage the global community by growing the Singapore brand and reputation. We will adopt a whole-of-government approach by co-leading the National Marketing Action Committee with MTI to coordinate Government’s marketing efforts in positioning and promoting

Singapore internationally.

MICA’s efforts in cultural diplomacy, such as the Asian Media Festival, Singapore Design Festival, Singapore Season in China (2007) and Singapore Biennale 2008, will strengthen ties with Singaporeans abroad and stakeholders overseas. These initiatives will raise awareness of Singapore’s creative and cultural achievements by showcasing our talent in media, design and the arts.

MICA will harness the economic potential of the arts, design, culture, heritage, media and IT to create new opportunities for employment and growth. We will cultivate understanding amidst our diversity, instil a sense of pride and shared identity amongst Singaporeans. In doing so, we will position Singapore as the place to be: home for our citizens, and a global city with a world of opportunities.

MR TEO CHEE HEAN

Minister for Defence

Singaporeans and investors have come to count on a Public Service in Singapore that has integrity, is efficient and effective, and committed to the national interest.

The Public Service Division (PSD) plays a key role in ensuring we have a First Class Public Service that works effectively for a vibrant and successful Singapore. We do this by:

a. Building the Capacity to be in Time for the Future

b. Developing Human Capital for an Excellent Public Service

c. Strengthening the Capacity for Whole-of-Government Issues

d. Seizing New Opportunities for Growth.

Building the capacity to be in time for the future

The environment around us is changing rapidly. The Public Service must be able to anticipate the future, spot emerging opportunities and deal with discontinuities. This requires a Public Service with a strong external orientation, a capacity for long term strategic thinking as well as the ability to implement change in good time. PSD will continue to use scenario planning to identify future challenges and opportunities, and work with agencies to develop appropriate policy responses across the whole of government.

At the same time, the Public Service must be open to ideas, and have the capability to execute changes confidently and boldly. A rapidly changing environment will also require public officers to operate with speed, flexibility and a greater sense of urgency. PSD will continue to drive the PS21 movement, as the key lever to build service-wide capacity and equip Public Officers with the mindsets and skills to be in time for the future.

Developing human capital for an excellent Public Service

Human capital remains the key to an excellent Public Service. To attract and retain our fair share of talent in an increasingly competitive labour market, PSD will ensure that public service salaries and terms remain competitive. PSD will also intensify efforts at green-harvesting top university undergraduates for civil service careers. We will work with the Public Service Commission to offer mid-term scholarships and offer bright young people challenging internship placements. We will put greater emphasis on developing superior leadership for the public sector, strengthen the governance of public agencies and work with them to develop their human resource management and development capabilities.

To meet these challenges, the Civil Service College (CSC), the primary training arm of the Public Service, will build core public sector competencies and the shared ethos necessary to sustain excellence in policy formulation and service delivery. A critical focus will be to develop leaders at all levels through its suite of milestone training programmes.

Strengthening the capacity for whole-of-government issues

Increasingly, the Public Service faces challenges and opportunities that do not fall neatly within the traditional boundaries of our agencies, eg, helping low-wage workers, addressing the widening income gap, developing new areas of comparative advantage for our economy. Dealing with many of the threats that we face, eg, terrorism and new diseases, will also require a far higher level of inter-agency collaboration and cooperation. A whole-of-government approach is critical in ensuring that these cross-cutting issues are addressed coherently.

We need to pull together as one government, rather than operate as separate agencies. We will strengthen the capabilities of our Government in responding to inter-agency issues. Many senior public officers are already involved in cross-Ministry action teams on issues that cut across agency lines, in addition to their core Ministry jobs. These cross-agency action teams will give Singapore greater flexibility and capacity to deal with new challenges and exploit new opportunities. We will also continue to exploit advances in information technology to foster a more networked Government.

CSC plays a key role in building the needed capacities. CSC will develop shared strategic perspectives by bringing public officers from different agencies together in training programmes. It will also do more in developing training programmes that are aligned with our national strategic objectives.

Seizing new opportunities for growth

The Public Service must also play an active role in creating and facilitating new opportunities for growth. A key thrust of the PS21 movement will be to encourage officers to see opportunities, not just challenges; to think globally, not just locally; to work for whole of government outcomes, not just agency-specific outcomes; and to be enterprising and innovative, not just efficient and effective. PSD will foster a culture of leadership that can mobilise public officers to work across boundaries, and translate new opportunities into strategies, plans and actions which will benefit Singapore.

One such opportunity is the public sector’s capabilities and expertise in areas such as governance, urban planning, regulation, fiscal and monetary policies, social security, infrastructure development, environmental management and home-front security. These are exportable capabilities. Exporting them not only allows us to generate economic value but also builds up goodwill towards Singapore. PSD will look into a framework that will enable public officers to take on this new role.

CSC is already supporting this endeavour by providing training for many foreign civil servants. CSC will forge networks with leading thinkers in public governance and establish itself as a leading institution in the areas of public sector leadership, public administration, management and organisational excellence. It will also actively seek to be a focal point for international exchanges that provide thought leadership on public policy and governance.

MR LIM HNG KIANG

Minister for Trade and Industry

We will promote economic development, maximising growth while external conditions are conducive. This requires Singapore to remain nimble and adaptable to change. The Government will continue to make the business environment more enterprise-friendly, moving out of areas where the private sector can play a better role.

Embracing the world of opportunities

Singapore will be a leading global city where talent and enterprise can grow and succeed, and new value created through innovative ideas. We will foster economic growth, press on with restructuring, and create jobs by seizing opportunities in a time of rapid change and increasing competition. We will diversify our economy and enable new services to be brought in, including enabling individuals to generate new economic activities. We will do so by building on our reputation for quality and trust, reinforcing our position as a knowledge hub, and leveraging on our connectedness to the world.

Building our reputation of trust and our standing as a knowledge hub

Singapore is known for its high standards, reliability and ability to deliver. This has enabled us to attract over 7,000 MNCs and investments in high value manufacturing and services. We will build on this strength and deepen our capabilities to undertake more sophisticated activities in electronics, chemicals, biomedical sciences, engineering and supply chain management. We will also leverage on our reputation for trust to grow education, healthcare and business services.

We will intensify our Research and Development (R&D) efforts to build Singapore as a Knowledge Hub. Through the five-year Science and Technology Plan 2010, we will create a more attractive R&D environment, promote world-class scientific research, and nurture research talent to support our key industry clusters. A*STAR will place more emphasis on cross-disciplinary research platforms to foster collaborations and innovation. We will strengthen the nexus between research and industry, attract more corporate laboratories, and encourage local enterprises to conduct more R&D. Research will also underpin our efforts to develop new growth sectors like interactive digital media, alternative energy, water and environment technologies.

Building on our connectedness

Singapore is at the heart of a resurgent Asia and well-connected to the world. We will step up our engagement with our partners, and deepen economic linkages by building closer ties at the provincial and state levels.

Within Southeast Asia, we are strengthening our bilateral economic cooperation with countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, while working towards an integrated ASEAN economic community. As part of ASEAN, we are also working on a number of free trade agreements (FTAs) with dialogue partners like China, Korea, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand.

We will continue to facilitate connections between businesses. IE Singapore will help Singapore-based companies leverage on our FTAs to capture business opportunities in developed economies like the US, Europe and Japan, as well as emerging markets in the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America. EDB will also capitalise on our connectedness to attract inward investments, including from new source countries like China and India.

A world-class city for enterprise and talent

World-class business environment

We will provide a world-class business environment to nurture a thriving enterprise sector and foster economic growth. We will press on with our efforts to cut red tape, and keep regulatory burden for businesses low. SPRING will continue to work with companies to build core capabilities, such as design and branding, as well as enhance access to financing. By curbing anti-competitive practices, CCS will help to promote healthy competitive markets and create a level playing field for businesses.

We will continue to ensure that we have excellent infrastructure that is internationally cost competitive. JTC will divest its industrial facilities where there is a competitive private sector market, and focus on strategic and innovative projects such as one-north and Jurong Rock Cavern. The electricity market has been restructured, while restructuring in the gas market is underway. EMA will further enhance Singapore’s energy resilience and security, including facilitating the import of liquefied natural gas to diversify supply sources.

A cosmopolitan city

Singapore will be the preferred place for people and ideas to gather, to learn and create, and to have fun. The Integrated Resort in Marina Bay will help strengthen our position as a top meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition destination. We will also attract more international events, as well as enhance our lifestyle and entertainment offerings. STB will be launching a pipeline of tourism projects. At the same time, SDC will continue to develop Sentosa into a premier island resort.

The greatest source of economic competitive edge is ultimately people. Singapore will provide the opportunities and the environment for all to realise their potential. Together with MOE and MOM, we will help Singaporeans to develop their talent, upgrade their skills and have fulfilling careers. We will also welcome international talent to live and work in Singapore. They will bring knowledge and skills, add diversity and contribute to our economic vibrancy.

MR LEE HSIEN LOONG

Prime Minister and Minister for Finance

The key priority of the Ministry of Finance in the coming years will be to help Singaporeans stay together and move ahead – by building a vibrant global city with an inclusive and caring community, and by investing in growth areas to secure Singapore’s future in a fast changing world.

Ensuring fiscal balance

A sound fiscal position provides the basis for macroeconomic stability and sustained non-inflationary growth. The Government will aim to balance the budget over the business cycle, while promoting opportunities to grow the economy and create good jobs for Singaporeans in a rapidly changing Asian and global environment.

Changing demographics and growing social needs are pushing up social expenditure. At the same time, the Government has had to reduce income tax rates amid increasing global competition to attract investments and encourage enterprise and talent. The Government will therefore continue to explore how best it can preserve and grow revenues, without undermining economic growth, so as to fund the necessary expenditures. The Singapore Totalisator Board will also increase its donations towards social and community causes in sports, education, arts and culture.

Strong financial reserves

Our reserves are the foundation for a financially secure Singapore and a stable Singapore dollar. The Government will continue to grow and protect the long-term value of our reserves for future generations of Singaporeans through judicious and prudent investments for optimal financial returns. We have to look to our earnings from investments to help meet emerging economic, social and security priorities, including health, education, and research and development needs.

Vibrant private sector

The Government will foster a business-friendly pro-enterprise environment to support our companies and entrepreneurs in three key areas – the tax framework, the regulatory regime and enabling infrastructure.

We will maintain an internationally competitive, smartly efficient, business friendly and predictable tax regime. We will keep effective tax rates low. To provide companies with tax certainty on domestic and international transactions, we will make available advance tax rulings and provide transfer pricing guidelines. The network of Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements will be broadened and updated. We will improve tax processing by extending the use of info-comm technology. E-filing of GST returns will speed up refunds to companies, and electronic transmission of employee income data will make filing of personal income tax returns more convenient for many more people.

The Government will continually review the corporate regulatory regime with a view to enhancing corporate accountability while keeping costs low. The period over which businesses are required to keep records of their transactions will be reduced from the current seven years to five years. To facilitate entrepreneurship, the contractual age for business transactions, as well as the age for proprietorships, partnerships and directorships, will be reduced to 18 years from the current 21 years.

The Government will continue to invest in infrastructure that enables economic growth. The TradeNet system will be expanded and launched as TradeXchange to facilitate information exchange and transactions among the various trading networks and users in Singapore. TradeXchange is a one-stop integrated trade and logistics portal which will include customs regulatory offerings of TradeNet and other trade-related business-to-business services. The Government will also facilitate the use of XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language) in the preparation and electronic exchange of financial information; XBRL is an IT standard to define and exchange business and financial performance information.

Value-driven public sector

The Government will drive performance in the public sector to deliver the best value for taxpayers' monies. iGov2010 maps out Singapore's next strategic steps in e-Government. Processes will be streamlined and those that span multiple agencies will be integrated so as to offer citizens and customers greater convenience and better service quality. There will be an extensive array of mobile services, and a manifold increase in the number of CitizenConnect Centres at Community Clubs where the public can find personal help and easy access to over 1,600 Government online services within their neighbourhoods.

The Government has brought together the expertise and resources of the public and private sectors to provide best value for money under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. This approach has been adopted for a desalination plant, a NEWater plant, an incineration plant and TradeXchange. Among the PPP projects planned for the coming years are the Sports Hub to be developed at the site of the National Stadium, and the Regional Campus to be built at the Institute of Technical Education.

The Centre for Shared Services, CSS, launched on 1st April 2006, is a significant move to bring about integration within the public sector. By pooling the delivery of corporate services of Ministries together, the Public Service has achieved greater value and service excellence. By the middle of 2007, CSS will cover all Ministries and departments and broaden its range of service offerings. In the years following, it will improve in its service quality and responsiveness. Statutory Boards will also study the economic viability of consolidating their IT systems to support their Finance, HR and procurement functions.

MR GOH CHOK TONG

Senior Minister and Minister-in-charge of MAS

The Singapore economy has performed well this year with strong growth, high job creation and low inflation. Going forward, the economy is expected to moderate to a more sustainable pace reflecting the slowdown in global demand. MAS will remain vigilant in its surveillance of the external environment and the domestic economy. It will enhance its forecasting, surveillance and research capabilities to meet its objective of promoting sustainable and non-inflationary economic growth in Singapore.

Key to Singapore’s reputation as an international financial centre is a well regulated and sound financial sector. MAS will continue its work on developing its risk-based supervisory framework in line with the changes and evolving risks in the financial sector. To face the challenge of supervising local players as they grow regionally as well as in complexity, we will intensify our efforts in consolidated and integrated supervision. We will also continue to work with the Singapore-incorporated banks toward the implementation of the new Basel II capital requirements which are being adopted internationally. MAS will also seek to further raise standards of market conduct in the industry, by refining existing disclosure standards and strengthening consumer education through the MoneySENSE programme. We will also step up our cooperation with regulators in our region and in key financial centres.

MAS will continue its efforts to develop Singapore as a leading financial centre in Asia. We will support the growth of activities such as asset management and build greater depth and liquidity in the domestic capital markets. We will also facilitate the private sector to tap into new growth areas, including treasury activities, infrastructure and structured finance. We will ride on the successful hosting of the International Monetary Fund/World Bank September 2006 Annual Meetings to enhance Singapore’s position as a leading business and financial centre in Asia.

MR GEORGE YEO YONG-BOON

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Changes in the strategic landscape

The strategic landscape is changing dramatically. The re-emergence of China and India is reshaping Asia and the world.

With the rapid growth of Asian economies, the patterns of interaction within Asia and between Asia and the rest of the world are changing and becoming more complex. We have to respond to new challenges and opportunities.

With all the pieces now in motion, we have to review old assumptions and chart new directions for ourselves. Whether the promise of 21st century Asia can be realised depends critically on stable relations among the major powers, particularly Sino-US relations. Japan, India and Russia will also play major roles. An integrated ASEAN is in everyone's interest. How ASEAN positions itself in this complex new environment will affect our collective well-being for years to come.

Singapore and the region will benefit hugely from a strong ASEAN at the centre of an Asia on the move. If we ride on this great tide, our future will be bright. This must be the objective of our foreign policy.

Singapore's foreign policy priorities

The fundamentals of Singapore's foreign policy remain sound. We must refresh established relationships while growing new ones.

We must further entrench ASEAN as the cornerstone of our foreign policy. Building a strong ASEAN Community is an imperative. We are actively involved in drawing up an ASEAN Charter which will define our collective destiny in Southeast Asia. We look forward to our assumption of the ASEAN Chairmanship next year, which coincides with ASEAN's 40th Anniversary. We pledge to work closely with the rest of ASEAN and all of ASEAN's partners.

With our closest neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia, we will continue to adopt a positive, pragmatic approach to strengthening bilateral relations based on mutual respect and benefit. There is much scope for increased cooperation. For example, the Framework Agreement that has been signed between Singapore and Indonesia to develop Special Economic Zones on Batam, Bintan and Karimun will open a new chapter in our economic relationship. PM Lee and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had also agreed in October 2005 to convene parallel negotiations on an Extradition Treaty, the Defence Cooperation Agreement and the Counter-Terrorism Agreement. Negotiations are ongoing and we look forward to the early conclusion of these negotiations. For Malaysia, there is also scope for closer cooperation. From time to time, disagreements and differences in views may arise between neighbours who depend so much on each other. What we must do is to build on the positives and not allow contentious issues to define our relationships.

Within the region, we enjoy good and long-standing ties with Thailand. We will work closely with the new Thai Government for our mutual benefit and to strengthen ASEAN. Our relationship with Vietnam is excellent and holds much promise for future growth. We will continue to look for ways to strengthen our links to Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Beyond ASEAN, our growing web of FTAs with the US, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, among others, benefits Singaporeans and helps to promote economic liberalisation in the region. The Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement signed in June 2005 has paved the way for India's greater engagement of ASEAN. Similarly, the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, where both sides recently agreed to commence negotiations, would give greater momentum to the establishment of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement. We are also working on Free Trade Agreements between ASEAN and Japan, ROK, India and Australia/New Zealand to complement our existing FTAs.

Because of our strategic position, the major powers have a strong interest in our stability and well-being. They are our major economic partners and provide us assistance in critical areas. We want them to have a vested interest in an ASEAN that is open, strong, integrated and outward-oriented. In a modest way, ASEAN can provide them with a neutral platform to work for the regional good.

Singapore will continue to strengthen its links with the US, the EU, Japan, China, India and Russia. Our ties with the US and Japan are deep. We are constantly looking for new opportunities to further increase our engagement with them so as to anchor further their interest in the region. To support our growing relations with China and India, we will enhance our diplomatic representation in these two countries. Our relations with Australia and New Zealand are intimate and rooted in history. We are engaged in talks with Russia and India to develop Special Economic Zones. With ASEAN at the core, we will work through the ASEAN-plus meetings, APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation), EAS (East Asia Summit), ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum) and ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) to increase and secure Singapore's external economic and political space. We will pay particular attention to transborder issues such as terrorism, piracy, pandemic diseases and environmental protection including finding long-term solutions to the haze which has afflicted us in the last couple of months.

We are rediscovering the Middle East. We have stepped up high level exchanges with countries in the Middle East in the last three years. Many of them see Singapore as a reliable partner and as a model for social and economic development. We have created new platforms and mechanisms to broaden and deepen our cooperation with them. To facilitate long-term cooperation and mutual understanding between the Middle East and Asia, we initiated the Asia-Middle East Dialogue, hosting the inaugural session in 2005.

We will also explore new opportunities in Latin America. We support the Forum for East Asia - Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) as a way to increase understanding and exchange between the two regions. Although our economic links to Africa are weak, we treasure our strong friendship with many African nations and work closely with them at international forums like the UN and the Commonwealth.

Singapore has always been a supporter of international organisations like the UN and the WTO. We support the reform of the UN and the early resumption of negotiations and conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda. At the last World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Meeting held in Singapore this year, a new 'Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks' was successfully negotiated under Singapore's chairmanship. A WIPO Office was opened in Singapore last year.

Because of greater interest in Singapore's development experience, we have been steadily expanding the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) in a quiet way. Since 1992, the Programme has sponsored courses and study visits for over 45,000 officials from 164 developing countries. This has won us many friends. It was in response to numerous requests from foreign governments for our expertise to help build up a range of public sector services that we launched the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) to provide customised one-stop consultancy for such needs.

We are committed to inter-faith dialogue in the world. Without greater inter-faith understanding, religious conflict will create problems for many countries including our own. The messages delivered by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University Dr Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi and the Pope's Special Envoy Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino during their visits to Singapore earlier this year have been helpful and inspiring. We will do more to promote inter-faith dialogue in the coming years.

Supporting Singaporeans abroad

As Singapore's external wing grows, more of our citizens will travel overseas for work, business, study and leisure. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will support Singaporeans abroad. We will improve the services we provide to Singaporeans living or travelling overseas especially in times of emergency. Earlier this year, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers agreed that, in an emergency, a citizen of an ASEAN country can turn to the mission of any other ASEAN country for help should his own country not have a mission in the foreign land.

Singapore is entering an exciting new phase in its history. We are well-positioned in an Asia on the move. If we organise ourselves well, work closely with our ASEAN neighbours and strengthen our links to the major powers, we can create many new opportunities for our people to better their lives in Singapore and abroad.

MR TEO CHEE HEAN

Minister for Defence

Security is the foundation for Singapore’s survival and success. Without security, we cannot build an economy or a home for Singaporeans. A strong defence is imperative for safeguarding our sovereignty and vital interests. Our history as a nation makes it clear that we can never take our defence for granted.

This continues to be true today. Besides the uncertainties in Southeast Asia, the complex dynamics of a rising China and India, a revitalised Japan, and a pre-eminent United States are geopolitical realities that have important implications for the peace and stability of our region. More so as maritime and energy security will be issues of increasingly significant concern.

Globalisation has made the challenge even more complex, with the accompanying phenomenon of transnational threats. At no other time in history have the security interests of countries been more closely inter-linked as they face common threats which have no respect for national borders. The terrorism perpetrated by extremist militants is the prime example of such a threat. This remains a real and present danger that could threaten not only the lives and well-being of Singaporeans, but also our unity as a nation and people.

Total Defence

To meet such threats, we must be more cohesive and strengthen our collective defence. Singaporeans must be vigilant and know what they need to do in the aftermath of an attack. Our psychological response would be even more crucial, for it is our resilience and social cohesion - built on our strength and resolve as a people - that will enable us to emerge stronger after a crisis. Total Defence will continue to serve us well as a framework for how we respond to the threats and challenges in a cohesive and comprehensive manner. MINDEF will continue to strengthen our Total Defence through national education efforts, to involve all Singaporeans in the security and defence of Singapore.

Prevention, protection and consequence management

In fighting terrorism, the SAF will continue to work closely with home-front agencies to enhance our defences and responses, to deter attacks and protect ourselves. Robust inter-agency cooperation and frequent exercises prepare the response forces and our people to deal with an attack.

Defence and deterrence

Even as the SAF builds up its non-conventional capabilities, we will have to ensure that it continues to have the conventional hard edge to be an effective deterrence. The SAF safeguards Singapore’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. A strong defence also gives Singapore the political space to chart our own destiny and pursue the best interests of our country and our people.

The 3rd Generation SAF is evolving into a leaner, more flexible and more tightly-networked force that can undertake the spectrum of missions necessary to ensure Singapore’s security. The SAF’s ongoing transformation will ensure that we can fight and win the wars of the future. Transformation involves new technologies, operational concepts and training methods. With transformation, the SAF’s capabilities will be magnified.

Technology is a force multiplier that enables us to surmount our limitations in people and resources. It is also a catalyst of new ideas for organising, equipping, training, and fighting. We will continue to exploit technology by leveraging on our robust defence eco-system, so as to maximise synergy and collaborative opportunities.

Building trust and connectivity

Diplomacy is the other pillar of Singapore’s defence policy. MINDEF will continue to actively develop positive and mutually beneficial relationships with friendly countries to enhance Singapore’s security and regional stability. The SAF will continue to work closely with friendly forces to enhance our professional skills, improve inter-operability, and benchmark ourselves against the best armed forces in the world. The SAF will also continue with its extensive overseas training which helps overcome our land and airspace constraints.

At the wider level, it is clear that countries must work together to deal with common security threats. International cooperation is essential and Singapore can play a role in such cooperative efforts to contribute to regional security and stability, and also protect our national interests and ensure our security. MINDEF will continue to participate actively in multilateral defence efforts which bring international and regional partners together to deal with common threats, especially in such areas as counter-terrorism, maritime security, and counter-proliferation. Singapore will also continue to do our part where we can make a useful contribution to multinational peace support operations or humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

People

The strength of the SAF lies in our servicemen and servicewomen - their spirit, their commitment and their professionalism. We will continue to develop them to achieve their highest potential. With 80% of each cohort having post-secondary education, we have the human resources to make good use of the technology that is core in the 3rd Generation SAF.

National Service

National Service is critical for national defence and remains the backbone of the SAF. Maintaining the motivation and morale of our National Servicemen will continue to be our focus.

Public support and consultation

MINDEF will continue to seek feedback and consult Singaporeans through channels such as SAFRA, ACCORD and RECORD, and the National Education Outreach programme. The recommendations of RECORD IV to recognise the contributions of our National Servicemen are being implemented.

MR WONG KAN SENG Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs

The Ministry of Home Affairs' mission is to keep Singapore safe and secure. This is a fundamental quality of life which all Singaporeans and visitors to Singapore have come to value. Safety and security are also the critical conditions which underpin Singapore’s continued economic prosperity and growth.

Sustaining good security

Staying ahead of the terrorists

MHA will continue to develop strong practical competencies to deal with extremist terrorism and its various violent forms. Just as the terrorists are evolving and are adapting their tactics, we need to keep up or better still, stay ahead of them. We must constantly seek to limit the weaknesses in our society which can be exploited by terrorists. For instance, MHA recently moved to require registration of pre-paid mobile phone SIM card users. This will deny the anonymity that such cards provide to users, something which terrorists and criminals have exploited to conduct their activities.

We must always be ready to develop new capabilities and learn new skills. Although Singapore is a not a country with nuclear energy, the prospect of a “dirty bomb” which exploits radioactive material, is not an implausible threat. To deal with such a scenario, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has developed capabilities to identify, contain and neutralise such threats. The SCDF is working closely with the SPF and SAF to enhance integration and tap synergies so as to improve our capacity and capability to meet such threats.

Ultimately, however, vigilance and preparedness are our strongest defence against the terrorist threat. Governments alone do not defeat terrorism; leaders and the communities defeat terrorism. This need for vigilance and preparedness, therefore, applies not only to our front-line officers but also to our citizen-partners in business, industry and the community.

Security as a way of life

The people as security stakeholders

MHA conducted Exercise Northstar V in January 2006. It involved, for the first time, a significant participation by grassroots as well as members of the public who happened to be present at the scene at the time of the exercise. This is a direction MHA will continue to pursue. The SCDF will organise more large-scale ground deployment exercises not only to raise awareness and get Singaporeans mentally prepared for an incident, but also to persuade them to better equip themselves by learning emergency preparedness skills. In every major catastrophe, it is typically ordinary people at the scene who are the first to respond to help victims and save lives. Such people make a timely and crucial difference complementing the efforts of the emergency forces.

The Community Engagement Programme (CEP), launched in February 2006, is aimed at enlarging and deepening, across various sectors, what has been previously pursued by the efforts of organisations like the MHA and the grassroots. The CEP will involve not just grassroots organisations, but also religious groups, voluntary welfare organisations, clan associations, educational institutions, businesses, unions, and the media. The CEP establishes a broad framework which can manage and minimise racial and religious tension in the aftermath of a terrorist incident. This is a long-term programme which hopefully will grow to become a natural and permanent feature of our societal landscape, reflecting our people’s commitment to stay cohesive and resilient against any threat.

There is urgency to engage our communities and people over security matters. The threat of extremist terrorism is not going to go away. It will remain a serious threat for a long time. The most dangerous aspect of this threat is that it exploits religion. As such, the damage it can cause is not just material loss but the deeper injury of tearing apart our harmonious inter-communal relations. If this happens, even if we heal the wounds, the scars will remain for a long time and will continue to breed mistrust among our different communities. MHA recognises that Singaporeans have the most critical role to play to prevent the threat, to mitigate its impact and to be resilient through emergency preparedness and a commitment to our social cohesion. Every Singaporean must ultimately be an active stakeholder in Singapore’s security.

Balancing security and efficiency

The world is not the same one we lived in before 11th September 2001. Heightened security will be a part of life for a long time to come. Enhanced security measures will cause inconvenience to the public but Singaporeans must learn to accept this as a part of life in the current security climate. We must be prepared to make the necessary adjustments at both the personal and organisational levels. MHA would, however, strive to minimise the costs of security wherever practicable. Life must go on. We must not be paralysed by fear or by rigidities in our security responses which can choke off the dynamism and efficiency of our society which makes us competitive and vibrant.

A key challenge we must confront is how to strike the right balance between security and efficiency. We cannot protect everything. A risk management approach must be pursued based on threat and vulnerabilities. Wherever possible, we should exploit technology. Smart use of technology can offer win-win solutions. For example, ICA’s Biometric Identification of MotorbiKErs (BIKES) system will enhance the security screening of motorcyclists at our land checkpoints. This system uses biometric technology to screen motorcyclists and is expected to allow bona-fide motorcyclists to enjoy speedier clearance. Similarly, in order to facilitate travel while maintaining high security, ICA will be installing enhanced biometric-based automated clearance gates, known as eIACS, at all checkpoints which allow automated self-clearance by Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, Long Term Pass holders and Frequent Visitors using only their passports.

Security as a competitive advantage

Going forward, we should leverage on our good security and position it as a competitive advantage. Companies and organisations choose to locate their headquarters or conduct international conventions in Singapore not only because of the many attractions we offer in terms of organisational efficiency, good infrastructure and so on. They must also have considered the fact that Singapore is a safe and secure venue where the safety and security of their delegates can be assured. The hosting of the International Olympic Committee Session last year and the 2006 Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Singapore is testament to our reliability and capability to ensure the security of the thousands of delegates while they were in Singapore. Their decision to choose Singapore as a venue reflects the trust these international organisations have in the security of Singapore. This is one of the key ingredients in transforming Singapore into a convention centre, a knowledge hub and a connector of people and regions.

Policing change and maintaining fundamentals

Our society is changing and policing has become a more complex challenge. MHA needs to be in tune with the pulse of these changes and find ways to accommodate the aspirations and needs of Singaporeans within the boundaries of law and order. Some of these boundaries may need to be revisited and reviewed. MHA will develop more calibrated approaches to address the challenges of, for example, youth crime. Likewise, the Police will review its role in regulating business and entertainment activities and confine its role to law and order parameters. The private security industry should be developed to be a partner in addressing the law and order and security needs of business corporations and organisations.

We must encourage citizen participation. However, personal autonomy and empowerment must be balanced with attendant accountability. Even as we move to liberalise and refine the boundaries, we must be clear what our fundamentals for survival as a small multi-ethnic society are. We will not tolerate racial and religious extremism or bigotry; we will not go soft on our zero tolerance for drugs, whether synthetic or otherwise. CNB will remain vigilant against possible new drugs and patterns of abuse.

On the flip side of enforcement and policing, MHA will seek to reintegrate ex-offenders with their families and with society so that they can recover and live meaningful and productive lives. Prisons and SCORE will work towards the creation of a seamless through-care system to help inmates reintegrate. They will also raise awareness and engage the community to take action to support ex-offenders and their families. For example, Family Resource Centres were set up in July 2006 to help inmates' families cope with the incarceration of their loved ones and to facilitate their role in the inmates’ eventual reintegration. SCORE will also continue its efforts in raising awareness and engaging the community to take action to support ex-offenders and their families through the Yellow Ribbon Project.

Conclusion

Our constant challenge must be to globalise without losing our local identity. Building a competitive economy and an inclusive society must mean sustaining our fundamental values while we grow and change as a modern society plugged into a global economy. We want a safe and secure Singapore; a society where different communities live in harmony; a vibrant society which upholds the rule of law; and one which seeks to rehabilitate and recover those who have transgressed. We want a land of opportunity where everyone has a chance, if not a second chance, to grow and to succeed. This is a vision worth aspiring to. A strong and trusted partnership between the leaders and the people will make this vision achievable.

PROF S. JAYAKUMAR

Deputy Prime Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for Security and Defence

Ensure stability and security in an uncertain world

The threat of transnational terrorism is undiminished. Some terrorist attacks have succeeded, in London, Bali, Jordan, Egypt, while others have been foiled through arrests in Canada and the US. In Singapore, our security agencies have remained vigilant. Major exercises like Exercise Northstar were conducted to prepare us for the worst. We have taken a whole-of-government approach to tackle this long-term threat. The National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS) created in the Prime Minister’s Office facilitates this process through its two agencies - the National Security Coordination Centre (NSCC) and the Joint Counter Terrorism Centre (JCTC).

At home, NSCS works with the various security agencies in strategic planning and key policy issues. Various programmes, like courses and seminars, are conducted to raise awareness, to familiarise the agencies with national security plans and policies, and to foster a collaborative culture. A Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) has been set up to help NSCS explore new policy thinking and innovative ideas to further enhance national security. Abroad, NSCS will continue to strengthen ties with our regional partners in ASEAN, as well as with our international partners, to combat this shared security threat.

Seize opportunities in a time of rapid change and increasing competition

In the face of growing complexities and rising uncertainties, NSCS is developing a risk assessment and horizon scanning capability, through a development project. The project will help build and track a range of possible scenarios and pick up weak signals of surprises that can cause us great disruptions. The system will also facilitate inter-agency collaboration and horizontal communications among the various security agencies.

Foster an inclusive society

In the people sector, NSCS coordinates the various agencies involved in the continuing effort to raise the public’s awareness of the threats to Singapore’s security. This will help enhance individual and community resilience. Citizens are encouraged to play a more active role in combating terrorism. NSCS supports the Community Engagement Programme. NSCS will participate in more public outreach campaigns to remind Singaporeans that we all have an important role in maintaining social harmony.

PROF S. JAYAKUMAR Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law

MinLaw will further strengthen Singapore’s legal infrastructure and develop the legal services sector. We will also (a) enhance our insolvency regime; (b) optimise our land resources to support Singapore’s efforts to seize new opportunities; and (c) leverage and build on our Intellectual Property (IP) reputation and strengths to contribute to the growth and development of Singapore as a knowledge hub.

Legal

To ensure that our legal system remains relevant and responsive to the needs of Singapore, we will work closely with the Attorney-General’s Chambers to further strengthen the legal infrastructure. We will also work with other Government agencies to ensure that legislation keeps pace with socio-economic developments and are updated to combat emerging threats such as terrorism and other trans-national crimes. It is also important that the public have trust and confidence in the legal profession, and we will work with the Law Society to ensure this.

A more globalised economy, strong economic growth in Asia and the rise in cross-border transactions present significant opportunities for our legal services industry. International arbitration in particular presents enormous potential for growth. Given our reputation and strengths, Singapore can be a location of choice for the conduct of international arbitration work, especially for the Asian region. MinLaw will work with other agencies to achieve this goal. We will set up an international dispute resolution complex, encourage major international arbitration institutions to be based here, and work with local and foreign institutions and law firms to attract more international arbitration work to Singapore.

Growing opportunities in arbitration and other international legal services will require us to build up the necessary legal talent pool in Singapore. We will ensure that existing and recently introduced schemes provide not only the numbers but also the quality of lawyers needed to meet the demands. We will also continue to explore new schemes for the supply of high quality legal talent to support the growth of our legal services industry.

In addition to measures already announced, we will also examine longer term strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as an international centre for the provision of legal services. These will include identifying core areas of excellence for the legal sector and how they may be developed; promoting Singapore as a key provider of legal services in Asia, particularly for cross-border commercial transactions, and setting future directions for the legal profession as a whole.

MinLaw will continue to ensure the provision of quality legal aid and assistance to persons of limited means. We will ensure that the civil legal aid system has the latitude and flexibility to help all those who are deserving of legal aid. We will also work closely with the Law Society and other partners to encourage greater volunteerism in the provision of legal aid and assistance to the needy.

In support of cultivating a more harmonious society, MinLaw will continue to promote the resolution of community-based disputes via mediation. We will enhance our efforts to create and maintain public awareness of community mediation and to encourage greater use of the schemes available for mediation of social and relational disputes. We will continue to ensure that the demand for mediation services is met. Towards this end, we will also work to increase the capacity and capabilities of our mediators.

To promote enterprise and entrepreneurship, our debt recovery system must balance between instilling financial discipline and providing a fresh start for debtors. While we increase efforts to promote prudent financial management, we will also put in place alternative schemes for financially distressed individuals to repay their debts without having to go into bankruptcy. We will also review and improve the corporate insolvency regime to balance the interests of creditors and failed businesses.

Land

In support of Singapore’s economic growth and development, MinLaw will continue to play an active role in optimising our land resources. We will work closely with other Government agencies to identify and facilitate the use of State land and properties to better meet the needs of new industry sectors and businesses.

MinLaw will also do its part to make Singapore a great global city to work, live and play in. We will continue to devise new schemes and innovative mechanisms for letting out State land and properties to encourage the development of a vibrant cityscape and revitalise our neighbourhoods. We will encourage more innovative use of State land and properties, and will tap the public for new ideas. We will also make available land resources to promote social harmony and community bonding, for example for sports and recreational uses.

Intellectual Property (IP)

With the advent of the knowledge economy, there is great potential for us to build on our reputation and strengths in IP to spur Singapore’s economic growth and development. MinLaw will intensify efforts to leverage and improve on the good reputation of our IP regime to support the development of Singapore as a knowledge hub and a centre for creative and high-tech industries. We will also further promote the growth of a vibrant IP services industry in Singapore, including working with the industry to deepen core IP capabilities such as in patent drafting and IP strategy advisory services. We also aim to develop Singapore into a recognised IP education and training centre for the region.

MR WONG KAN SENG Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs

At the heart of every successful society is a core of dedicated and committed people, who stay and move ahead together. This is especially vital for a small city state like Singapore. Our people are our critical and only resource. For Singapore to continue to thrive and succeed, we will need a core of Singaporeans who will form our social, political and economic foundation, and drive the nation forward.

The National Population Committee (NPC) was set up following the announcement of the parenthood package in August 2004 to deal with the wide range and multi-faceted challenges of population issues. A full-time National Population Secretariat (NPS) was established in the Prime Minister’s Office in June 2006 to support the NPC and coordinate the work of Ministries in key areas such as promoting marriage and parenthood, engaging overseas-based Singaporeans, and encouraging naturalisation.

Increased number of births

While all the schemes in the parenthood package announced in August 2004 have been fully implemented, it is still too early to assess the effectiveness of the measures. The declining fertility rate has reached a plateau in 2005 at 1.24 (the same as in 2004), although the number of births has increased slightly from 35,135 in 2004 to 35,528 in 2005, a positive reversal after four years of consecutive declines. The number of registered births in the first eight months of 2006 (23,516) is also higher than that in the corresponding period in 2005 (23,065). We are, however, still a long way from the replacement level of 2.1.

Encouraging naturalisation

It is not realistic to expect local fertility to significantly reverse in the near future, much less to return to the replacement level, which was last recorded in 1976. As such, in addition to raising local fertility, we would also need to raise immigration and the subsequent naturalisation of suitable immigrants in our efforts to enlarge our population stock so that we could grow our workforce in both size and vibrancy to sustain a viable economy. The Citizenship and Population Unit (CPU) has been set up under the NPS to coordinate and drive the efforts of the relevant Government agencies in this area.

The CPU has recently identified three broad strategies to encourage naturalisation, viz. (a) eliminating and reducing process hindrances, (b) enhancing outreach to foreigners, permanent residents (PR) and new citizens, and (c) more effective branding of Singapore overseas. By making Singapore a more attractive place to global talent to live, work, study and play, this three-pronged approach aims to encourage and enable more suitable foreigners and permanent residents to consider taking up permanent residency and citizenship respectively. The infusion of new residents and citizens will bring greater diversity of ideas, experiences and skills to Singapore. This will make for a more vibrant and robust society, one that is able to spot and seize opportunities in a time of rapid change and intense competition.

Engaging overseas Singaporeans to foster an inclusive society

Besides augmenting Singapore’s population, the NPC also seeks to foster an inclusive society by helping Singaporeans working and studying overseas to stay connected with one another and with Singapore. The Overseas Singaporean Unit (OSU) was launched in March 2006 for this purpose. Since then, it has held a number of introductory roadshows to reach out to overseas Singaporeans in major cities such as London, New York, Beijing and Sydney, to seek feedback on the services and information Overseas Singaporeans wish to receive from Singapore. Underpinning this effort is the Government’s belief that every Singaporean matters. The OSU’s vision is to facilitate the development of an interconnected Singaporean diaspora with Singapore the global city at the heart of this vibrant and diverse network.

In August 2006, the OSU launched a website, www.overseassingaporean.sg, which serves as a one-stop information, e-services and community-building portal for Overseas Singaporeans. For Singaporeans who wish to return, they will be able to find links to useful information such as job and internship opportunities in Singapore and the region, and the latest school admission policies for their children.

The OSU has also been working closely with the private sector to better engage Overseas Singaporean students and professionals. To provide Overseas Singaporeans with first-hand information on the economic opportunities in Singapore and the region, the OSU has held dialogues and networking sessions bringing together corporate leaders, professionals and students, and set up internship and job-link programmes. At the community level, the OSU also encourages and facilitates the various Overseas Singaporean associations, clubs and organisations to network and link up with each other.

Future direction

Going forward, the NPC, supported by its full-time Secretariat, will continue to find ways to augment our population stock while engaging Overseas Singaporeans and work towards a Singaporean society that is not limited by geographical bounds.

MR LIM HNG KIANG Minister for Trade and Industry

The National Research Foundation (NRF) was set up as a department under the Prime Minister’s Office on 1st January 2006 to coordinate the research activities of different agencies within the larger national framework and to fund strategic R&D initiatives that would generate economic benefits for Singapore. The NRF has also appointed a Scientific Advisory Board comprising renowned scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs, who advise the NRF on key areas of R&D.

The Government has approved a funding stream of S$5 billion to enable the NRF to undertake its work from 2006 to 2010. The sustained funding is a strong signal of the Government’s commitment to invest in R&D as a driver for economic growth and as a foundation for our long-term competitiveness to ensure that Singapore maintains our edge in an increasingly knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy.

Seize opportunities and foster growth

The NRF’s aim is to fund areas where there is most potential for R&D breakthroughs that will yield economic benefit for Singapore, by generating industry growth and enterprise creation. The Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC), chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved the allocation of S$1.4 billion from the National Research Fund to fund three strategic programmes - Environmental and Water Technologies, Interactive and Digital Media and Biomedical Sciences Phase II. The development of these three programmes is targeted to create 86,000 jobs and S$30 billion of value added by 2015. The NRF will continue to explore other emerging areas beyond these three programmes, and also look at long-term technology, social and demographic trends to identify new strategic areas for R&D investment.

Build a vibrant global city

To support Singapore’s ambition to become a vibrant, global city, the NRF aims to transform Singapore into a talent magnet for scientific and innovation excellence and build up a concentration of research talent to foster innovation and creativity. It is also important for the NRF to establish strong linkages with global institutions to enhance Singapore’s connectivity to other centres of research in the US and Europe, and accelerate our thrust towards an inventive, innovative and entrepreneurial economy. The RIEC thus endorsed the concept to establish a Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) in Singapore, and the proposal to set up the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre as the first centre within the Campus.

The SMART Centre will be the largest international research endeavour that MIT has ever established. CREATE will also foster joint research programmes between the world’s top research universities and Singapore-based research institutions, and recruit young graduate and postdoctoral talent to nurture a cadre of extraordinary scientists, whose discoveries and innovations could generate new growth engines for Singapore.