Hansard, 2012-03-09

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 by the Speaker to be absent from sittings of Parliament (or any Committee of Parliament to which they have been appointed) for the periods stated:

1 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Prime Minister if he is considering calling a by-election in Hougang SMC and, if so, when.

Before I call on the Prime Minister to give his reply, I wish to inform hon Members that there is currently a suit pending in the High Court on the matter of the by-election in the Hougang Single Member Constituency. The suit seeks various declarations as to the extent of the Prime Minister's discretion to decide on the said by-election.

I have allowed the Question filed by the hon Member Mr Christopher de Souza to stand on today's Order Paper because I am satisfied that it does not require an answer that ventures into legal issues raised by the court application nor does it impinge on the mutual respect and forbearance maintained between this House and the Judiciary.

I will, however, disallow any statement or supplementary question that will have the potential to concern matters that either impinge on the principle of mutual respect and forbearance mentioned or are sub judice and, following Standing Order 21(1)(h), will be ruled out of order.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC) seat is vacant after the Workers' Party expelled Mr Yaw Shin Leong, following several weeks of media reports on Mr Yaw's personal indiscretions. I intend to call a by-election in Hougang to fill this vacancy. However, I have not yet decided on the timing of the by-election. In deciding on the timing, I will take into account all relevant factors, including the well-being of Hougang residents, issues on the national agenda, as well as the international backdrop which affects our prosperity and security.

As for the legal question of whether and when I must call a by-election, an application has been filed in court concerning this. So, the matter is now sub judice, that is, under the consideration of the court. While Members enjoy parliamentary immunity in this House, as Mr Speaker has just reminded us, our parliamentary convention is that we do not talk about matters which are sub judice, for good reason.

I can, however, remind Members that Parliament debated this issue extensively in August 2008 when two Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) moved a motion, proposing to require the Prime Minister to call a by-election within three months of a seat falling vacant, amongst other things. I spoke in that debate and stated the Government's position fully, after taking the advice of the Attorney-General. And before answering today's question, I consulted the present Attorney-General again to confirm his advice.

Let me summarise what I said in 2008 about the constitutional position. Article 49 of the Constitution states that when a seat falls vacant, it shall be filled by election. In an SMC, a seat falls vacant when the Member of Parliament vacates his office, for example, when he is expelled from his political party, resigns from his seat or passes away. The timing of the by-election is at the discretion of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is not obliged to call a by-election within any fixed time frame. This absence of any stipulated time frame is the result of a deliberate decision by Parliament to confer on the Prime Minister the discretion to decide when to fill a Parliament vacancy.

Then Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew explained this when he moved the constitutional amendment in December 1965, in other words, immediately after Singapore became independent. I quote from his speech then:

"(This amendment) revokes the clause which was introduced into the State Constitution of Singapore when it entered Malaysia. Members in this House will know that there was no such injunction of holding a by-election within three months in our previous Constitution. We resisted this particular condition being imposed upon the State Constitution at the time we entered Malaysia. But our representations were not accepted because Malaysia insisted on uniformity of our laws with the other States in the Federation, and with the Federal Constitution itself. Since we are no longer part of the Federal whole, for reasons which we find valid and valuable as a result of our own experience of elections and of government in Singapore, we have decided that this limitation should no longer apply."

The Constitution, therefore, reflects a political philosophy that emphasises stable government and the view that in elections, voters are primarily choosing between political parties to be given the mandate to govern the country, rather than between individual candidates to become Members of Parliament. We have kept the constitutional provision because the considerations for enacting it in 1965 remain relevant today.

Mr Low Thia Khiang.

Supplementary question, Sir. I am pleased to note that the Prime Minister has said that he has decided to call a by-election. That settles all the hypothetical speculation outside the House. He said that he would consider all factors before deciding when a by-election should be called. I would like to ask whether or not, after considering all the factors, would he be able to indicate a period in which a by-election would be called.

Certainly, Mr Speaker, I will do so as soon as I have finished considering all the factors.

Mr Low.

Would the Prime Minister be able to indicate how soon and how much time he would need to consider all the factors and settle his urgent agenda?

Mr Speaker, Sir, I have said what I intend to say. And I shall announce when I have decided to call a by-election as soon as I have decided to do so.

Ms Sylvia Lim.

Mr Speaker, Sir, two supplementary questions for the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister not agree that with the Hougang SMC being vacant, there is actually an under-representation of the Hougang voters in this House? The second clarification is, he mentioned that there would be factors that he would consider in deciding when to call the by-election. In this particular instance, can he specify what are the matters which would delay calling the Hougang by-election?

Mr Speaker, on the first question of whether there is an under-representation of the interest of the voters of Hougang as a result of this, I do not know that. If that is an issue, I would have thought it is something which the Workers' Party would have considered before deciding to expel Mr Yaw Shin Leong. Because the Constitution is clear. The rules are clear. How by-elections are called or not called is also completely clear. We debated this in the House. If we are in this situation today, it is because the Workers' Party has caused this situation to happen, knowing the consequences. As for the second question, I have already answered Mr Low three times, and I think my answer stands.

Order. End of Question Time.

Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [7th Allotted Day].

Thank you, Mr Chairman.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Pg 2520 for Vernacular Speeches.] Mr Chairman, presently, families with a child or grandchild who is a Singapore citizen below the age of 12, an elderly member aged 65 and above, or a family member with disabilities in the same household can apply for a levy concession for up to two Foreign Domestic Workers, enjoying a concession of $95. The final levy would be $170.

The Government has announced that it will provide a $120 grant per month to families hiring a FDW to help care for disabled and elderly family members who are unable to care for themselves. I would like to request for the Government to consider waiving the FDW levy totally, as the difference is only $50. This may not be a significant amount to IRAS but will mean much to a number of less well-off families. In addition, would the Government consider extending the waiver to all households with children and grandchildren under the age of 17?

Sir, the introduction of the maid levy subsidy of $120 for families caring for the elderly with severe dementia and other disabilities is a gracious and generous act. Sir, nobody wants to be sick or to be stricken with a severe disability. For a family who has to care for an elderly with severe disabilities, the burden of care is heavy. We must give the best support to low- and middle-income families to cope with this financial burden. Caregiving at home is no longer an option for them, but a critical necessity, as hiring a private nurse or caregiver would be out of their reach. The elderly would have to be cared for full-time, and probably for a life-time. Thus, the foreign domestic helper can free up family members to continue with their jobs while at the same time, ensuring the elderly sick is well looked after. Even though this grant is on top of the existing maid levy concession of $170, as the hon Member Mr Gan Thiam Poh just mentioned, there is still a levy gap of $50. I would urge the Government to consider increasing the grant to fully cover the levy.

Can the Ministry also review the disability criteria of three activities of daily living (ADLs)? For a senior who cannot even perform two of the ADLs, like feed themselves or change themselves, they need close supervision and care. I would like to urge the Ministry to put in place training schemes to build a pool of trained pre-deployed domestic helpers who are certified to provide basic care for the elderly sick or the disabled.

Sir, as part of the Government's move to support Singaporeans with disabilities in this year's Budget, I would like to ask the Ministry to consider extending the monthly $120 grant to low- and middle-income families caring for their family members with severe disabilities, regardless of his or her age. A person with severe mental retardation or someone who had a stroke needs more intensive support and supervision, and often for his or her entire life-time. This will require full-time care and will benefit from full-time domestic help. I do urge the Government to consider extending this grant to these families.

Mr Chairman, Sir, allow me to declare that I am currently the Executive Secretary of the Education Services Union. Chairman, the pre-school sector has seen burgeoning demand for places in the past two years that will likely not wane in the next two. Yet challenges on the ground, relating particularly to the supply of good professionals, are yet to be adequately addressed. In 2011, MCYS announced the development of 200 new pre-school centres by 2013. Initiatives announced in Budget 2012 will further bolster the demand for places: enhanced pre-school subsidies for children from less well-off families make it more attractive for them to be enrolled in pre-school centres; and Budget 2012 has committed to increasing the number of places in centres for children in need of early intervention.

However, it seems the urgent situation on the supply side of things appears to have been overlooked in comparison to the created demand for pre-school places. Supply not with regards to the projected number of children entering this education stream in the next two years but the supply of quality manpower to staff and develop these very centres we are building.

MCYS estimates that 1,400 new positions will be created by 2014. Yet, ground feedback from pre-school operators and hiring managers is consistently dire. There are simply not enough good pre-school educators to go around. It seems now that we are caught up in a blind race to create a first-rate pre-school ecosystem only to miss out on an essential aspect of educating: that is, the educators themselves. What are MCYS' plans to attract talented professionals to join this sector?

Let us also address a fundamental question. Is the chronic lack of educators because the sector itself is unattractive? If so, what makes this sector unattractive? I posit two reasons: the remuneration package and the lack of professional standing of the sector. In the past year, NTUC First Campus and PAP Community Foundation announced salary revisions for their teachers. This resulted in strong reactions on the ground as other operators strove to roll out policies to better retain staffs. Enlightened operators reviewed to enhance their employee value proposition and revise their salaries whilst others reviewed and made it even more punitive for their staff. In the latter point, the clauses of such employees' contracts are often not illegal but are highly unfair and unreasonable. For such cases, the assistance rendered by the MOM is limited as to the scope of the Employment Act. Those holding supervisory positions in pre-schools are at an even greater disadvantage, with coverage limited to salary claims.

How can the pre-school sector be seen as a professional sector if management practices are still unprofessional? What is deemed as fair and competitive for the remuneration package? The pre-school sector is regulated to ensure a good and safe environment for the children. Why are similar regulations not extended to ensure a good workplace environment for the staff also? How does MCYS intend to address these concerns?

Aside from developing a strong pipeline of well-qualified and talented professionals for the sector, the sector needs well-run centres that offer a variety of quality programmes for parents' choice. In this case, I urge that more support be extended to small and mid-sized operators who are doing a good job in offering good employment options to staffs and good quality programmes to parents. There are already such operators – both private and VWOs – in the market. Due to their size, these owners experience more keenly the pressures of the pre-school business – from locating suitable spaces, to coping with rising rental costs and, of course, attracting and retaining talents.

Locating suitable spaces and coping with rising rental costs are issues that different Ministries could address. What we need to do is a concerted effort among the Ministries, and this effort must be carried out holistically, so that the sector could flourish with centres that are good, and providing good quality employment for our professionals.

Thank you, Chairman. With more women being encouraged to join the workforce, measures must be in place to ensure that we have enough affordable childcare centres in convenient locations affording good quality care. Many young couples have expressed reservations about having more children as they are not confident that they will be able to provide good care with both parents and increasingly grandparents active in the workforce. Hence, I would like to request that the Government consider regulating and possibly standardising the fees at childcare centres. At the same time, would the Ministry consider providing more generous increases in childcare subsidies to make the fees more affordable for Singaporeans? Hopefully, this will encourage Singaporeans to have more babies. In addition, would the Government explore the possibilities of expanding the capacity of schools to incorporate the provision of childcare and before-and-after-school care services by the operators? This will provide a convenient service to many parents with children in different age groups.

A good early start to education is important to a child's development. It is especially important for the lower income families to help the child be ready for primary school. Schemes like the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (KiFAS) with start-up grants and monthly fee subsidies are helpful to the low-income group. However, after eight years of KiFAS' implementation since January 2004, only one kindergarten group, namely the PAP Community Foundation, qualifies as the eligible provider despite there being some 260 non-PCF kindergartens.

In contrast, all childcare centres licensed by MCYS are eligible centres for the Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for Childcare (CFAC). While understanding the need to ensure quality of education, the bar is set so high that only one organisation in the industry has qualified so far.

There are many established and reputable kindergarten providers in the industry, including the kindergartens that my siblings, my wife and I attended as children. Many of these kindergartens operate within the community, providing affordable and high quality pre-school education, but are not KiFAS-eligible. KiFAS-eligible criteria, amongst others, include: one, have no religious affiliation or relation to racial groups; and, two, be financially sound, with a minimum paid-up capital of $5 million. These two stringent criteria are not required for CFAC and I am not sure why they are required here. I hope MCYS will review the eligibility criteria to ensure greater choice of kindergartens for low-income families to send children to, including to private kindergartens.

Mr Chairman, single unwed mothers face many challenges and are unable to claim some benefits that other lawfully wedded mothers do. One of these benefits is to be covered under the Child Development Co-Savings Act which entitles the mother to a total of 16 weeks of maternity leave. Sir, the current policies made may correctly seek to reinforce the role that the single woman's parents play in supporting the family unit. However, maternity leave could be seen primarily as being of benefit to the infant. Women who have adequate maternity leave are more likely to fully breast feed for the recommended time, with this having significant long-term benefits to the child in terms of growth, development and bonding with the parents. These beneficial effects cannot be addressed in any other way except by allowing the mother and the infant to spend time together.

While there are provisions for mothers to claim more maternity benefits if they subsequently marry, this is a narrow view, only addresses the concept of reward, and does not in any way provide for the needs of the infant in the first four months' life. We should not deny a Singaporean child equal access to his mother in the early days of his life. Would the Ministry review extending full maternity leave benefits to all Singaporean children, regardless of the status of their mothers?

Chairman, I declare my interest as a lawyer practising family law. On 4 March 2012, The Sunday Times carried interviews of older people divorcing, after their children have grown up and could better accept their parents' divorce. These elderly divorcees felt compelled to keep their families intact when their children were young. For their children's sake, they suppressed their own miseries and suffered in silence.

This is in stark contrast to married couples today. Not only do they want to end their misery quickly through a divorce, they also triangulate their children in the battle to defeat their spouses. Most ignore the hurt that they inflict on their children when they indulge in painting their spouses as monsters in order to win sole custody, care and control of their children. Even while they hurry to end their marriage, they cannot resist burying their spouses first. There are also those who impatiently force their children to embrace new "mummy" and "daddy" even before their children could come to terms that their own mummy and daddy are going separate ways but they do not know why.

Increasingly, more spouses are denying the other spouse contact with their children even though they are still living under the same roof. The deprived parents have been going to the childcare centres or schools to plead with the principals to let them see their child there or to take the child away. There were ugly scenes when permission was denied, adding to the embarrassment and humiliation of the child.

Chairman, my heart goes out to these children who are caught in the crossfire. Someone must be there for them, to help them understand that the failed marriage was not their fault. This would somewhat counteract the poison or brainwashing that the child gets from whoever is trying to win him over. We should not underestimate the impact of a broken marriage on a child. I am not proud of the fact that I am now helping to resolve the marital conflicts of clients whose parents' divorces were handled by me when they were children.

We must pay special attention to these children to help them cope with the divorce. Shield them from the ignorance of their peers who despise or insult them, or the disdain of teachers who add on to their misery. Let specially-trained school counsellors have access to them so that they have a compassionate person to turn to who could hug, soothe and comfort the deeply hurt child who cannot express his sufferings. Empower the Judge to order that from the time the Writ for divorce is served until the Final Judgment is made, all children below 18 must have equal time to be with each parent. The parent who breaches this order or harbours the child should be promptly sanctioned with a jail term of at least one day for each day that he denies the other parent access.

Without putting in place such seemingly draconian laws, oppressive spouses who blatantly ignore Court orders can get away unsanctioned while the deprived parent bemoans the injustice of the Court system, and the confused child does not know who to seek help from.

Sir, this cut is about whether some of our most vulnerable children – those caught up in acrimonious divorces – are being alienated from their parents due to inadequate Government resources being channelled towards administering court orders. It is also about whether their parents' rights, as enshrined in court orders, are being honoured or not.

In acrimonious divorces, the Family Court may order that the parent who does not have care and control of the child gets access under supervision or that the transfer process for access be supervised. The supervising party is usually a Family Service Centre (FSC). I have received feedback from parents that the court orders take months to be implemented and, even when they are, there are compromises on the access given to these parents. I understand that after the Court issues the order, it takes about one month for the FSC to process it. Thereafter, both parents have to be interviewed by the FSC which could take another month. It could then take an additional one to two months before a suitable date for access can be found.

Thus, a total of three to four months passes before the parent with access gets to see the child. After a few sessions, a report is sent to the Court for review after which a final order is made which may take another month. I am told that it is not uncommon that parents in such situations only see their children two to three times in six months. In addition, I understand that in cases where the Court orders liberal access, for example, of several times a week, the FSCs were not able to cope with the workload and had advised parents to accept access only once a week.

Sir, because of the delays and infrequent contact, the child may then become alienated from the access parent which may be very difficult to remedy. While some part of the delay is probably caused by the parents, how far do resource limitations at the FSCs aggravate the delays? Should more resources be given to the FSCs or can suitable other third parties be found to supervise such cases? The well-being of these vulnerable children deserves our attention.

Sir, in looking out for the needs of people with disabilities, it is also equally important to keep in mind another group: the caregivers. The 31-member Enabling Masterplan Steering Committee presented a 300-page report to the Acting MCYS Minister last month. The report aims to address the needs of persons with disabilities as well as their caregivers. I believe that there were 41 recommendations in that report on how to better integrate persons with disabilities in society.

I understand from newspaper reports that MCYS has already begun working on several of the recommendations, such as transport for the disabled. I just wanted to get greater clarity on how the MCYS intends to follow up on the other key recommendations and which ones it intends to implement.

In families where potential caregivers, such as parents, are no longer in a position or able to provide for children because it may well be the case that the children outlive their parents, what assistance can be provided for these persons going forward?

Mr Chairman, Sir, the Assisting Technology Fund (ATF) was set up to provide financial assistance to persons with disabilities (PWD), to purchase existing technology devices to enable them to enter mainstream education or open employment. I understand that ATF provides a subsidy of up to 90% of the cost of the device, or up to $10,000 in the lifetime of the individual, whichever is lower.

The amount subsidised is determined according to the applicant's household income. In view of the recent measures, such as the extension of the Special Employment Credit to employers who hire SPED graduates, we can expect more PWDs to be active in the workforce. Hence, we may have to review periodically if the ATF is sufficient and decide whether enhancements are needed to ensure its relevance. Would the Minister share with us his views on this issue?

Mr Chairman, I am deeply heartened by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman's announcement that the needs of children with mild speech, language and learning delays will be addressed through the Development Support Programme (DSP). This will certainly close the gap and help these children cope and stay within mainstream education. However, we are also aware of the global shortage of therapists, and Singapore is certainly not spared from this. To this end, how can MCYS ramp up the manpower capacity as soon as possible to extend the outreach beyond the 2,000 children who will benefit under this new programme?

In addition, can MCYS provide an update of the Place-and-Train scheme that was announced in October 2011 to allow EIPIC teachers and therapists to be hired ahead of enrolment? Are all our pre-school teachers trained to detect and provide early interventions for children with learning difficulties? We all know every child is precious. Early detection and intervention can certainly improve the child's chance of progress tremendously. We cannot afford to let any child fall through the cracks. Sir, I would also like to ask if MCYS would be harmonising its programmes with MOE to reach pre-schoolers in kindergartens. Will there be coordinated efforts that will maximise joint resources and expertise and make best use of the limited manpower capacity in this area?

In addition, I would like to know if the MCYS is considering instituting a screening process in all pre-schools and childcare centres to detect children with learning difficulties. The recent MCYS' Enabling Masterplan highlighted that there is currently a screening gap between the ages of 18 months and three years in a child's life. This period is certainly critical to detect developmental disorders for this is when the child develops further in his or her motor, speech and social skills. How can doctors, parents and caregivers be alerted to take note of this condition? Let us all ensure that no child gets left behind.

Mr Chairman, please allow me to declare my interest, albeit non-pecuniary, as the President of the Fencing and Pentathlon Federation of Singapore.

While not much has been said in specific reference to sports development in this year's Budget, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, along with the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), has outlined the sporting roadmap for Singapore for the next two decades in the recently announced Vision 2030.

I would like to thank and congratulate the MCYS Acting Minister and the SSC senior management for coming up with a list of recommendations for public consultation that looks at revamping and upgrading nearly every aspect of our sporting landscape. The key recommendations have been broadly grouped into access, opportunities and capabilities, with the aim of making it easier for all Singaporeans to take up sporting activities.

Sir, the exhortation enshrined in Vision 2030 is that sports should become the strategy for different sectors in society to enable us to achieve aims, such as heightened productivity, a greater sense of belonging and a stronger commitment and motivation to contribute to the country. This contrasts with the traditional ethos which was that we, as a community, should instead devise strategies to incorporate sports to a greater extent in our lives. Observers have said that the recommendations could be a little bit too generic, but this may be what is needed at this stage as the public consultation phase is launched so as not to limit the inputs from a wider audience, and also to encourage greater buy-in from the public. As the Sports Council Chairman Richard Seow put it to me, the hooks are all in the water and we are waiting to see what people are interested in.

One aspect that is hinted at in the recommendations is the need to inculcate a true passion for sports in all Singaporeans, and I believe that this will be the crucial factor going forward if we are to leverage on all the other improvements that Vision 2030 seeks to make.

Singapore sports has come a long way in the past two decades. From targeting medals at regional competitions like the Southeast Asian Games, Asian and Commonwealth Games, we are now a player on the international stage, garnering results at World Championships and Olympic Games. We have established stars like our table-tennis team and Tao Li who can be counted on to deliver on the biggest stages, and we have upcoming campaigners in badminton players, such as Fu Mingtian, who wowed us with their courage under pressure. And the future definitely looks bright when we hear about the exploits of youngsters like swimmer Joseph Schooling who, at 16, is out-swimming Michael Phelps' times when the American star was the same age.

But if we are to match up to other countries of similar size and population who are outperforming us in the international sporting arena, we do indeed need to do more. With few exceptions, countries and societies who are able to consistently produce sporting world beaters and champions throughout their history have more than just a solid infrastructure, good facilities or a roster of accredited coaches. There is a sporting culture that runs through the entire society that instils a deep-rooted love and passion for sports in the population from an early age.

Families of sports fans enjoy outings to watch matches, competitions and events instead of spending time in shopping malls or movie theatres. Besides just learning about the values that sports can impart, such as discipline, respect, focus and determination, there is a true love for the excitement and thrills that are inherent in sporting competitions. Athletes are celebrated as sporting heroes and held up as role models. Youngsters grow up with posters of top athletes on the walls of their rooms and their parents do not discourage them from emulating their idols or pursuing their dreams. This love and passion translates into a wide pool of talent flowing through the sports infrastructure and creates the base of athletes needed to develop and groom champions on a sustainable basis.

If we are to achieve a similar culture and create a truly sporting Singapore, we need to find a way to make sports an attractive proposition in itself, and not just as something that needs to be done in order to secure CCA points, to stay in shape for National Service physical tests, or purely as a means to maintain health.

I was able to take part in a number of recent sporting events, including a few biathlons, the OCBC Cycle Singapore event, for example, and the participation rates at these events number in the tens of thousands. For example, the Standard Chartered Marathon regularly draws in close to 65,000 runners annually. But while these numbers may look impressive, it is important to note that many of the participants come from the same pool of avid sportsmen and women. As such, this does not imply a broad-based popularity of sports among all Singaporeans. Such events are also limited by logistics and space constraints that we face as a small city-state, and there have been complaints among participants that the usual race locations are becoming boring as they are often repeated and overused.

To ensure that we are able to create a true sporting culture, there are a few areas that cannot be ignored and I would like to highlight just two of them. Firstly is the impact of our National Sports Associations (NSAs). These are the over-60 democratically elected federations, manned largely by volunteers, charged with the management and development of the various sports in Singapore. The Sports Council currently funds the bulk of the activities of the NSAs, but aside from funding, there are many areas where the SSC can help NSAs to professionalise, improve and upgrade their operations. And the other group of stakeholders that can be included are private-sector sport businesses which can develop new training and competition services and experience to help the sporting culture in Singapore.

Mr Fang, please wrap up your speech.

If these aspects are in place, we can certainly look forward to a sporting vision not just for the next 20 years, but for the decades beyond as well.

Mr Alex Yam, please take both cuts together.

Mr Chairman, first, let me declare my interest as a member of the National Youth Council.

Douglas MacArthur once said, "You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt, as young as your self-confidence, and as old as your fear. But when your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then and then only are you grown old."

Mr Chairman, when once we spoke of youth, the word "apathy" almost as naturally rolled off the lips of many. It was George Bernard Shaw who also once said, "Youth is wasted on the young." Yet, the image of a laissez-faire apathetic youth is a false one, at least not with the youths I have met, whether it is polytechnic students lobbying for fare concessions, hot-blooded eco-warriors advocating for animal rights or protecting our environment, or the teams of YEC activists quietly serving their communities, reaching out to the less fortunate. And, more importantly for me, the many young workers in the NTUC who have given their time and continue to give their time to serve their fellow workers in the Labour Movement, using their youthful passions to ensure that workers' rights are defended.

Sir, these and many others are just examples of a small sampling of the endless plethora of causes that young people – young Singaporeans – are engaged with. With the advent of social media, every youth can now count himself as an activist, a campaign manager, an advocate for various causes. We are witnessing, perhaps, a new spring of activism. The groups and organisations may be different from the past but the passions are the same. The generations before us may look at us and say "Why did we turn out the way we did?" And, we, too, will look at the generation after and say the same. Yet, each generation will find its own heroes. Each generation will champion its own causes.

Amidst this changing youth landscape and rapidly evolving social media whirlpool, the NYC, which saw it genesis in 1989, seems almost arcane with the mushrooming of different animal welfare groups. Even old stalwarts like the SPCA have to compete for attention in an overcrowded space, likewise, the situation for the NYC. As such, there is perhaps no more opportune time than now to ask if the NYC still has a role to play and how this grand dame of youth organisations see itself vis-a-vis other youth organisations. With the multiplication of youth opinion leaders, how then does the MCYS – the Ministry for youths – plan to continue to nurture these budding leaders so that there is a coherent voice? So, perhaps now, this impetuous youth begs to differ from the Nobel Laureate that youths of Singapore are certainly not wasting their time or their youth. My only hope is their hearts will not be filled gradually by pessimism and cynicism.

My second cut relates to a group of youths where the passions of youth may have led them astray. The Central Youth Guidance Office has played a crucial role since its formation. In Budget 2011, a $1.2 million pilot project called Youth Goal at Northwest CDC was announced. Would the Ministry consider the YGP a potential breakthrough applicable nation-wide? Would this be translated to other constituencies? Concurrent to the YGP, a $1 million investment in the youth information system was also announced to better share database, would the Ministry –

Mr Yam, please finish up your cut.

Would the Ministry provide details of the development since 2011 and how the database will be used to better cater to the needs of youths.

Mr Desmond Lee, you have the honour of making the last cut in this Budget debate. I beg you do it justice.

Thank you, Sir. Sir, the Minister announced in February that MCYS is planning to expand the list of third party exclusion orders under the Casino Control Act beyond those who are bankrupt and on Public Assistance allowance. They may soon cover those receiving some form of Government social assistance, such as those receiving ComCare. This is sensible. Those who are in financial hardship and require assistance should be protected from the risk associated with gambling.

This auto-exclusion can be extended to others who are clearly in financial difficulty. This is to protect them and their families at a time of increased vulnerability. In the course of MCYS' review, would the Minister consider the following categories of people for auto-exclusion as well: (1) those who file their own petitions, or against whom petitions for bankruptcy are filed; (2) those who apply under the Debt Restructuring Scheme; (3) people with adverse credit records with the Credit Bureau; (4) those who borrow beyond a certain threshold from licensed moneylenders; (5) people who report, or are credibly reported, to have borrowed from illegal moneylenders; (6) people with significant or persistent arrears in utilities payments, HDB loan repayments or service and conservancy charges; and (7) those who are in arrears of monthly maintenance payments to their former spouses and their children.

Mr Chairman, let me first thank all hon Members who have spoken passionately about building a more inclusive society over the last two weeks. Beyond making speeches in this Chamber, many Members have, in our own small ways, contributed towards this cause, to help those in need – regardless of race, language or religion; regardless of political affiliation; and regardless of whether it is a public, private or people sector effort. I admire those who see someone in need and extend a helping hand, never quibbling if it is your job or my task, but putting it simply: it is our job. Thank you all for walking this journey with us.

What is an inclusive society? I think we need three elements – Hope, Heart and Home.

I grew up in a 3-room HDB flat in Circuit Road with two grandparents, an aunt, my mother and my sister – six of us. My late grandmother had a thyroid disorder and could not walk well. My mother held two jobs to support our family – a machine operator stamping aluminium plates by day and an office cleaner by night. We were taught since young that while we may not be rich, we should cherish what we had, work hard to be useful to society and, where possible, help others who were less fortunate than us.

We also learnt that if we worked hard, there is hope for a better life – not just for ourselves, but for our families. And whether in success or failure, whether in wealth or in poverty, we should also have a heart to help others, just as some have helped us. We owe our success to society – kind neighbours who watched over us, unknown donors who contributed to our education, and Government assistance in various ways. With this support, we build a "home" – not just a HDB flat, but a sense of being part of this community and a responsibility towards our fellow citizens.

Sir, our task is to build a "home" truly for Singaporeans – a home where everyone feels that he or she belongs, not just because of what the system offers him nor what the Government gives him, but more so because of what he wants to offer in return. A home where everyone, especially the weak, the less fortunate, and the less endowed, can have a sense of "hope". A home where everyone, regardless of circumstances, has a "heart" to care for our fellow citizens. It is not just about "I", "me" and "myself" – but "we", "us", and "ours".

In this Budget, MCYS will be guided by these same three words – Hope, Heart and Home. To provide "hope", to those who may have fallen on hard times, to those who are determined to overcome their circumstances, especially for their next generation, and to those who can no longer help themselves despite their best efforts. To mobilise the "heart" of every individual, every corporate, every community and every public-sector agency – a whole-of-society approach – to come forth to act positively, so that we can engender a deep sense of "home" amongst our people.

Mr Seah Kian Peng, Government Parliamentary Committee Chair for MCYS, opened our debate by asking about our plans to address the challenges of economic volatility, especially unemployment challenges for many lower skilled workers and PMETs, which may ultimately affect family stability and development opportunities for the next generation.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman has outlined this Government's commitment to strengthen our social safety net to ensure that everyone has the best chance to do better for ourselves and our children. If we are a football team, sustainable economic growth and quality jobs are the forwards who will buy us space to manoeuvre. Affordable housing, medical and transport, quality education and training form the midfield – who enable our forwards, and keep our society harmonious by sharing the fruits of our labour. MCYS is the goalkeeper – our last line of defence – to make sure that the least number of people fall through the net.

To win as a team, we must both do well, forward and in defence. As such, MCYS' work to help the needy and the weak cannot be seen in isolation within the Government. And beyond the Government, the private and people sectors play critical roles in this team to minimise people falling through the cracks.

On MCYS' part, there are two prongs to achieve our mission – first, strengthening our social safety net to provide hope; second, developing our social service sector by mobilising hearts, minds and hands.

Society's needs have become more complex since my childhood days in Circuit Road. We will have to stay ahead to help more Singaporeans in the new social-economic landscape to ensure that they continue to have "hope" for themselves and their families.

Some can benefit from a temporary lift at certain stages of life or during unforeseen episodes. Others need greater help or support for a longer period of time. There are also families with more complex needs beyond financial assistance. They may need a hand in areas, such as education and employment, counselling, caring for an elderly or family member with disability, or even protection and rehabilitation.

On our part, MCYS will continue to provide the greatest help to the bottom income groups and the most vulnerable, who have the least resources. These are the in-risk groups. But we are also prepared to go beyond the 20th percentile where preventive support can go a long way. This is especially where the development of children is concerned. Or where some timely help can prevent an at-risk family from falling into the in-risk category.

My Ministry will enhance ComCare, which Mr Seah Kian Peng has asked. This also addresses Dr Lily Neo's and Mr Patrick Tay's questions on assistance to vulnerable segments.

ComCare is a key component of our social safety net. It provides support for Singaporeans who find it hard to cope, despite the support which they have received in education, healthcare, housing, workfare and other social transfers.

First, we will extend ComCare's coverage to more Singaporeans who need short to medium term help. Some may have lost their jobs or suffered a temporary reduction in income. Others are unable to work temporarily because of health or family circumstances.

We will raise the monthly household income criterion for ComCare assistance for these groups from $1,500 to $1,700. This will enable more to receive short-term assistance to tide over difficult times, and have hope to get back onto their feet again.

Some of these families may have reasonable household incomes but, in reality, struggle to make ends meet because they have many dependants to look after. We will raise the per capita income criterion to $550, so that more of such families can be assisted as we take their circumstances and burden into account.

We will make similar adjustments to the Citizen's Consultative Committee (CCC) ComCare Fund, which provides temporary help at the constituency level.

The second group to whom we will extend more help are families with young children. Dr Lily Neo spoke about them, and we agree we can do more. Children are our hopes and it is vital that we provide them with opportunities to succeed for the future. For this reason, we invest in providing for children from lower income families who cannot afford pre-school care and education, as well as student care.

Last year, we raised the income cap for pre-school financial assistance to $3,500. This year, as the Deputy Prime Minister has announced in the Budget, we will raise the income cap for student care to the same level, starting from July.

We will also introduce a start-up grant of $400 to defray families' one-time cost of enrolling their children in student care. This will come in useful for expenses, such as books, insurance and registration fees.

We will be working closely with MOE to expand the student care options in school as well.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh will be glad to know that MOE is increasing the number of school-based student care centres to improve accessibility, as announced yesterday.

Mr Gan also suggested standardising childcare fees to make childcare more affordable. Sir, different operators or centres offer different childcare programmes to meet the unique needs and demands of the families they serve. For this reason, they have also different cost structures. It would not be practical for MCYS to impose a standardised fee structure.

Instead, we support parents through various subsidies to defray the cost of childcare and kindergarten. We provide a full day universal childcare subsidy for working mothers up to $300 per month. Parents can also utilise funds from the Child Development Account under the Baby Bonus scheme to offset the cost of childcare fees. Lower income families are also eligible for further financial assistance through ComCare.

Mr Yee Jenn Jong asked for a review of the kindergarten assistance criteria so that more operators can become eligible centres. Today, eligible children can receive such subsidies at 240 MOE-registered kindergartens that meet the criteria, such as being non-profit and secular, and are in a good financial position to provide quality pre-school education.

I understand and I share Mr Yee Jenn Jong's concern to better help our people access more affordable childcare and kindergarten. But let me explain how we try to do this on two levels. On one level, we try to lower the fees that are charged across the board by helping the kindergartens and the childcare centres to make sure that their costs are contained. On the other hand, KiFAS is really a scheme targeted at the people at the lower end of the financial spectrum. It is centred on the family circumstances rather than centred on the operators themselves. It is a family- and children-specific scheme, and not so much to help bring down the costs for the high-end operators.

MCYS will continue to conduct regular reviews of our pre-school schemes to improve accessibility and affordability. To ensure that the lower income households with more dependants receive adequate assistance for their children, we will introduce a parallel per capita income criterion for our assistance schemes in childcare, kindergarten and student care. From April, children from large families will qualify for childcare and kindergarten assistance if their per capita income is less than $875. The same will apply for student care assistance from July. About 5,000 children will benefit from these enhancements.

Mr Zainudin Nordin pointed out the need for more professionals in the pre-school sector, and we agree. We are and will continue to work on this. We have been steadily introducing more entry routes and widening these pipelines through scholarships and teaching awards. We have also been helping operators enhance their HR practices, as Mr Zainudin has pointed out that it is so essential to develop this sector.

I am pleased to report that the childcare manpower pool has grown almost 25% last year. Teacher quality has also improved. Today, three in four childcare teachers have or are pursuing a diploma in early childhood education.

Mr Faisal Manap asked about the School Pocket Money Fund. This is not a Government scheme, but a community project started by the Singapore Press Holdings and administered by the National Council of Social Service. We will convey the points of feedback that you have to them.

Sir, some families with children need hand holding and social support beyond financial assistance. We have put in place other support programmes for them, such as preventive case management, Intensive Case Management and the Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) scheme. Many of these are delivered through the Family Service Centres and fully resourced by MCYS.

Dr Lily Neo has asked about families on the HOPE scheme. This is an incentive scheme for young, low-income parents to invest their limited resources in upgrading themselves and their children, while keeping their families small. As at December last year, there are about 2,400 families on HOPE. We expect 200 new families to join the scheme this year. We will continue to review its eligibility criteria to ensure that we reach out to our target group – those most in need of assistance and family planning.

Third, we recognise that some Singaporeans need long-term support. We provide this through the Public Assistance (PA) scheme. Public Assistance serves about 3,000 beneficiaries – mostly elderly or disabled persons with little income or family support, whom Dr Lily Neo and Mr Vikram Nair have also asked about. Over the years, we have extended the PA scheme to help this group. For example, we raised the quantum of cash assistance for PA recipients last year.

This year, we will extend the PA scheme to more needy senior citizens. Some have children who are low-income earners themselves. We will raise the children's monthly income criterion from $1,000 to $1,500, so that more elderly needy with adult children who are themselves in need will be eligible for Public Assistance.

There are also seniors with no family support but who have some regular payout, although these may not be sufficient for basic living expenses. In 2010, we extended the PA scheme to those receiving CPF payouts lower than the PA rate. This benefited 85-year-old Mdm Mawor and her 67-year-old daughter. They had struggled to survive on her daughter's Minimum Sum payout of about $300 per month previously. They are now coping better with PA cash assistance and medical fee coverage. The community also assists them with meal delivery and food rations. We will help more families like Mdm Mawor's.

From April, needy elderly with non-CPF income sources below the PA rate will also be eligible for Public Assistance. These can include pensioners and those receiving small payouts under the Lease Buyback Scheme or ElderShield. Under PA, they can receive an additional cash grant over and above their pension or payouts.

With these enhancements, ComCare will reach out to many more Singaporeans. In FY 2011, MCYS disbursed about $70 million through ComCare to help about 67,000 families. With these changes, we expect to disburse another $20 million each year, for an additional 15,000 beneficiaries.

Sir, strengthening our society's safety net is not only about disbursing more money. It is also about helping those with complex needs through other ways, such as counselling and protection. One such group is low-income gamblers who bet frequently or in large amounts.

I agree with Mr Desmond Lee that there is a need to protect these Singaporeans and their families from the potential harm of hard gambling. We are looking into targeted measures to protect the financially vulnerable and introducing "circuit breakers" for local frequent casino gamblers.

One part of this will be extending third-party casino exclusions to more groups receiving ComCare assistance. For other financially vulnerable groups, we are now studying with relevant agencies whether to extend exclusion coverage for them. We thank Mr Desmond Lee for his suggestions and we will finalise the details within the next few months.

Sir, as Members of Parliament, we also know of families who warrant help even though they may not meet ComCare criteria. We will need to reach out to those who do not know where to seek help, or what the different help schemes do, so that "hope" can become a reality for them as well. Apart from enhancing ComCare schemes, MCYS will do more to raise awareness, simplify processes and improve delivery. To ensure that those at the margins do not fall through the cracks, we will also inject more flexibility in the administration of ComCare at the CDCs.

Mr Ang Hin Kee and Dr Janil Puthucheary and others have cautioned that as we extend more support, we must not erode the work ethic or the desire to improve. I agree. Our assistance schemes should also give them a push, and provide them confidence to get back on their feet. Depending on their circumstances, this could mean addressing their family issues, undergoing skills up-training, taking up a job or enrolling their children in proper care. Minister of State Mdm Halimah Yacob will elaborate on these other ComCare changes. They are, if not more, important than revising the coverage and raising the subsidy levels. We need to do both.

Sir, we recognise that beyond these enhancements, more help will be needed in the event of an economic downturn. Mr Seah Kian Peng has asked about what we will do in such circumstances. I would like to assure Members that MCYS is ready to respond.

We are prepared to exercise greater flexibility on ComCare eligibility criteria so that those who need urgent and temporary assistance because of the downturn will receive help. We will provide additional manpower and funding to the CDCs and FSCs, so that they can deal with the increase in people seeking help. Measures are in place to quickly ramp up manpower for the ComCare hotline during this time. We will also provide additional funds to the VWOs to help cushion the fall in charity dollars during a downturn. This will enable them to focus their attention on helping affected Singaporeans.

Sir, the Ministry's strengthening of our social safety net goes beyond ComCare. We understand the need to pay added attention to specific groups who face tougher challenges. One such group is the elderly whose numbers will increase significantly in the coming years. MCYS will broaden support to the elderly, especially for community- and home-based care services. This will enable our seniors to age in place, with their loved ones, in familiar surroundings. It will also bring much needed relief for their caregivers, especially those who are still working. My Ministry's Minister of State will give further details of what we plan to do in this area.

We also want to help our seniors stay healthy, active and socially connected. Senior Minister of State Mr Heng Chee How will elaborate on our plans to promote Active Ageing.

Another group of Singaporeans whom we will extend more support to are persons with disabilities. Their numbers may be small, but how well they are integrated in our society speaks volumes about our inclusiveness.

In September last year, we convened a Committee to come up with a new Enabling Masterplan for persons with disabilities. The Committee has submitted its recommendations on providing better support for them through their life stages. I would like to express my thanks to the Committee led by Mr Chua Chin Kiat.

My Ministry shares the Committee's vision for Singapore to be a society where persons with disabilities are empowered and recognised. Where they can participate fully in activities, and be respected for who they are – equal, integral and contributing members to our society. To feel at home in Singapore. We will provide more support and resources towards the furthering of this goal. As recommended by the Committee, we will look into empowering persons with disabilities over their entire life cycle. We have carefully considered all the recommendations. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr Sam Tan will outline our specific plans and responses.

Sir, let me now turn to our second key thrust – developing the social service sector.

The needy and less fortunate amongst us have traditionally been cared for, and helped by, our social service sector. The sector, with its strong spirit of initiative, activism and self-help, exemplifies the "Heart" of an inclusive society. Demands on the sector will rise in the coming years along with socio-demographic changes. Many families, not only the poor or vulnerable, will require social services. More of us will be "sandwiched" between caring for our elderly parents and supporting our young children. Community- and home-based social services will be needed in larger numbers and variety.

Mr Alex Yam and Mr Vikram Nair have pointed out the need to support and strengthen the sector. Before I share our plans, let me first touch on what we must preserve, which is no less important.

Even as we evolve the sector, we will maintain the fundamental approach of the Public-Private-People (3P) partnership. It is an approach that brings together the unique strengths of the stakeholders. It is also one that adds to our social capital, and engenders greater ownership among citizens, attributes which Mr Laurence Lien and Miss Penny Low have spoken about.

Many of our social services today are born from the passion and conviction of the People sector. In 1979, the Asian Women's Welfare Association (AWWA) took on the challenge of providing services to children with multiple disabilities. These children were staying at home with no school or programmes available to meet their needs. Together with a team of volunteer nurses, teachers, a journalist, a social worker and other volunteers, AWWA started the AWWA's Handicapped Children's Playgroup for seven children. From its humble beginning, the playgroup grew and developed into a professional educational service to educate and train children with multiple disabilities, shaping what is known as Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children today. AWWA is now running early intervention programmes for more than 150 children. It also runs a special education school for older kids with disability.

People-sector organisations like AWWA and their professionals and volunteers remain central to the social service sector. They provide the personal touch and customised ground-up solutions that are hard to replicate. They are also better able to mobilise networks and resources on the ground.

The Private sector also has a role to play. We have seen more corporate giving over the years. This is a trend which we should continue to encourage. Beyond financial resources, there is room for the private sector to be more involved in the sharing of ideas and management expertise, and in offering services and solutions. Their involvement will add vibrancy to the sector, offering users more choices and options. Bion Advance is a company founded by Mr Ong Sze Yang, a biological science graduate from NTU. The company specialises in the supply of senior mobility aids and products. Having a heart for seniors, Mr Ong sponsored senior mobility aids to seniors at Southwest CDC. To date, Bion has donated 100 new design walking sticks to the CDC. In addition, the company serves as the "walking dictionary" for the CDC officers looking for advice on senior mobility devices. Its technical team provides regular and helpful support for the CDC's elderly clients.

We will continue to set appropriate policies and to put in resources in social services. We also have an important role to play in encouraging and facilitating sector-wide initiatives, which individual players will find hard to pursue on their own accord.

There are three areas in particular which MCYS will do more in the social service sector. They are (i) building professional capability; (ii) raising productivity; and (iii) transforming crucial services. The first two areas are broad-based efforts, while the third requires targeted initiatives.

The social service sector is a "high-touch" sector where the human touch and cultural sensitivity are paramount. It is served by two groups of dedicated individuals. The first group comprises the volunteers, who give of their own time to serve a social cause, out of a spirit of compassion and giving without remuneration. The other group is the social service professionals who are employed full-time in areas requiring specialist expertise. They include social workers, counsellors, early intervention teachers, therapists and programme developers and coordinators. A social worker, for example, is trained and qualified with at least a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work. The two groups must work hand-in-hand for a thriving social service sector. As Members of the House have mentioned, we need more of both groups in order to meet the growing demands of the social service sector.

Mr Alex Yam and Mr Vikram Nair asked what MCYS will do to attract people to take up professional work in the social service sector, and how do we build up manpower capability in the sector.

MCYS will implement a comprehensive social service sector manpower plan over the next few years. First, we will increase the supply of key social service professionals. We will widen training pipelines and provide more scholarships to attract promising and passionate Singaporeans to join the sector. Concurrently, we will raise awareness of social sector jobs through public education and outreach.

Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about the progress of our recent campaign to encourage Singaporeans to join the social work profession. The campaign, developed in consultation with the social workers, featured the real-life experiences of social workers and the people they helped. The campaign has made some progress in generating awareness. We hope to turn the awareness into recruitment. The National Council of Social Service and the Singapore Association of Social Workers have received more career enquiries. We have also seen an increase in interest in WDA's mid-career Professional Conversion Programme because we targeted at the new school leavers and also the people who want to do a mid-career switch.

However, some members of the public and the disability community have given us feedback that one of the four posters – the one showing two persons with disability – could be interpreted as the community being labelled as "hopeless". Sir, this is most unfortunate. I would like to reassure everyone that it is never our intention to belittle persons with disabilities or, for that matter, any of the persons whom social workers help. What the ad seeks to portray are the complex emotions felt when the real person featured in the ad first suffered the loss of his leg – a sense of hopelessness – and to convey the role a professional social worker plays in helping him rebuild his confidence and rise above the situation. To achieve this, the courage and the determination of the disabled person are crucial.

We want to do more, and we want to do better, in our effort to get more Singaporeans to be a part of the social service sector. It is not easy to express the complex emotions which some of our communities experience and the impact that the social workers have, and that they can make. We will aspire to improve with each and every campaign.

Sir, apart from widening the pipeline, we will also have to ensure that pay levels of social service professionals are competitive. The bulk of them are employed by VWOs, many of which receive Government funding for services and programmes.

With effect from 1 July this year, MCYS will raise our funding norms. MCYS will put in an additional $10 million a year. A large part of this will go towards the salaries of the social service professionals. Social workers can expect their salaries to be increased by up to 15% later in the year. Other social service professionals will also see increases in their salaries. Our aim is to make the salaries of these professionals comparable to their peers in other sectors with similar job scopes.

Third, we will enhance career advancement and professional development opportunities. We will continue to fund skills acquisition and upgrading. For social service professionals with leadership potential, Ms Denise Phua will be pleased to note that NCSS launched a Social Service Talent Development scheme last October, to provide them with structured career development pathways. Many more development opportunities will be offered through the Social Service Training Institute, which will be significantly expanded. Over time, we will build up the Social Service Training Institute (SSTI) as a focal point for professional development for this sector.

Sir, over the last year, this House has had wide-ranging debates on Singapore's manpower constraints and the need to raise productivity. Like other sectors, the social service sector is not immune to these challenges. We, too, must put in a concerted effort to raise our productivity.

Miss Penny Low spoke about enhancing the use of InfoComm Technology (ICT) in the social service sector. I agree with Miss Low that ICT can be a key enabler for productivity gains and service improvements. Take the example of Thye Hua Kwan Tele-Home Care. This is a pilot initiative that links the elderly in the community and their care managers through the use of ICT. Each elderly participating in the project receives a video-conferencing device which has been modified to be elderly-friendly for them to connect to their case managers via Skype. With this arrangement, case managers can continue to follow up on their clients who require close monitoring after regular home visits. It also enables case managers to better communicate with their clients through audio-video interaction while reducing travelling time and transportation costs for the case managers to perform follow-up visits. Overall, there is an improvement in efficiency as well as effectiveness.

There is much scope to deploy ICT in the social service sector, such as what Thye Hua Kwan has done with Tele-Home Care. To give a push on this front, MCYS, together with NCSS and IDA, will work with the sector on a Social Service Sector ICT Masterplan.

We intend to put more ICT tools in the hands of social service professionals, such as the use of mobile devices by social workers who make home visits and conduct off-site programmes. At the organisation level, we want to increase ICT awareness and spur ICT adoption. We have set ourselves a target of raising the ICT capability of 400 VWOs over the next five years. And we agree with Members who say that we need to use and deploy the finite number of social workers where they are doing best, which is forward, to help the people, while we try to sort out the back-end through technology to help them take away the administrative burden.

Across the sector, we should use technology to improve information management and data-sharing. We will certainly consider the suggestions of Ms Foo Mee Har and Ms Denise Phua to develop databases for client profiles and case management, so that social service providers can have a holistic view of client needs and provide timely assistance. The ultimate goal is more seamless and effective social services to the clients. We will have to pursue this carefully while putting in place safeguards to protect sensitive personal information.

To encourage social service organisations to take advantage of the professional development and productivity improvement opportunities that I have outlined, we will launch the third tranche of the VWOs-Charities Capability Fund (VCF). We will commit $100 million to the VCF over the next five years. This is almost double the amount for the last tranche.

Ms Denise Phua and Miss Penny Low will be happy to know that the VCF will also support ground-up social innovation. It will provide funding to experiment with new innovative ideas that address service needs.

Lastly, we will complement our broad-based efforts on professional capability and productivity with more targeted strengthening of crucial services. This requires working closely with relevant players and diving deeply into sub-sectors or services to address their unique challenges.

Take the example of therapy services. It is needed, but not on a large scale, by individual VWOs – and not by all VWOs. Rather than having individual small VWOs hire a therapist each, we are adopting a "hub-and-spoke" concept. We are working with the Society for the Physically Disabled to build up their "Therapy Hub" so that they can provide therapy services to other VWOs.

Smaller VWOs that do not require a full-time therapist can acquire services from the Therapy Hub on a needs basis. Therapists will be more productively engaged. They will also enjoy better skills and career development.

Similar transformations are needed in many other services. A particular one of growing importance is eldercare, which Minister of State, Mdm Halimah, will speak about later.

Sir, the social service sector is a large and diverse field. Within each transformed landscape, we will have a range of VWOs with different expertise and skills. They will have both employed professionals as well as volunteers.

There is room for niche operators, like the Autism Resource Centre, whose value lies in providing specialised services. Over the years, the Autism Resource Centre has developed a specialised niche in autism services. It is often looked upon as the first-stop resource for the public and professionals wanting to learn more about autism. ARC has also contributed significantly to the body of knowledge on autism in the sector through its initiatives, such as the WeCAN Learning Congress and the Autism Early Intervention shared portal launched in April last year.

There is also a need for large-scale multi-service operators, like TOUCH Community Services, that are able to offer services on a large scale and with wide variety. Since its establishment in 1986, TOUCH Community Services has been actively responding to the needs of the community, and has since expanded to more than 17 programmes serving clients from all walks of life. With its broad suite of programmes, TOUCH Community Services is able to provide comprehensive services to meet the diverse and complex needs of its clients. With such large scale operators, they also enjoy economies of scale. They also provide a better route of advancement and development opportunities for its people.

What we want to do is to help VWOs – large or small, multi-service or specialised - to deliver services to clients to the best of their ability.

Sir, I have outlined my Ministry's key thrusts to build a Fair and Inclusive Society – a better Home for all Singaporeans. Inclusiveness is, however, not just about MCYS schemes or other Government programmes. Neither is it just about giving more help. Rather, it is, as some Members have pointed out, also about wider community support and larger societal attitudes towards one another.

Ultimately, it is Singaporeans ourselves who will make Singapore our Home – which not just offers Hope, but also has a Heart. I invite all Singaporeans to join hands in building this inclusive society of Hope, Heart and Home for ourselves. Let me invite Mdm Halimah to continue.

Mr Chairman, Sir, first of all, I would like to wish all our women Members a very Happy International Women's Day!

Mr Chairman, Sir, Minister has spoken about the growing complexity of the problems that we now face due to a rapidly ageing population, the growing income gap and other factors. The Ministry recognises such needs, and we not only regularly review our schemes to ensure that they remain relevant but also continue to look at ways to reach out to the needy amongst us. I always find it a tremendous pleasure to work with the people in the social service sector – an amazing lot with a tremendous amount of compassion among them, which is highly infectious.

Compassion, Sir, is the most important ingredient in delivering an effective social service. But we recognise that we also need effective systems, processes and people. To reach out to those in need, the Government cannot do it alone. Hence, we work closely with the CDCs, the FSCs, the VWOs and grassroots organisations, all of whom play a very crucial role in helping us to fulfil our mission. Only with such a strong partnership will we be able to reach out to the frail, single elderly living alone, the single mother struggling to bring up her children, and the low-income family that needs help when the father loses his job. So, a key element in delivering an effective social service system is community involvement.

Local outreach and assistance can complement national schemes in an important way. They are part of the social safety net, and help to fill in gaps. But, no matter what we do, there will continue to be those who fall through the cracks for whatever reason. How can we prevent this?

A second key element, therefore, Sir, must be effective coordination. I am as concerned as the several Members who had spoken in this Committee, such as Ms Foo Mee Har, on the need for even better coordination and integration in the delivery of social services. Be it financial assistance, family services, or eldercare, we need to improve so that we can catch as many people as possible, even if it is not possible for us to catch everyone. We cannot and actually do not expect those needing help to be familiar with all the schemes available. So, I want to assure Ms Foo that they do not have to know the hundred schemes NCSS has listed. Neither should our needy have to repeat the same stories to different agencies, nor fill up the same information in different forms. Help agencies should work with one another so as to provide holistic and effective assistance. We need to synchronise and aim towards a no-wrong-door policy.

Sir, a third key element is to recognise that our needy families have different needs, so we have to be client-centric. We have to tailor our assistance to suit their needs and circumstances. I take note of Mr Gan Thiam Poh's suggestion of having a common definition to determine eligibility across assistance schemes. This may sound administratively simpler but it is not necessarily in the best interests of the needy. A differentiated approach when it comes to subsidies and assistance to address distinct types of needs is therefore more helpful.

Let me now share with Members how we apply these concepts in different areas to revamp our service models, improve our processes and raise the standards of service delivery, so as to better support our elderly, our low-income families, and our children.

Let me start with the elderly. Sir, I agree with Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Dr Lily Neo and Mr Patrick Tay that we need to adopt a holistic approach in caring for the elderly. That is why we take a Whole-of-Government approach on this. Minister Gan Kim Yong chairs the Ministerial Committee on Ageing, which involves different ministries – Finance, Manpower, National Development, Health and my Ministry – and other Government agencies.

Sir, our elderly have contributed to the success of Singapore, and we are grateful. We understand how they feel and their heartfelt desires as they age and become frail. If we ask any of our elderly persons today for their preference, most will say that they want to be with or close to their families. They want to live in the community. But, they do not want to be a burden to their children, their relatives or their neighbours and their friends.

Sir, to help our elderly age-in-place, we need a fundamental re-look at how we design and organise community- and home-based care to better support them in their homes and community. This will also help reinforce the role of the family in caring for them. I am pleased to announce that the Ministry will be revamping two key services so that our elderly will receive more effective care and support. These are the Integrated Day Facilities (IDFs) and Home-based Care.

What is the Integrated Day Facility (IDF) and why does it mark a fundamental change in how we deliver eldercare services, many would ask.

Today, Sir, we have standalone, stovepipe community-based care. There are day care centres, day dementia care centres and day rehabilitation centres. The polyclinics and even hospitals provide general nursing services, all operating in silos.

More often than not, our elderly need services across these facilities. Currently, our elderly and his family have to shuttle from one facility to another, sometimes within the same day. This is far from being "client-centric".

MCYS will re-design this with the Ministry of Health. We will coordinate and integrate these services into more convenient, elderly-centric and family-friendly one-stop centres.

As a one-stop centre, Integrated Day Facilities will provide:

First, basic day care for the frail elderly, including those who are wheelchair-bound, and those with moderate to severe dementia.

Second, specialised services and programmes such as rehabilitation and dementia programmes for those with higher care needs.

And third, information, referral and care coordination services to both our elderly and their families.

The IDF, Sir, will significantly improve the delivery of community care to our elderly as each elderly person's progress will be tracked, services co-ordinated and specialised services brought to them in the same centre.

This concept represents greater synergy between MCYS and MOH. And this is not limited to the IDFs. We will work more closely with MOH on other services and caregiver support. We will locate IDFs in the heart of our communities. The first two new IDFs will be built this year – one in Tampines and another in the Bishan/Toa Payoh area. We will also upgrade six existing day care and day rehabilitation centres into IDFs.

Let me just share with you a story of an existing example of an IDF. This is the case of Mr Ho Koon Chuan, who is currently enjoying the benefits of the IDF model. Mr Ho is 86 years old today and he attends St Luke's ElderCare in Hougang. St Luke's has already started delivering integrated services. Rather than having to shuttle around, Mr Ho goes to St Luke's for both his physiotherapy and day care needs, all under one roof. St Luke's even provides transport to and from his house. As we roll out the IDFs, I believe more will benefit, just like Mr Ho.

By 2016, Sir, we will have about 40 IDFs which can serve up to 6,000 elderly persons requiring day care. Over the next five years, we estimate we will invest about $100 million in IDFs.

Sir, while there are elderly persons who will benefit from the IDFs, there are others who prefer or need to be cared for in their homes. Today, most of our home care services are service-centric. An elderly person has to integrate the services himself. Sometimes, he may even have different care staff visiting his home, providing services such as housekeeping, laundry and personal hygiene. The elderly can feel like a service item on a work schedule.

We can do much better. And I agree with Dr Intan Azura and Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, both of whom will be very happy to know that we are revamping the model so as to provide coordinated and client-centric home-based care. We call it "Ensuite Social Home-based Care". The central idea, Sir, is to have a single care worker who is trained and equipped to perform a range of services for the elderly person in a single visit. The Centre for Enabled Living has worked with a couple of organisations to pilot this service model and it has worked. I am pleased to announce that my Ministry will develop and expand Ensuite Social Home-based Care. We will progressively widen the range of services to include other services such as maintenance exercises for elderly who need it.

By 2016, we will scale this up to benefit 4,000 elderly, more than twice the number of users for home-based care today. This is estimated to cost the Government about $80 million over the next five years.

Sir, while we improve the delivery models of community- and home-based care, we must be mindful about cost. The elderly and their families must be able to afford these services.

Even as we improve and enhance our services for the elderly, we will strive to keep the fees affordable. I am pleased to announce that MCYS will raise our means-tested subsidies and extend them to more income groups. Elderly persons from larger households will benefit from the new per capita household income criteria. The changes are aligned to the revised subsidies for intermediate and long-term care under MOH.

These subsidy changes will take effect from the third quarter this year. Around two-thirds of Singaporean households with elderly will be eligible. Middle income households will see the largest increase in subsidy levels. We will also absorb the GST to reduce costs further.

Despite these enhancements, some flexibility in implementation and service delivery with compassion is important. My Ministry will work with the Centre for Enabled Living to see how we can also empower VWO service providers with a "contingency fund". Providers can use the fund to top up the amount of assistance for those with family difficulties.

Sir, let me now turn our attention to how we can better support the vulnerable elderly in the community. They may be socially disconnected. Many are poor and living alone in rental flats. They have weak or no family support.

Over the years, Sir, we have built Seniors Activity Centres (SACs) across the island to promote social interaction among the elderly. These SACs also help detect and prevent social isolation.

Let me just give you an example of Mdm Pang – she is one of the many elderly who have benefited from the SACs' support. Mdm Pang lived alone in her rental flat at Holland Close without financial or social support. The staff at the Fei Yue Seniors Activity Centre identified Mdm Pang and reached out to her. They provided her a listening ear and helped her apply for financial assistance. The proactive efforts of Fei Yue staff lifted Mdm Pang's spirits. I was heartened to learn that she has since become an active participant in block parties and "Yum Cha" sessions organised by the SAC. There are many others similar to Mdm Pang, whose lives have been brightened, thanks to the SACs' efforts.

However, Sir, the SAC, in its current form, will not be effective in meeting future needs. There will be more single elderly and many of them will not live in rental flats. Today, there are 35,000 elderly living alone. We expect this figure to increase to 61,000 by 2020, and 83,000 by 2030. These elderly persons could be vulnerable especially if there is no one at home to take care of them.

I am pleased to announce, Sir, that we will revamp the SACs so that they can be more effective in reaching out to the vulnerable elderly, which a number of Members, such as Mr Vikram Nair, Dr Lily Neo, Mr Patrick Tay and Mr Sitoh, had alluded to. For a start, Sir, the centres will widen their scope to include those not living in rental flats but who need social support. To extend coverage, we will ramp up the number of SACs from 41 to 58 by 2016, so as to cater to 39,000 elderly then, up from 18,000 elderly today.

We will also restructure the way SACs are organised. We will create 16 "Anchor SACs" out of the 58 SACs. These will function as social work and support nodes for vulnerable elderly in the community. They will work with various touchpoints in the community to receive alerts and referrals of vulnerable elderly not living in rental flats. They will have trained volunteers to provide closer supervision for the elderly. Dr Lily Neo will be happy to know that under the MOH mental health blueprint, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) will partner our SACs to provide additional services, such as community mental health services to better support vulnerable elderly. We will resource our SACs with extra funding and social work capabilities to enable this. The Ministry is committing an estimated $70 million over the next five years to ramp up and resource the SACs.

Sir, yet another new development that we are experimenting with is the concept of Seniors Group Homes. These homes are meant for elderly persons who have problems with activities of daily living. We will enable elderly persons to live together and support each other in a cluster of rental flats. Care staff will provide support to the residents. The Seniors Activity Centres, with their expanded scope, will also cover these group homes. With this arrangement, frail elderly need not be institutionalised prematurely. They will be able to age with dignity in their own homes, even if it is a rental flat. We have just started a pilot at MacPherson that I recently visited, and we will develop another one in Bukit Merah. We expect to cater to a few hundred elderly over the next five years.

Sir, let me now speak briefly on what we will do to support our elderly who prefer to and are able to live independently on their own. More elderly are finding Studio Apartments an attractive form of housing in their golden years. With the enhanced incentives by MND, more may move from a larger flat to a Studio Apartment. For this group, Sir, we should enable them to live independently.

I am happy to announce, Sir, that we have begun to partner the commercial sector to bring elderly-friendly services to the doorstep of the elderly living in the Studio Apartments. This is a service innovation. These Seniors Service Centres have social space and services, such as alert alarm systems, provided free of charge to the residents. At the same time, they provide fee-based services such as therapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, which I understand are hugely popular with the residents. Because of these commercial activities, centres tend to open seven days a week and into the nights – a plus for the elderly.

A few months ago, Sir, I visited the pilot centre – ECON Health and Wellness – in Bishan, located under the Golden Jasmine block of Studio Apartments. I saw for myself how residents who gathered at the centre look out for each other, lend a listening ear to one another. Some even told me that they would visit those who are under the weather – because if they did not see the elderly persons coming down to the centre, they would start wondering and they go and visit them. The centre has begun to attract elderly persons outside of the Studio Apartments who enjoy the friendship and support.

Such centres are a step towards building a community for the aged, as Mr Sitoh suggested. They are also good examples of how we can blend the customer service and operational capability of the commercial sector, with the care and compassion of the community, for the benefit of our citizens. We will open at least another three new such centres this year co-located with the Studio Apartments.

Over the course of the last two weeks, Sir, many Members have spoken about caregivers, including Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Mrs Lina Chiam and Dr Intan Azura. Caregivers are our unsung heroes who shoulder stress and responsibility.

We know that caregiving is often a long and challenging journey. But, with the right support, it can also be fulfilling and life-affirming. The Ministry will journey alongside caregivers. We will provide support for them to lean on.

Let me share with you, Sir, how we will be doing this in three main areas: first and most important is to provide information and referral. As a first stop, families can turn to the Centre for Enabled Living (CEL) established by MCYS. Families can find information on elderly and disability care services, financial assistance schemes and caregiver training programmes, through its website. Those who are less comfortable with the Internet can also call CEL's helpline – 1800 8585 885. In the coming years, Sir, CEL will improve its case coordination so that elderly, adults with disabilities and their families can get help in putting together care plans that meet their needs, and fit their circumstances.

Second, Sir, we will do more to improve caregiver training. We agree with Mr Sitoh Yih Pin that it is important to educate and train our caregivers. This will improve the quality of care for our elderly. Caregivers can also gain more confidence that they are taking proper care of their elderly family members, thus reducing their anxiety and stress.

CEL has been working with VWOs and other training providers to develop more of such training courses. They will be in English, Mandarin, Malay or Tamil to cater to various caregivers. Together, they expect to train up to 10,000 caregivers this year. We will continue to subsidise these courses with the Caregiver Training Grant.

CEL will also administer the new additional $120 per month Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) grant. This will cover families with a per capita income of up to $2,200, who look after their elderly with high care needs.

Sir, they include those with severe dementia who cannot perform three or more Activities of Daily Living, such as not being able to feed themselves, bathe, use the toilet, or move around independently. We are budgeting, Sir, about $25 million over the next five years for this purpose.

We will require their foreign domestic helpers to go for caregiver training. CEL will launch the new FDW grant in the third quarter of this year.

Finally, Sir, on the support for caregivers. We will provide more respite options. Apart from IDFs and Ensuite Social Home-based Care services which I announced earlier, CEL will also look at how it can develop more support services, such as counselling and elder-sitter programmes, to address the psycho-emotional stresses that caregivers often experience.

Sir, I have shared with this Committee some of the Ministry's initiatives that support ageing-in-place, vulnerable elderly, independent living and caregivers. All in all, we are committing $400 million over the next five years in transforming community and home-based services to support ageing-in-place.

I hope that with these new initiatives, our elderly will feel more assured. More of them can continue to stay in the community, either with their families or alone, and age with dignity. I also hope that caregivers will feel more empowered to provide care to their loved ones.

Sir, let me now move on to social assistance and support for our low-income families. The Minister had shared with Members the enhancements we are making to ComCare schemes. Other than ComCare, many schemes exist today to help the needy; delivered by different agencies. Each scheme has a role to play in the bigger picture, a role in helping and supporting low-income families.

Sir, between yesterday and today, many Members, such as Mr Seah Kian Peng, Ms Denise Phua, Ms Foo Mee Har, Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Hawazi Daipi, had called for greater coordination and integration in the delivery of social services. These are essentially the client-centric and coordinated elements that I had mentioned at the beginning of my speech. I agree with them. Therefore, along with the changes to enhance ComCare schemes, we will expend efforts to improve service delivery, particularly at two key nodes – the Community Development Councils (CDCs) and the Family Service Centres (FSCs).

We are working to improve the following areas, Sir – first, improving access to information and help avenues; second, enhancing the help experience and delivery; third, tightening the coordination between the Community Development Councils (CDCs) and Family Service Centres (FSCs); and finally, increasing resourcing and training of social assistance officers.

Sir, some needy Singaporeans do not know where to seek help. Together with our community partners, we will step up our outreach and guide them along the way. As Mr Hawazi Daipi said, we must reach out to those who do not come forward by themselves.

First, Sir, we will update our ComCare publicity materials, and increase the distribution points. We will also make our publicity materials simpler and easier to understand. We have heard feedback that our people are often confused by the many help schemes. We will present the information in a more client-centric manner based on the type of help required rather than individual schemes. And at this point, I just want to reiterate that there is no need for our needy residents to know about any of the schemes. They just need to go to any of the touchpoints – FSCs, CDCs, even the Members of Parliament – to ask for help, and the help will be processed. The schemes are actually for back-end processing and operation; there is no need for the needy person to know about it.

Second, we will enhance grassroots leaders' knowledge of help avenues. Grassroots leaders are an important touchpoint. Very often, they are the ones who first encounter those who need help. With training and regular updates, grassroots leaders can better look out for needy residents in their midst. We will equip them with a Starter's Kit. With this kit, they can better advise needy residents on the assistance available, and connect them to help.

Finally, Sir, we will upload more relevant and user-friendly information online, and in print. We are creating a web-based social service portal called "ComCare.sg". Those who need help will not need to know the schemes available. Once again I stress that. Instead, their needs will guide their online experience, and point them to where to go for help. We know not everyone who needs help is able to access the web. But those of us in the community, who want to help them, may. These enhancements will enable us to guide them better.

Sir, we will roll out all these initiatives progressively starting from next month. We hope that with these initiatives, more Singaporeans will know where to access help; and our schemes are not, and I quote, "best kept secrets", as Ms Foo Mee Har mentioned yesterday.

Sir, many needy Singaporeans approach the CDCs when they need assistance. As part of a concerted effort to raise the quality of service delivery, CDCs and their partners are experimenting with various ways to improve the experience and outcomes of clients who seek help. We are testing out ideas across the entire journey of a client from the point he walks into the CDC; to when the CDC assesses his needs and provides assistance; and, finally, to when he graduates from the scheme. Let me share some of these ideas.

A client's first impression at the CDC sets the tone for the rest of the encounter there. We will explore how we can make the service environment less intimidating, more welcoming. A couple of CDCs will look into redesigning their premises.

Beyond first impressions, we will improve the way we assess and address our clients' needs. CDCs recognise that every individual or family is unique. Hence, some of them are trying out a differentiated process of assessing a client's needs, or a needy family's needs. If someone's needs are straightforward, and can be addressed in a shorter time, the CDC officers will do so.

For others who have more complex needs, officers will spend more time with them to diagnose the root cause of the issues. They may have to coordinate help with partners such as the FSCs.

Today, Sir, about one in 10 of all ComCare Transitions applications were rejected due to a lack of supporting documents, withdrawal of application or because they could not meet some of the eligibility criteria. This was a point mentioned by Mr Seah Kian Peng yesterday. And I would like to assure him that CDC officers do not blindly turn away applicants just because they do not submit sufficient information. CDC officers often go out of their way to ensure that help is delivered to the needy. They make phone calls, they conduct home visits and they rally the help of the grassroots leaders to trace the needy applicants.

Beyond assessment, Sir, we will customise the amount and type of assistance we provide, based on each client's needs and circumstances. We are also prepared to exercise flexibility for families. Being closer to the ground and with a clearer understanding of a needy family's situation, CDCs can and do exercise flexibility for cases when necessary, based on the guidelines provided by my Ministry.

Finally, Sir, we will engage our needy families who have successfully graduated from social assistance. We will connect them to the community. We also hope to showcase their success as an inspiration to the others. If the experiments are successful, we will progressively roll them out to the other touchpoints.

Sir, families facing complex issues need more than financial assistance to get them back on their feet. CDCs need to work closely with FSCs to provide more integrated help. CDCs can provide short-term financial assistance. Social workers and other professionals in the FSCs can work with the family to resolve family conflicts and address other issues.

To foster better working arrangements between CDCs and FSCs, we have organised FSCs by district, supervised by a Cluster Manager at the National Council of Social Service. The Cluster Manager is the key contact point for the respective CDCs. They will be familiar with the ground issues and concerns. My Ministry will also study how to better facilitate sharing of information between the agencies.

We will work with FSCs to strengthen their capabilities. We hear Mr Faisal Manap's concerns on the workload of FSC staff. MCYS and NCSS senior management visit and hold regular dialogues with the FSCs, and we hear their concerns. We keep constantly in touch with them. Last month, we announced a series of initiatives to help FSCs build capability. These were co-developed with representatives from the FSCs. They are our partners, not subcontractors.

As part of the initiatives announced, social workers will see their average caseload reduced by 20%. They can devote more time to helping vulnerable families with more complex needs. As there will always be a mix of simple and complex cases, we should not be overly fixated by this ratio. Neither should we merely track the volume of cases. Since 2009, we have started with outcome indicators.

Sir, what is more important for us to ensure is that collectively, within the FSC system, there is capacity to tackle a range of issues. And within each FSC, there are resources and capability to help families with different problems.

Sir, we expect a growing need for FSC services. Cases are becoming more complex. I am pleased to announce that we will introduce a new Master Social Worker Scheme. Through this scheme, NCSS will appoint a group of experienced social workers to advance social worker practice in the FSCs. These Master Social Workers can help elevate standards of practice. They can guide their colleagues, who will, in turn, develop more confidence and skills to help vulnerable individuals and families get back on their feet. We intend to start this scheme this year, and about six to seven Master Social Workers will be recruited this year.

Finally, we will ensure that the CDCs are adequately equipped to provide prompt and proper assistance to those who walk through the doors. I am pleased to announce that we will provide CDCs with an additional $5 million per year to augment their manpower. This will help them cope better with the expected increase in case complexity.

Increasing manpower, Sir, is but a start. Social assistance officers at the CDCs will need to have the right skills and knowledge to manage clients' needs. The Ministry will invest more resources in the training and development of our social assistance officers. Just as we have done so for social workers; we will chart a professional development path for them.

Sir, the slide on the screen summarises the Ministry's plans to raise the quality of service delivery to low-income families. At the end of the day, we hope to narrow the cracks so that more who are needy will receive help. We want to render assistance − comprehensive, integrated assistance − with compassion, that can help a client in his or her journey out of poverty.

Finally, Sir, l would like to touch on our efforts to better protect the vulnerable children in our midst – points raised by both Mr Patrick Tay and Dr Intan Azura.

Children, Sir, are our hopes and future. It is our duty to ensure the well-being of each child, in particular those who are in need of care and protection. Providing a positive and supportive environment for our children to grow, to blossom and to maximise their potential is also the best strategy for social mobility.

Last month, I announced major initiatives to improve the outcomes and care of children residing in the Voluntary Children's Homes. These include building small group homes, raising care standards through training and providing specialised services. We will closely monitor and assess the effectiveness of these initiatives, even as we continue to enhance efforts to protect our vulnerable children.

I also want to assure Mr Patrick Tay that we have sufficient places in our facilities to provide shelter to protect our women and children who are victims of violence. In fact, this month, another new crisis shelter for women who are victims of domestic violence will be opened. Our efforts to help abused children cannot be done alone. We need an involved and caring community that act as our eyes and ears on the ground and report victims of abuse.

Besides those residing at the homes, there are other children from low-income or at-risk families in the community who need special attention. Dr Lily Neo has asked what we will do to provide more comprehensive support to our vulnerable children. We have strengthened the early intervention and preventive focus for the Family Service Centres, to enable them to work more effectively with these families. Let me briefly touch on this.

First, we enhanced the FSC training framework. We prioritised child-centric case management modules. All senior social workers will have to attend these modules. We held the first run of training in January this year. We will conduct more runs this year.

Second, we strengthened the referral protocols between childcare centres and FSCs for early referral of young children and families in need of help. Case workers from FSCs can recommend higher childcare and student care subsidies for these children, even as they continue to work with their families to address their needs.

Finally, Sir, we are partnering the Health Promotion Board to enhance access to health promotion and preventive health services among children from low-income families. With this in place, a typical low-income family can receive comprehensive counselling support through the FSCs.

Sir, some low-income children come from single-parent households. Dr Janil Puthucheary asked about the maternity leave benefits for single mothers. The 16 weeks of Maternity Leave provided under the Child Development Co-savings Act (CDCA) is given to married working women to encourage parenthood within the context of marriage. Single parents who are divorced or widowed are also eligible if the child was born within marriage.

Although they are not eligible for maternity leave under the CDCA, Sir, an unwed single mother who works is entitled to 12 weeks of paid Maternity Leave under the Employment Act, with the first eight weeks of her first two confinements paid for by the employer. The 12 weeks provides time for her to breastfeed and spend time and bond with her newborn.

Mr Patrick Tay, Ms Ellen Lee and Ms Sylvia Lim spoke about support for divorced parents and the impact of divorce on children. I agree, Sir, with them that children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of a broken marriage. We must protect the welfare of children during and after their parents' divorce.

For this reason, we require divorcing couples with a young child to undergo counselling and mediation as part of their divorce proceedings. This is the same at the Syariah Court.

Furthermore, part of the matrimonial assets can also now be transferred to the Child Development Account to ensure sufficient savings for the children. We have also amended the Women's Charter to strengthen enforcement of maintenance orders, so that the children's upkeep is not compromised.

Divorced parents who require assistance can apply for ComCare assistance. They can also approach the FSCs and various VWOs for help. Two centres, HELP and PPIS As-Salaam FSC are dedicated to supporting single parents, whether divorced, unwed or widowed. They provide specialised counselling, support and other programmes to promote the well-being of single-parent families.

If divorced parents are no longer amicable, the Court may issue supervised access orders. For the majority of cases, Sir, up to 80%, it takes about two weeks after a Court Order is made for the first supervised access session to take place. More complicated cases might take a longer time. And as you know, with family relationship – sometimes when they break, a great deal of complexities and problems do develop, particularly when parents decide to fight over their children.

On access orders, Sir, that are not honoured, these violations are a contempt of court. We view them seriously. We will work closely with the Family Court and Voluntary Welfare Organisations to fine-tune how we handle access order cases. This includes reviewing capacity of VWOs handling supervised access.

I would also like to assure Mr Alex Yam that we have various programmes in place to support at-risk youth. We will progressively roll out the Youth GO! Programme. We piloted this in the Northeast district in February. We think it has worked well. Under this programme, we reach out to youth by going down to common youth hangouts. And we will do so even during the wee hours of the morning. Maybe we will enlist Mr Alex Yam's help as well to go down in the wee hours of the morning. He will be able to reach out to them even better, and many other Members of this House as well.

We are also developing a Youth Information System. It will enable information sharing between our partners and us. We can then better target our outreach efforts. The Ministry will share more details on this in due course.

We will continue, Sir, to put in our best efforts to help youth offenders turn around their lives. Mrs Lina Chiam has asked what we do for them.

We have a comprehensive range of programmes in our homes. These include educational, vocational and character development modules. We want to ensure that they pick up important skills that will benefit them after they leave us.

But what we do in our homes is not enough. Their parents, their friends, and what they do when they return to society are just as important. This is why we introduced programmes to strengthen the relationship between the youth and their parents. And we also assign each youth a mentor, and help them to find jobs.

Sir, while we will do our best to ensure that the social safety net can provide help to the low-income, the elderly and the children, the Government's efforts alone will not be sufficient. We will need the involvement of the community. I cannot emphasise this enough. They can help to identify the gaps in the system so that together, we can help to plug it.

Let me share with you one such heartening community initiative, which is an "ABCD" – the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach − which I know Mr Laurence Lien is very fond of, and he has cited a number of times in his speeches, and which is very popular in the US. Actually, there are many examples of ABCDs in Singapore. If we look at our social service sector, we have a lot of ABCDs, except I do not think they put a very sophisticated label, "ABCD", to the initiatives that they do. "ABCD" is essentially a ground-up ownership of an initiative to reach out to the needy; the people who need help.

The example I would like to cite to you is the Community Network (COMNET), which was initiated by the social service workers from the Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre. The social workers observed that despite being served by multiple service providers, the living conditions of vulnerable elderly could be better. They got together to develop programmes to complement existing services, and to surface cases which we had all missed. Their efforts synergised with ours for a far more integrated approach in reaching out to the needy.

For example, COMNET realised that the Seniors Activity Centres did not cover certain clusters of rental flats in Ang Mo Kio, and launched their own socio-recreational activities in "Pasar Malam" style in lieu. When COMNET identified vulnerable elderly who remained at risk despite basic befriending services, they developed an in-depth home visit and monitoring system known as COMNET Befriending Service, for another layer of engagement.

I had the privilege of visiting COMNET two days ago, and experienced firsthand the good work that they do. The photos on the screen are a testament to the positive experience they bring to the elderly.

So here, Sir, is an example of the many-helping-hands approach which has worked, and coordinated well. It is also an example of the "ABCD" approach in trying to reach out to the needy or the elderly. So, we have the CDCs, the FSCs and the RCs all working together in order to reach out to the elderly they feel have not been adequately serviced, notwithstanding the many services that we have in place.

I applaud the social workers from COMNET for going the extra mile and working hand in hand with us. I also like the approach taken by the FSCs here because they were not just sitting in the office, but they were willing to go into the community, look out for partners – the RCs and grassroots organisations – and work with them to deliver the services. I hope that more in the community will come forward to partner us in building an inclusive society.

Finally, Sir, Franklin Roosevelt once said that the test of progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little. Even as Singapore restructures our economy and advances, we will not forget the vulnerable members in our society. We know they need help. And we will provide assistance to them. We will provide Hope. More importantly, when they approach us for assistance, we will receive them and assess their needs, with Heart. In this way, Sir, they will truly feel that Singapore is their Home.

Mr Chairman, Sir, as we gear up for the challenges of an ageing population, it is also very important that we help empower and enable our seniors to lead full and purposeful lives.

The good news is that the overwhelming majority of our seniors, in fact, more than 85% of them, are healthy and well, and eight in 10 of them believe in being active and to contribute to society. More than 60% who are aged between 55 and 64 are working. And for one in three households with young children, the grandparents are the main caregivers to their grandchildren. Hence, our perception of seniors and our shared vision with them must be to enable them to live happy, healthy and active lives, and to age that way, too. In that way, they can indeed live out that motto mentioned by Mr David Ong yesterday, that is, not only to add years to life but to add life to years.

Let me cover what we as a Government can do to facilitate active ageing, in response to the comments made by Members – Mr Desmond Lee, Mr David Ong, Ms Denise Phua and Dr Lily Neo. However, let me also say at this juncture that what the Government can do is one part of it. It is an important part. It catalyses. But it requires support and active participation from the ground by our seniors in order that we can create this momentum, this groundswell, and make this into a movement and, therefore, affect the entire social landscape and change our society for the better for our seniors.

The Wellness Programme is a key initiative introduced in 2008. So far, the Wellness Programme has benefited about 150,000 seniors aged 50 years and above. We have also set up the Seniors for Physical Activity (SPA) Committee in 2008 and that has promoted Brisk Walking, Health Qigong and Tai Chi to some 110,000 seniors.

We have three goals in Wellness: empowering older persons to look after their health, to stay physically active, and to be good neighbours and friends to one another. We have decided to fold the SPA into the Wellness programme to reap synergies between the two. We are beginning to see the fruits of our efforts: (1) 40% of the seniors participating in the programme made more than 10 new friends and 36% said that they knew more than 10 neighbours after participating in the Wellness programme; (2) the number of seniors who attended 10 or more community activities or interest group activities in the past 12 months also increased from 8% to 34%; and (3) an evaluation of those who take part in the National Brisk Walking Programme done by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) found that these more active ones are 8% fitter than the national average.

What makes the Wellness Programme potentially powerful is that the way it is done is not through organising periodic episodic large, staged mass events. Instead, it is anchored on small, organic interest groups with inherent strengths, and these meet regularly. First, ground up initiatives allow for diversity. Second, ties among seniors who meet regularly, initially over an interest, often blossom into support networks and friendship, and that makes participation emotionally fulfilling. This is why interest groups can create that momentum and that groundswell to turn active ageing into a movement.

Sixty-one-year old Mr Leong and his brisk walking interest group exemplify what I mean. After a major heart operation three years ago, he could barely walk. Nevertheless, with strong determination, he signed up for an exercise programme at a hospital and his health improved immensely. Yet, he did not stop there. Not only did he volunteer at the Jurong Central Wellness Site to influence others to take charge of their health, he became the group leader of the RC Fun Walker's Club. There, he influenced many others to become active and sparked a chain reaction that grew into a dynamic community.

Going forward, we will roll out the Wellness Programme to all constituencies. We aim to reach one out of two citizens aged 50 and above by the year 2015, and we are talking about half a million people.

The interaction between Government and the ground must be interactive, flexible and nimble. As we see gaps which are best filled by the agencies, we step in to develop the framework, channels and linkages. One case in point: we see synergy between the General Practitioner Network launched by the Health Promotion Board and the Wellness Programme. For example, a senior who needs to do medical follow-up after health screening may be referred to participate in physical activities and interest groups under the Wellness Programme.

We are currently piloting this at Whampoa and we will be launching a new pilot in Marine Parade later this month. As we learn from these pilots, we will apply what we have learnt to other Wellness sites.

We will also expand our menu. For one, we will introduce another form of mass participation. It is called the Dance-Fit. Seniors who sign up for Dance-Fit can choose from a comprehensive menu of line, social and folk dances. They learn a new dance and they can also enhance their dancing skills and form interest groups that build on the dance steps according to their interests and abilities. In doing so, we will start a new movement where more and more seniors can pick up dance to enjoy themselves, at the same time to bond and keep fit together regularly.

In 2007, the Council for Third Age (C3A) was set up to champion active ageing and promote positive mindsets about ageing. C3A has touched more than 150,000 seniors and their family members last year. Through its Active Ager Awards and Active Ageing Festivals, C3A has opened the minds of older persons, and the young as well, as to what seniors can do, are doing and are capable of.

Going forward, from feedback and consultations with seniors, C3A wants to support lifelong learning through interest groups and inter-generational learning. For example, the Young-at-Heart (YAH!) Community College brings seniors of similar interests together to engage in peer learning. C3A also piloted the Inter-generational Learning Programme, which pairs seniors with students in learning. The programme has helped bridge generational gaps and shape positive perceptions towards ageing and learning.

We also want to cultivate a strong sporting culture among seniors. Under the Sports Vision 2030, we are developing a Seniors Fitness Ecosystem. We will identify sports that are popular among seniors. Seniors can gather with their family members and friends to learn, train and compete in a range of sports through "Super Sports Clubs". They will be able to participate in sports more confidently with the development of sports safety guidelines by the Health Promotion Board and the Singapore Sports Council. Seniors can also look forward to better designed facilities in the community, better suited for seniors.

You may have seen the Sports Vision 2030 promotion video. It features a group of seniors playing an energetic game of basketball. One of the seniors remarked: "We may be old but we are young at heart." This is the spirit − the can-do, will-do spirit − that we want to continue to foster among our seniors.

Ms Denise Phua spoke about ageing with purpose where seniors can play meaningful roles in society. I agree entirely with her. We want to promote volunteerism among seniors, and are working with the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). Again, alluding to the "ABCD", an approach that Mr Laurence Lien spoke so passionately about, it is a good initiative and it facilitates platforms to be formed so that those with an asset, a skill, a talent, a network, an expertise, or a resource of some kind, can offer to leverage on that or make that available to the community and, together with other like-minded persons, develop that asset into a cluster of assets and make their community a better one, a warmer one, and a more caring one, by everybody for everyone.

What I have just shared is but a basic framework to continue to promote active ageing. To flesh it out, we must encourage, enable and embrace more ground-up initiatives. And the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Sam Tan, will later share an example of this in Mandarin. Sir, let us together, with and for our seniors, achieve what Mr Desmond Lee calls the "silver summer" of happy, healthy and active ageing. And by doing so, we will have taken yet another concrete step towards living long, living well and with peace of mind.

Mr Chairman, Sir, three days ago when I took to the microphone, my sandy voice made me sound like Rod Stewart. In the last three days, my voice has gone from bad to worse, from sandy to smoky. So, if my smoky voice sounds like Louis Armstrong, I really want to beg for your indulgence or perhaps you can just pretend that I am singing Louis Armstrong's evergreen hit, "It's a Wonderful World". Indeed, this is the spirit of the Budget that we want to make Singapore our endearing home – a wonderful world for our people. Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to give my speech on active ageing in Mandarin, then I will give my speech on MCYS in English later.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Pg 2521-2522 for Vernacular Speeches.] Senior Minister of State Mr Heng Chee How just talked about the objectives of active ageing initiatives, which is, to see all our senior citizens healthy, living enriched lives and living well, both physically and psychologically, with a positive attitude towards life. Hence, I feel heartened to know that more that 85% of all Singaporeans aged 65 and above are healthy.

Minister Heng also talked about the importance of having the elderly participate in community events, staying young-at-heart, with a zest for life and the importance of living with a purpose.

I would like to take this opportunity to share a case study with all of you. Sixty-seven-year-old Mr Quah Boon Hwee is a resident in my Radin Mas constituency. Confucius once said that "living to a ripe old age of 70 is rare". Yet, despite being at a ripe old age, Mr Quah looks younger than me, more energetic than me. Let me share the secret of his youthfulness.

Mr Quah is very interested in traditional Chinese medicine, and strives to emulate the great herbalist Shen Nong from ancient China, to taste the various herbs. With his passion for herbal plants, he started a herb garden at the Bukit Merah Community Club, where he planted all kinds of peculiar-looking herbs. The management of the community club gracefully allowed him to set up the herb garden.

Since setting up the garden, it has become like a second home to him. He goes to the herb garden every day to tend to the plants and keep his small empire spick and span. Over time, more and more elderly citizens staying nearby joined his "army". Now, Mr Quah leads his "herbal brigade" of scores of people who take great pains to look after the herbal plants there. Members of this brigade are all older than me, but they all live very enriched lives and, more importantly, they are always happy. Apart from planting the herbs, they also put up labels to introduce the names and medicinal effects of the plants, to raise awareness among people. Besides that, Mr Quah maintains a good relationship with members of his "herbal brigade", and they take care of each other and engage in healthy activities together, for example, Qigong, Brisk Walking and even Laughing Yoga. As the saying goes, laughter makes one younger, so every morning, they will laugh together for 10 minutes. No wonder they seemed to have entered a phase of "rejuvenation". Apart from planting herbal plants, they also concocted various herbal drinks and herbal food, for example, healthy herbal mooncakes, delicious herbal jelly and cakes. The "herbal brigade" also regularly shares their knowledge about the effects and application of common herbs with other residents. These herbal drinks and herbal food are quite delicious.

I hope that there will be more people like Mr Quah in our community, leading various "brigades". They can volunteer spontaneously and work as a team. In this way, we will have various interest groups in our community, and our estates will become an even more charming home, residents will also have a stronger sense of belonging. Our elderly friends can remain active, engaging in activities and living enriched and meaningful lives.

This vision is not impossible. In fact, in Singapore, there are many such groups working hard. We can extend this to every corner of our nation. We can work together for the elderly and build a world where the old is taken care of, and they can live a meaningful and happy life. If we are able to achieve this, Singapore would be like the song by Louis Armstrong – It's a Wonderful World.

(In English): Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to now focus on a topic which is very close to my heart, that is the support and care for persons with disabilities. The spirit of this Budget 2012 is to build an inclusive society – a point that has been emphasised and reiterated by many Members of this House. This Budget goes to the heart of a society's approach towards persons with disabilities too. An inclusive society is one where persons with disabilities are enabled to become equal and integral members of society and where the vulnerable amongst them are given support and care. How do we translate this vision into a reality that truly touches and also impacts the lives of persons with disabilities?

The ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Sir, we started on this journey five years ago by bringing together the people, private and public sectors. So working in concert, we developed a better understanding of the needs and hopes of persons with disabilities and joined forces to muster our resources and solutions to improve their lives. The result was the first Enabling Masterplan which covered the period from 2007 to 2011.

Over the last five years, we have made encouraging progress. With increased funding from the Government and also the Community Chest, early intervention services have become more affordable. Every Singaporean child undergoing early intervention receives a monthly base subsidy of $300. Low-income families get additional subsidies of up to $600 per month. Hence, in total, low-income families can receive up to $900 of subsidies per month if their children are enrolled in early intervention centres. We have also expanded the capacity of early intervention centres from 1,350 places in 2006 to about 2,000 in 2011.

In education, the Ministry of Education (MOE) significantly increased funding for Special Education (SPED) schools to put in place a vocational education framework. The quality as well as outcome of SPED has improved. In the past, only a handful of SPED graduates could find a job in the open market. But in 2010, about 20% in each cohort secured jobs in open employment. And another 30% proceeded to sheltered employment. The remaining 40% were in adult care.

Sir, various agencies, including VWOs and employers, have also worked together to enhance vocational assessment, training, job placement and support for persons with disabilities. Two Centres for Training and Integration, in hospitality and call centres services, were set up. We also introduced the Open Door Fund to encourage employers to employ persons with disabilities by funding workplace modification, job re-design and apprenticeship training. The Open Door Fund provides funds up to $100,000 per company and up to $5,000 per individual employed. Since 2007, more than 500 persons with disabilities have benefited through the Open Door Fund. They have either found employment or are undergoing apprenticeship training.

The last Enabling Masterplan also made headway in addressing the legal and financial security concerns of ageing parents on the care of their adult children when they are no longer around. The protection framework today comprises the Mental Capacity Act, Special Needs Trust Company (SNTC) and the Special Needs Savings Scheme (SNSS). Together, these three measures safeguard the interests of those lacking mental capacity or with disabilities, while offering parents various options to save up for the long-term care needs of their children. The SNTC and SNSS complement each another.

Progress has also been made to make both our built environment and also transportation system barrier-free accessible. For example, in 2011, the Town Councils completed upgrading all HDB precincts with accessible facilities and features. The MOT and LTA are also working towards making all public buses wheelchair-accessible by 2020 and have retrofitted MRT stations and taxi stands with tactile guidance and other barrier-free features. We should be encouraged by the progress that we have made in the last five years. But, yet, Sir, we know that our journey has only just started, and persons with disabilities and their families still face many challenges today. There is still much more for us to do, and we will really want to do them in the next five years.

In August last year, my Ministry convened a Steering Committee to develop the next Enabling Masterplan for 2012-2016. We again adopted the 3P approach. 3P stands for People, Private and Public sectors. Two Members of this House, Ms Denise Phua and Mr Ang Wei Neng, were among the members of this Steering Committee. Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman, Mr Chua Chin Kiat, and each and every member of the Committee for their hard work. They worked tirelessly to gather first-hand the concerns and the worries and views of persons with disabilities, their families as well as their caregivers, voluntary welfare organisations, and employers.

Last month, we received the Committee's recommendations for the new Enabling Masterplan. Collectively, the Committee's recommendations represent the aspirations of persons with disabilities and the stakeholders in the sector – which is an inclusive society where persons with disabilities are enabled to live with dignity, maximise their potential and also become equal and integral part of our society. Sir, the Ministry has considered all the recommendations. I am pleased to inform the House that the Government agrees with the principles and the spirit underpinning the ideas in this Report. In fact, we have already begun to implement some of the recommendations. I will be providing more details on these in a while. There are other recommendations that are more complex and we need time to study them further and to work out the implementation plans later.

Overall, the Government will play a more supportive role. We will also put in more resources and so I am happy to announce that over the next five years, we expect to spend about $1 billion on programmes and services to help persons with disabilities. This is really a very big amount of fund committed by the Government, that is, $1 billion. This is 20% more than what we had spent over the last five years. In drawing the Masterplan, the Committee has taken a life course approach to ensure that persons with disabilities will receive the care and the attention needed at each life stage.

Research has shown that the early years are important in a child's development. Likewise, in early years of a child with disability, timely intervention is critical and we should not miss this one window of opportunity.

We have therefore retained focus on early intervention. The previous Masterplan focused on children with developmental delays in specialised settings. These were children with more severe disabilities and required our immediate attention first.

We understand there are also children in mainstream preschool today with a range of learning difficulties. They currently do not receive any form of intervention. MCYS will reach out to this group through the EIPIC Development Support Programme (DSP). EIPIC stands for Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children. So, we will through DSP reach out to children with learning difficulties, speech and language delays, and behavioural problems. These children will benefit from learning support intervention by a group of trained Learning Support Educators and, if necessary, therapy intervention.

Sir, we will roll out this programme in phases with selected preschools. The first two clusters of phase one will commence in May this year. A team comprising specialists from KK Hospital and NUH will help us assess the effectiveness of the first phase and then provide guidance on improvements and we will release more details of the programme in due course.

Sir, Ms Low Yen Ling has asked about manpower support for early intervention programmes. Part of our investment will be in the manpower. Schemes are in place to train and recruit early intervention teachers. Apart from recruitment drives conducted by NCSS, a new "Place-and-Train" scheme was also introduced to allow centres to hire EIPIC teachers and therapists ahead of anticipated increase in enrolment. So far, 37 have been trained on this scheme. So, I am happy to inform Ms Low and also Members of the House that the "Place-and-Training" scheme has also been extended to the Development Support Programme. We have also commissioned the Association for Early Childhood Educators (Singapore) to train our teachers in mainstream preschools to better manage children with learning needs. The Ministry is also working closing with Ministry of Health to study the detection and the screening network further.

During their schooling years, persons with disabilities should receive appropriate education useful for meaningful employment. But, Sir, education must not just be purely functional. It should also maximise the potential for independent living, community integration, and also the quality of life as adults.

MOE has come up with plans to enhance the mainstream and the special education sectors for persons with disabilities. I am confident that these measures will go on to help students to lead meaningful lives. In their adult years, employment is a key means where adults with disabilities can be engaged as equal and integral members of an inclusive society. So, we will continue our efforts to facilitate employment opportunities.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman had earlier announced the extension of the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme and the Special Employment Credit to benefit persons with disabilities and reward their employers. The schemes will be for work done in 2012. My Ministry will release details on the application and the payout schedule at a later stage.

Some Members have raised concerns that the schemes are confined to only SPED graduands. During the past week's Budget debate, we heard Ms Denise Phua and Ms Jessica Tan's suggestion for persons with disabilities who have not attended or graduated from SPED schools to receive the Special Employment Credit. Allow me a brief moment to explain our thinking on this. The SPED school criterion was meant to target the group of persons with disabilities who are more likely to encounter difficulties finding employment and earning a reasonable wage. So we need to help them. We want to help. Nonetheless, we appreciate that there may be other individuals who have not attended SPED schools. I would like to assure Ms Phua and Ms Tan that equally deserving applicants who face difficulties can come into the scheme, even if they have not attended SPED schools. So we intend to use the existing SNSS Committee to evaluate such exception cases so that they would not be falling through the schemes.

In our efforts to help persons with disabilities find employment, we are thankful for the involvement and also the support of employers. We hope to reach out to more of such enlightened employers and encourage them to sign up with the Open Door Fund. Following feedback from the Enabling Masterplan Committee, we have reviewed the Open Door Fund, including simplifying the application process, approval processing time as well as the length of application forms. These changes will take place with immediate effect.

Sir, with the help of medical technology and better access to healthcare, Singaporeans are living longer. This includes persons with disabilities too. We need to respond to this demographic change. Mr Vikram Nair rightly pointed out the predicament of ageing parents and caregivers. There will come a time when parents are no longer able to look after their disabled child, even if they want to. Many of them will not outlive their children. Hence, their deeply felt concern of "what happens when I'm no longer around to care for them".

I agree with Mr Nair that we need to reassure parents that their children will be cared for when they pass on. Our plans for the adult care sector will ensure even more affordable and accessible services for adults with disabilities. They will receive appropriate care that is delivered efficiently.

These plans are in line with the thrusts of the Enabling Masterplan recommendations on adult care. More importantly, we agree to adopt an "enabling care" philosophy. We not only want to care; we also want to enable persons with disabilities in knowing how we care for them. We will develop more care options in the community so that persons with disabilities can access the appropriate form of care for their needs. In particular, we will be introducing more Group Homes, where those who can, will be supported as independent as possible. We will build more community-based and residential facilities as well.

Sir, the cost of such adult care services can be a substantial portion of the family's expenses. We recognise it. To enhance affordability, we will raise the means-tested subsidies for all MCYS-funded community-based services as well as residential services. A lower income family can receive up to 80% of the norm cost of a service. This could be up to $1,400 per month for a residential care home or up to $765 per month for community-based day care and, in addition, the GST for these services would also be absorbed. These changes will come into effect in the third quarter of this year.

Sir, taken together, these measures will significantly help to reduce costs of services. To illustrate, let me just take the case of Ravi. For the past three years, Ravi has been attending the Day Activity Centre at Moral Home for Disabled Adults. He enjoys meeting his friends at the centre and he looks forward to daily morning exercises. His parents were impressed by the progress Ravi has made since attending the centre. He was shy initially but now, he has improved in his cognitive and physical functions and also gained community living skills. Ravi does not receive Government means-tested subsidies currently as his family's per capita income exceeds the current limit. He pays about $810 a month. But with the revised subsidies and the GST absorption starting from the third quarter of this year, Ravi will only need to pay $470. This is about a 40% reduction in fees.

Sir, we will also introduce home-based care to enable families to care for their loved ones in the comfort of their own homes. Today, there is an existing Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession of $95 per month for persons with disabilities. However, we understand the added stress and strain of looking after those who are more severely disabled. Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr David Ong have asked the Government to further offset the levy concession. The Ministry of Health had earlier announced the introduction of the additional $120 Foreign Domestic Worker Grant for seniors with problems handling three or more activities of daily living (ADLs). These include problems with bathing, toileting, feeding, dressing, mobility and transferring themselves from bed to chair, and the list goes on.

Sir, I am pleased to announce that we will extend this additional $120 Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) grant to benefit persons with disabilities, regardless of their age. We will also adopt the same 3-ADL criteria. However, we also recognise that while some may be physically able to perform the ADLs, they could lack mental capacity or have very challenging behaviour. They need to be supervised closely. We will thus extend the grant to those with more severe intellectual disabilities, autism and sensory impairments. The Centre for Enabled Living will open up applications for the additional FDW grant in the third quarter of 2012 and we will release the details later. Together with the FDW levy concession and the grant, eligible families need only pay a levy amount of $50 a month. I think this is a significant reduction from the original amount of $265 a month.

Sir, the Government's priorities in the areas of adult care are clear. We are implementing a comprehensive package of measures to boost this sector. These initiatives will ensure adults with disabilities and their families can access the highest standards of care they require. We will sustain this momentum. They can look forward to even more help in the coming years. We will not just stop at the current Enabling Masterplan.

I have announced how we will help families cope with costs and affordability. However, I also know that caring for persons with disabilities is not just about cost and affordability. There are considerable social and emotional demands on caregivers. The Minister of State had earlier spoken about the role of the Centre for Enabled Living and how its case managers work alongside caregivers to give help and to support them.

Beyond that, there are also other areas that we can help, that we can play a part to allay caregivers' fears and concerns. This has to do with the long-term care planning for parents with disabilities. I believe Ms Denise Phua will agree with me that this is important because she chaired the 2006 Parents' Workgroup on Enhancing Financial Security for Parents with Disabilities. She understands fully the importance and the critical part of this aspect.

Sir, greater efforts will be made to provide respite care options and to enhance the legal and financial security framework. It is important that parents and caregivers plan early for the long-term care of their children. It will certainly give them peace of mind in later years. Let me just cite one example.

One such parent who now has that peace of mind is Jo Ann. Jo Ann has a 9-year-old daughter with multiple disabilities. It is rather unfortunate. But before signing on to the Special Needs Trust Company (SNTC), Jo Ann was searching for a saving scheme that allows her to prepare for her daughter's financial and caregiving needs in the future. Private trusts were far way too expensive and too costly for her. SNTC was thus a practical and affordable solution. Working closely with the SNTC case manager, Jo Ann developed a care plan for her daughter and projected the amount needed to set aside to provide for her daughter in future years. Jo Ann is now happy in knowing that SNTC will help her administer her savings, according to her wishes, when she is no longer around.

To encourage more parents and caregivers to start planning early and also to sign up with the Special Needs Trust Company, my Ministry will absorb the operating costs of SNTC so that fees can be more affordable. I believe that parents will welcome this move.

Some of the challenges which persons with disabilities face extend across multiple life stages. Therefore, we need to provide them the means to meet these challenges at every stage of their lives.

For some, the prospect of going to school or finding employment may seem daunting, if not for the assistive technology devices. Such devices can be helpful in enabling persons with disabilities to have greater independence and also access to education and employment opportunities. However, the devices can be costly and difficult to maintain. Currently, the Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) provides up to $10,000 per individual to purchase assistive technology devices. Our students with disabilities in mainstream schools and those in open employment have been benefiting from it.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked whether this amount can be further increased. I am happy to share with him the joy that his wish has been fulfilled. The Ministry will enhance the ATF to double its subsidy quantum form $10,000 to $20,000 per individual and we will also extend the Fund to students in Special Education schools. The new subsidy rate will take effect by July this year.

The ATF started in 2003. Since then, many have benefited from it, including Jin Zhu. Sir, I would like to cite Jin Zhu's case as an example to illustrate how the ATF has made a difference to people who are born with a special disability. Jin Zhu has been suffering from muscular dystrophy from young. This causes her muscles to weaken over time and has greatly affected her mobility. Owing to her condition, Jin Zhu often finds it hard to manually copy notes and write her school assignments. Yet, this has not deterred the young and eager student from Sembawang Secondary School. Through the ATF, Jin Zhu has acquired both a wheelchair to help her get around and a laptop to take notes in class and do research for her projects and studies. With the right help, Jin Zhu is now more independent than before. However, the total cost of her equipment is a hefty sum, almost exceeding the existing maximum quantum of $10,000. With the enhancement of the ATF subsidies, this will help people like her better cope with the difficulties going forward.

Now, allow me to touch on another aspect, that is, transportation. Transportation is another important enabler for persons with disabilities. It gives them the opportunity and the confidence to be independent. We have made much progress over the past few years in terms of barrier-free public transport. LTA will continue to enhance the accessibility of our public transport system. We will also improve access to specialised transport for those who are unable to take public transport.

The licence of the London Cabs will run until March 2013. MCYS, together with MOT and LTA, is currently developing a longer term solution. We are taking a two-pronged approach, involving both the people and private sectors. First, we will work with suitable VWOs to develop dedicated transport providers for those who need to access services regularly and on an ad hoc basis. Over time, we will also be providing targeted transport subsidies to help cushion the costs for those in the lower income group accessing our VWO services. Second, we will invite taxi operators to propose and operate a service that can accommodate different types of wheelchairs. More details will be announced later. We strive to work towards getting these vehicles on the road before the licences of London Cabs expire.

Sir, I have outlined the plans for the disability sector in the next five years as well as the more immediate measures that the Government has committed to. We will follow through on these measures closely. We are also studying the remaining recommendations of the Enabling Masterplan carefully and we will work on further implementation plans.

Ms Denise Phua asked how we will track and report this implementation. Following from the last Masterplan, we set up an inter-agency Standing Committee on Disability, which is chaired by my Permanent Secretary, who is the most senior civil servant in the Ministry. This is a high-level Committee and we set it up and make the Permanent Secretary the Chairman, to show our resolve, our commitment and also our determination to implement the Enabling Masterplan effectively. This Committee serves the role of working across the whole of Government to monitor and also to coordinate implementation of the new Masterplan.

In addition, the Committee will also work together with the National Council of Social Service, VWOs and CEL to enable the people sector to continue with its valuable contribution and to enable us to continue to hear the voices of persons with disabilities and also from their families. The Committee will also work with the Enabling Employers Network and the private sector to encourage employment and corporate social responsibility and philanthropy.

Sir, the new Enabling Masterplan is a progressive step towards strengthening our social compact. Yet, the Government has not taken and cannot take this step alone. Without the commitment of the people and the private sectors and persons with disabilities as well as their families, we cannot set out or hope to achieve these very ambitious plans.

Together, let us make this our Enabling Masterplan. Together, let us journey towards an inclusive society for all Singaporeans. What Laozi said 2,500 years ago when he made that single step of a thousand journey, I hope, collectively in Singapore, all of us can continue to work on this journey and complete it before the next 2,500 years.

Members, we have some time for clarification. Mr Ang Hin Kee.

Sir, I thank the Ministry for its three focuses on Hope, Heart and Home. The fourth focus that I would like to ask the Minister for some clarification is the focus on the Head. Why? Is there a concern that with the lowered threshold for social assistance, more people may abuse or stay permanently in the system? And if that is the case, what would be done to prevent this?

Mr Chairman, may I finish off the response from MCYS before I reply to the Member?

Please carry on.

I understand it has been a long two weeks and MCYS is the last Ministry. First, I would like to thank all Members for staying the journey with us. I know this is the end of a very long debate. I would like to thank you all for giving MCYS the most number of cuts. I applaud your endurance, especially many of you who have stayed throughout, and missed your lunch to listen to what we have. So, thank you very much to all of you.

Mr Chairman, let me begin on the second part of my answer and I will come to Mr Ang Hin Kee's question. First, Mr Chairman, when we began the debate on MCYS' budget, we noted that it is challenging but it is important to build an inclusive society of Hope, Heart and Home. Within the Government, this is something that cuts across different areas. Beyond the Government, we need a whole-of-society response. Overall, we need the positive involvement of all Singaporeans and active partnerships among the public, private and people sectors.

For MCYS, we have two key thrusts to our response – strengthening our social safety nets and developing our social service sector. Let me now also briefly cover how our Ministry's work in the areas of sports and youth development fit into our overall plans.

Sports can serve as a key strategy for us to thrive in the new socio-economic landscape, and to foster an inclusive society. It nurtures healthy bodies and minds, shapes values, and builds character and resilience. Sports can also bond our diverse communities and ignite the passion and unity of our citizens. These are positives that will serve us well in the new landscape. This is especially important as we go forward in the next phase of our development where we will have greater diversity amongst our people.

Mr Nicholas Fang has rightly pointed out that developing a sporting culture requires much more than increasing sporting facilities. Seven months ago, I convened the Vision 2030 Committee to chart our future direction for sports development in Singapore. The private, people and public sector members, in turn, consulted some 2,500 people from all walks of life. Many Singaporeans – including youths, parents, seniors, working adults and students – spoke passionately and gave their ideas. We started this process by asking ourselves that beyond seeing sports as the end, what could sports do for the individual, the community and our nation. We asked people and we consulted them – not just people from the traditional sporting fraternity, but we also wanted to reach out to people who are not, perhaps, as active in the sports fraternity.

The Vision 2030 Committee released its preliminary report last month. The wide-ranging recommendations centred on three key themes: First, creating more opportunities for Singaporeans to engage in sports throughout our life cycles. Second, promoting access through a more inclusive approach to sports facilities and capitalising on the power of sports-based social activism. Third, building capabilities to support growth in the quantity and quality of sports programmes.

Many of the Committee's proposals support one or more of these themes. These include:

Regional Super Sports Clubs and Corporate Leagues to bring more sports programmes to the community and the workplace. The Super Sports Clubs will be a home-base for families and community to gather for sports and recreation. They will provide affordable programming and coaching for all skill levels and age groups, including fundamental movement skills for young children and modified sports for seniors. The Clubs will also welcome corporate sports teams to participate in Corporate Leagues. The pilot concept for the Super Sports Clubs will be implemented later this year;

A Sports Pathway Committee to coordinate sporting opportunities for youth, both in and outside schools, and to involve them not just as athletes, but also in other roles such as coaches and officials;

A rich sports event calendar with enhanced spectator experience to build interest in sports and add vibrancy to Singapore;

Connecting Team Singapore athletes with the public so as to strengthen support for them, and to inspire wider sports participation;

A coaching academy to produce coaches who can cater to the needs of people of different ages and sporting abilities; and

A SportCares Movement and a Sports Volunteer Framework, to encourage the public and businesses to contribute to the sports scene. The SportCares Movement aims to inculcate stronger social values among Singaporeans through sport. It will provide opportunities to include the vulnerable segments of our society in sports. It will also serve as a platform for businesses to use sports for corporate social responsibility and branding. The Movement will facilitate individual donations and sports volunteerism as well.

The Committee also proposes to engage the corporate sector to deepen their involvement in sports through innovative ways. Sports can be leveraged upon as a company's branding and marketing efforts. Or it could be part of a company's corporate social responsibility – giving back to society through sports. It could also deploy its younger members for leadership and team development with the National Sports Associations (NSAs). Corporates can take up representation at national and community platforms. They can bring their expertise to the table while developing their employees.

On this point, I would like to respond to Mr Nicholas Fang's suggestion that, indeed, we fully agree with them that we have to professionalise our NSAs. In order to involve more people into sports, I think we will have to look at new ways to bring in new expertise into the National Sports Associations, beyond the traditional pool of ex-athletes. We can get the corporate people inside; we can get the community partners inside. It is only when everybody gets involved in helping out the National Sports Associations, then we would have strong National Sports Associations. Only with strong National Sports Associations, would we have the strong supporting structures and organisations to give our athletes – be they recreational athletes or competitive athletes – the best chance to perform on the world's stage or in the community.

And we want to do justice to our athletes. Indeed, over the last seven days, I have met up with 40 National Sports Associations' Presidents and Chairmen to share with them some of the good practices that we would like to encourage all our NSAs to do. At the same time, we also want to encourage our better, bigger NSAs to play a leading role to guide the smaller and less developed NSAs. Only together in this process that goes beyond trying to just win medals, we also help to build an inclusive society to help each other out and allow more people to join sports for its sake and to enjoy it in the process.

But, Sir, Vision 2030 is an ongoing conversation. I would like to invite all Singaporeans to continue to share your feedback on the recommendations so that we can fine-tune them. It is a long-term vision, and we did not set out just to achieve "x" number of goals in the next number of years, but we want to see a fundamental change to the way we approach sports. It will take us a generation to do so, but we need to get the fundamentals right.

Sir, I will now touch on young Singaporeans, who are our hope for the future. They are one group who have tremendous potential to contribute to an inclusive society. I have met many inspired and committed youths – students, youth organisation leaders, social service professionals, volunteers and many more. They are full of passion, energy and ideas. They not only believe in but also actively contribute towards this vision of inclusiveness.

We are committed to supporting our youth in realising their full potential through diverse paths. An inclusive society, after all, is one that accommodates different voices and opinions. It also provides opportunities for people with different strengths and talents to strive, to excel and to contribute.

Nurturing young leaders who are committed to building an inclusive Singapore is one of the key goals of the National Youth Council (NYC). Mr Alex Yam asked how NYC's role is evolving in today's dynamically changing youth landscape.

Our youth today are more educated and better travelled. With advances in technology, they can quickly access information online and form networks with people who share similar views and interests. There are also many competing demands on their time and attention. To effectively engage our youth, we will have to evolve our approach to keep pace with these trends. We will need to adapt to the changing youth environment and embrace new technologies to our advantage. This is a work in progress for the NYC. It aims to be an enabler, to build a strong and vibrant ecosystem of our youth sector organisations.

Going forward, the National Youth Council will strengthen its role as a connector and an enabler. Through partnerships with people, public and private youth sector organisations (YSOs), the NYC will work together to build a dynamic community of youth interest groups. In the process, it will also identify and nurture a committed core of youth leaders. We look to this group of youth leaders to reach out to their peers to increase the social capital of Singaporean youth and to foster an active and caring youth. We would like to encourage many more ground-up initiatives amongst the youth to come forward. NYC will partner you, hand-hold, groom you and support you in whatever ways we can.

We will also step up our engagement efforts to facilitate greater youth advocacy, to allow young people's voices to be heard. Schooling youth will have more opportunities to learn about the policy making process, and to contribute on issues concerning them. We will grow a community of youth representatives in their 20s and 30s from the people and private sectors. They will represent youth on national and community issues, and champion youth causes. We will enable them to develop a well-rounded understanding of national imperatives and policies, as well as community issues and needs. I will share more details in the coming months.

But, Sir, why am I so focused on building this community of youth leaders? It is because they will be the leaders of Singapore, going forward. We need to give them the best shot that they can have, to lend them our shoulders for them to stand taller and see further, so that they would take Singapore on the next lap to even greater heights.

Sir, my MCYS colleagues and I have outlined the Ministry's plans to contribute towards building an inclusive society of Hope, Heart and Home for Singapore. Not alone. Not just amongst Government agencies. But through active 3P partnerships which were the originators of these plans, and which will now serve as the basis for their implementation. And with the involvement of all Singaporeans.

Inclusiveness is not just about Government putting in more resources. Neither is it just a matter of new programmes. As several Members have reminded us, inclusiveness is more of a mindset and a value system. It is also about the wider community and its attitude towards the less able and those in need, or simply those who are different.

I cannot agree more with this point. The Enabling Masterplan which the Senior Parliamentary Secretary has just spoken about will not work if employers do not give persons with disability a chance. The plans which my Minister of State had shared on community and home-based eldercare will not get past the starting line if all Singaporeans say "good idea, but not in my backyard".

On this note, I agree with Mr Laurence Lien on the important role played by civil society – in outreaching and identifying those in need, in developing local and innovative solutions, in taking ownership over issues which their communities face.

We welcome the efforts of VWOs and everyday Singaporeans to make Singapore more inclusive. We are confident that they can – and will – do more, working hand-in-hand with Government as partners and co-creators. I draw this conclusion from the many caring social service professionals and volunteers whom I have had the privilege to meet over the last 10 months when I joined MCYS. From the organisations – in both the private and people sectors – that have visited, I have seen tremendous energy and passion. And from the ordinary Singaporeans who spoke up for our elderly during the recent public discussions on locating eldercare centres at HDB void decks. There is hope for us because I feel and I sense our community is increasingly more sensitive to the needs of the people around us, and they are willing to stand forward and put in their efforts to make a difference.

At a more macro level, as Mr Lien would be familiar, our volunteerism rates have increased over the years, surpassing the 20% mark for the first time in 2010. Tax deductible donations have almost tripled in the past decade from $325 million in 2000 to almost $900 million in 2011. Having said that, we are never complacent, and we hope we will do more and do better for those in need. And to encourage people to come forward to join in our efforts to build the inclusive society that we all want. We should build on this, and my Ministry will continue to develop the giving and volunteerism landscape. The Ministry intends to engage the people and private sectors for more ideas to grow a stronger giving culture.

Mr Seah Kian Peng suggested raising the tax benefits for donations from 250% to 300%. What we provide today is quite generous by international standards. In some areas, the Government also provides matching of donations on top of the tax benefits, to encourage giving to targeted causes. MCYS and MOF will continue to work together to see how else we can encourage greater charitable giving in Singapore.

Beyond monetary giving alone, I also share Mr Lien's view that every person has something to contribute to the community. Persons we seek to help also have strengths we can encourage, nurture and leverage. Asset-based community development is a good idea. I hope to see it being deployed in more of our programmes.

I will just share an example of the Lions' Befriender Programme. They wanted to befriend the many elderly amongst us. They knew that the number of elderly will grow; the number of young will shrink. They thought for a long time: how can they overcome this problem? Eventually, they came up with a very simple solution, on hindsight. It is not just the young that can befriend the elderly; the elderly, they themselves, can befriend many elderly, giving these elderly a new sense of purpose, a new sense of mission. And that is perhaps what is called "ageing with a purpose". The elderly and the needy need not always be people whom we just give help to. They, too, can provide us help. They, too, can show us a few things once in a while.

In what we do and how we do, MCYS hopes to nurture social capital. We will continue to facilitate and encourage such efforts as they play a critical part in building our caring community.

Let me now conclude by recapping my Ministry's plans. First, we will support the effort to strengthen the Hope of Singaporeans and their children. Hope to share in the fruits of an inclusive society and to do better, and to be able to get back on their feet with some help during periods of difficulty, such as an economic downturn. The Ministry will strengthen our social safety net. This means extending support to more Singaporeans who need a boost to keep Hope in sight. It also means better outreach and more effective delivery of help.

Next, we will carry out our work in a way that preserves the community activism and self-help that exemplifies the Heart of an Inclusive Society. The VWOs will remain central to our social service sector. We will work with them to build capability for the future. In delivering help to the needy and vulnerable, we will not just address their material needs, but also nurture their hearts – to strive to do better for themselves and their families. Our ultimate goal is to see those who have received help giving back, coming back to contribute, with an appreciative and compassionate heart, to help others just as they have been helped.

Finally, Sir, we seek to strengthen our social compact on the basis of a strong sense of responsibility to our families, our community and our country. And continue to work towards the vision of an inclusive society. Whether we are rich or poor, young or old, able-bodied or disabled, we will feel a deep sense of belonging to this place we call Home. Ultimately, Sir, schemes, policies do not make for an inclusive society. We do.

On that note, may I take Mr Ang Hin Kee's question on what if and how do we prevent abuses to the system that we have since liberalised to allow us to reach out to touch more people. Indeed, Sir, in all our schemes and all that we do, there will always be two types of issues that may concern us, what I sometimes call the false positive and sometimes call the false negative. False positives are sometimes cases where people may try to abuse the system, find ways to go round the system. But I believe this is a small problem that we can manage and the way we manage this will depend very much on the people working on the ground, making the ground assessments. I always tell my Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) helpers that they are the first line of defence, that when someone comes to them, they are like the sinseh feeling the pulse of the person. They have to, based on the evidences available, make the best judgement and make a call to recommend to me whether that person really is deserving of help. Once in a while, there will be a false positive where someone for various reasons tries to beat the system. We will try to manage that. I am concerned about that, but yet on the other hand, I am concerned more about what I call the false negative. The false negative represents the people who really need help, but for some reasons are unable to, or do not know where to go and get help.

In my weekly Walk-the-Block sessions – and I do it twice a week – we will always go round to look out for these people. Who are these people that are staying in the 1-room flat, 2-room flats and 3-room flats? Many of them do not even know how to apply for a bursary for their children in school. We want to reach out to these people. The elderly staying in the 1-room flat that does not speak English, does not speak Mandarin will not have a chance to read the newspaper, listen to the radio or watch the TV programmes and do not know all the wonderful schemes that we may have to help them. These are the people that we need to reach out to. We cannot do this alone just based on policies. We need to work with our community partners, the grassroots organisations, the grassroots leaders who go forth, to each and everyone, knock on the door to see who are the people that really, really need help. And for us to translate that help to them, be it in dialect, in whatever language that we need to reach out to them. It is not an easy effort. It is something that we have to do labouriously.

Recently, I have begun to meet up with all the Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCC) Chairmen on a regular basis, to share with them how we want to reach out to the community using their resources, using their network. They are enthusiastic. We hope to do more, but I know for a fact that there are many, many more people that may really not know where the help may be. And we certainly want to partner all the Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs), the grassroots organisations, to do more.

Sir, nothing pains me more in my last 10 months as the Minister for MCYS than when a newspaper article comes out and says that so and so, a person, died in the house because nobody knew that he or she has passed away – and they only found out when the smell of a rotting body filtered through the windows and the doors, and the neighbours reported it. I think we can do more, I think we can do better because this will never happen in a kampong. This will never happen when we know our neighbours well, check on them to see whether they are in need of help or not. It is our onus as a society, as one that we say wants to be inclusive, for us to go forth and reach out to everyone. So, yes, there will be cases where some people might circumvent the rules, the "false positive" – but there will be many more cases that we must have a compassionate heart for – the "false negative", who really need help but may not be reached out at this point in time. I would urge all Members to work with the Ministry, to work with the FSCs, to work with the VWOs for us together to reach out to these people who are our fellow Singaporeans, and only in that way will we build an inclusive and compassionate society. Like I said, schemes and policies do not make for an inclusive society, our people do.

Mr Chairman, MCYS has announced several initiatives on community-based healthcare options for the elderly. How can we be assured that such services are offered in an affordable manner for the seniors and their families, including the middle income?

And one other clarification, Sir, in the area of sports, financial support and resources are very tight. What can the Ministry do to promote a strong culture of sports philanthropy in Singapore? I believe this is essential to uplift our games and sports excellence for our sportsmen.

Sir, as we expand the community-based eldercare options and services, we are mindful that one key issue will be the affordability and accessibility to the elderly and their families. This is why we have introduced the subsidies and enhancements which I had mentioned earlier. With these changes, more Singaporeans will benefit because the qualifying per capita monthly income will rise from $1,400 to $2,200. Elderly persons from larger households will also benefit from a new per capita household income criteria. Those who qualify will also receive more. Subsidies will be raised by as much as 80%, with the middle income groups seeing the highest increase. In addition, the Government will absorb the GST applied on eldercare services for all subsidised clients. Allow me just to illustrate with an example. Mr Abdul Kadir attends the NTUC eldercare programme at Silver Circle (Punggol South). He is currently staying with his daughter Mdm Safiah in a 3-room flat in Ang Mo Kio. Under the current subsidy framework, he receives $195 of means tested subsidy a month. Under the enhanced subsidy framework, he will now receive $450 per month. We will continue to be mindful of the affordability and look into issues such as the efficiency and productivity.

Mr David Ong also asked about sports philanthropy. Indeed, Sir, I am very mindful that as we go forth into the next decade, many of our social needs will be competing for the finite budget that we have in this country. For us to do more for sports, we will need to go beyond just Government funding. We will have to look at new and innovative ways to get more corporates, private organisations and the people sector to be involved in sports. Other countries have a very mature sports philanthropy ecosystem, and they have also very innovative ways to attract corporate sponsorship for sports.

Traditionally, our sports scene has tended to try to attract people into sports giving by using part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) budget but we think that sports can go beyond CSR. Sports need not just be a charity that we give to with excess money that we have. Sports can be a way to help brand a company. Some of these more established companies that have done this very successfully are, for example, Standard Chartered and OCBC. The StanChart Marathon now into the 10th year is extremely successful. They grew from 6,000 in the first year to 60,000. Today, on the off-day when you see someone wearing a blue T-shirt running around, chances are that it reminds you that this person is a StanChart Marathon participant in one of their categories. Today, if you are cycling around town, the first thing that comes to mind is OCBC. This company has very successfully used sports to brand themselves.

Can we do more? Yes, I think we can. Other countries have even more innovative ideas whereby they partner with the corporates to name sports facilities, to do merchandising, to promote, to use sports personalities as spokespersons for their product. There are many, many of these ideas that we can look into and that we can explore. So there are many ideas that we want to do. But at the end of the day, as I was sharing with the National Sports Associations over the last week, in order for sports community to attract corporate funding into the sports scene, we must make sure that our sports associations are run in tip-top condition. Only then will you give people confidence that we can make good use of the funds available and that it would be a long lasting partnership.

We want to break out of this catch-22 situation today whereby the corporates are hesitant to give long-term funding for the sports group because they do not have a long-term plan. Yet without long-term funding, they are unable to develop a sports plan. What SSC is going to do is to handhold some of the smaller NSAs – the bigger ones are okay – to develop their long-term plan, to help them organise themselves better, so that they can inspire confidence amongst corporate Singapore to come in and partner sporting Singapore for a win-win situation. So, certainly, we would like to do more and I hope every Member in the House will also join us in this endeavour for us to do more.

Thank you, Mr Chairman. I am glad the Acting Minister emphasised inclusiveness as MCYS' theme. I have two questions relating to his reply on my cut. He mentioned that there are 240 centres that are KiFAS-approved. I like to know whether there are any non-PCF centres included in the list. The second question is that he said that KiFAS is targeted at lower income families. It is a child and family specific scheme and not centre-specific. I understand, so is CFAC which is for childcare and we have KiFAS which is for kindergarten. But I understand CFAC is inclusive; all operators included, including private centres are eligible. But KiFAS is exclusive; so far only to one organisation. I am sorry I do not understand the Acting Minister's explanation and I do not understand the reasons behind KiFAS' very onerous criteria.

Mr Chairman, Sir, in response to Mr Yee Jenn Jong's clarification, let me just say that the current criteria for all the centres – there is a set of criteria, we do not specify which operator can or cannot come in. So long as an operator meets the criteria, we will allow them to go onto the scheme. So I do not preclude anybody else from coming onto the scheme so long as they meet the criteria, and I trust that the criteria are put in place to safeguard the balance of considerations for the use of public funds in all subsidies. At the same time, to make sure that there is a certain quality of education available for the children. So I do not, for one, prescribe that there will only be one. So long as anybody meets the criteria, we welcome them to join the sector and provide affordable and quality services to the children that they want to serve.

Mr Chairman, the Ministry has announced plans to improve the delivery of social assistance in the CDCs and this will probably require CDC officers to be better equipped. What are the plans of the Ministry to better equip such officers in the new roles?

Mr Chairman, I thank Dr Intan for the question. Basically, we intend to do a few things. For the CDC officers, in order to enhance the social assistance officers' capabilities and skills, we will have a training programme for them so that they can enhance their capabilities and skills in a very structured manner.

Secondly, what we will do is also to have a scheme where the more senior social assistance officers also mentor and coach them so that there is a transferral of skills and capabilities, not just in structured form or programme, but also on the job. But what we intend to do is that we intend to expand, strengthen existing platforms of co-operation between CDCs, FSCs as well as other groups particularly in handling very complex cases, where there could be case conferences in order that the case would be better managed, not necessarily individual cases but in a more case management approach. Those are the measures we intend to roll out in order to ensure that we enhance the capabilities of our social assistance officers employed by CDCs and also in order to ensure a better, more effective case management system.

Mr Chairman, would you allow me to clarify a few points?

If you make it fast.

Three short clarifications. First is regarding problem gambling. The Minister mentioned that he will be looking into introducing some circuit breakers and widening the exclusion clauses. I recognise that he says he needs some time as he awaits the results of his findings. I hope we could put some urgency to this. Put a timeline to it because, obviously, it is beyond just saving for an individual. It is his whole household as well.

Second clarification. I applaud the efforts towards simplifying the various publicity materials and also improving access. As he pointed out earlier, many of the people that we are trying to reach out to, the people who need help are people may be dialect speaking or speaking in languages other than English. Sir, I hope that as he resources this ComCare hotline, this would be taken into account, that the people manning the hotline are those conversant in Chinese, Tamil, Malay and dialects.

My third clarification is just a request. I look forward to the 40 integrated day facilities, which will be introduced in 2016, as announced by the Minister of State Halimah Yacob. Braddell Heights would be very keen to have one. I have a good location for this facility.

Mr Chairman, first, let me thank Mr Seah Kian Peng for the clarifications. Yes, indeed we share with the Member the concern for not just the problem gamblers but, as the Member has rightly put it, when a person gets into problem gambling, it is not only his life that may be affected but at the same time, his family and the many people around him. Where we can, we will want to take preventive measures to help the person before he gets into that situation.

On the issue of the circuit breakers, we are exploring various models and best practices from other countries, including the casinos in Holland, Australia – Crown Casino, and so forth. I must say that in whatever we do, I would need the support of this House and the public, because there is huge debate as to whether we should extend third party exclusion based on the degree of financial vulnerability of the person involved. On one side, we have people who support us and say that "Yes! These are necessary and preventive steps to do." On the other side, we have people who have also given feedback to us and asked if we are overly draconian in the way we apply this. So we want to make sure that whatever we do, we have the public's support.

Just as important as the public's support for this – and we will be consulting the public on various of these measures – is what I mentioned yesterday in response to Er Lee Bee Wah's questions. We need ownership. We can do all these third party exclusions and so on, but if the individual does not have the sense of ownership, then that individual will find all sorts of ways to bypass the orders. Even if he or she cannot get into the casino, he or she will find some other ways to gamble. In this whole process, if they do not go into the casino but if they end up gambling in some other forms which may be even more addictive, that will create another set of problems that we have to manage.

So, in dealing with this, we indeed want to come out with the ideas and the circuit breakers as soon as possible. Within my means, I think we can start with some of the schemes under ComCare. If you are already financial vulnerable, we will strongly advise you to take up the self-exclusion order to protect yourself and to protect your families.

We agree with you on the second point and indeed, that has already been done for the ComCare helplines, that they must not only have people that can speak in Queen's English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil but they must have a variety of people that can speak the various dialects because many of these people are elderly people. When they come and seek help, they do not necessarily have the language skills.

And that number 1800-222-0000 represents a one stop helpline that we would encourage everybody to remember and to disseminate, because we do not want people to try and figure out what schemes they can qualify before they come to the CDC, the MPS or the FSCs to seek help. If you think they need help, we want them to come and talk to the social assistance staff, talk to the social workers. And we will make a holistic assessment. Help need not just be financial. Help may also be counselling. Help may also be a bit of handholding. Help may also be a bit of role modelling. And beyond the professional social worker, this is where I want to make an appeal to people who have succeeded in life to come forth and lend a helping hand. Because more than the money that is given to help the individual, I think very often, we need individuals that can come forth, spend time with the individual or the family, to handhold that person and guide them through the process.

I always have this dream. If the top 1% of all Singaporeans in terms of financial achievement and what not, come forth and handhold the last 1%, I think we would have gone a great way for being a more inclusive society. Finally, yes, we hear the Member about Braddell Heights being a good location for one of the 40 integrated daycare facilities. I am quite sure I will have 39 more bids once I go out to take my lunch later and we will consider your requests seriously. I need 87. We will get there.

Any other clarifications? Ms Denise Phua, you have the honour of taking the last clarification, if you make the clarification fast.

Sir, I thank the Minister for the $1 billion budget for the disability sector over the next five years. I want to ask if the Minister would consider incorporating key disability group representatives into the high-level inter agency Standing Committee that is tasked to follow up, track and report on the implementations that are accepted in the Disability Master Plan. The Plan lasts for five years. Many things can happen and it is quite important that the Standing Committee does not just include top level civil servants or Government related groups. Second clarification is beyond –

Please leave the Minister some time to answer.

Beyond per capita income criteria, would the Minister consider tiered funding? I am speaking on behalf of those who are more severely disabled – tiered funding for day activity centres (DACs) that serve the more severely disabled. The costs of these can go up to $2,000 per month. I think the funding criteria have to go beyond just the per capita income criteria currently implemented.

Minister, very quickly, please.

Mr Chairman, the answer to the first question is "Yes, definitely!" because even the development of the current Enabling Masterplan is not just a group of able-bodied people, high level servants, but it involves people from all walks of life. We certainly want to hear the ideas and involve those in the disabled group, and other people that they are trying to help, to get them involved in the implementation.

On the second clarification, the way we approach this is that we do have certain guidelines, but these guidelines are guidelines. When there are deserving cases that do not fit into any of our definitions, and if the person is deserving of help, let us all together find a means to help these people. This is not a bureaucratic process. We are not dealing with bureaucracy. We are dealing with real people with real needs. So long as the person has a need, we will assess it holistically. My promise to everyone in the House is that, even if the cases do not fit the guidelines, we will find some ways and means to help the persons involved, and that must be the approach that we take for everything that we do in this sector.

I want to thank the Ministers Mr Chan Chun Sing, Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Senior Minister of State Mr Heng Chee How, Minister of State Mdm Halimah Yacob and also Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr Sam Tan for their comprehensive replies and clarifications. On behalf of the House, our thanks also go to the Permanent Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, and all the hardworking staff at the Ministry and the various social and committee organisations.

Given the slew of initiatives and improvements as announced, I am very confident that we have made a giant step forward in making our society a more inclusive one. On that note, it is with great pleasure and honour to beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $1,942,920,500 for Head I ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $187,194,600 for Head I ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.

I shall now deal with the remaining heads of expenditure in respect of which no amendment stands on the Order Paper Supplement. In respect of the Main Estimates, they are Heads B, C, D, E, F, G and Z. I propose to take those heads of expenditure en bloc.

Question, "That the sums stated for Heads B, C, D, E, F, G and Z which appear in the last column of the Schedule of Estimated Expenditure under the Main Estimates on page 6 of Paper Cmd 2 of 2012 stand part of the Main Estimates," put and agreed to.

In respect of the Development Estimates, they are Heads B, C, D, E and F.

Question, "That the sums stated for Heads B, C, D, E and F which appear in the last column of the Schedule of Estimated Expenditure under the Development Estimates on page 7 of Paper Cmd. 2 of 2012 stand part of the Development Estimates," put and agreed to.

Question, "That the sum of $58,030,938,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Main Estimates for the financial year 1 April, 2012 to 31 March, 2013, contained in Paper Cmd 2 of 2012," put and agreed to.

Question, "That the sum of $19,978,889,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Development Estimates for the financial year 1 April, 2012 to 31 March, 2013, contained in Paper Cmd 2 of 2012," put and agreed to.

Resolutions to be reported.

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

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply have come to certain resolutions.

First Resolution reported –

"That the sum of $58,030,938,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Main Estimates for the financial year 1 April, 2012 to 31 March, 2013, contained in Paper Cmd 2 of 2012."

Second Resolution reported –

"That the sum of $19,978,889,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Development Estimates for the financial year 1 April, 2012 to 31 March, 2013, contained in Paper Cmd 2 of 2012."

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions."

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolutions accordingly agreed to.

Order for Second and Third Readings read.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

In accordance with Article 148(1) of the Constitution, Heads of Expenditure to be met from the Consolidated Fund and Development Fund, other than statutory expenditure, have to be included in the Bill to be known as the Supply Bill. The purpose of the Supply Bill before Members is therefore to give legislative approval for the appropriations from the Consolidated Fund and Development Fund to meet the expenditure in the Financial Year, 1 April, 2012 to 31 March, 2013. The Heads of Expenditure and the sums that may be incurred in respect of each Head are shown in the Schedule to the Bill. These have been approved by the House in the Main and Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April, 2012 to 31 March, 2013, as contained in Paper Command No 2 of 2012.

The Supply Bill, when approved, will empower me to issue warrants authorising expenditure up to the amount for each Head as shown in the Bill to be paid out from the Consolidated Fund and Development Fund.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time."

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed.

Order for Second and Third Readings read.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The purpose of this Bill is to make provision in accordance with Articles 148(2) and 148C(2) of the Constitution for additional expenditure in excess of the provisions authorised by the Supply Act 2011. The additional sums have been presented as Supplementary Estimates, which have been considered and approved by the House as Command Paper No 3 of 2012.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time."

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed.

Order. I propose to take the break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair again at 3.10 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 2.50 pm until 3.10 pm.

Sitting resumed at 3.10 pm

Order for Second Reading read.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

"Lemon Laws" refer to consumer protection laws that provide remedies against goods with latent defects, also known as "lemons". These lemons usually fail to meet standards of quality and performance, even after repeated repairs, and such laws can be found in advanced countries such as the UK and EU, and typically obligate the retailers to repair, replace, or refund the price of defective goods.

In September 2008, MTI and Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), under its President Yeo Guat Kwang, jointly established a taskforce to determine if there was a need for such a law in Singapore and, if so, the appropriate scope and form they should take. The Taskforce comprised representatives from both consumer and business bodies to ensure a balanced view point.

Introducing Lemon Laws in Singapore will bring us in line with the standard of consumer protection in international jurisdictions and assure both locals and tourists that the products they buy are of good quality. It will encourage good business practices and favour good retailers, many of whom already have robust return policies. This will, in turn, raise the standing of the retail industry in Singapore.

The Taskforce found that the key features of lemon laws, as implemented in developed economies, were already present in Singapore's laws. However, there were some areas for improvement.

First, there is a lack of clarity on a consumer's period for exercising his rights. Currently, the consumer can reject defective goods and seek a refund, but he would lose his right to reject the goods if he does not do so within "a reasonable time". The law does not state explicitly what is considered "a reasonable time", and this is subject to determination by the courts. The law is also not clear on who has the burden of proof.

Second, our existing laws provide a limited range of recourse. Consumers are only entitled to reject goods that are not of satisfactory quality and obtain a refund. Thus, the Taskforce recommended making express provisions for repair and replacement to allow consumers, retailers and the courts additional options to resolve defects that occur. CASE highlighted that such provisions would address the key problem of some retailers refusing to replace defective goods after multiple failed attempts to repair. Retailers also gave feedback that the inclusion of the options of repair and replacement would allow them more flexibility. Therefore, the proposed amendments seek to clarify timelines and burden of proof, and to expand and make more explicit the remedies available to both consumers and businesses.

Using the Taskforce's recommendations as a basis for the proposed amendments, we conducted a series of public consultations and focus group discussions from December 2010 to November 2011. In the process, we met with and heard from large and small retailers as well as sector-specific retailers such as the motor traders, and we thank the many who contributed their views and suggestions to the improvement of the Amendment Bill. We sought to weigh the various considerations from different perspectives, and arrive at a policy position that is in the interest of our country as a whole. We also recognised the need to balance greater consumer protection and impact on business costs.

Sir, let me now outline the main amendments. The new legislation will provide clearer rules on the burden of proof. If a consumer reports that the goods he purchased did not conform to the sale contract within six months of delivery, it is presumed that the non-conformity existed at the time of delivery, unless the retailer can prove otherwise. Non-conformity with contract is already defined under existing laws, such as the Sale of Goods Act, and includes situations where goods are not of satisfactory quality, or fit for the purpose it is purchased for.

This presumption will not apply if it is incompatible with the nature of the goods. For example, perishable goods would not be expected to last longer than their normal shelf life. And if the non-conformity is found after six months of delivery, it is for the consumer to prove that the non-conformity existed at the time of delivery. The same provision can also be found in EU and UK's lemon laws.

The new section 12C of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act provides that for goods that do not conform to the sale contract at the time of delivery, the consumer may require the retailer to repair or replace the goods. If the cost of the remedy demanded by the consumer is disproportionate in comparison, the retailer may offer one of the alternative remedies provided for in the legislation.

If both the repair and replacement remedies are not possible, or disproportionately costly to the retailer, or cannot be completed within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the consumer, the consumer may ask for a reduction in price or return the product for a refund. As per existing laws, the refunded amount may be reduced to take into account the use that the consumer had of the goods.

In terms of coverage, the Lemon Law will apply to all goods, which can range from general consumer products such as electronics and clothing to big-ticket items such as motorcycles and cars. Consumables and perishables are also covered. However, the "rebuttable presumption" that defects discovered within six months of delivery existed at the point of delivery will only apply up to the normal shelf life of the consumable or perishable.

Secondhand goods and vehicles are included in the proposed legislation as protection is likely to be most needed for such goods. This is also in line with Lemon Laws in overseas jurisdictions. However, the definition of "satisfactory quality" would take into account the goods' age at the time of delivery and the price paid. In other words, someone buying a 10-year-old car from a dealer could not reasonably expect it to be like a brand new car. However, he can expect it to perform in a manner that may be reasonably expected of a car of that mileage and model. If it does not do so, the consumer can seek remedies from the dealer.

Services are not covered as the remedies under the Lemon Law regime are tailored for goods, and are generally inappropriate for services. For example, it is impossible to return the service which has already been rendered.

Some businesses we consulted have asked if discounted products or sale items, with slight defects or limitations, can be excluded from the proposed law. Such goods are not specifically excluded, but any defects or limitations of these goods should be pointed out to the consumer before the transaction, and the retailer would not be held liable for these defects or limitations. When it is pointed out, it has to be very specific and to the point of the defect.

Retailers have also asked if goods can be excluded if they are sold "as is" or "as seen". Even under the existing law, the retailer cannot deny the consumer his rights to remedies by stipulating that the sale is "as is" or "as seen", except in the case of auctions or a competitive tender. As such, retailers cannot exclude the transaction from the Lemon Law, by simply displaying a notice saying, "we do not give refunds under any circumstances" or that "an item has been sold as it is". Therefore, retailers should be transparent at the point of sale, through appropriate labelling and disclaimers. For clarity, the retailer should document any defects and limitations on the sales contract, invoice or packaging.

Members of the public have also asked if properties and building defects are covered under the proposed law. There is already existing legislation governing the sale and purchase of new or uncompleted properties. Under the Housing Developers (Control & Licensing) Act and the Sale of Commercial Properties Act, the standard Sale and Purchase Agreement provides for a one-year defects liability period during which the developer is required to rectify any defects in the property, at the developer's own cost. Beyond the one-year defects liability period, purchasers can still take civil action against the developer for latent defects on grounds of negligence or breach of contract, within six years from the date that the damage arose, or three years from the date that the damage was discovered, and whichever is later. This covers HDB flats as well. In addition, HDB gives flat buyers an extended warranty for the protection of the flat against building defects.

Therefore, as properties and building defects are covered by other existing legislation, the Lemon Law does not cover them. In most jurisdictions, the laws governing properties and goods are also kept separate as they are very different in nature. For example, the broader range of remedies under our proposed "Lemon Law", such as replacement, would not be applicable for property.

We have also received feedback requesting that the law be more specific, for example, by defining precisely what constitutes a defect and specifying the number of repairs before a consumer is entitled to a replacement. Because we want the law to be more comprehensive in coverage, and given the diverse range of goods in the market, it will not be possible to define specific terms for all goods and all circumstances. The law, as currently drafted, provides flexibility and not prescriptive for both retailer and consumer to work out a mutually acceptable arrangement.

Nonetheless, there are certain guidelines on how the courts will apply the law. The Sale of Goods Act provides guidance on what constitutes non-conformity with a sale contract. Also, as the intent of the law is to cover latent defects in goods, the consumer will not be able to seek recourse for wear and tear due to usage of the goods.

On replacement and refunds, the replacement should conform to the contract, that is, of the quality, make, model, and condition that are expected. The replacement offered to the consumer could take into account wear and tear due to usage by the consumer and need not always be new. The consumer could weigh the options between accepting, for example, a relatively new set, versus asking for other remedies such as a reduction in price, or returning the product for a refund.

With these provisions in place, consumers will now enjoy more recourse for defective goods. However, reflecting the balanced position, retailers also enjoy safeguards against frivolous claims. First, a retailer may offer an alternative if the remedy requested by the consumer is disproportionately costly, so long as his proposed remedy does not cause significant inconvenience to the consumer. A consumer must also give the retailer a reasonable time to comply with the requested remedy, such as repair or replacement, before seeking an alternative remedy such as refund or reduction in price.

Second, consumers are not entitled to a remedy if they damaged the item, misused it and caused the fault, or tried to repair it themselves, or had someone else try to repair it, resulting in damage to the item. The remedies are also not available if the consumer knew about the fault before they bought the goods, or if they simply changed their mind and no longer wanted the item.

The new law will also not remove the existing remedies available to both businesses and consumers, such as product guarantees or warranties, retailers' own return policies and other remedies available under existing legislation, such as the Sale of Goods Act and the common law.

Sir, I will now move on to the consequential amendments.

The new sections 6 to 6G of the Hire Purchase Act (HPA) will update the implied terms in the HPA to be consistent with those in the Sale of Goods Act and Supply of Goods Act. This will allow consumers who made a hire purchase to rely on a breach of these implied terms, such as the implied term of satisfactory quality, to trigger the new provisions under the Lemon Law.

In addition, the HPA's existing jurisdiction cap of $20,000 for consumer goods and $55,000, excluding COE, for motor vehicles shall not apply to these updated implied terms. This will allow consumers to utilise the new provisions under the Lemon Law, even if the values of their hire purchase goods or vehicles exceed this cap. Therefore, a consumer who bought a $30,000 home theatre system on hire purchase will now be able to seek remedies under the new Lemon Law if it contained inherent defects or quality issues.

As requested during our consultation with the industry, in order to help motor traders defray costs and encourage them to offer replacements for lemon vehicles, MOT and LTA have proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Act. The amendments allow rules to be made for the transfer of Additional Registration Fee (ARF) and the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) from a defective vehicle to a replacement vehicle if the defective vehicle meets two criteria: First, the defect occurs within one year of the vehicle's registration in Singapore, or within 20,000 kilometres of the vehicle's mileage, whichever is earlier; and, second, at least three attempts have been made to repair the defect, or at least one attempt if the defect is safety-related, within one year from the date the defect is reported.

This transfer will also be subject to certain conditions, which include the disposal of the defective vehicle within a month of its replacement. To illustrate, take for example, a six-month old car that continues to have faulty brakes after a dealer has attempted to repair. The retailer need not pay for the additional set of ARF and COE for the replacement car that he offers to the consumer.

In conclusion, Sir, the proposed amendments in this Bill will make the existing consumer protection framework more robust. In drafting the Bill, we have taken great care to ensure that it is both pro-consumer and business-friendly.

To allow industry time to adjust, the amendments are proposed to come into effect only on 1 September 2012, approximately six months from now. My Ministry is already working with CASE and the Trade Associations to develop consumer guides and business advisories to provide greater clarity to both consumers and businesses. And these guides will highlight best practices and various claim scenarios have been issued to several Trade Associations. CASE will also commence a Lemon Law education campaign from April this year to better educate consumers on their rights in such situations. Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Mr Speaker, allow me to declare my interest in speaking on this topic as the Vice-President of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).

Sir, I am not sure whether there are any Members of this House who had previously bought goods which were defective and could not be repaired after multiple attempts. Unfortunately, I had. About five years ago, I bought a mobile phone from a reputable telephone communication company. Barely a week after I bought the phone, it simply shut down without notice. So for that day, I thought I had such a peaceful day with no phone calls. But the reality was that I could not be contacted because the phone was turned off. In computer language, the phone simply hanged. Not just once but it occurred a few more times during that week. Most of us would agree that a phone which keeps switching itself off is not reliable. If you do not believe me, you can check your phone and see whether it is on or not. I brought the phone to the service centre for repair. On the first occasion, the service centre told me that the phone needed a software upgrade. The service staff also told me that the phone had to be retained for the software upgrade and asked me to come back three days later to collect the repaired phone. No replacement phone was given. I asked the staff, "What do I do, no phone?" The reply, "Well, that's your own problem."

However, after the software upgrade was given, the problem was not resolved and the phone continued with its erratic behaviour of switching off as and when it felt like it. On the second and third occasions when I brought the phone back to the service centre, they told me that the phone had a software bug which had to be cleared. Each time I brought the phone to the service centre, I wasted time travelling to the service centre, and then I spent one-and-a-half to two hours waiting for the service staff to attend to me. This was five years ago.

Sir, last month, because my telephone line contract was due for renewal, I bought a new smart phone. Unfortunately, like the previous one, five years ago, this phone also hanged repeatedly. The first time I went to the service centre, there were 25 persons waiting in the queue, just to take a number. Another 15 persons were waiting for their turn for the service staff to attend to them. I gave up waiting.

Last Monday, I went to the service centre early in the morning and this time, the service staff told me that it was a software problem. They removed all the data in the smart phone and told me that they had cleared the bug in the phone. Since Monday, the phone had shut down by itself five times. So, currently, I am back to using my old phone.

Sir, when something like that happens to you, it is extremely unproductive and very frustrating. First, it was such a waste of time sending the phone for repair again and again. Secondly, it was very irritating that a brand new phone could malfunction in such a manner. I hope that Members of this House do not see me as simply complaining. I share my experience so that Members can appreciate the frustration and anger of a consumer who has bought a defective product or a "lemon".

I am not alone in this experience. Many consumers have complained that they had bought defective electrical or electronic products, or furniture, and they could not obtain any refund from the retailer. Some had even bought a motor car which broke down frequently – for example, the car could not start or stalled in the middle of the road. So can you imagine, you wake up in the morning, you go to your car, you are not sure whether your car will start or not. That is the kind of frustration that a motorist will feel if he bought a "lemon" car. Or the air-conditioner in the brand new car does not work.

For a person who had paid such high price for such a motor car which turned out to be unreliable, one can imagine how upset the motorist would be. Some consumers had also bought electrical products which could not be switched on. For example, you buy a rice cooker and after you turn it on, the rice does not cook. Or you buy a hair dryer and it cannot operate at all. Or we have instances of a consumer who bought a new set of furniture and when the furniture was delivered, the leather was mouldy, or it was peeling.

In 2010, the Consumers Association of Singapore received a total of 1,753 complaints about defective products. Three hundred and thirteen complaints relate to defective mobile phones, another 313 relate to electrical and electronic products and 451 relate to furniture. This was in 2010.

Last year, the number of complaints went up to 1,793 complaints with 301 complaints about defective phones; 338 complaints about defective electrical and electronic products and 137 complaints about defective motor cars. So, for Members' reference, I have put up the statistics to be flashed out on the screen [A slide was shown to hon Members].

Sir, there must be many more cases where the consumers chose not to complain to CASE or to pursue the matter further. For this reason, the Consumers Association of Singapore has been actively advocating for a change in the law to ensure that consumers in Singapore receive better protection whenever they buy a "lemon" product or a product which is defective and does not meet the expected standard of quality or performance. The consumer has paid good money for the product. They are entitled to expect that the product which they have paid for works well. If they have bought a "lemon", they should have the law on their side and expect that they can get an exchange for the defective product or a refund of the price.

The current proposed amendment to the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act would give consumers the right to require a retailer or the seller of the goods to repair or replace the good within a reasonable time and without causing insignificant inconvenience to the consumer. In certain situations, the consumer can also ask the retailer to refund the costs of the defective product or provide a reasonable rebate off the price of the defective goods.

Sir, the Bill also provides a presumption that the goods are defective from the time of delivery if the defects are found within six months of the delivery of the goods. Without this law, consumers will have to prove that the defective goods are in breach of expressed terms of contract or they are not of satisfactory quality. The remedy for such a breach is usually to reject the goods and seek refund only, and the consumer must also reject such goods within a reasonable time.

Sir, this law by itself is far better for the consumers. This law will give consumers and tourists alike the confidence that there are appropriate laws protecting consumers who have bought defective products. Some retailers or sellers have expressed that this law may be abused by customers who seek refunds after they have used the product. For example, some retailers have said: "Well, after you have bought the product, you use it. And, after you have used it, you do not want it anymore. You claim that it is a 'lemon' and you return it."

Sir, the feedback from established retailers who have a "money back guarantee" return policy has suggested that such abuses are not frequent. In fact, one established retailer has told me that it is far better to give a refund or exchange than to be bogged down with an unhappy customer. He did not wish to spend hours of his time unproductively trying to answer to complaints by an unhappy customer. Sir, I also want to say that many potential car buyers and many consumers are also supportive of this law.

I have the following queries which I would like to ask the Minister of State: section 12D(1) provides that the transferee (being the consumer) can rescind the contract with regard to the goods or can ask for reduction in the amount to be paid for the transfer of the goods in question by an appropriate amount. May I ask the Minister of State, does this mean that the refund or the rebate as the case may be must be in cash? Can a consumer or a transferee decline to accept vouchers in lieu of the defective product? If a retailer or seller says, "let me give you vouchers in exchange", can a consumer decline and say, "I only want cash."

Section 12E of the Bill requires the transferee to give the transferor a reasonable time to repair or replace the goods. May I ask: what would be considered a "reasonable" time? Is there a definition of how long is that reasonable time?

Third, Sir, can a retailer opt out of this legislation by contracting out of it? Thus, can a retailer place in his conditions for sale that goods sold cannot be refunded or exchanged? We see this term quite often whenever the goods are sold pursuant to some "mid-year sale" or "clearance sale" or "closing down sale". Thus, if a consumer buys a "lemon" product during a mid-year sale, would he be deprived of the protection of this law if the retailer contracts out of the law in his sale terms or by big bright label saying that the item is a "sale item"?

Finally, Sir, can the transferee or consumer ask for costs or compensation under section 12C(2) for wasting time and transport expenses when he has to send the product for repair more than once? This will ensure that retailers of products effect quick exchange for a defective product. Otherwise they will face a claim for compensation. A retailer can also insist that the transferee make multiple trips to the service centre just to have the defective item repaired again and again. Sir, this would be a waste of time and travelling expenses for the transferee or the consumer. Thus, in the case of my defective mobile telephone, the cost of making three trips to the service centre, including the parking charges and the four to five hours of wasted time waiting for the phone to be repaired, eventually cost me more than the price which I paid for the phone. I would be grateful to hear the Minister's clarifications. I support the Bill and on behalf of the consumers in Singapore, I urge Members of this House to also support the Bill.

Mr Lim, while I very much sympathise with your phone problem, I am not sure whether any retailer will be selling you a phone after that speech. On a more serious note, if I could ask Members if they are going to use the VGA plug-in for the LCD display for their smartphones, you might want to take the phone off line before you plug it in so that you do not have to answer your calls or read your SMS messages throughout.

Mr Speaker, I welcome the amendments to the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act and the Hire Purchase Act to include so-called Lemon Law provisions. This is a progressive step to bring Singapore's consumer protection regime up to speed with other developed countries like Japan, the US, Canada, Australia, and the EU. If executed well, the Lemon Law could help weed out poor practices by a minority of retailers in Singapore, and reward those with good practices. This could lead to improved customer service and greater customer satisfaction.

In addition, as poor retail practices are weeded out, it will inspire more confidence among both local consumers and the millions of tourists who arrive at our shores each year to shop. They will be more at ease to buy goods here, without worrying about the limited recourse should the goods turn out to be defective. In turn, we could see fewer tourists leaving Singapore with a bad taste in their mouth because of unpleasant shopping experiences.

Sir, I have a few questions about the proposed amendments as well as some suggestions on how the execution of the Lemon Law could better achieve its objective of protecting consumers. Section 12C states the transferee may require the transferor to repair or replace the goods. Can the consumer ask for replacement without attempting a repair? This will make it much more convenient for the consumer and he will not need to make multiple trips to the service centre.

The proposed section 12D(3) states that if the customer rescinds the contract, any reimbursement due to him may be reduced to take into account the use he has had of the goods since they were delivered to him. I note that based on existing common law, the court has sometimes decided not to make any deduction for use because of the inconvenience which the buyer has already suffered in having to deal with the defective goods.

This being the case, may I ask the Minister of State: what will be the basis for calculating this deduction of quantum of reimbursement? Will the deduction be for only the duration of use until the first repair attempt, or for the entire duration of the product has been in the customer's possession even if it included multiple failed repair attempts in between?

The Lemon Laws in many states in the US specify that the reduction of reimbursement is for the consumers' use of the vehicle only until the first repair attempt because it recognises that the consumers continued use of the "lemon" is not a valued benefit to them.

I also have concerns about whether a minority of customers might abuse the Lemon Law to make dishonest claims. This can lead to an increase in the retailers' costs, which could get passed on to other customers. Does the Ministry intend to introduce any measures, including punitive measures, to discourage frivolous customer claims? Could the Minister of State also explain what the rationale was for specifying the six-month period after the purchase of the goods, during which the customer can exercise his rights under this law? Why six months and not more or less?

Sir, I now come to the implementation of the Lemon Law. I believe much would need to be done to educate customers about their rights under the Lemon Law. Without adequate public education, consumers may not reap the full benefits of the amended law.

There could be several situations where consumers' lack of understanding of their rights may disadvantage them when dealing with savvy retailers. The first is a situation that may arise when retailers get their customers to sign away their rights through a contract. At the point of the retail transaction, customers often do not have the time to read through the fine print before signing and completing the purchase. Section 13 of the Act states that the provisions of the Act shall prevail notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary. However, if the customer were to return to the retailer and request repairs, replacements or a refund, the retailer may simply pull out the contract and turn down the request. If the customer is not aware of his rights under section 13, he would naturally assume that since he had signed the contract, he has no further recourse.

Secondly, some consumers may have difficulty distinguishing between a manufacturer's warranty and their right under the Lemon Law. Many goods sold in Singapore, especially consumer electronic goods, come with a warranty from the manufacturer. The retailer requires the consumer to approach the manufacturer directly to rectify any defects within the warranty period.

However, if the manufacturer does not fulfil its agreements under the warranty, or the warranty is shorter than six months, the consumer may not be aware that he still has the right to go to the retailer to request remedies for the defective product.

It is important for consumers to be informed about the avenues available to them if they are unsuccessful in claiming remedies from retailers of the defective goods. Since many shoppers in Singapore are tourists, it may be ineffective to run expensive television advertisement campaigns. Instead, clear signs could be required to be displayed at all retail outlets highlighting a telephone hotline and a website that shoppers can call or visit to learn about their rights as consumers, and the avenues for recourse under the Lemon Law. The website could include a "Frequently Asked Questions" section to clarify consumers' and retailers' rights and responsibilities in plain English and with appropriate translations.

In addition, the relevant authority could require that the hotline be printed on the receipts issued by retailers, for shoppers' easy reference. Retailers too should be educated about their obligations under the amended law. If not, many of them might continue with their old practices and cause much confusion and frustration among consumers.

In conclusion, I believe the amendments tilt the balance more in favour of consumers and this will lead to Singapore becoming a more attractive retail destination. However, the situation should also be closely monitored to ensure that this does not inadvertently lead to higher business costs, which could get passed on to the very consumers that this Bill seeks to protect. Mr Speaker, with that, I support the Bill.

Mr Speaker, I support the Bill. I think it is useful to remember why we have the Consumer Protection Act in the first place. The Common Law could not adequately address the imbalance between the might and financial power of commercial enterprises and the vulnerabilities of the ordinary consumers, particularly when dealing with increasing complexities of modern trade and products. The Government therefore has to intervene to give consumers more rights and provide adequate and practical remedies when those rights are infringed.

The new Lemon Law proposal increases consumer rights and is therefore good to provide remedies to consumers should their purchases fail to conform to an applicable contract at the time of delivery including terms implied by statutes such as the Sale of Goods Act. Consumers are entitled to require retailers to repair or replace defective goods or require the retailer to reduce the price of the goods, or the consumer can cancel the purchase and get their money back.

The key provision that makes this right stronger is the proposed section 12(b)(iii) which provides that goods, which do not conform to the applicable contract at any time within six months from the date of delivery, is presumed not to have so conformed at the date of delivery. In effect, it gives consumers a six-month trial period. This enhanced protection comes at a timely juncture. CASE, in their media release supporting the proposed amendments, noted there had been an increasing trend of cases relating to defective products from 1,410 cases in 2007 to 1,793 cases in 2011. Hopefully, these amendments will reverse that trend by encouraging better retail practices.

Having said that, I am concerned about some practical issues which may undermine the effectiveness of the proposed Lemon Law. I would like to make four points. First, the proposed law only applies when the product fails to conform to the, I quote, "applicable contract". I would be grateful if the Minister or Minister of State could clarify what that means. For example, if the product is sold with a lengthy list of microscopic terms and conditions, waivers and exclusions, would that be part of the applicable contract? If so, that could defeat or dilute the protection the provision seeks to give, particularly when the terms seek to restrict or qualify the performance of the product.

Second, the provisions do not specify the exact form the refunds must take if the consumer requests one. Will the retailer be entitled, for example, to provide a consumer with a voucher or must they pay cash? When it comes to replacements, must the retailer provide a brand new product or will they be allowed to provide the customer with a refurbished product or display item? Leaving this uncertain may result in disputes and disappointments.

Thirdly, while the retailer is not allowed to contract out of the provisions of the act, this does not mean that some retailers will not try. As reported in The Straits Times on 16 February 2012, in anticipation of the amendments, one retailer is instructing its staff to record agreements where consumers are willing to give up a warranty in exchange for a better price. Consumers will be none the wiser as to whether such deals are allowed. That same would apply to goods on sale. Not knowing your rights is as good as not having those rights at all. More must be done to educate retailers and consumers about their rights and obligations arising from these amendments. May I ask the Minister of State what he plans to do to educate the public on these rights? He says there is going to be a "Lemon Law education campaign". Could he give this House some details on that campaign? But, I think, despite all the campaigns and the education, people will forget. So can I ask the Minister of State, will there be an obligation imposed on retailers to inform customers of their rights at the point of purchase, which is really the most important time?

Finally, for disputes which cannot be resolved, the parties may try mediation before CASE, before heading to the courts, most likely the Small Claims Tribunal. This could take time and could cost more than the item, which is the subject of the dispute. Further, the more inconvenient the process, the more likely consumers will be deterred from prosecuting their complaints even when there are genuine complaints, or even encourage retailers to be as difficult as possible so as to discourage the customer. Could we not simplify the process by giving a body like CASE the power to make awards for claims not exceeding a certain threshold? This, I suspect, would resolve the majority of cases and reduce time and costs substantially. There is a precedent for this in banking disputes where customer can turn to Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC) to adjudicate claims not exceeding $50,000. And as the Minister of State would know, following the Lehman crisis, many customers turned to FIDReC for adjudication instead of to the courts and many cases were resolved quickly and with minimal costs. There should be a similar facility for consumer disputes. This body could also maintain a database of awards made which should bring to light any errant retailer guilty of multiple violations. In this regard, would the Minister of State also clarify whether any action will be taken against the recalcitrant retailers?

Sir, I support the Government's move to help consumers. However, I hope consumers and retailers will turn to these provisions as a last resort. Ideally, consumers and retailers should come to an amicable settlement when there is fault in any product. As reported in the The Straits Times on 29 February, and I quote, "In the US and the United Kingdom, many retailers do more than it is required by Lemon Law. They give exchanges, no questions asked, sometimes on the spot. This keeps customers happy and removes the hassle of dealing with frivolous complaints. Far from encouraging spurious complaints, retailers say freely given exchanges lead to a fall in the number of unreasonable complaints, they credit this to shopper trust." That is the ideal we should aspire to.

At the end of the day, retailers should cultivate goodwill and loyalty through good service. The retailers' real fear should not be Lemon Laws or other forms of consumer protection, but the knowledge that their customers have the ultimate remedy of going to their competitors. And on that regard – a word of advice to Mr Lim Biow Chuan – if the phone does not work, perhaps it is time to go to a different provider.

Mr Speaker, Sir, many I spoke with welcome this amendment because of prior bad experience. Like them and Mr Lim Biow Chuan, I had, at some point in time, purchased products that failed to work soon after the purchase was made. Many retailers in Singapore do not have a "no questions asked" refund policy. This Lemon Law will force retailers to rethink the business model they use to transact with consumers.

The amendments now make provisions that if a product is found defective within six months of delivery, the customer has the right to demand the seller make repair or replacement within a reasonable time and without causing significant inconvenience to the consumer, or the consumer can keep the defective product and be given an agreed discount or return the product for a total refund. Now, there are four areas I wish to highlight as potential concern areas in the execution of the Bill for which I will be grateful for the Minister of State's clarification or assurances.

The first is what constitutes a refund? Like Mr Hri Kumar, I wondered if retailers will attempt to get around the compensation issue by offering or contracting in-house vouchers of the same value as the defective products to the customers as compensation. How do we prevent retailers from such attempts to dilute the consumers' rights?

The second is a retailer may sign a contract with the customer to state that the product is, I quote, "as is" due to special pricing, or promotion, or due to the nature of that particular product with no refund or exchange allowed. Section 13 of the existing Act seems clear enough that it bars sellers and buyers from contracting out of a refund for other considerations such as a lower price. However, many retailers and consumers may not know of this provision. Retailers may attempt creative ways to contract themselves out of the provision in this Act, especially during the initial implementation stage. A lot of monitoring and education need to be done. The Minister of State has spoken about "as is" products. How do retailers now have to highlight specific defects in specially-priced products as stated clearly in their contracts and advertising to make sure they stay within the law?

Third, the amendment covers physical products. I understand a big area of consumer complaints is regarding services such as packages offering services like spa services. I am citing this as an example but I do not wish to generalise that such packages are bad. One may purchase a package only to find that the centre is perpetually overbooked and you can hardly get a chance to use your package. Or if you sign up for some miracle treatment to restore, say, hair, only to find that it does not work after six months of faithfully trying the service. What recourse avenues are there for consumers under the current law now? I appreciate that the Ministry would need time to work out this current amendment on dealing with physical products. I trust it will cover services more comprehensively in the future amendment of the Act.

Fourth, I understand it will be difficult to cover online purchases as online shops are likely to be outside of our jurisdiction, or we may not even be able to identify and locate these online shops. Nevertheless, online shops registered in Singapore should have to abide by these rules. I would like to hear from the Minister of State his views on online purchases.

Sir, I support the Bill as it is a move in the right directions towards the type of shopping experience we get in first world countries. The execution must be managed carefully to ensure that retailers and consumers are adequately educated so that both groups are fully aware of their rights and obligations under this amendment. We should be mindful that Singapore is a cosmopolitan city with consumers, retail frontline staff and even retail owners coming from a diversity of international backgrounds. Non-Singaporeans may be used to the retail practices in their native countries. A good engagement programme with different stakeholders in the implementation is critical to its success. Can the Minister of State elaborate on the steps which the Ministry will take to educate retailers and consumers in conjunction with the implementation?

We have just finished the Budget debate which had a lot of focus on SMEs. The bulk of our retailers are SMEs. The larger retailers will have the better resources to get themselves acquainted to and cope with the changes. Smaller retailers may find the changes difficult to understand and deal with. Retailers should also be mindful that they need to work out their own arrangements with product manufacturers to ensure that they are not stuck with an untenable position when servicing the customers. They will need to factor for refunds and exchanges. Some retailers may now turn conservation about carrying lower-priced products that may not be built to last even if their consumers are willing to buy these because the consumers themselves are highly price conscious. This will lead to changes in our retail model over the next few years. I hope MTI can extend good support to the SME retailers to ease them in the implementation. Engaging in partnership with organisations such as the Singapore Retailers Association will be helpful. I hope, too, that there will be a balanced approach in the implementation so that we do not unnecessarily put genuinely good but small retailers out of business. I trust that if we execute this amendment well, it will be a more pleasant and reassuring shopping experience for us all.

Mr Speaker, Sir, please allow me to speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Pg 2523-2524 for Vernacular Speeches.] Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to join this debate. The Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, internationally known as the "Lemon Law", has been anticipated for a long time. Many residents ask me why the Lemon Law cannot come into force immediately. I explained to them, Amendment Bills can only come into force after the Third Reading in Parliament. More importantly, retailers need time to adjust, and the Government also need to educate the public, to prevent any misunderstanding and abuse of the law.

Lemon Law is very common in the US, UK and other European countries. In Singapore, it is still a new concept. People will have many queries. I hope MTI can explain to us in detail.

First, we know that consumers do not have as much information on the quality of the product as the retailer. We are concerned that some retailers will take advantage of the buyer's ignorance and ask him, at the point of payment, to voluntarily relinquish the right to have the defective merchandise replaced or refunded. When the retailer is having a promotion or sale, buyers are mostly likely to be tricked when they try to save a few dollars. I hope that MTI will take note of this.

Another issue is that some merchants will only give cash vouchers, not cash, to consumers who ask for refunds. There are many conditions associated with a cash voucher, the consumer can only buy the same type of products in the same shop. The validity period is also limited. Does the Lemon Law stipulate that consumers have the right to ask for a cash refund?

In addition, the Bill did not state clearly the quality of the replacement product. Many people worry that the replacement will not be much better than the original defective product. I suggest the Law stipulates that if the consumer bought a new product, the replacement should also be new. If what he bought is a second-hand product, then the replacement can be second-hand. However, the quality must be the same.

As for the replacement product, does it come with a six-month "lemon" protection period? Or is it a case where once the retailer gives a replacement, he is no longer bound by any liabilities stipulated under the "lemon" law?

A fair approach would be to calculate the period from the date the first merchandise was sold and add six months. If the replacement is also found to be flawed within the six months, then I think the buyer is entitled to ask for a full refund.

Although we advise consumers to compare products from different merchants, sometimes the products are still not up to expectation. If the merchant does not abide by the Lemon Law, consumers will suffer more. Therefore, I hope the Government can simplify the appeal process for consumers, so consumers will not suffer further. I also hope the Government can establish an enforcement team, to conduct raids or undisclosed investigations to see whether merchants abide by the Lemon Law.

Of course, just as there are unlawful retailers, there will also be unreasonable consumers. If a few buyers make frequent unreasonable claims or repeatedly ask for refunds, I suggest MTI or CASE put them on a blacklist to alert the merchants. This will also allay merchants' concern that the law could be abused.

Lastly, I urge MTI or CASE to publicise the Lemon Law in a manner that is simple and easy to understand, so that the elderly and the less educated can understands the Lemon Law and know how to safeguard their consumer rights. We can then move closer towards the ideal world of mutual trust. We do not want to see consumers feeling unhappy even after the law comes into effect. I support this Amendment Bill.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill that will help to protect consumer rights better and ensure better equity in retail transactions, in the case of a defective product. This Bill will also see retailers and suppliers of goods taking a more responsible attitude in the quality of their merchandise. All these will culminate in a better reputation for Singapore as a retail hub in the region.

I would now like to touch on several issues and ambiguities that are not fully covered in the Bill. To begin with, the definition of what makes a good defective is very much left open to interpretation. The seller and buyer will surely take a different view on this and claims for refunds will surely take time to settle without a clear definition even though the burden of proof now lies with the seller.