Hansard, Tuesday, 16 October 2012

1 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs whether the most recent bolstering of the punishment tariffs for unlicensed moneylending (UML) has yielded results in a lowering of UML harassment incidents over the period October 2011 to date.

2 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs following the enhanced police enforcement on loansharks and illegal moneylenders (a) what is the current trend of loansharking activities; (b) whether the Police is aware that loansharks are now also offering their services via e-mail blasts; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider making borrowing from loansharks an offence.

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Mr Speaker, for the six-month period of January to June 2012, there were 5,228 reported cases of unlicensed moneylending and related harassment. This represents a drop of 21% compared to the 6,642 cases reported in the same period in 2011. In contrast, the number of persons arrested rose by 22% to 1,033 between the same two six-month periods. This overall improvement in the situation continues the trend which commenced two years ago.

This improvement can be attributed to several factors. The widely publicised increased penalties under the law have had a deterrent effect. The Police have also stepped-up enforcement and preventive education efforts, as well as engagement with community partners.

However, the fight against unlicensed moneylending is far from over. Loansharks are becoming more sophisticated and resorting to new methods to lure unsuspecting victims. This includes advertising their services via e-mail and SMSes, as highlighted by Er Dr Lee. Licensed moneylenders are not permitted to advertise their services through such means. We urge the public to be vigilant and report such instances to the Police for investigation. Regardless of the mode of operation, Police will act to disrupt and apprehend these loanshark syndicates.

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The suggestion to make borrowing from loansharks an offence has been debated on several occasions in this House. My Ministry has no plans, at this juncture, to criminalise borrowing. Rather, our focus is on preventive education, enforcement and community engagement to tackle the issue. Given the improvement in the situation, we will press on with these measures while closely monitoring their effectiveness before assessing the need, if any, for tougher measures.

Minister, may I clarify that you were replying to Question Nos 1 and 2?

My apologies, Mr Speaker. Yes, I had replied to Questions Nos 1 and 2 together.

It seems to be a trend this sitting. Mr Christopher de Souza.

Mr Speaker, it is encouraging that while there has been a dip in the number of cases, there has also been an increase in enforcement, reflecting the 22% enforcement against harassment and the rise of 22%. Drawing from that, I have two supplementary questions for the Minister. The first is, in relation to upstream, how do the measures move upstream to address, challenge and attack the puppeteers of the runners, who are being enforced against? Second and apart from upstream, where the cross-jurisdictional nature of the offence, the extra-territoriality of the offence, how do the measures presently go upstream beyond our borders to challenge these mechanisms overseas?

Mr Speaker, I believe both questions posed by the Member pertain to the same point, which is how do the Police track the people who are behind the syndicates, and not just the runners who are just in the frontline. This is where there is the challenging task, and one that requires persistence and perseverance on the part of law enforcement agencies, specifically our Police operational divisions. Through the apprehension of some of these harassers who are caught, we are able to get some intelligence which will then lead into action taken against those who are upstream, and getting more data. The Police have also been able to disrupt the activities of some syndicates at the core. The issue of extra-territoriality and jurisdiction does arise, because there are some syndicates where some of the people behind them are beyond our borders. This is where cooperation with the law enforcement agencies in other countries is relevant. Where we are able to prove that someone has, indeed, contravened our laws, then, the close cooperation that we have with some of our neighbouring countries' enforcement agencies will help in their interdiction and, eventually, bringing them back to our shores to bring them to task.

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Mr Speaker, Sir, I have a resident who has been harassed by loansharks for the last 10 years because his neighbour borrows repeatedly from these loansharks. I would like to ask the Minister why is the Ministry reluctant to make borrowing from loansharks an offence. The Minister also mentioned education. I would like to ask what kind of education is applicable for cases like these, and does the Minister think education is effective?

Sir, I appreciate the Member's passion in representing her constituent's plight. We have discussed this matter and debated it quite a bit in this House. Let me just bring it back to the focal point, which is that, first of all, the opinion on this matter is divided, not least because the circumstances in which different borrowers find themselves in vary. So, it would be difficult to use a common approach to apply to all, as in the case of criminalising borrowing from the loansharks.

Secondly, the Member asked specifically about education. We are referring to making people aware of the prevalence of loanshark activities, that they should be deterred from taking up such facilities because of the quite dire consequences that can follow through, and where they can turn to for help. This is the kind of information that needs to go out extensively. With respect to those who may have borrowed from laonsharks, the additional things that we have done so far, in particular, with the recent set of amendments to the law, has been to make it an offence if they are slow in reporting a change of their address to the ICA. They have to do so within a period of 28 days, and if they do not, they are liable to quite stiff punishments. Secondly, if they give wrong information because they want to implicate somebody else rather than themselves in the course of borrowing from illegal moneylenders, that is also an offence, and they can be imprisoned for up to a year. So, there are those kinds of provisions in place.

As I have said in my earlier reply, we are monitoring the situation. So far, the trend has been downwards and it has been strongly downwards – reduced by 20%. It has been a similar order of magnitude in the previous two years. The Police are getting a handle on it. We have not ruled out other options, but we want to monitor the efficacy of the totality of the measures we have in place today, and see how they improve the situation before deciding whether we need any further, perhaps more severe, measures.

Mr de Souza, last question.

May I ask the Minister this: in line with the CCTV rollout and that policy for the Ministry of Home Affairs, whether priority could be given for hotspot loanshark areas to be installed with CCTVs in the common access areas, for example, lifts and staircases?

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Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his suggestion. I want to assure him and the rest of the House that, indeed, that is the focus of the Police. We have a nationwide CCTV rollout plan. Within that, there is a certain level of prioritisation by geography, and within these geographies, specific areas. Some of that allocation by the Police will be on the basis of where they think the needs are greatest. It may not just be due to an UML type of problem. It may be due to other considerations but the Police will make an operational assessment in deciding where those deployments should be made. That is not the only criterion. There are other factors that are at play as well.

Beyond that, even before we had this nationwide CCTV rollout, there were some tactical deployments that the Police were already doing, and that will continue to be the case in terms of CCTV.

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3 Asst Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene asked the Minister for Defence (a) what is the additional commitment and resources anticipated of Singapore vis-a-vis the security aspect of the US' "pivot" towards Asia and the Pacific strategy; and (b) what is the Ministry's assessment of the impact of the US' "pivot on Asia" strategy on Sino-Singapore bilateral relations and the existing balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region.

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Mr Speaker, the United States is widely acknowledged to have played a key role for the past half a century in providing the security within the Asia-Pacific region that facilitated the development and progress of its regional countries, Singapore included.

Singapore, therefore, welcomes the US' continued engagement of this region to ensure Asia's prosperity and security. In recognition of the US' positive influence in the region, we have allowed US military aircraft and vessels to use our facilities for several decades – first, under our 1990 Memorandum of Understanding and, later, in 2005, under the Strategic Framework Agreement signed by Prime Minister Lee and then-President George W Bush. The recent announcement of the deployment of up to four US Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) to use our military facilities is consistent with these signed agreements.

US ships and planes use our facilities for transit and are not based in Singapore. Their crew members do not live here. Similarly, the LCS crew will live on board their ship for the duration of their deployment, and their family members will not live in Singapore.

The Member asked about China. For China, Singapore recognises that it is a rising power in Asia and a critical security partner of this region. The US-China relationship is the most important relationship that will affect the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore is, therefore, heartened to note that both sides have openly committed to building a cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and benefit. That said, elements of competition and even strategic rivalry can be expected, and much work remains for both countries to foster positive ties.

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Ultimately, Singapore is friends with both, and hopes that the US-China relations flourish. We do not wish to see their relations deteriorate and, indeed, both sides – China and the US – have openly affirmed that the Asia-Pacific region is big enough to accommodate both the US and China. Other nations need not choose better relations with one at the expense of the other. Instead, all stakeholders should work towards an inclusive regional security framework that builds common understanding and cooperation. To achieve this, the ASEAN Defence Ministers and their "Plus" partners are expanding dialogue and enhancing military-to-military interactions through the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting and other multilateral fora.

Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister for his reply. I have two follow-up questions. One relates to the operational exigencies with regard to the US military presence here in Singapore. I understand that in Operation Enduring Freedom, which was the US military's response in Afghanistan in the immediate aftermath of September 11, 80% of US air power stationed in Afghanistan either came through Singapore or was serviced from Singapore. My question is whether in the event of an operational exigency, what would be the expectations or demands on Singapore? Secondly, I am glad that the Minister has affirmed that the Sino-US relationship and their engagement in the region are not a zero-sum game. I would like to ask the Minister how he sees Singapore's role in trying to further this idea that it need not be a zero-sum game.

Mr Speaker, Sir, with regard to the Member's first supplementary question: these are specific figures that he is asking for – whether it is 80% for that particular operation, Enduring Freedom. I hesitate to accept the preamble unless the Member claims that he is really sure of the figures. But if he wants an affirmation that that is the figure, I would have to check it out and I would encourage him to file another Parliamentary Question on it.

Related to the question, if there is such an exigency, it is theoretical and I would hesitate to respond to any theoretical construct. Let me just say broadly, in general terms, the use of military ships and planes falls under two specific agreements. One, as I said, the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding as well as the Strategic Framework Agreement for the Use of Facilities. Those are specific terms in which they can use our facilities, and I think the US has adhered to that over the years.

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How do we see Singapore within the context of US-Sino relations? We are friends of both and we certainly seek that not only in our relationship with either China or the US but indeed, more importantly, the US-China relationship to be a constructive one. As we have often said, the US-China relationship for the next few decades will be the most important relationship that shapes the outcome of the Asia-Pacific region.

In private as well as in public, we have advocated both sides to look for constructive measures, to look for ways in which that relationship can be based on building trust as well as mutually beneficial outcomes. In the public domains and in multi-lateral fora, we have pushed for that. The Shangri-la Dialogue, the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus. We are moving towards more concrete and practical steps for confidence building. One clear example is the exercise to be held next year in Brunei, which Brunei is chairing under the auspices of the ASEAN Defence Ministers-Plus. It will be the first exercise that I know of that will have 18 nations under the Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) and Military Medicine theme in which 18 nations – the 10-plus-8 – will participate in. Singapore is very supportive of this and giving our full assistance to Brunei when they asked for it, and we will participate in that exercise as well.

Asst Prof Tan, last question.

I will consider the Minister's suggestion and do a follow-up question. But I just would like to say that I got the information – the 80% figure – from a speech given by the then US Ambassador to Singapore.

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4 Ms Low Yen Ling asked the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports whether the Ministry will consider providing direct allowances to early childhood teachers to raise their pay without increasing operators' costs and also as one of the ways to retain them in the sector.

5 Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports whether the Ministry will consider playing a capacity-building role to attract and build a pool of qualified early childhood professionals by supplementing the course fees payable by job seekers interested to join the profession and by providing training allowances during their course of training before they are employed by pre-school operators.

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Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 4 and 5 together?

Yes, please.

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Ms Low Yen Ling and Mr Ang Hin Kee have raised suggestions to support early childhood teachers and operators through raising the pay of teachers and subsidising the cost of training. Sir, currently, early childhood care and education are provided by a diverse range of providers offering a variety of programmes to cater to the different needs of children and preferences of parents. Childcare providers have the flexibility to employ their own teachers and decide on their pay scales.

Today, the Government provides significant support to the sector in staff attraction, development and retention. Subsidies are given to parents to defray the cost of fees which operators charge in order to cover their manpower costs. Non-profit Anchor Operators also receive a recurrent grant to help them recruit and retain teachers so that good quality pre-school services are available at an affordable fee for low and middle income families. We also help other operators meet their manpower needs by defraying training cost, and strengthening the sector's ability to attract more potential teachers while retaining their existing ones.

For example, we work closely with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), training providers and operators to raise public awareness of early childhood career opportunities and develop a pipeline of new teachers. Under the Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System for Early Childhood Care and Education, training agencies provide subsidised training courses for new entrants to the sector, including mid-career entrants and in-service teachers looking to upgrade their qualifications.

More than 4,000 training places with funding support will be made available over the next three years to bring in more early childhood professionals under the WSQ qualification programmes. WDA subsidises up to 90% of course fees and provides employers with an absentee payroll subsidy of up to 80% of the employee's salary.

MCYS and WDA also provide scholarships to attract new teachers and encourage existing ones to upgrade their professional qualifications. These scholarships include learning allowances for those on full-time courses, and the employing centres receive a subsidy to hire relief teachers to cover the duties of teachers attending the course. Close to $10 million has been set aside for scholarships and teaching awards over the next two years.

To help operators improve staff retention, we introduced a Good Employers' Toolkit and conducted workshops on implementing progressive human resource practices. A Continuing Professional Development Framework is in the works and this will extend professional development and career advancement pathways and help retain talent.

Sir, our efforts have had some results. Total staff in the childcare sector increased by 25% last year. The attrition rate fell from 15% to 13% over the past year.

Sir, but there is room to do more. Moving forward, the Implementation Committee for Enhancing Pre-school Education, chaired by myself and Minister Heng Swee Keat, will look into further strengthening the career and professional development of our early childhood professionals. We will take note of the Members' suggestions as part of this process.

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Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply. Let me declare that I am the Executive Secretary of the Education Services Union. I have spoken to several principals, operators and at least close to about 100 teachers concerning their issues with regard to career prospects, image and pay. Many attributed these to affecting the number of people who are retained or attracted into the sector. When faced with challenges from other industries, other sectors which are providing better pay, better image, better training allowance and course fee support, many are driven to these other industries. I would like to ask the Minister, with our efforts to increase the number of centres by 200 over the next few years, are we considering additional enhancements to our existing efforts to attract and retain teachers with passion in this sector?

Sir, let me thank Mr Ang Hin Kee for his suggestions and comments. Yes, indeed, in our efforts to ramp up the number of childcare centres, the quality and quantity of the teachers are most important on our mind. So, indeed, we are looking at new pools of people that we can attract into the sector. These include some people who may want to do a mid-career switch. This may also include other people who may be only able to commit to a part-time work arrangement. But these are the new sources of manpower that we can tap down here.

On the other point that Mr Ang Hin Kee has suggested, indeed, we understand that it goes beyond the pay that is required to attract passionate and professional teachers into the childcare sector. Much of this also has to do with the career prospects. In this area of career prospects, we have to see how we can better organise the sector so that the operators can, indeed, provide such a career progression for the teachers-in-charge. One of the challenges that we are facing in this sector is that if the sector has many small operators, the small operators will always have problems providing the career opportunities for many of the teachers who may want to move up in their career progression. For example, some of them, after a while, may want to move on to become principals of centres or some of them may want to take on some other curriculum development jobs, and these are areas that we have to look at to see how we can provide better opportunities for them to fulfil their career aspirations.

Sir, I have two supplementary questions. The Minister in his reply said that the Non-profit Anchor Operators get a recurrent grant for recruitment and retention of staff. I would like to know exactly how are recurrent grants used. For example, is it being used to pay a certain percentage of the salaries of the new recruits and how is it being used to retain staff? For example, is it used to give bonuses to staff or maybe there are other methods? The next question is whether the MCYS has observed that in these two years since the Anchor Operators Scheme has come in, whether there is any noticeable flow of teachers from the other operators to the Anchor Operators because of this advantage that they have.

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Sir, on the issue of the recurrent grant: these are grants to help the operators defray their normal operating costs, which include the teachers' remuneration, or it can go into how they use the money for other operating costs like their utilities and so forth. Usually, when we give a recurrent grant to the operators, we will also have to set in place the quality standards that we expect from them. Otherwise, this might just go into the pocket of the operators which will not be fair to the public nor to the teachers involved.

On the flow of teachers, I do not have the exact numbers of how many people flow between the Anchor Operators and the Non-anchor Operators. But we know that a certain segment of the private operators is able to pay highly competitive salaries, and this is always a challenge for the mid to the lower tier of the market to retain good quality teachers, and this is something that we have to work on. For the mid-priced to the lower-priced operators, their challenge is always to retain the quality teachers, and, if pay is not the only reason that can attract them, then we have to look at other ways of attracting them – from the career progression to the career development opportunities that we can give them.

Mr Ang Hin Kee, last question.

Many have lamented that, unlike other industries, the image of early childhood educators has been labelled by some to be "nannies". As compared to the Ministry's efforts to increase the profile of social work over the last one year, many have hoped that the Ministry will consider increasing the public perception of what this profession is and enhancing the image so that more will want to join and remain in this industry as a professional. Would the Ministry consider such an initiative?

Mr Speaker, Sir, yes, indeed, we are considering this and, indeed, this forms one key plank in our entire framework to improve the attractiveness of the childcare professional, the image of the whole childcare professional sector. As the Member has rightly pointed out, these are people that are professionals in their area because having to manage the children and their different learning pedagogies requires actual professional knowledge. So, it is not true that they are just, as you said, "nannies" or professional "child minders". There is a professional school of thought on how we can better bring up our children.

But, on the other hand, what you also touched about is this issue of the respect that we give to this group of professionals who are working with our children. Very often, all of us, as parents, can play a part to demonstrate our respect and appreciation to the many childcare teachers that are operating quietly behind the scene, taking care of our children. I have visited many of the childcare teachers and, very often, they tell me that beyond the pay, remuneration and the career prospects in this sector, sometimes, very often, they will just like some encouraging words from the parents who deposit their children there and whisk their children off at 7.00 pm in the evening. We can all do our part to try to raise the respect that we have for this sector and to realise how important a job they are doing in taking care of our children while we are at work. So, certainly, we will look into this.

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6 Ms Mary Liew asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Government has done any study on the types of jobs available for PMEs in the next 10 years; and (b) what are the plans in place to equip our PMEs and mature workers with the relevant skills required.

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Mr Speaker, Sir, the PME jobs available in future will depend on the new industries that we are able to attract, our progress in restructuring existing sectors, and our efforts to maintain a diversified economy.

Firstly, the Government continues to bring in new, high value-added industries which, in turn, will create not only just quality jobs, but also well-paying jobs. Examples include aerospace engineering, interactive digital media and biomedical manufacturing. We will also at the same time help our local companies to grow and enable them, in turn, to provide good jobs.

Secondly, we encourage the restructuring of existing sectors to go up the value chain which, in turn, again, creates higher-value jobs and also better paying jobs for Singaporeans.

Thirdly, the Government maintains a diversified economy which I think is quite critical as it provides resilience not only in employment, it creates a variety of jobs that our PMEs with different skills and dispositions can aspire to. Importantly, in an increasingly volatile global economy, this will also help insulate us.

What is quite clear is that the trends are changing in terms of the structure of the economy as well as the profile. In 2001, we had about 26% of our residents and workforce being PMEs. Today, it is about 32%. Going forward, in 2030, we expect an intangible about 40%. What it shows is that there is a level of mobility. More Singaporeans are becoming better educated, better qualified, better skilled. At the same time, the economy is also progressing in the right direction.

These strategies will have to continue to be a work-in-progress as we look at how the world is adapting and how we can adjust ourselves in the process, and, therefore, to make sure we create the right type of PME jobs for the PMEs who are coming on to the market.

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Besides creating job opportunities, which is quite critical, we all know that with the level of economic growth, these jobs will take place. Good companies will be here. But importantly, we need to equip our PMEs with the required skills and nurture a strong Singaporean core of talent to fill such jobs.

A key pillar really would be a strong higher education system that prepares our students with skills relevant to current as well as future industry needs. Our Post-Secondary Education Institutions (PSEIs) work closely with industry representatives and sector champion agencies on curriculum. This is really quite important, to make sure that whatever that we are trying to prepare our students in schools for, are directly relevant in the economy and the market outside. For example, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in the National University of Singapore (NUS) is advised by a Consultative Committee that includes industry representatives from EDB and relevant companies like StarHub, ST Engineering and Rolls Royce. With input from such committees, new courses are rolled out on a continuous basis to train young Singaporeans in the skills needed, to take on the good jobs brought in by the new industries, and this process continues.

The Government has also put in place multiple pathways in the higher education landscape to create different pockets of excellence. This creates a diverse mix of PMEs with different strengths to support the diversity in our economy. As we can see over the years, the many pathways have evolved and we will continue to work on this.

Beyond pre-employment education, another important pillar – which I think is our strength in Singapore – is to provide strong support in continuing education and training (CET) for PMEs throughout their career, meaning that education and training do not stop at the formal education years. It should continue even during their working years. In fact, this is where I think is the sharp edge of our capabilities. This allows us to adapt and to construct courses as and when the economy changes. For example, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has put in place the Skills Training for Excellence Programme (STEP) which is aimed at helping PMEs update their skills, knowledge and expertise, so that they can remain competitive and employable. Since the launch of STEP in 2011, over 65,000 PMEs have benefited from its training programmes. About 300 STEP scholarships have also been set aside for Singaporeans, in sectors, such as aerospace, construction and retail.

It is important for CET programmes to be relevant for industries' needs. So, as explained earlier, similar platforms, such as the Industry Skills and Training Councils (ISTCs), WDA works closely with industry associations, employers, unions and other Government agencies to again understand industry's training needs so that we can tailor the courses specifically. This platform is also used to anticipate future competencies and skills. WDA has also set up an Employability Skills and Training Council (ESTC) to engage stakeholders on horizontal and employability skills needs that are relevant across the different sectors.

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Besides skills training to match industry needs, I think it is also very important for us to help to facilitate employment of our PMEs. We have launched a series of employability interventions for PMEs, including CaliberLink, which is a one-stop service point for PMEs that integrates training assistance and career services. From December 2011 to end-August 2012, CaliberLink has assisted over 2,000 PMEs through its training and career consultation services, networking events and workshops.

WDA has also collaborated with the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) to help SMEs recruit and retain PMEs through a two-year Max Talent Place-and-Train (PnT) programme. From its launch in May 2012 to end-August 2012, ASME has reached out to 400 PMEs and more than 300 SMEs. In addition, WDA is collaborating with two private employment agencies to roll out the "PME Specialist Assistance" programme to help unemployed Singaporean PMEs enhance their employability and expand their employment opportunities. Within two months of its introduction in July 2012, over 40 PMEs were referred by WDA's career centres to the programme.

Sir, in summary, growing competitive value-add businesses in Singapore is important because they would, in turn, create good PME jobs for Singaporeans. To enable Singaporeans to hold on to these jobs, we equip them with industry-relevant knowledge and skills through our pre-employment training and CET systems. This, coupled with our assistance provided by CaliberLink and other means to help and place them and to link them up with the relevant jobs, we believe, will enable us to continue to develop a strong Singaporean core in our globally competitive workforce.

I would like to thank the Minister for his comprehensive response. I have a supplementary question. As the Government in its efforts to increase places in the universities, by and by we will have more qualified graduates, PMEs in the long run. However, we also have many existing mature PMEs who may not have a chance to graduate from the universities or have a degree. Many of them aspire to have a degree as they feel that Singapore is still very paper-based. My question is: how can the Government do to help this group of mature PMEs to stay competitive in their career progression and that, in the long run, they would not be displaced? Would the Minister consider offering or increasing available study grants to these PMEs who wish or who aspire to pursue a degree?

I would like to thank the Member for her supplementary questions. The first point on whether we are overly paper-oriented, we should note that a person really does not necessarily need to be an university graduate to be successful. Those who are, even in Singapore today, technically inclined can pursue many skills-based upgrading pathways to hold on to skilled and respectable jobs, be it in the PME job sector or other skilled areas, such as associate professionals, technicians, craftsmen, tradesmen, and so on; they continue to remain important in our economy in Singapore today.

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Paper qualifications act as a signalling device. Some employers may continue to use academic qualifications, but it is really a signal of one's capabilities. Most of us would agree that there are many different indicators, for example, of the skills sets. There are other forms of certification beyond just a graduate degree qualification, such as the WSQ, your past experience, your past employers' testimonials and, ultimately, the performance in the job. This remains important, we recognise that. It would seem that many people place a lot of emphasis on paper qualifications. But I think it goes beyond that.

What it means also is that, increasingly, as we realise that more and more Singaporeans are getting better educated and better skilled, employers also do have a wider pool to choose from, and they would look at the different criteria upon which they would select their potential employees.

The concern with regard to our older PMEs, let me perhaps just quickly talk about definitions. If we look at mature PMEs, essentially those aged 40 and above, we have about 330,000 of them. For older PMEs, we have about nearly 80,000. These would be about aged 55 and above. By and large, as with the unemployment rates in Singapore as a whole, we actually do have very low unemployment rates for PMEs. However, we also do recognise that there are challenges. At the older ages, once they lose their jobs and are made redundant, they do tend to have a longer job search period before re-entering employment.

There are really a number of reasons. In fact, recently, when I visited one of the set-ups by CaliberLink and spoke to a number of the senior PMEs there who were looking for jobs, they were previously also in positions that hire employees. When I spoke to them, they also acknowledged that when they hired, they sometimes tended to favour the younger employees. There are a number of reasons. One, when you are slightly older, more mature, more experienced, you are also better skilled, more specific in your skills set. So, there might be sometimes a matching issue with some of the jobs available. At the same time, I think wage expectations could also be higher, so there might be a mismatch in expectations. There is a range of reasons as to why that takes place. I do not think it is an issue of whether it is right or wrong, but that is the way it goes.

What we do realise is that as the labour market tightens, what it means is that we do need companies to increasingly recognise that they can tap on the older workforce because they represent a pool of experienced, mature workers. Arguably, some would say that they are more stable, in terms of hanging on to the jobs and staying on with the companies. There are many different ways that we help older PMEs upgrade their skills. Earlier, I talked about STEP programme, and so on. Perhaps, just to elaborate a bit further.

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For STEP scholarships for Singaporean PMEs, up to 90% of course fees are subsidised, up to a limit. There is also really no age limit, which means that all these are available to older PMEs. MOE has also funded part-time undergraduate degrees – 55% fee subsidies for Singapore citizens pursuing their first degree. After subsidy, average fees are about $16,000 per programme and they can also apply for tuition fee loan which covers up to 90% of subsidised fees. There is also a student loan which covers up to 10% of unsubsidised fees. Taken together, it is almost close to 100% provision.

MOE bursaries are provided for needy students, although this usually would apply to younger Singapore citizens. Older Singaporeans applying for this – usually we do not find that there is a big need for this. Even though instalment plans are available on a case-by-case basis for older PMEs, this is usually not required. As mentioned earlier, mature PMEs, in fact, PMEs of all ages, can tap on CaliberLink which continues to strengthen as we build up our networks. We are also engaging private employment agencies to see how we can work better with them to support our older PMEs. The existing programmes that we talk about, in terms of training, and so on, continue to remain applicable to older PMEs.

Mr Patrick Tay, last question.

I just have two questions for the Minister. I am aware of the STEP and CaliberLink, as well as the overall CET framework. Would the Minister consider setting up a national PME capability fund to assist PMEs, especially the mature PMEs, specifically to get into the available jobs in the market? The second question is: would the Minister consider setting up a taskforce to look into the issue of unemployed PMEs, especially the mature ones, and how to ensure that they stay being fully employed?

Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank Mr Patrick Tay for his suggestions. We will continue to explore different ways to help Singaporeans to make things better. I think keeping Singaporeans employed and well-employed remains our responsibility. We will be quite open to listen to the specific suggestions that the Member may have. With regard specifically to the national PME capability fund, I would be interested to hear from him what ideas he has in that area. In terms of the task force, as mentioned earlier, we are looking at this particular sector. There is a range of assistance schemes available, whether in terms of setting up a task force or enhancing the steps that we have put in place, we are open to exploring the various possibilities. So I will be quite happy to discuss with the Member on further ideas on this front.

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7 Mr Alex Yam asked the Acting Minister for Manpower with regard to the National Wages Council's recommendation for a $50 increment in the salaries of workers with basic monthly salaries below $1,000 (a) what is the current implementation rate by the public and private sectors; (b) what are the main reasons given for non-implementation; and (c) whether the contracts for such workers in the public sector are in compliance with International Labour Organization Convention No 94 which was ratified by Singapore in 1965.

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Mr Speaker, Sir, MOM conducts an annual survey on wage changes for resident full-time employees that amongst others, captures the extent to which employers have adopted the recommendations in the NWC Guidelines.

The increase in built-in wages of at least $50 for workers earning a basic monthly salary of up to $1,000 was a recommendation in this year's NWC Guidelines, which are effective from this July to June 2013. MOM's findings on its adoption will therefore be available next year.

However, what we do know is that feedback from employers and unions – we have been tracking this closely – shows that based on wage settlements concluded so far, employers have generally been very supportive of giving more to low-wage workers. For example, the Singapore National Employers' Federation (SNEF) conducted a survey on 240 companies in the private sector, employing a total of about 160,000 workers, from May to July 2012. Among the sample pool, 80 companies had workers earning a basic monthly salary of up to $1,000. Of the 50 companies within this group that had decided on the wage increase for these workers at the time of survey, three-quarters granted a wage increase of $50 or more to these workers. For the remaining quarter that gave less than $50, they either had a large number of such workers, or were limited by the tender contracts which had already been signed with their clients.

Also arising from the NWC recommendations, Division 4 civil servants who comprise mainly support staff and junior officers, received a wage increase of $60 in monthly wages in July 2012. The wage increases extended also to those who were earning more than $1,000 a month. The Government upholds the principle of the International Labour Organization Convention No 94, otherwise known as the Labour Clauses (Public Contracts) Convention. The objective of this convention is to ensure that contractors engaged under public contracts provide wages and other conditions of work that are not less favourable than those established by law or collective bargaining for work of a similar character. All companies operating in Singapore including those engaged under public sector contracts are required to comply with Singapore laws. This includes compliance with the basic employment standards stated in labour laws such as the Employment Act and Central Provident Fund Act. The Government enforces the compliance of such labour laws by conducting regular random audits on companies.

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I would like to thank the Acting Minister for his reply. I look forward to hearing the statistics once we enter into the concluding period for the survey. However, if I could ask the Minister for an update for last year's NWC guidelines and recommendations. How do they compare with the previous years? Secondly, with regard to the ILO Convention No 94, there was a response given by the Ministry of Finance last month to a question raised by the hon Member Mr Zainal Sapari on contract variations by public agencies. The response was that the contracts could not be varied because of unfairness to other companies involved in the tender process. However, since we are signatory to the ILO Convention No 94, Article 2 also indicates that this labour clause should be built into all public contracts signed with service providers. As such, I would like to ask the Acting Minister if any of these clauses have been indicated in the pre-tender documents for contracts signed by public agencies, and if it is not included, is there a reason why we have not done so?

Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Member for raising the question. This is quite a specific question with details. I would like to request the Member to file a follow-on question. I would be quite happy to provide detailed answers.

Questions for the Minister. I appreciate that our economy and labour market in Singapore must continue to be competitive and nimble. I would like to request whether that can be balanced with some form of suggested industry benchmarking for wages, especially those earning less than $1,000 inclusive of cleaners. Secondly, on the long-term goal of education to promote employability for the next generation, I think we would reap results for that next generation. So in the meantime, what can we do for the present group? Thirdly, is there a suggested policy where Government procurement is concerned, to best source and fair price when awarding contracts which will then have a trickle-down effect of raising wages to the contractor and the sub-contractor.

I would like to thank Mr Christopher de Souza for his concerns and I do share his concerns with the lower wage end of our workforce. Perhaps, let me take the second question first. The Member is right. The Government, in terms of the contracts that we hand out, or the best sourcing approach that we take, it is important for us to pay attention to the details. We should try to lead by example, certainly in terms of how we look after some segments in the workforce. As the Member is aware, we are working on the cleaning sector as well as the security sector. These are two sectors which do employ quite a number of low-wage Singaporeans and we do look at how to work in a range of processes by accreditation. Announcements will be made shortly once they are ready. For accreditation, different requirements will be woven in. The key idea is to make sure that wages can move up for this segment of our population.

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Indeed, as our economy grows, we need to remain nimble, we need to remain competitive. What we have seen quite clearly is that in the course of the last decade, certainly in the last five to six years, particularly at the lower end, with lower wage workers, we have seen real income growth as a result of economic growth. What it meant is that not only jobs were available and employment was good, we have seen wages moving up in that sector. Not tremendous, but I think considering that we went through a major financial crisis, it is not too bad. We need to make sure that we can keep this on a sustainable basis.

Education is a long-term investment that will kick in with time, but importantly right now is how do we deal the present stock of Singaporeans who may be operating at that level. It is a combination of various measures. One, Workfare continues to be important pillar of our efforts. Workfare includes both Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) as well as the Workfare Training Support (WTS). How do we continue to provide accessible, good training so that we can uplift the individual worker? With this, a person does not remain in this segment. He may start off with low wages, but at different stages of his life, he is able to upgrade himself through training with subsidies so that he can upgrade and get on to better wages.

We are going to review Workfare next year. These are important features that we will look at to see how we can continue to strengthen what we believe is a good system and to see how we can continue to help this segment. In any specific terms, with the two industries that we talk about – cleaning and security – we will continue to work closely with the employers and the unions to see how we can uplift wages in the sectors. We are fairly confident we can put in place mechanisms to do that.

Whether we go on a basis of providing recommended wages at every sector – that is not something we are looking at for the moment. We are looking at this particular segment of low-wage earning Singaporeans, looking at the sectors concerned, and then targeting the sectors, and let us see how we can uplift them. We are fairly confident that, in terms of effort put in, we will see movement in the sector.

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8 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the specific causes of the property damage suffered by properties in Watten Estate as a result of the Downtown MRT Line construction works; (b) what are the steps that could have been taken to prevent this damage from occurring in the first place; and (c) what is the expected cost of recovering from this situation including the rectification cost of the affected properties.

9 Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for Transport (a) what additional steps are taken to assess the suitability of the surrounding areas for the construction of underground MRT lines in the wake of the Watten Estate incident; (b) what information and assistance will be given to residents living along MRT construction lines to assuage their concerns about underground tunnelling given that the new Thomson line will be entirely underground.

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Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 8 and 9 together?

Yes, please.

Sir, the property damage in Watten Estate resulted from ground settlement, likely due to an unexpected and rapid drawdown of groundwater during the excavation works for the Downtown Line 2. This is at the Tan Kah Kee Station site, which is more than 100 metres and more away from the Watten Estate area, across Bukit Timah Road, across the canal and across Dunearn Road.

Once LTA was alerted to the incident and had made its assessments, more recharge wells were installed to pump in water and stabilise the ground settlement. LTA has also installed additional instruments to monitor groundwater levels. Since the early days of the incident, there have been no further reports of property damage.

LTA has taken prompt action to make temporary repairs to the property damages for the residents while investigations to ascertain the actual cause of the ground settlement continue. When tunnelling work for Downtown Line 2 is completed around the end of 2013, LTA will make good the damage to properties caused by the construction.

Let me assure the House that LTA places paramount importance on safety and will take all appropriate precautions in the construction of our road and rail projects. Before LTA commences any construction works, it first undertakes a comprehensive engineering assessment to ascertain the effects of the construction work on its immediate surroundings. This includes very extensive investigations of soil profile, historical land information as well as surveys of surrounding areas. Detailed analyses are also carried out to determine the zones likely to be affected by the excavation works, and the engineering protection works required. As construction commences, LTA continues to closely monitor water seepage and ingress that may result in changes to groundwater levels. Where there are indications of problems, LTA will institute restorative measures without delay.

Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister for his comprehensive answer. I have three supplementary questions. Firstly, my concern is not just for the Watten Estate area but also other areas that surround sites where the MRT Lines are being constructed. Was LTA aware of the possibility of this water seepage? I understand that there were assessments being done but yet still the water seepage happened. Was LTA aware of the possibility that these excavation works could affect a radius beyond what the computer modelling was predicting? Was this factored into the preparations? Secondly, I understand from the Minister that there were some sensors placed to monitor the level of groundwater. Were these sensors not able to detect movements in the groundwater before the cracks occurred, or did LTA only respond when the cracks were reported?

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On whether LTA is aware of the possibility of groundwater seepage, certainly that is something that they are very mindful of. There were two previous occasions that I recall when buildings were similarly affected by previous construction works. One was in Bussorah Street during the construction of the Circle Line. The more recent one was around the city area – Cross Street, I believe – during the construction of Downtown Line 1.

What they do prior to construction is to do a comprehensive survey of the ground and assess what they think would be the likely impact area. If there are buildings within the likely impact zone, then they would take necessary actions to strengthen the grounds or to protect the buildings. They would also place sensors to try and give them as much early warning as possible of impending soil movements. We would appreciate that the geology in Singapore is actually very diverse and complicated. Along the same Downtown Line, you will run into segments where you have very, very hard rock, huge boulders. In fact, that takes massive amounts of work and explosives in order to remove. On the same stretch, you would run into alluvial and marine clay. It differs from station to station and each stretch of the tunnel. But LTA strives to be as comprehensive as possible.

On the sensors, if I were to move a little into the history of this, we first had some isolated feedback on cracks back in June 2011 from the area. In June 2011, we had not even started excavation works because the bulk excavation works only started in December 2011. As a precaution, LTA extended the surveys that were placed over onto the Watten Estate Park site. Those sensors were installed in early 2012. In late August, early September of 2012, LTA noticed that the sensors were telling them of some movements of the soil. At the same time, LTA was also alerted by some residents that they were experiencing cracks in their houses. So that is really the timeline for what we saw in the Watten Estate area. And thereafter, LTA went in, walked with the house owners as well as the contractors to take precautionary measures, both to deal with the defects that were observed as well as to take additional precautions around the Tan Kah Kee site.

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[Gesturing with his hands] This is Watten Estate, Minister, and this is Tan Kah Kee Station and this is Bukit Timah Road and everything behind Bukit Timah Road. My ward is everything behind Bukit Timah Road. There is Hwa Chong Institution and behind Hwa Chong, condominiums and landed housing. And therefore I would request that LTA also prioritise the concerns and be proactive in preventive measures of cracks happening on that side.

I thank the Member for bringing up this point. Indeed, LTA is very mindful of the possible impact on Hwa Chong Institution as well as the estate on the Bukit Timah side. In fact, that was actually of a greater concern compared to my side of Bukit Timah on the Dunearn Road side. LTA will try to be as comprehensive as possible, both in terms of the site surveys and in terms of the instrumentation. But we would appreciate that given the very diverse geology and also we do not want to over-do things, that it is sometimes not possible to foresee every possible eventuality. After all, I think perfect foresight is as rare as 20:20 hindsight is common. So, LTA will continue to watch the area very closely. If there is feedback from the residents, they will take action to investigate it as soon as possible and, if necessary, take step to do the rectification works.

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10 Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) how does MUIS plan to address the shortage of Haj pilgrimage places in view of the much lower quota allocated to Singapore recently; (b) how many Muslim Singaporeans were affected by this recent quota change and suffered losses as a result of early bookings; and (c) how does MUIS plan to handle the backlog and expected waiting list should the lower quotas continue over the next few years.

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Mr Speaker, Sir, the Saudi Government has allocated 680 Haj places to Singapore this year. This is in line with our official Haj quota as decided by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1987. All the 680 places have been allocated to applicants who had registered to perform Haj this year under MUIS' Advance Haj Registration System.

Sir, I attend the Annual Ministerial Hajj Meeting in Saudi every year to request for additional places so that more Singaporean Muslims can perform pilgrimage. The Saudi Government has been generous, granting us 1,500 additional places for Haj each year for the past four years (2008-2011). We must not take this for granted. This year, the Saudi government is unable to give us extra places in view of massive construction work around Mecca. This applies to all countries and is not unique to Singapore.

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Singaporean Muslims who made early bookings for Haj this year but eventually could not get a place, did not suffer any loss. Under the Haj Agreement, Haj operators can only accept early and progressive payment from registered applicants allocated the 680 official places.

However, some may have to forfeit some paid deposits for transport and accommodation arrangements that they had made. By catering to a larger market over and above our official quota, the agents were taking a business risk. This paid off for them in previous years. Unfortunately, because of the reduced quota this year, some of them may have suffered losses.

Sir, I share the disappointment of many Singaporean Muslims who are not able to perform Haj this year. The Prime Minister has appealed to the Saudi Crown Prince Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud. I had personally handed this appeal letter over to the Crown Prince on 29 September 2012. We are still waiting for the outcome.

The development projects in the Holy Land will take a few years to complete. We appreciate the efforts that the Saudi government is taking to ensure that more Muslims can make their pilgrimage safely and comfortably. In the meantime, we should be prepared and manage our expectations should we not be able to get additional Haj quota in the next few years.

Sir, I thank the Minister for sharing with us his comprehensive reply. Many in the community have viewed this issue involving the Saudi government as well as the Korban issue involving the Australian government as being situations in which we find ourselves at a difficult end because of the decisions made by foreign governments. The question is whether the Ministry has early warning about the risk and probability that this may not happen, and whether the public could have been better pre-empted and actions taken so as to avoid late disappointment. Pertaining to the Haj itself, I would like to ask the Minister this: does he see this as a short-term or long-term concern in the sense that is there a chance that the old quotas will be reverted in due course?

Sir, I think we better correct this: that there is no such thing as an old quota. Our quota is 680. It is just that we have been granted additional places in the last few years. We have been told that this is a short-term problem because the government is, in fact, improving the accommodation around the Holy Mosque and in other places in Mecca and Medina. And we have been assured that once they have been able to finish the construction work, they will reconsider. That is what we have been told through some of the discussions we have had with our Saudi counterparts.

As to the Member's question on whether or not we can pre-empt, I think sometimes it may be very difficult because the quota allocation is a very sensitive matter. We made our appeal earlier this year, but we have already informed all the agents that whatever planning that they have to make, they must plan based on 680 places. Beyond 680 places, it is a business risk that they have to take because we can never assume that what has happened in the last four years will continue for the next four years, even though we have been granted additional places for the last four years. Similarly, to the question on the livestock for our annual Korban, we were, in fact, alerted much earlier, and we have done our best to meet the requirements of the Australian government. We have done so and they have actually given us the approval for the 16 mosques plus two Malay-Muslim organisations.

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But going forward, we know that these are matters in which the Australian government has to consider on a year-by-year basis because there are developments over there that we have to be cognisant of. We thank them for giving us the opportunity to import livestock for this year but I think it is important for the community to prepare ourselves that we may have to first look at alternative sources and, secondly, even considering doing some of our Korban overseas. Much earlier this year, MUIS and myself have, in fact, come up to inform the public that we may have to be prepared for some other eventualities but, thankfully, we have now gotten the approval for this year. But we can never guarantee that the same approval be given for us next year. So we have to prepare for a different outcome, the possibility that it will not come for next year's Korban.

Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. I would like to ask whether there has been any review conducted on the Haj system, which is managed by MUIS, since last year's unfortunate Haj circumstances. If yes, were there any irregularities discovered and how were these addressed?

Sir, the system that we have in place is, in fact, very comprehensive and well audited by a lot of other countries because we follow a very rigorous system of allocation and priority and queuing system. What happened last year was really something which was beyond our control because we were promised by the former Saudi Ambassador a certain number of goodwill visas which never materialised. But we have always taken the position that we should work on our official quota, plan based on our official quota, and anything that comes extra is a bonus. On the part of the community, we actually have different queues for people with different priorities. And so if we have additional quotas, we will give those on a different queue those places. But those who are on the first priority list, which is what we call Category A and Category B, they will be given the official quota. At the end of the day, I think our planning norms are all right, but there are a lot of uncertainties in this particular business because issues regarding allocation and places within the Holy Land are really beyond our control.

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11 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources if he will provide an update on the canal deepening exercise along Bukit Timah Road and whether the exercise is progressing on schedule.

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Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank Mr de Souza for the question, fiercely protecting his constituency. The Bukit Timah Catchment area measures some 3,000 hectares, and is served by the Bukit Timah Canal from Upper Bukit Timah Road all the way down to Balmoral Road. Due to its low-lying nature, this area continues to be at risk from flashfloods. In particular, the section that is demarcated by Blackmore Avenue down to Maple Avenue is at exceptional risk. So because of that, works started actually in December 2010 to upgrade that stretch of the canal. And this involves both deepening as well as widening the canal in order to increase its capacity.

There is another major piece of work that involves upgrading the Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal. This is a diversion canal that stretches from the junction of Maple Avenue and Bukit Timah Road and goes all the way across the hills of the Holland area to reach the junction of Ulu Pandan and Clementi Road. This is a 3.2 km diversion canal that diverts water from the Bukit Timah Catchment into Sungei Ulu Pandan, and thereby not only reduces the risk of flooding in the Bukit Timah area but also reduces risk of further flooding downstream – Balmoral and Newton Circus in the Rochor area. This upgrading will be completed in 2016. And we hope that it will lead to a substantial reduction in the risk of flash floods in that area.

In addition to that, we are also making sure that there is more timely information available to stakeholders and to the residents. For instance, we provide alerts on flood situations, including information on water levels in all our major canals to the public. This is available through the website, through tweets as well as through the smartphone apps that PUB has published.

I would like to assure Members that apart from upgrading, we also need to pay attention to maintenance and, in particular, to cleanliness within the canals. Because, clearly, if litter accumulates at the entrances to the canals, or indeed accumulates within the canal itself, we will also have flooding situation. So if members of the public notice any clogged drains or litter accumulating in any area, please inform us and we will take the necessary action on an immediate basis.

I thank the Minister for his response. I understand that the Bukit Timah Canal stretches all the way to about Sixth Avenue and then there is Maple Avenue downwards to Sungei Ulu Pandan, and out to the sea where it is caught again for the Pandan Reservoir purposes. And it is that second artery that I would like to pose a question on the Maple Avenue or the first diversionary canal. My concern is that there are many residential homes there between Bukit Timah Road and Ulu Pandan Road, and whether there can be a priority for PUB to expedite the widening and the deepening of the canal where it is near homes, for the sake of my residents.

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The Member is right that especially the first one-third of the diversion canal, in fact, goes through some heavily populated residential areas, including landed estates. And there is a part of the canal which actually goes underground. In fact, it becomes a tunnel. We have had to even move some residents out of their own homes during the construction phase in order to ensure safety. We have, of course, made the appropriate compensation to these residents. So, he has my assurance that we will take the interest of the residents as paramount. We will ensure safety. We will also have the appropriate monitoring equipment in place to ensure that there is no damage to property. Or even if there is a risk to that, we detect it early and we address it promptly.

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The following question stood in the name of Mr Zainudin Nordin –

12 To ask the Minister for Education (a) how many ITE students are currently receiving financial assistance; (b) beyond the financial assistance, how are these students assisted to ensure that they continue to remain in their course of study; and (c) whether these students who come from humble backgrounds are faced with challenges to participate in local and overseas enrichment programmes that are offered for their holistic development.

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Mr Speaker, Question No 12, please.

Sir, in Academic Year 2011, about 11,800 or half of the students at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) received financial assistance in the form of bursaries. ITE also provides academic and career counselling for students to help them complete their course of study.

Additional financial assistance is provided to ITE students who participate in enrichment programmes. For local enrichment programmes, ITE taps on Edusave grants to defray programme costs for all ITE students. For overseas enrichment programmes, ITE students from low-income households can tap on the Opportunity Fund and the Khoo Teck Puat International Opportunity Programme Fund to help cover the cost of their participation. About 1,600 students benefited from the Opportunity Fund as well as the Khoo Teck Puat International Opportunity Programme Fund in 2011.

Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his clarification and answer. One of the issues of ITE students is that those who come from low-income families typically have this issue of having to work to supplement their family income, and that is what we also found speaking to teachers. This distracts them from pursuing their education effectively.

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So, my question is, is the Ministry studying this trend and what can be done to enable them to focus on their studies by providing adequate financial help for them and their families. How can the schools also involve parents in terms of getting the parents on board, because parents from this segment of society may not necessarily see the same importance as they are concerned about bread and butter issues? Lastly, how can we get more from the people sector and the charities sector on board to help in this space?

Sir, I believe ITE is already involving parents to ensure that the students enjoy and complete their courses. The second point about ITE students who are working: some students work because they want to supplement their family income, some want to finance their own education. However, as I said earlier, 50% of ITE students are already receiving assistance in the form of bursaries. If they tap on these bursaries, they would be able to cover the course fees. That would be sufficient. There is a bigger issue here as to whether the family is able to get greater financial assistance than just to pay the fees. The parents would have to work with other agencies to resolve this, but ITE is already helping our students to complete the course by also working with voluntary organisations. The ITE network is already working with at least two organisations. One of them is the Malay Youth Literary Association (4PM), which tries to motivate the students of ITE who are on the verge of dropping out, or who are most vulnerable. I understand that the success rate is very, very good. The other organisation is MENDAKI, which provides counselling and mentorship to students. The 4PM programme, at least, is open to students from all races.

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13 Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Education (a) how does the Ministry use technology as a tool to level the playing field for students who may not have access to good quality teachers and resources; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider producing and distributing online learning curriculum materials to support our mainstream and special schools, learning from examples such as Khan Academy and Open Lectures.

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Sir, MOE is committed to ensure that all our students are well taught through careful recruitment of teachers. Our teachers receive comprehensive pre-service and in-service training in order to maintain quality learning and teaching in all classrooms. In addition, MOE is also committed in providing quality online resources for teachers such as training videos, instructional materials and lesson exemplars which are available in an online platform called edumall2.0.

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On top of these resources, every school has a Learning Management System. This system provides resources which teachers can use to scaffold students' learning through modules such as lesson builders, quizzes and assessment tasks, collaboration work spaces and student learning portfolios.

Having said that, teachers play the critical role of selecting, adapting and blending appropriate resources based on the learning needs of their students. Strong pedagogical knowledge is necessary for teachers to design suitable teaching and learning activities. Sharing of resources, lesson designs and online lectures by teachers has always been encouraged and there are various platforms to facilitate such collaboration and sharing.

For Special Education (SPED) schools, ICT has to be customised to meet the varied learning needs of the students. MOE is working with SPED schools to harness ICT for teaching and learning. MOE also facilitates ICT training and supports SPED schools in implementing innovative ICT projects to make learning more interactive and engaging for students.

Sir, technology in itself does not transform learning and cannot replace teachers. Hence, MOE will continue to focus on developing a quality teaching force to ensure that ICT is effectively deployed for teaching and learning. MOE will also keep an open mind, but take a measured approach in selecting suitable and high quality material to support our teachers.

Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the comprehensive answer. I agree with everything said, and I have to thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for always being very supportive to the children with special needs. I had the opportunity in recent years to come face to face with "live" good private tutors and lecturers, for example in subjects in General Paper (GP). They are private tutors with big followings of pre-university students. I also saw good online lectures available overseas and locally. Open Lectures is one of them; Khan Academy is another one of them; and also, all the Ivy League Universities. Considering that Singapore is one of the most wired nations in the world, I think there is great opportunity for online teaching and learning resources to be made available, not just to teachers but also to students and their families. I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary if MOE could consider conducting a full study on how ICT can be harnessed even further to make more accessible good online lectures and resources so that those who cannot and do not want to pay hefty tuition fees could have access to and benefit from these, and so that there is a more level playing field.

I thank the Member for her supplementary question. Indeed, developments such as those she had named are initiatives that we in MOE are watching with great interest. We do keep abreast of such projects and I agree with the Member that there is a lot of potential, especially being a very wired nation, for us to leverage more on such technology. I think as with our overall approach to teaching and pedagogy, the quality of the materials, whether delivered by a teacher in a classroom or delivered via an online platform, remains of paramount importance. So, in terms of looking at and exploring these various avenues in order to enrich teaching, we will also keep quality at the forefront of all considerations.

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I am also happy to update the Member that we also agree that putting more resources in the hands of not just teachers, but also students and their parents, would be key to further improve education. It is in this spirit that we have launched a portal for parents, as part of on-going parent engagement to help them help their children, and to help them keep abreast of developments in schools. We are constantly on the lookout for quality resources that can be curated and put online so that more families, more households can have access to such resources.

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14 Mrs Lina Chiam asked the Minister for Trade and Industry if he will consider revising and tightening the assessment criteria for EDB's Global Investor Programme to ensure foreigners accepted into this scheme are not involved in criminal embezzlement.

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The assessment criteria for applicants under the Global Investor Programme (GIP) was reviewed and tightened recently. Each applicant is required to submit supporting documents relating to his personal and business background that are certified by a notary public. The applicant is also required to furnish references from financial institutions and declare if he has any criminal conviction under the Immigration Act. Each applicant is required to make a statutory declaration that the information he has provided is true and accurate.

EDB would then verify the information provided by the applicant and forward particulars of the applicant to relevant Government agencies for further screening. While every effort has been made to ensure that the assessment process is rigorous and comprehensive, it is not always possible for all dubious dealings to be detected at the point of application, especially if they have not been surfaced yet. I would like to assure Members that EDB will continue to exercise due care and diligence in evaluating all applicants of the Global Investor Programme.

Sir, I thank the Minister of State for the answer. I have two supplementary questions. First, will a professional audit be done to check on the correctness and adequacy of EDB's systems and assessment criteria to ensure the quality of foreign talent that have been brought into Singapore? Secondly, if the audit has already been conducted, can the audit report be released to the public so that the public can assess the EDB's Global Investor Programme?

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Sir, the objective of making sure that the information provided is accurate, comprehensive and complete, it is important that EDB taps on agencies or international networks to verify those information. It is important that we have a system that is robust and dynamic enough to be able to access all the information provided. Sometimes, the information may not be complete or comprehensive. I think it is needed that every single case is looked into very seriously and considered very carefully. We cannot speed up the process in any way but we must make sure the information provided is complete. After incidents that have happened, EDB has continued to refine its processes and make sure the processes are strengthened. It will use different sources of information and tap on certain intelligence to find out more about certain applications.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I am declaring my interest as a banker. My understanding is that banks here do fairly stringent and rigorous Know Your Clients (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) checks when on-boarding their clients. Given the potential for the EDB and the banking sector to work together, is this something that the Ministry would consider in raising the bar for allowing the GIP applicants to qualify to come here?

It is important that EDB considers working with different sectors more closely. This information is needed, and the different background checks for certain cases of applications. It is important for different agencies and operators to come forward to work together to find out more about those applications. We will certainly consider that.

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15 Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for National Development (a) how the bases of computation for HDB flat valuation compare across flats for resale, SERS and compulsory acquisition; (b) how the Ministry views the increasing cash over valuation (COV) figures; and (c) how can the system be fine-tuned to make resale flats more affordable.

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Sir, the basis of valuation is the same for all HDB flats, whether they are resale flats transacted in the open market, flats affected by the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS), or flats that are compulsorily acquired. Their values are assessed by a panel of professional valuers based on established valuation principles, taking into account factors such as location, size, storey height, and the extent of renovations.

Cash-Over-Valuations, or COVs, refer to the cash amounts which resale flat buyers pay above the market valuations to secure the purchase. With COV, the buyers are paying above the value as assessed by professional valuers. In a seller's market, this can happen. HDB has always advised buyers to think carefully before commiting to a price which is substantially above what the professional valuers have estimated.

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Resale prices are determined by willing buyers and sellers. The Government cannot intervene to determine the transaction prices for buyers and sellers. But we help players make informed decisions through timely release of pricing data via the HDB website.

Buyers are naturally anxious about the rise in HDB resale prices in recent years. This is due to a temporary mismatch in supply and demand, coupled with global liquidity, low interest rates, and strong economic growth in Singapore. To restore market equilibrium, the Government has already put in place a number of demand management and supply measures. We will continue to monitor the public housing market closely.

Mr Baey, keep it short.

I would like to ask Minister if valuers look into past transacted prices to determine the valuation price, and if these transacted prices include the COVs? If so, would that artificially prop up the resale flat prices? May I ask why is there no COV practice in the transactions of private properties?

Valuers look at evidence of selling price. Selling price would, of course, be the final price that the buyer pays to the seller. And if it exceeds valuation, then it includes COV.

Order. End of Question Time.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), Written Answers to Question Nos 16-19, 21, 23-25, 30, 32-33, 35-36, 38-39, 41-42, 44, 46 and 48-49 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix (Pg 1004-1021). Question Nos 20, 22, 26-29, 31, 34, 37, 40, 43, 45, 47 and 50 have been postponed to the next available sitting of Parliament.]

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[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]

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

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Sir, this Bill clarifies the Minister's powers in relation to property which devolves to the Government on the death of a person if he does so without a will and without next of kin. It also provides for the administration of such property.

Under the Intestate Succession Act, the assets in a deceased's estate devolves to the Government if he dies without a valid will, and without any next-of-kin entitled under the Intestate Succession Act.

Under section 27 of the Civil Law Act, the Minister may transfer such property to any person(s) who has "an equitable or moral claim thereto", for example, a person who has taken care of, or provided for, the deceased.

Clause 2 amends section 27 of the Civil Law Act. It clarifies that the Minister's power to distribute property which has devolved to the Government extends to both real and personal property within the deceased's estate.

The Minister's power is also expanded to include the property of a deceased which, while not part of a deceased's estate, has devolved to the Government under any written law which is gazetted by the Minister. One example is CPF monies where no nomination has been made. Such property is now excluded by law from the deceased's estate to protect them from creditors. This is for the benefit of entitled next-of-kin. But when there is no entitled next-of-kin, it is only fair that such property can go to someone with an equitable or moral claim.

The amendments will not affect the disposal of property according to Muslim law. That will continue to be dealt with under the Administration of Muslim Law Act.

Clause 2 also clarifies that the procedure by which the Minister may exercise his powers.

Clause 3 of the Bill amends section 4 of the Public Trustee Act. The amendment will allow the Minister to assign functions and duties of the Public Trustee in relation to property which has devolved to the Government, which may now include the administration of estates with such property. This will build on the Public Trustee's existing role and experience in administering small estates.

Sir, the Bill is part of my Ministry's continuing efforts to reform technical areas of the law. I beg to move.

[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]

Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill. This Bill is very useful and is a reflection that the Government is aware of the rapidly evolving environment around us. One of the issues that we have been discussing openly in the public domain is that of low marriage and birth rate, a problem that may have serious implications on the society and the economy of Singapore.

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With more Singaporeans choosing not to get married or not having children, we may face a situation in the future where many Singaporeans grow old without next-of-kin or clear heirs to their properties. As such, the proposed amendments through this Bill to the Civil Law Act to expand the scope of section 27 and to make related amendments to the Public Trustee Act are timely as they will help resolve matters related to ownerless property accruing to the death of individuals who do not have any next-of-kin.

While this Bill will allow, that is, the rightful person, property of deceased citizens to be transferred to claimants and ensure more equitable distribution of assets, I have some concern about the authenticity of such claims that may emerge as the process is now made more simplified through these amendments accruing to this Bill. I would like to query on the process and criteria that have been thought of and how these will help protect the authenticity of the claims and to ensure that the pay-outs made meet their intended consequences of equitable distribution.

To protect this process, it is also perhaps important to consider implementing some deterrents to prevent false claimants from making their claims. I would like to suggest creating a clause in this Act that would penalise such errant claimants as a deterrent. Also, there should be provisions to ensure that false claimants who are revealed after the warrant has been issued to transfer the assets in their name, can be brought to task for the false claims. And, of course, provision should also be made to repossess the assets that have been transferred should the claim prove to be false. Also these processes may have to take into account disputes in claims and decide how these should be resolved. We must not ignore the possibility that such disputes may emerge even after the warrant of transfer has been issued and the transaction is completed.

On the whole, I wish to extend my support to the Bill which aims to simplify the process and to ensure that assets that belong to the deceased are transferred properly to the deserving claimants.

Sir, in general, this amendment Bill is a welcome as it covers greater scope than the current section 27. I have a few clarifications to raise. First, the amendment empowers the Minister with no change to the existing provision to release any bona vacantia properties to any person if the Minister is satisfied that person has established an equitable or moral claim on the property.

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Now, would the Minister require the claimant to obtain an order from the court that the claimant has indeed established this before the Minister is satisfied with the claim? Again, this is related to the preservation of authenticity as mentioned by the Member, Mr Dhinakaran. There would also be the concern of legal as well as court costs incurred by the claimant to obtain that order.

Secondly, pertaining to section 27 (3)(a), where the release of the bona vacantia property consists of only monies, would the release be also of the principal sum? Would the release also then include accrued interests?

And thirdly, on section 27 (3)(b), where the bona vacantia property was a land which had been sold, the successful claimant would only receive payment by means of monies. How would the quantum payment be made? Would it be the sale proceeds at the time of sale of the land by the Government or would it be based on the valuation at the time of the claim?

Can the Minister also provide some details as to how a bona vacantia would be dealt with, such as the holding period before the land is sold and also the method of sale, etc?

Finally, Sir, how would the Government address the concern of a claimant, for example, that the bona vacantia land has been of ancestral, or other intrinsic value, and should not have been sold off by the Government? With that, Sir, I support the Bill.

Sir, I thank both Members for supporting the Bill. Let me first address Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef's concerns. I think there are three.

The first concern is whether a court order is needed before the Minister can exercise his powers and how much would that cost. A court order is not needed for this purpose. It is for the Minister to assess whether a person has a moral or equitable claim to property which has devolved to the Government. That has always been the position, and that continues to be the position. This Bill is simply amended to make clear what properties are covered.

Second, whether the Minister can distribute accrued interests. Yes, the powers extend to distributing accrued interests.

And, third, how will the property be disposed of. I should clarify that the Minister's principal role is to decide who has the moral or equitable claim to the relevant property. Administration of the estate is usually done by the claimant or other private parties. It is for the administrator to decide matters such as whether, when and how to sell the estate property, the manner in which the property is distributed and, of course, he has to discharge his duties in accordance with the law.

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Let me now address Mr Dhinakaran's concerns. I think his essential concern is with false claimants.

My Ministry has safeguards in relation to the claims process. First, we will check that the property has, in fact, devolved to the Government based on documents provided by the claimant.

Second, it is a practice to wait for six months to pass, after the death of the deceased, before processing any claim. This is to allow time for entitled next-of-kin to step forward.

Third, we will also require claimants to submit supporting documents, for example, receipts of hospital or funeral expenses. If necessary, we will ask for further documents.

Fourth, claimants to bona vacantia property must submit statutory declaration or affidavit which has already been filed in court. The declaration or affidavit must state the basis of the claim, amongst other things. And, of course, making a false statutory declaration or filing a false affidavit are serious offences.

These are safeguards which will minimise the likelihood of false claims being made. I thank the Members for their support of the Bill.

[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]

[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr K Shanmugam]. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]

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[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]

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

The Voluntary Sterilization Act (VSA) was first enacted in 1969 and came into force in 1970. It was introduced to provide legal certainty for sexual sterilization procedures performed by registered medical practitioners, for the purposes of family planning.

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As this was a relatively new policy then, the VSA included a number of safeguards and these were: (a) controls on institutions where such surgical procedures could be carried out; (b) professional qualifications of the medical practitioners who could carry out such procedures; (c) the requirement for consent to be obtained before a person undergoes such procedures; and (d) protection for the confidentiality of personal information of those who undergo such procedures, as this is a sensitive and private matter.

Between 2003 and 2011, a total of 27,905 persons underwent voluntary sexual sterilization. The VSA was last reviewed nearly four decades ago in 1974. There have been many changes in Singapore since then, both in the healthcare landscape as well as in society in general. It is therefore timely for us to review and amend the VSA to ensure that it remains effective and relevant today.

In addition, Singapore is working towards becoming a party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the UN Convention). We are therefore making amendments to the provisions in the VSA that may be viewed as potentially discriminatory against disabled persons.

I will now elaborate on the proposed amendments to the VSA. Under the VSA, a person must give his or her consent before undergoing a sexual sterilization procedure. However, sections 3(2)(d) and 3(2)(e) of the current VSA provide that for persons who are "afflicted with any hereditary form of illness that is recurrent, mental illness, mental deficiency or epilepsy", the spouse, parent or guardian of such persons have the power to consent on their behalf, even though such persons may still be capable of giving their own consent despite their conditions. We need to change this.

The amendment in clause 3 of the Bill will align the VSA with the approach taken in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), which came into force on 1 March 2010. With the amendment, a person is presumed to have mental capacity as defined in the MCA to make decisions for himself or herself, and should therefore give his or her own consent to undergo sexual sterilization, unless it is shown that the person lacks mental capacity. In this way, we will return autonomy to those with mental or hereditary illnesses, but who still have the mental capacity to give their own consent.

This amendment will also bring the VSA in line with the UN Convention to accord persons with hereditary illnesses or mental disabilities with the same legal rights as others. This will then enable Singapore to accede to the UN Convention, which we aim to do by the end of this year.

We have also received various feedback from families, interest groups and the public, on the issue of safeguards for those who lack mental capacity. Some were of the view that the decision to have such a person undergo sexual sterilization should rest with the family, as they will be the ones who have to care for the person and live with the consequences of such a procedure. Others have cautioned that there may be instances where the spouse, parent or guardian may not act in the best interest of the person who lacks mental capacity, in giving consent for such a procedure to be carried out.

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My Ministry has weighed all the concerns and views that have been raised, taking into consideration the important role of the family in such decisions, as well as the need to protect the welfare of this vulnerable group of people.

Clause 3 of the Bill will amend the VSA such that for persons who lack mental capacity, while the spouse, if the person is married, or the parent or guardian, if the person is unmarried, may be the one who first comes to a decision that the person should undergo such a procedure, as an additional safeguard, the spouse or guardian will need to apply to the Court for an order to proceed. Similar to the Court's role under the MCA, the Court may then make an order declaring that the treatment is necessary in the best interests of the person. This application will need to be supported by a doctor's report stating that the person lacks mental capacity to give his or her own consent to the procedure, and that the procedure is necessary in the person's best interests. Reference will be made to provisions in the MCA in determining whether a person lacks mental capacity, and whether the treatment for sexual sterilization is in the person's best interests.

The current VSA requires healthcare institutions that can carry out sexual sterilization procedures to be first approved by the Minister for Health. This requirement is a historical one. When the VSA was first enacted, hospitals and clinics in Singapore were not yet licensed or regulated by the Ministry. There was therefore a need for specific approval from the Minister, to ensure the safety and suitability of the institutions carrying out sexual sterilization.

However, this requirement has been made obsolete with the licensing of healthcare institutions under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act (PHMCA), which came into force in 1993. Furthermore, sexual sterilization involving tubal ligation for females and vasectomy for males are today relatively simple procedures that do not require any complicated equipment or setup. With clause 4 of the Bill, we will amend the VSA such that these procedures can be carried out in institutions that are already licensed under the PHMCA, without the need for specific approval from the Minister.

Under the current VSA, sexual sterilization procedures can only be carried out by registered medical practitioners who either have certain specialist qualifications or have acquired a certain amount of training or experience. These requirements are outdated and not reflective of the current practices.

Previously, a medical practitioner is allowed to perform a surgical procedure, such as sexual sterilization, just based on the fact that he had previously undergone a certain amount of training or experience in that area. Today, in the larger healthcare institutions, such as hospitals, they now rely on well-established credentialing systems, whereby only those practitioners who can show that they have adequate training and have kept up-to-date in their practice, would be allowed to perform certain types of procedures in that institution. So, we will amend the VSA to reflect current practice norms in our healthcare institutions.

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The amended VSA will allow registered medical practitioners in a PHMCA-licensed hospital or ambulatory surgical centre to carry out such procedures once they have been credentialed by their institution to do so. The respective institutions will be responsible for ensuring that they only allow medical practitioners who are adequately trained and possess the necessary skills, to carry out the procedures. In the smaller specialist medical clinics, which do not have such a credentialing system, the VSA will still require that such procedures be carried out by certain recognised specialists, such as surgeons, urologists, obstetricians and gynaecologists. These specialists are accredited as possessing the requisite qualifications and experience, and registered with the Singapore Medical Council.

Patient confidentiality and consent are the fundamental tenets of good professional conduct and practice of healthcare professionals, and the penalties for breaching these obligations should reflect the severity of the offence.

The penalties in the VSA for unauthorised disclosure of confidential information will be increased, to align them with similar provisions in other healthcare laws like the Infectious Diseases Act and the Human Organ Transplant Act. The maximum fine will be raised from $2,000 to $10,000. The maximum jail term of 12 months remains unchanged.

The VSA will also be amended to raise the maximum fine for persons who coerce or intimidate another person to undergo sexual sterilization against his or her will from $5,000 to $10,000. The maximum jail term of five years remains unchanged.

My Ministry conducted a public consultation on the proposed amendments on the VSA from 4 June 2012 to 2 July 2012. The feedback has been broadly supportive.

We have also received valuable inputs from various quarters, through the formal consultation process, as well as through our other usual feedback channels even after the consultation period is over. We have taken such input into account in finalising the proposed amendments to the VSA. I would like to thank all those who have taken an interest in the Bill and provided their valuable input.

In conclusion, Sir, this Bill will make the necessary amendments to update the VSA and ensure that it remains relevant to Singapore today. It will also amend the VSA to provide better protection for persons with disabilities and bring it in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Sir, I beg to move.

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[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]

Mr Speaker, Sir, in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech on Pg 1026.] Voluntary sterilization has been practised in many countries for various reasons, as a form of birth control, for medical and social reasons as well as eugenics-based practices for the control of certain hereditary diseases. Because voluntary sterilization is surgical and carries with it certain risks and is intended to be permanent, it demands more robust measures to protect the individual against discrimination and potential abuse.

The amendments to the Voluntary Sterilization Act (VSA) are necessary to keep pace with the changes in society and to ensure that it remains relevant in the modern day context. The current provisions in the VSA are potentially discriminatory against those with disabilities, such as mental illness, mental deficiency and epilepsy, as it does not take into account the different severity of these conditions and many with such conditions may still be capable of giving informed consent.

Besides meeting the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and aligning with the Mental Capacity Act which came into force in March 2010, it also takes away the ambiguity and uncertainty of the legitimacy of the consent that the doctors have to obtain before performing the procedure on such persons who lack mental capacity.

For persons who lack mental capacity, the current provisions allow parent/guardian, if unmarried, or spouse, if married, to make the decision and give the consent for sexual sterilization procedure. While there have not been cases reported of wrongful intentions, this can be a potential problem without the necessary safeguards to protect such persons. It cannot be over-emphasised that the best interest of the patient remains centre-stage in all these debates on the amendment Bill. Questions have been raised as to whether a parent or a guardian should be allowed to consent to the sterilization of an incompetent person without an independent third party approval. The major concern is that a request for sterilization may be made to satisfy the needs or convenience of the person requesting the sterilization, and may not necessarily be in the best interests of the incompetent person. I am glad that the amendment mandates that sterilization of such persons may only be carried out if the Court declares that the sterilization is necessary in the best interests of the person.

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In addition, I strongly support the removal of the phrase in the current VS Act that "the doctor must certify that treatment is necessary in society's interest." Unfortunately, such a phrase may be misinterpreted to mean that sterilization may be carried out for eugenic reasons. Doctors or policy makers should not play God to decide who or who should not inhabit this world. Eugenic sterilization infringes on basic human rights. The perception that disability is inherently bad and people with disabilities lead blighted, tragic lives ignores and invalidates our actual lives and experiences. We must constantly remind ourselves that it is not the disability so much which restricts equality and full participation in society, but the combination of social stigma, systemic barriers and prejudices. How gracious and magnanimous a society is, can be reflected in how we treat and embrace the least fortunate amongst us.

(In English): Mr Speaker, please allow me to continue in English. The amendments to the Voluntary Sterilization Act (VSA) are necessary to keep pace with societal changes and the expectations of Singaporeans. It needs to stay relevant in the modern day context.

Sir, as Chairman of the GPC for Health and as a doctor, I fully support the decision to align the VSA with the Mental Capacity Act 2010. The amendments, as we know, make clear the conditions in which the process can be carried out, especially in the cases of persons who lack mental capacity. The formalisation of the process, will allow the doctor performing the procedure to know clearly the limits to which the process can be carried out.

As I went through the Bill, I noticed that one of the key elements is to align the Act with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and to impose a requirement for court order in cases involving treatment for sexual sterilization for persons who lack mental capacity to consent to such treatment. Such persons are unable to give informed consent, and thus cannot be considered voluntary in the true sense of the word. Paradoxical as it may seem, the title of the Bill is "Voluntary Sterilization Act". A more appropriate name will be "Voluntary and Proxy Consent Sterilization Act".

Majority of patients undergo voluntary sterilization for medical and contraceptive reasons. Sterilization to prevent pregnancy of a woman, who is mentally incapable of giving informed consent, must be performed after due considerations and in the best interests of the person. So, what are the possible reasons or justification for this procedure to be carried out on the mentally incompetent?

The obvious medical rationale would be to prevent harm, if pregnancy or delivery would endanger the life or health of the mother. The social rationale would be to prevent harm to the child if the mother is mentally unable to provide appropriate care for the child.

As surgical sterilization is an invasive procedure and it involves an element of risk, it is imperative for the doctor and the guardian to consider other alternatives of pregnancy prevention before proceeding with the application for court order for surgical sterilization. There should be strict guidelines for such proxy consent sterilization. It must be established that the person's mental capacity must be permanently incompetent and in accordance to the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act. It cannot be over-emphasised that sterilization is performed in the best interest of the patient and is also the most practical and least restrictive contraception available. The motivation for requesting sterilization must also be examined very carefully and whether they are in conflict with the patient's interest.

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Sir, while I agree and support the amendments, I do have some clarifications for the Minister on certain provisions in the amendment Bill. Singapore, having one of the lowest total fertility rates in the world, has a rather liberal legislation on voluntary sterilization. While I strongly support the need for more protection for persons with mental incapacitation, the law seems quiet on certain restrictions on sterilization seen in many countries, such as minimum age and parity requirements. A number of countries have specific age and parity requirements for sterilization. The most common minimum age is 25, and can be found in some Nordic countries. Some countries impose parity requirements only, which are based on a person's number of children. In Tunisia, an individual must have four children before obtaining sterilization for contraception purposes; while in Panama, a woman must have five children. Several countries, however, combine parity and age requirements. For example, Finland has a minimum age of 30 or a requirement that a person has had three children, if younger than 30, before sterilization is allowed.

Another issue of major concern in the context of voluntary sterilization is that of informed consent, that is, whether the sterilization is truly voluntary. As a legal matter, informed consent generally requires that the person seeking a medical procedure be provided information on the risks, benefits, alternatives and characteristics of the procedure. In the case of sterilization, required information would include that temporary methods are available, that the procedure involves surgery, that the surgical procedure involves risk and benefits, that the procedure is permanent and also worth mentioning is that the procedure does not provide any protection against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Thorough counselling is, therefore, important and I hope MOH can consider making pre-sterilization counselling a pre-requisite.

There is also concern that the amendment Bill provides insufficient protection to minors. Section 3(2)(c) dictates that persons under 21 can consent to sterilization for non-medical reasons, provided a parent or guardian also gives consent to such treatment. However, there is a deep concern as to what extent minors, especially those who are much younger, are able to comprehend the concept of sexual sterilization. Potential controversy may occur in cases where the other parent of the child objects to the procedure, for whatever reasons. A number of countries either have a minimum age where persons are considered capable of consenting to sterilization, or require a court order before a minor can be sterilized. This is not the case in our current or amended Bill.

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Sterilization undertaken solely to control fertility of and reproduction by mentally incompetent persons can be both contentious and potentially subject to abuse. When sterilization is contemplated, it should clearly be demonstrated that it is for the benefit of the individual and not solely for the benefit of the caregiver or a third party. The rights of the individual must always be protected. Section 3(2)(d) and (2)(e) dictate that for a person who lacks mental capacity within the meaning of section 4 of the Mental Capacity Act to consent to such treatment, if on application of the spouse, parent or guardian of the person, the High Court makes an order declaring that such treatment is necessary in the best interests of that person.

I would like to clarify with the Minister if this process of applying to the High Court would be tedious and costly and what assistance can be rendered to families who lack the knowledge and financial means to proceed with such an application.

In the rare event that the spouse, parent or guardian of a previously High Court approved sterilized mentally incompetent person decides to opt for a reversal of the tubal ligation or vasectomies, will an application to the court to reverse the procedure be required?

Sir, it is also useful that under the new amendment, the list of institutions carrying out sterilization will be expanded to all health institutions, as long as the doctor carrying out the procedure has the proper means, capability and qualifications to do so. While I agree that it is indeed useful to allow more institutions to carry out such process, may I know the process by which the checks to ensure that such procedures are carried out in accordance to the statutes spelt out in the Act? I understand that the amendment in section 6 gives public officers, authorised by the Minister for the purpose, to have the power to inspect the health institutions and examine records of such sterilization. How then is the public officer able to audit all such health institutions, clinics, hospitals and so on, to ensure that there is no deviance from the original intent of the VSA?

Sir, laws forbidding sterilization of the mentally incompetent may be nearly as dehumanising as the forced sterilization laws they replaced. The Voluntary Sterilization (Amendment) Bill needs to be carefully calibrated to protect the vulnerable, yet not be excessively restrictive. Weighing the complex medical and ethical issues involved and determining patients' best interest require one to be cautious and thoughtful, with individual case reviews with strict procedural safeguards. With that, I support the Bill.

Sir, overall, this Bill takes an important step to better align our Voluntary Sterilization Act (VSA) with certain international norms concerning the rights of disabled persons. However, the proof of progress will be in its implementation. I will also raise a concern about the Bill later in my speech.

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The Explanatory Note to the Bill states that this amendment seeks to align the VSA with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ("CRPD"), "by removing provisions which may lead to discrimination against disabled persons". Turning to the CRPD, Article 23 states that countries should ensure that "Persons with disabilities, including children, retain their fertility on an equal basis with others". In other words, the amendment should put disabled persons on par with others, as far as the decision to undergo sexual sterilization is concerned.

To this end, I agree that the current law does require amendment, as it is not satisfactory in certain respects.

Under the existing section 3 of the VSA, a person with "any hereditary form of illness that is recurrent, mental illness, mental deficiency or epilepsy" will be liable to be sterilized if two conditions are satisfied – first, that the spouse, parent or guardian consents; and second, that a doctor confirms that it is "in the interest of the person undergoing such treatment and of society generally". The section seems to assume that any person with a recurrent hereditary illness or any mental deficiency would be incapable of making up his or her own mind about sterilization, thus justifying the spouse, parent or guardian and a doctor taking over that decision. The current law also states that the doctor is the final gatekeeper of whether such sterilization is in the best interest of the person and of society generally. It is not clear from section 3 itself what considerations the doctor should take into account or how decisions had, in fact, been made in the past. The need to consider "society generally" also appears ambiguous, and may open the floodgates to eugenics where we only allow the fit to reproduce and the weak are denied the right to be accorded full human dignity.

To that extent, clause 3 of this amendment Bill seems to improve things. First, there is no longer a sweeping assumption that a person with a recurrent hereditary disease, epilepsy or mental deficiency is automatically not able to make these decisions; the new section 3 will allow others to decide only if the person is considered to be "mentally incapable" as defined by the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). Secondly, potential sterilizations of persons without mental capacity must be approved by the High Court. Such judicial oversight in itself will introduce more transparency and consistency in decision-making, as reasoned judgments may be published in law reports and serve to guide future cases. Thirdly, the amendment now makes it irrelevant to consider the interests of "society generally" as this phrase will be deleted from the section. The decision now whether a mentally incapable person should be sterilized will be based on the consideration of the "best interests of the person" alone.

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What then amounts to the person's best interests? This is not defined in the Bill, which instead directs us to Part II of the Mental Capacity Act for the relevant principles and definitions. Under section 6 of the MCA, determining the "best interests of the person" lists many considerations, including the person's past and present wishes and feelings; it also requires the decision-makers to place themselves in the shoes of the person, to ascertain what the mentally incapable person would have likely decided on his or her own, considering the person's wishes, beliefs and values. In addition, in deciding whether sterilization should be done on a mentally incapable person, the MCA principles would suggest that decision-makers should not be motivated by a desire to bring about that person's sterility; this is analogous to section 6(5) of the MCA, where decisions on life-sustaining treatment should not be tainted by a desire to bring about that person's death.

Sir, the reference in section 6 of the MCA to respecting the person's beliefs and values is vitally important in decisions concerning sterilization. As we are aware, there is a sizeable group of Singaporeans, particularly from the Muslim and Catholic faiths, who do not endorse sexual sterilization for contraceptive purposes. The Voluntary Sterilization Act itself at section 10 recognises that there are Singaporeans who have "conscientious objections" to sexual sterilization. While those with mental capacity can decide for themselves what they wish to do, those without mental capacity will have this very personal and intimate decision made by others. Extra care should, therefore, be taken in implementing these provisions. Those entrusted with assessing whether sterilization would be in the best interests of a person with mental incapacity should accordingly give due weight to the person's beliefs and values.

Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair again at 4.05 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 3.44 pm until 4.05 pm.

Sitting resumed at 4.05 pm

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

[(proc text) Debate resumed. (proc text)]

Mr Speaker, before I speak, can I confirm that we have a quorum? I know a quorum would be achieved in due course, but I think it is a Point of Order.

Asst Prof Tan, are you challenging the quorum? If you are, we will go through the procedure.

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Mr Speaker, I do not understand the question.

The question is, if you are calling for a quorum, and you are challenging that there is no quorum, I will then go through the procedure. I want to clarify whether you are challenging the quorum because you seem to be equivocal in your statement, "I know you will achieve a quorum, etc, etc".

Yes, Sir. I want to request that there be a quorum.

Okay.

[(proc text) Thereupon, a count was made. (proc text)]

There are 11 Members present in the House. I will ask the Clerk to ring the bell.

[(proc text) Members summoned into the Chamber as if for a division. (proc text)]

We do now have a quorum. Asst Prof Eugene Tan.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Sir, the Voluntary Sterilization Act was first enacted about 40 years ago. It was a very different era then in the way we treated people who lacked mental capacity. I wonder how we allowed such a state of affairs to persist for such an extended period of time. That was also a time when we, as a society, probably did not adequately respect the right of every person, regardless of his or her mental capacity, from unwanted bodily interference, including involuntary sterilization. It was also a time when a person who lacked mental capacity was treated as someone who was not entitled to basic rights, including that of personal inviolability and procreation rights. The Bill before us today will correct some of those inadequacies.

Sir, I will focus my remarks on clause 3 of the Bill which stipulates that voluntary consent is required for sexual sterilization from all persons with mental capacity. Where it relates to a person who lacks mental capacity, involuntary sterilization can only be carried out if, on the application by an appropriate person, the High Court makes an order declaring that the treatment is necessary in the best interests of that person. Clause 3 also stipulates that Part II of the Mental Capacity Act shall apply in such matters under consideration.

In particular, I would like to raise my concern regarding minors seeking sterilization under the proposed amendments. The proposed amendments require persons under 21 years of age to consent to sterilization for non-medical reasons, provided a parent or guardian, in the case of an unmarried minor, also consents; in the case of a married minor, the spouse's consent must be obtained.

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Sir, I must admit that I find it hard to comprehend why the Bill requires a Court Order to authorise the sterilization of persons lacking in mental capacity but does not require this for the sterilization of minors, who may also not be in a position, due to their relative youth, to give informed consent to sexual sterilisation. Would the lack of such a requirement result in a decision that is not made in the best interest of the child?

We are all aware that sterilization is an irreversible procedure that terminates a person's reproductive capacity. The termination of the reproductive function of a minor will more likely than not have both physical and physiological effects on the minor and will continue for an extended period of time.

I would also like to ask the Minister why the proposed amendments do not set out a minimum age at which minors are deemed capable of giving consent for sexual sterilization, together with the parent, guardian or spouse. A minor at 20 years of age and a minor at the age of 14 have very different maturity levels. To treat all minors alike would be over-inclusive. Would it not be better, in the interests of the child and of society generally – although I know this is not a consideration of the proposed amendments – to require a Court Order or at least an independent committee decision for minors below a certain age? Or, to provide optimum protection where a minor is concerned, how about requiring a third party, whether the High Court or an independent committee, to declare that sexual sterilization is necessary in the best interests of that person who also happens to be a child?

Would it not be prudent to take the position that any decision to sterilize a person who lacks capacity, whether a minor or someone who lacks mental capacity, should be made by the High Court or an independent committee? Such a requirement would underline our society's commitment to protect the rights of the minors and those who lack mental capacity.

Sir, I am also puzzled that the Bill seeks to incorporate only Part II of the Mental Capacity Act. I would regard Part III of the Mental Capacity Act as being integral to the extra safeguards and protection envisaged. In this case, in the context of sexual sterilization, Part III of the Mental Capacity Act would place the burden on the medical practitioners as well to take all reasonable steps to ensure that sterilization is in the best interests of the individual.

Sir, there is ample evidence throughout history, that sexual sterilization is sometimes carried out for expedient and instrumental purposes – chief among them is for contraception. In that sense, sterilization may be perceived to be a convenient method of care and control to parents, guardians or spouses who may think that they are acting in the best interests of the person for whom sterilization is sought.

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In this regard, it is timely for the Government to re-evaluate the support it provides to caregivers of people with intellectual disabilities. I appreciate that the demands on such caregivers are immense and that we should do all we can so that sexual sterilization is not seen as a method of care management.

Sir, we made a significant inroad when this House passed the Mental Capacity Act in 2010. The Act represented a fundamental change in mindset in which we do not treat people who lack mental capacity as people who have lost their dignity, their autonomy and their rights to lead as full a life as possible. Instead, such persons are to be respected like you and me, and the need to always act in their best interests.

There is much that is commendable in the Bill. The Bill is to be welcomed for providing better safeguards of the sexual and reproductive autonomy of persons who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. But I have deep reservations that it does not extend the same protection to minors.

Mr Speaker, I commend the Minister for Health for the amendments to the Voluntary Sterilization Act. In particular, I acknowledge the heightened protection the Bill seeks for persons with disability. It is also heartening to note that underlying these amendments is the intention to align with the Mental Capacity Act and, more importantly, with the UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities, which Singapore will be signatory to, very soon. This is, indeed, the right move and also in line with the vision set out in Budget 2012 for an "inclusive Singapore" and our vision for a more caring and compassionate society.

Indeed, sterilization is a major procedure. It is the irreversible termination of a person's reproductive function. It has serious implications that go beyond the physical. It has long-term psychological, mental and emotional consequences. More importantly, the issues are intertwined with a person's right to his or her own body, his or her sexual and reproductive choices. Without a fully informed consent, voluntarily given, it is invasive and a violation of a person's integrity, and violation of the choice and ability to reproduce, have children and a family.

In the case of Singapore, female sterilization is more common than male sterilization, and it is with this background that I base my comments.

Sir, every woman has the right to make informed and responsible decisions about her body. Where this right is in jeopardy, the state should step in and protect this fundamental right.

In the case of women with disabilities or who lack mental capacity, the UN Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities recognises that persons with disabilities have individual autonomy and independence, including the freedom to make their own choices. The Convention also recognises that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple discrimination when compared to able-bodied women. Thus, Article 6 makes it incumbent on signatories "to take measures to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by them of all human rights and fundamental freedoms", whilst Article 23 is more specific in stating that persons with disabilities, including children, have the right to retain their fertility on an equal basis with others.

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With that as a backdrop, I have two main areas of comments and concerns with regard to the Bill. They are, firstly, the proposed increased protection for persons with disabilities and, second, the proposed increased protection for persons below 21. With regard to persons with disabilities, I acknowledge and applaud the amendment from the original draft of the Bill to now include a requirement that a Court Order is now required over and above the consent of the spouse of the married person lacking in mental capacity, and over and above the consent of the parent or guardian of an unmarried person. It seems to me that this shows that the Bill rightly takes cognisance of instances of family disputes which can complicate decisions that are purportedly in the affected person's "best interests". It also shows it recognises that caregivers of such affected people are already overstretched and may make decisions based on their own challenging situation. Caregivers now have recourse.

Turning now to the protection for persons below 21, I echo what Asst Prof Eugene Tan has said. In the Bill, under clause 3, section 3(2)(b) states that, and I paraphrase, a married person below 21 has to give consent, while section 3(2)(c) states that, for unmarried persons below 21, consent from a parent or guardian is needed in addition to the consent of the affected person to the sterilization procedure. I acknowledge and I applaud the amendment from the original draft to include a requirement in these situations, that the registered medical practitioner not only certifies that the affected person clearly understands but also it specifically makes it incumbent on the medical practitioner to give a full explanation of the treatment. However, my first concern with regard to this aspect of the Bill is that no minimum age is stated in the amendment. I do not see a distinction being made between minors who are capable of understanding the implications of the decision and minors who are not mature enough to do so.

Sir, in order for consent to be valid and informed, the person has to fully understand the implication of that consent beyond just the medical procedure. In this, I quote Dr Lam Pin Min, in the case of sterilization, the need for capacity for consent is even more crucial. I am doubtful that minors, especially younger ones, would have the capability or maturity to do so. Yet, the Bill does not reflect this distinction nor does it provide for a more rigorous regime.

My second concern is that for unmarried minors, only one parent or guardian needs to give the consent in this case. There is no requirement that both parents need to do so. With due respect, I find this troubling. It is against the established laws of guardianship where both parents have joint responsibilities. And here I would like to refer to Article 18 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which specifically states that both parents have "common responsibilities" and also that parents be given assistance in carrying these out. Compare this with the provisions in the Women's Charter Schedule 2 which sets out who is to give consent in a marriage of a minor, where various scenarios of parental situations are listed, for example, where one parent had abdicated his or her responsibility, etc.

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In a serious matter like sterilization, it is even more imperative that a more rigorous regime with regard to parental consent is laid out. Further, there are also precedents from jurisdictions like the UK and Australia which recognise that while parents are in charge, in matters like sterilization which are irreversible, parents must answer to a higher authority, like the courts, if need be. It takes cognizance of the many instances where parents are in contentious relationships and may themselves be making the decisions based on their own emotions and not in the best interests of the minor. I do not see this concern reflected in the Bill.

I compare this with section 3(2)(e), under clause 3 of the Bill where a High Court order is required in a case of persons lacking mental capacity. It is disconcerting to note that no similar requirement exists for very young minors who would not be in a position to give fully informed consent and who, for all intents and purposes, can be likened to "persons without mental capacity".

With regard to "best interests", it is worth noting that in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, there needs to be approval by an independent committee. The absence of recourse to a higher authority in this aspect of the Bill is also not in alignment with the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child as set out in Article 3 where, and I paraphrase again, the primary consideration in any action for children must be that it is in the "best interests of the child".

So here are my recommendations: firstly, with regard to people below 21, set a minimum age for minors which should be 18, the age of majority in most jurisdictions. Second, both parents to be required to give consent and the Bill adopt the approach in Schedule 2 of the Women's Charter. Third, for persons below 18, the courts or an independent committee made up of, for example, psychiatrists, reproductive health medical practitioners and social workers who are not in a position of conflict, to make the decision and/or give consent. With regard to persons lacking in mental capacity, educating and giving even more support, financial, moral as well as with infrastructure, to caregivers who understandably are already overstretched and may be making decisions based on their own challenging situations, help them understand not only the serious implications of their consent, but also that disabled persons have rights too, under the Convention for People with Disabilities. Lastly, extending the same support to affected persons, especially in view of evidence that people with mental disability can indeed increase their skills. In fact, the UN Convention for People with Disabilities, which we will be signatory to, recognises that disability is an evolving concept. Society's attitudes based on empowerment will support these members of our society. As far as possible, teach them family planning, help them increase their understanding of their own bodies, in ways appropriate to their levels of understanding. I believe these will allow Singapore to be in greater alignment to the UN Convention that we will be signing.

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Sir, I acknowledge the amendments and I support the Bill. At the same time, let us also recognise that a person's right, especially a woman's and a child's rights to her own body, regardless of mental capacity, is inviolate. Let us support such members of our society by valuing their rights, turn to less intrusive ways as far as possible through education, awareness, self-empowerment tools and resort to sterilization only with sensitivity and compassion.

Sir, I thank the Ministry for its efforts to update the Voluntary Sterilization Act (VSA), an Act which is four decades old. The intent to align the Act with the principles underlying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and also the Mental Capacity Act to protect the more vulnerable is especially commendable.

I am also appreciative that a public consultation was also sought. However, the consultation period was from 4 June 2012 to 2 July 2012, barely less than a month. Not only was the duration itself short, but it was also during the school holidays when many professionals and parents supervising special needs persons were not available. This limited the extent to which more inputs could have been gathered on a subject matter that is as invasive and permanent as sexual sterilization. For future legislations of such nature which involve irreversible and ethical dimensions, I urge Government to seriously consider extending the periods of public consultation to allow for more proactive and deeper consultation of stakeholder groups such as families, advocacy groups, medical professionals and, in this case, even persons directly affected.

Nonetheless, I am very pleased that the Ministry has seriously taken the inputs of advocates, such as AWARE and others, and made a significant improvement for persons lacking in mental capacity. For this group, the Ministry has instituted a requirement for a Court Order before the sterilization of a person lacking in mental capacity in the final version of this Bill that is presented today. The shape of public consultations to come must indeed bear the desired characteristics of being genuinely open to inputs; graciously acknowledging and crediting inputs received and/or applied; and proactively seeking views of the public and, especially, relevant stakeholder groups through longer periods of public consultation.

Sir, I would like to raise three key areas for which I hope to receive favourable consideration from the Minister. The first concerns persons below the age of 21. Sir, the Bill provides that a registered medical practitioner can carry out sexual sterilization on any person below 21 under two circumstances:

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If the person below 21 is married and consents himself/herself to the sterilization; and

If the person below 21 is not married and together with at least one parent or guardian consent to the procedure.

Sir, I would like to remind the Ministry that the definition of someone "below the age of 21" effectively means "any age from birth to below 21" – five, six, seven, 11, 12, 13. So, I find it onerous on a young person aged, for instance, 15 years old to partake in a life decision that is as invasive as sexual sterilization; a decision that is permanent, irreversible, to the extent that it will impair his or her ability to have children for the rest of his or her life.

Sir, I therefore urge that the Act be aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which defines a child as, I quote, "a human being below the age of 18 years old" and to provide further safeguards for persons below 18. I urge that before any treatment for sexual sterilization is carried out on a person below the age of 18, that there be approval from a Committee comprising at least (1) an independent medical practitioner with relevant knowledge; (2) a non-medical professional, such as a Family Service Centre Counsellor or a Senior Medical Social Worker; and (3) an officer from a relevant Government agency, such as the MCYS. The Committee should be given the authority to approve or disapprove the application for sexual sterilization of the minor. The Committee shall consider the reasons for which the application is made; convince themselves that there are no other less restrictive and less permanent options; and that the final decision to sterilize is indeed in the best interests of the minor affected.

Next, on persons who technically are not lacking in mental capacity but need support. Sir, the other group for whom I would like to speak up is the group of persons with special needs who may not be technically defined as lacking in mental capacity under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). Under the MCA, only a person who cannot understand, who cannot remember, who cannot weigh up the information and who cannot communicate a decision is deemed to be lacking in mental capacity. Sir, people with special needs fall upon a spectrum − from mild to moderate to severe. There are men and women who may fall through the cracks. These are persons who are legally categorised as mentally competent, but many of us know that they will still be vulnerable if left to make decisions on their own regarding permanent and irreversible ones such as sexual sterilization. They can be individuals who are mildly intellectually disabled; or persons with no intellectual disability but have other disorders such as high-functioning autism or attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders which may affect their decision-making abilities without help or support. For persons of such profiles, I ask for additional measures to help them arrive at the decision of whether or not to be sterilized, even if they are above 18 years of age. I urge that such persons, through either subsidiary legislations or codes of practices, undergo compulsory counselling by relevant professionals, such as a medical professional with relevant knowledge; a non-medical professional, such as a Family Service Centre (FSC) Counsellor and a relevant disability expert. Extra efforts must be taken to counsel these persons in a way that can be understood by them so that they are aware of other methods of contraception that are less invasive and less permanent; so that they know the consequences of sexual sterilization and so that they can truly make decisions in their own best interests.

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Finally, Sir, I am pleased that a court order must be obtained before the sterilization of persons who lack mental capacity, in particular persons with moderate to severe disabilities. This effectively ensures that significant decisions of such nature are made with two keys – one held by the person's family member and the other by an independent party convinced that such treatment is necessary and in the best interests of that person.

However, I urge that more professional expertise and focus be allocated upstream to ensure more effective sexuality education for the vulnerable in our country. Many of them, those with mild to severe disabilities, can be sorely lacking in knowledge in this area and are often at risk – either of being sexually abused, whether they are sterilized or not, or to be themselves sexually abusive to others because of the lack of effective education. In many instances, many of their families themselves are helpless, receiving different advice, sometimes contradicting, and not knowing how to help their children. They run the risk of thinking that sexual sterilization is the ultimate that will get them out of their fear and challenges. This is a grave matter of concern that has been brought up by both educators and families of persons with special needs who are young or older.

The need for sexuality education, counselling and even dealing with law enforcement agencies cannot be just left only to volunteers and disability organisations. There is a strong need for Government agencies, such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and MCYS, to rein in and provide resources to bring in more expertise and effective solutions to support the other helping hands. In summary, Sir, I support the Bill in principle and find it a vast improvement. However, I look forward to Ministry's favourable responses to my inputs on this Bill.

Mr Speaker, Sir, human procreation is recognised as a basic human right, and I welcome this amendment to the Bill, which significantly re-affirms the rights of those with mental disabilities. This amendment to the Bill will also allow Singapore to accede to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, joining the 103 other nations which have already ratified it.

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I wish to just highlight two aspects of the amendment, and make one observation. First, the amended Bill now fully recognises that those with mental disabilities often still possess the ability to make informed decisions regarding their own health, and this should be duly respected. The American Academy of Paediatrics Committee on Bioethics puts it both elegantly and forcefully when they say that "persons who have adequate mental capacity to make a decision about their health and health care are entitled to do so, based on their own interpretations of their interests, without undue influence from health care professionals, family members, or others."

However, for those who lack the mental capacity to do so, the court will now act as an additional safeguard in their interests, and caregivers and doctors alike will have to provide good reasons to the court why sexual sterilization will be ultimately in the patient's best interests. This is a fundamental change to the law, such that the rights of individuals with diminished mental capacity are better protected, and brings this Bill into alignment with the existing Mental Capacity Act.

The second point is that the previous implication in section 3 that sterilization can be performed in the interest of society is both woefully dated and irrelevant, and its removal from this Bill is certainly in our society's best interest. However, the welfare of those with mental disabilities, and also of minors, should not and does not depend on legislation alone. There have been many calls in this House so far about, perhaps, stricter regulation, and consultations, both within and without this House, have also seen many expressions that a higher bar should be set. However, if you just speak to people who look after those with mental disabilities, you would see that their responses are a bit less extreme and most of them actually express a wish that they retain some form of control over the medical decision-making of their charges. It is critical that caregivers, doctors and other healthcare providers continue to act in concert in the best interests of the person with reduced mental capability.

I have to say that the rights of caregivers to play a part in decisions regarding the medical care of their charges, have to be respected and protected as well, and medical directives regarding the conduct of doctors and healthcare professionals in the assessment of such cases have to be both robust and rigorous, in addition to being ethically beyond reproach.

Caregivers and doctors in particular, have to carefully deliberate whether, first, conception would truly be detrimental to the patient and offspring thus requiring a permanent prevention of reproduction, and second, whether sterilization is the least restrictive and most practical contraceptive option available. Although not explicitly required in the law, I would support the inclusion of psychologists, counsellors, welfare workers and such in the decision making process, to be as sure as possible that this recourse is truly in the patient's best interests. Perhaps the application by the caregiver itself should also be supported by a social worker's report in addition to the doctor's support, or the court should stipulate as such before making judgment.

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In conclusion, I support this amendment that strengthens the legal framework and protection afforded to persons with mental disabilities with respect to voluntary sexual sterilization. That the courts now have the final say in deciding whether sterilization should be carried out in those who cannot decide for themselves, does not in any way, however, diminish the rights and responsibilities of their caregivers and doctors in these situations. I support the amendment to the Bill.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I am deeply heartened that this Bill now requires a court order to be made before someone who lacks mental capacity to consent can be made to undergo sexual sterilization treatment.

With this amendment, we have removed provisions that may lead to discrimination against disabled persons. We are now better aligned to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This Convention provides a basis for upholding the rights of persons with disabilities and contains specific provisions of relevance to the issue of involuntary sterilization.

The change to this Bill to give better protection to persons lacking in mental capacity is the right move as sterilization is an irreversible medical procedure with profound medical and psychological effects. People with disabilities – they too have their rights and should be protected against the arbitrary action of their spouses, parents or legal guardians. A court order could give the court a chance to evaluate whether the decision to sterilize a person who lacks mental capacity is being taken in the person's best interests and not just to serve the convenience of caregivers.

However, I would like to seek a clarification from the Minister on the rationale for not imposing a similar requirement of a court order for sterilizations carried out on minors below the age of 21 years. This Bill allows parents or guardians to make the decision on behalf of the minor so long as the minor has given consent. I am very concerned that the Bill assumes that very young minors are able to make such a profound, permanent and life-altering decision on their own. In most cases, chances are that it is the minors' parents or legal guardians who have tremendous influence on their lives, who would have influenced them to make that decision. In such a situation, to protect the interests of the minor, the law should require a court order before sterilization of a minor is allowed.

Also, unlike the provision for those lacking in mental capacity where the decision has to be made in the person's best interests, there is no such requirement for minors. I would like to ask the Minister whether he could consider amending the proposed section 3(2)(c) to require a court order to be made before a minor can be sterilized, and for such sterilization to be carried out only if it is in the best interests of the child.

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If this is not possible, since the law is already crafted in this manner, could the Minister consider putting in place safeguards, such as requiring the certification of at least two doctors, that the sterilization would indeed be in the child's best interests before the procedure is carried out?

Also, I would like to suggest that as part of any process to ensure fully informed choices and consent, the doctor performing the sterilization must inform the patient that sterilization is a permanent procedure and that alternatives exist, such as reversible forms of family planning. I would also like to suggest that the doctor ensures that all information must be provided in a language that the person understands and in plain, non-technical language appropriate to the individual concerned. With these comments, I support the Bill.

Sir, this Bill has been around since 1970, when it was enacted to support family planning. Indeed, it is time to review it. The major change is that persons, who have the mental capacity to choose and decide rationally, will have the right to do so in planning to have their sterilization. This offers better protection for all, including the disabled, and recognises their rights. It will safeguard their sexual and reproductive autonomy. It also aligns with our Mental Capacity Act 2008 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities, which Singapore is expected to be a signatory to, very, very soon.

This Bill will allow persons with hereditary illnesses, physical disability without mental incapacity and diseases such as epilepsy, the right to make their own decisions. This decision, Sir, can be a very private and a very emotional one for the affected person.

If the disabled person does lack mental capacity, then the burden of decision making, care and support, certainly falls on the parents and the next-of-kin. Parents and next-of-kin, generally, have been making the decisions and they would have the best interests of the affected person in mind but it may not always be true. At times, we know decisions can be made as an "act of convenience". Perhaps, alternatives, such as counselling, education and hormonal therapy, are better options in certain cases.

In Britain, for example, Sir, there is the Court of Protection, which is a specialist court for all issues relating to persons who lack the capacity to make specific decisions go through. The court makes decisions and appoints deputies to make decisions in the best interests of those who lack the capacity.

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In Australia, in 1992, the High Court ruled in a case about parents of a mentally disabled child applying for sterilization, that it was beyond the ordinary scope of parental powers! This had then set the precedence for court or tribunal authorisation to be required for any sterilization procedure to be carried out on a child, which would rule on the best interests on a case-by-case basis.

Now, what indeed is the "best interest of the patient" and who is the best to determine this? For example the "best interest" can change and evolve with changes in time, timing, age of the person, social level of acceptance and, of course, the maturing of society. Therefore, the need for an objective decision with the use of a court order in these cases. I also have the following queries, Sir:

How many persons with disabilities have been sterilized in the last 10 years in Singapore under the VSA and who had been the decision maker in such cases? Have we, so far, encountered any problems where the decision had to be revoked?

Next, pertaining to the consent for the procedure, for persons lacking mental capacity, consent must be obtained from the parent, guardian, spouse and a doctor who has to certify the procedure is necessary, and in the best interests of the person. For those who need to seek a specialist or a psychiatrist for certification, can MOH consider setting an acceptable, reasonable fee range for the purpose? This is because specialist fees can indeed be high and these affected families are often already faced with numerous financial challenges in their day-to-day lives.

Can the Ministry also advise on how the processes for applications can be streamlined to help facilitate? Also, does the next-of-kin have to do this personally or can the institution they are in follow up and help as well to facilitate the applications with the necessary supporting documents?

Also, Sir, can the ethics committee, which is present in all healthcare institutions, be utilised, to some extent, to assist and facilitate in the processes and procedures pertaining to this Bill?

In conclusion, Sir, I commend MOH for reviewing this Bill, for aligning it with the Mental Capacity Act and also global best practices and for giving these affected individuals the right to uphold their dignity, their autonomy and, of course, their best interests. I support this Bill, Sir.

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Mr Speaker, Sir, let me thank all the Members who have given their views and voiced support for the Bill. Let me now address the comments and suggestions made by the various Members.

Members, such as Dr Lam Pin Min, Asst Prof Eugene Tan, Ms Denise Phua and Ms Mary Liew expressed concerns about the protection accorded to minors or young persons below the age of 21. They have asked why we do not also require a court order for minors undergoing sterilization, or impose an age requirement. They have expressed concerns that these young people may not fully understand the consequences of such a procedure and would not be able to make an informed decision due to their young age.

I agree with their concerns.

First, let me clarify that a young person below the age of 21 years, who lacks mental capacity, is given the same protection as that for an adult who lacks mental capacity. A court order is needed before sterilization can be performed.

In the case of an unmarried young person below the age of 21 years, who does not lack mental capacity, there are four levels of safeguards. First, the young person must give his or her own consent, unlike in the case of a person lacking in mental capacity. Second, his or her parent or a guardian must consent to having the young person undergo such a procedure. Thirdly, the amended section 3(3) of the Act requires the doctor to give a full and reasonable explanation as to the meaning and consequences of such a treatment, and obtain certification from such a person that he clearly understands the meaning and consequences of the treatment. Fourthly, cases involving such young persons will be required to be referred to the hospital ethics committee for review.

There are sufficient safeguards.

Let me elaborate. In dealing with unmarried young persons, the doctor needs to, first of all, satisfy himself that this young person is able to understand matters relating to procreation and sterilization. If this person is too young, and not mature enough to understand the doctor's explanation on sterilization and its implications – a concern highlighted by Ms Faizah Jamal – the doctor cannot proceed any further. In such a case, there can be no informed consent and, without the young person's informed consent, the doctor cannot perform the sterilization. This is regardless of the wishes of the parents or guardian.

For the young person who is mature enough to have sufficient understanding of the matter, the doctor will then need to assess if he or she really wants to undergo sterilization. Members have requested that such young persons who want to undergo sterilization be properly counselled to ensure that they appreciate the gravity of the procedure and its consequences.

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The College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Academy of Medicine Singapore has set out good practice principles from medical professionals in the taking of informed consent. In the case of informed consent for sexual sterilization, the doctor has to counsel the person and ascertain the motivation for sterilization, explore all other non-surgical alternatives and reversible procedures available and clearly outline all the risks, benefits and prognosis of the procedure. Only when the young person fully understands the implications and consequences of sterilization, can the doctor continue with the procedure.

Ms Faizah Jamal expressed concern that only one parent or guardian is required to give consent. Let me clarify the consent of the parent or guardian in this case will act as a safeguard and is required in addition to the young person's own consent. The consent of the parent or guardian does not replace the consent of the young person. In fact, should a parent or guardian refuse to give consent, doctor also cannot carry out the procedure.

To enhance our safeguards further, all cases involving minors who are not mentally incapacitated seeking sterilization will be referred to the hospital ethics committee for review. The hospital ethics committee will independently deliberate on whether the minor should undergo sexual sterilization. It will take into account all clinical, psychological, social and ethical aspects of the case. Directives will be issued to the licensees of healthcare establishments under the PHMC Act, to all healthcare institutions, to mandate this.

This is similar to the suggestions by several Members, including Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef, Ms Denise Phua and Asst Prof Eugene Tan, to have independent committees to assist in the decision making process.

I am confident that there is broad consensus within our medical community in Singapore that doctors will be very cautious to perform sexual sterilization on an otherwise healthy young person, in the absence of any strong medical grounds for justification.

Dr Lam Pin Min had asked why the VSA did not impose parity requirements based on the number of children that a person has. I think it is best to leave the decision of family size to the couple.

Dr Lam Pin Min and Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef are concerned whether the court application process may become too complicated or too costly and pose an additional burden on families. I understand and appreciate these concerns. MOH is working with the courts to make the process as streamlined as possible. Mental capacity assessments are also available as a subsidised service in our restructured hospitals and polyclinics.

Several Members and Dr Chia Shi-Lu also suggested the inclusion of psychologists, counsellors and social welfare workers in this decision-making process. Understandably, since such cases can be complicated and involve social factors and family-related issues, the court may call for and take into account inputs from all relevant parties, if it deems appropriate to do so.

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Ms Sylvia Lim cautioned that we ought to be mindful in determining what constitutes "best interests". I agree. It is indeed a very complex subject. It is often complicated by different factors and circumstances that are specific to the particular case. The MCA itself recognises this and it provides a framework that offers guidance on what constitutes best interests. And it is because the best interests of a person who lacks mental capacity is such a complex matter, we have decided that it should not be left solely in the hands of any one individual or caregiver, but should instead be decided by the court, taking into account the doctor's report and after considering all relevant medical, social, ethical aspects of the case.

Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef had asked who had been the decision maker in the sterilization cases over the last 10 years. In the vast majority of these cases – 98% of them – most people undergo the procedure because they have achieved their desired family size and decided not to have any more children. For these cases, the person himself or herself had decided and given their own consent to undergo sterilization. During the period from 2003 to 2011, there were only nine cases where the patient underwent the procedure because of a history of mental illness or hereditary diseases. The record showed that in eight out of these nine cases, the patients gave their own consent. There was only one case where consent was given by the person's parent.

Dr Lam Pin Min had asked how MOH would check whether the law is being followed by the institutions. Under the regulations, every doctor who performs a sexual sterilization procedure on a minor is required to submit a report to MOH within 30 days of that treatment. MOH officers also routinely perform licensing checks for all healthcare institutions. During these inspections, officers will call up records and case files, including those of patients who have undergone voluntary sterilization in these institutions, to ensure that processes and requirements specified under the VSA have been complied with.

Ms Denise Phua felt that the period for public consultation was perhaps too short. Our public consultation period of four weeks was within the norm. Feedback channels have always remained open, even after the consultation period was officially over. Nonetheless, we take Ms Denise Phua's feedback and we will see how we can further improve on our consultation process in the future.

Mr Speaker, Sir, let me conclude. The amendments seek to better protect those who lack mental capacity in mandating that the parent, guardian or spouse apply to the court for an order allowing the procedure to be carried out. We also want to ensure that VSA remains relevant and reflect current medical practices. These amendments will also bring Singapore in line with the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

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I appreciate comments and suggestions by Members about providing education and support to the disabled and their caregivers. Although some of these comments do not relate directly to the amendments in the Bill, I am sure the relevant Ministries and agencies will follow up on them. MOH will continue to monitor the situation on the ground, work with key stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation. Sir, I look forward to Members of the House for their support on this voluntary sterilization amendment Bill. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]

[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Gan Kim Yong]. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]

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[(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed." – [Dr Ng Eng Hen]. (proc text)]

Adjourned accordingly at

5.00 pm to a date to be fixed.

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16 Mr Teo Siong Seng asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what is the proportion of Government contracts that are secured by Singapore companies, excluding foreign companies based in Singapore; and (b) whether the Government will consider granting more Government contracts to Singapore SMEs in view of the overall slowdown in the economy.

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Singapore is party to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) and 18 Free Trade Agreements that are in force. These agreements commit parties to ensure that their respective Government procurement regimes are based on the principles of open and fair competition, transparency and value-for-money (VFM).

All Government procurement opportunities are posted on the GeBIZ portal (www.gebiz.gov.sg) and are easily accessible by all suppliers. Bids are evaluated based on whether they meet requirements and objectives of the tender. Both local and foreign suppliers are given equal opportunities to be awarded the Government tenders.

Over the past three years, about $60 billion worth of Government contracts have been awarded to companies registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). This compares to only about $1.8 billion or 3% awarded to suppliers that are not registered with ACRA. As we do not differentiate between bids that are from Singapore companies and foreign companies based in Singapore, we are unable to give a further breakdown by country of origin.

To help local SMEs, our focus is on strengthening their capabilities and competitiveness and to do so without distorting the market, for example, by diverting purchases to them. In Budget 2012, the Government had announced a $200 million boost to further build capabilities for our local enterprises to help them improve their market competitiveness.

In addition, the Government will ensure that local enterprises have continued access to Government procurement opportunities. The Government shares pertinent information on public sector medium term pipeline projects. Small enterprises can plan ahead and, if necessary, enter into joint collaborations, such as forming a consortium to bid for high value Government contracts. To help them gain better access to Government procurement opportunities, these enterprises can opt to receive alerts on tenders and quotations relevant to them via GeBIZ's Really Simple Syndication (RSS) or via email on SPRING's EnterpriseOne portal (http://www.enterpriseone.gov.sg/SignUp.aspx).

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Small enterprises1 do stand a fair chance of being awarded Government tenders. In 2011, about 20% of the total number of Government tenders were awarded to small enterprises. In fact, two out of three tenders whose value is $100,000 or below, were awarded to small enterprises.

As for measures to help SMEs in the event of a downturn, this would depend on the severity of the downturn and the specific conditions that are affecting businesses.

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17 Mr Ong Teng Koon asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how much of the S$250 million of seed capital earmarked in the Co-Investment Programme (CIP) to nurture globally competitive companies has been committed to date; (b) how long is the investment horizon and what is the return on capital that the Ministry expects from this investment; (c) what is the Ministry's assessment of the impact that this scheme has made to facilitate local companies to go global.

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Mr Ong Teng Koon has asked about the progress of the Co-Investment Programme (CIP), where Government provides seed capital to catalyse patient growth capital from the private sector to nurture Singapore-based globally competitive companies. Phase 1 of the CIP was launched in December 2010, with Heliconia Capital Management Pte Ltd ("Heliconia") as Government's fund manager. The CIP comprises two funds. First, the SME Catalyst Fund, which is the primary mode of operations of the CIP, whereby the Government's capital will be managed and matched by private equity fund managers. And second, the SME Co-Investment Fund, which is used to co-invest with fund managers on a deal-by-deal basis.

To-date, we have committed a total of S$135 million of seed capital to two private equity funds and two co-investment deals under the CIP. This has catalysed over S$200 million from the private sector. Heliconia is evaluating a pipeline of investments and we are optimistic that Phase 1 of the CIP with remaining seed capital of $115 million would be fully taken up with more investment commitments over the next few years.

The length of the investment horizon will vary from investment to investment. The individual private equity funds that the CIP invests in will typically be for a term of eight to 10 years. Whilst the CIP was set up with the objective of nurturing globally competitive companies, it is healthy to subject the management of Government's CIP capital to commercial discipline. This will mean that we expect the investments to make reasonable returns.

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The CIP has been in operation for only about a year. As it is meant to provide patient growth capital to investees, it may be premature to judge its effectiveness at this point. We understand that some investee companies intend to use the seed funding for acquisitions, expansions, and investing in capital expenditure for upcoming multi-year projects with key customers. We will continue to assess the impact of the CIP as investments are made and mature over time.

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18 Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for Health (a) for each of the last five years, what is the percentage of patients at polyclinics who have to wait more than (i) 14 days (ii) 21 days and (iii) 30 days respectively to obtain an appointment slot for general medical services and for dental services respectively; and (b) whether the Ministry has measures to reduce these times.

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Polyclinics see patients through walk-ins or by appointment. For general medical services, patients are usually seen as walk-ins. Our polyclinics, however, encourage patients to make an appointment for services, such as health screenings, immunisations and visits for chronic conditions. Patients who make an appointment for these services for the first time will be seen within one to two weeks.

Polyclinic dental services are provided only on an appointment basis, aside from emergency cases. The lead time for patients to see the dentists at the polyclinics depends on the type of conditions. Patients with dental emergencies, such as severe pain, swelling and bleeding, are typically seen on the same day. For simple dental services, such as dental fillings, patients are seen within one and a half months. Routine services, such as scaling and polishing, are typically planned in advance and generally performed during the routine yearly dental check-ups. Because the assignment of appointment date is by clinical needs and urgency, the polyclinics do not track appointment times according to 14, 21 or 30 days, as requested by Mr Baey.

We have seen an increase of about 30% in the demand for basic dental services in the polyclinics over the past two to three years. The polyclinics have implemented measures to better manage appointment wait-times, including having a phone triaging system managed by trained personnel, so that patients needing more urgent treatments receive priority.

Besides the polyclinics, Singaporeans can access subsidised services in 504 GP and 272 private dental clinics (figures as at September 2012) through the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS). Under CHAS, lower and middle-income Singaporeans aged 40 and above can receive subsidised dental services, such as crowns, bridges, dentures and root canal treatments, at participating private dental clinics near their homes.

My Ministry will continue to review the services in the primary care sector and ensure that Singaporeans from all walks of life, especially those who are less privileged and the elderly, will have access to good and affordable medical and dental care.

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19 Mr Zainal Sapari asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) whether he can provide the rationale and intent of setting up an independent committee to engage the Malay community; (b) what is the selection process and composition of the committee members to ensure independence and objectivity of the committee; and (c) what approach will be adopted by the committee to ensure a wide outreach in their engagement.

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The operating landscape and challenges facing our community are becoming increasingly complex. I have received feedback that a broad-based engagement would be useful in generating ideas and views for a more collective approach to issues facing our community. As our community progresses, there will be more people with good ideas on how to help. We need independent platforms to gather the many constructive views out there. It is within this context that I approached Haji Sallim Abdul Kadir to form and chair an independent committee to engage the Malay/Muslim community.

Haji Sallim, together with his two Vice-Chairs – Mr Alwi Abdul Hafiz and Ms Saleemah Ismail – will spearhead the committee to gather ideas and suggestions on what more we can do to strengthen our community. They will chart the direction which the committee should take. I am confident of their leadership. Their vast experience in their respective areas and active involvement in community work put the committee in good stead. They have decided that one key focus should be how to build on our community's strengths to come up with practical and implementable solutions to the challenges we face in areas, such as education and vulnerable families. I agree that it is important to focus on concrete outcomes. The committee will complete its final report in six to nine months, which, I hope, will serve as a comprehensive roadmap for the future of our community.

The Chair's and Vice-Chairs' key priority in selecting the committee members was diversity, so that each member can contribute in their respective niche areas and bring varied perspectives to the many discussions ahead. They have taken pains to ensure that the committee members represent a wide range of backgrounds, including the professionals, the media, as well as voluntary welfare organisations. To ensure independence and objectivity, committee members will be participating in their individual capacities, rather than representing their organisations.

The committee will consult widely through focus group discussions over the next few months. Details are still being worked out, and these discussions are expected to reach out to many segments of our community. The committee has also launched a Facebook page and an online feedback channel called "Suara Musyawarah". This not only allows anyone with access to the Internet to post feedback in both Malay and English, but also updates the public on the progress of the committee's work.

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21 Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Ministry will consider exempting Town Councils from being categorised in the non-contestable segment of the retail electricity market even if average monthly consumption for HDB blocks is less than 10,000 kWh so as to reduce the cost of utilities and its burden on service and conservancy charges through negotiation for better electricity rates with energy service providers; and (b) what is the proportion of HDB blocks that currently qualify to be contestable consumers compared to the number of HDB blocks that can potentially qualify should Town Councils receive such an exemption.

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(for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Currently, non-residential consumers with average monthly electricity usage of 10,000 kWh and above can opt for contestability. This allows them to buy electricity from retailers or directly from the wholesale electricity market at half-hourly spot prices. Non-residential accounts include those managed by the Town Councils for common property, such as corridors, void decks and open spaces of HDB blocks, as well as for commercial property within the town.

As of end-December 2011, there were about 6,200 accounts with SP Services under the management of the 15 Town Councils. Of these accounts, 5% are contestable and already buy their electricity directly from retailers or from the wholesale market. A further 7% are eligible for contestability, but have yet to opt in.

EMA has progressively liberalised the retail electricity market since 2001 by gradually lowering the contestability threshold to the current level of 10,000 kWh. Thus far, 75% of total electricity demand in Singapore has been opened up to competition. The remaining 25% of the market comprises mainly small commercial and industrial consumers, and individual households which consume much smaller quantities of electricity. These consumers continue to purchase their electricity from SP Services at the regulated tariff rates.

EMA is studying how retail contestability can be further expanded, including how Town Councils can participate more in the contestable electricity market. EMA is learning from the experience and developments in other jurisdictions, such as the UK, New Zealand and Australia, while also considering the need for adequate safeguards to ensure that consumers can benefit from contestability.

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23 Mr David Ong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs what is the number of speeding offences and accidents attributed to vehicles of Class 4A and above over the last two years.

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The number of heavy vehicle speeding violations detected increased from 584 in 2010 to 1,182 in 2011. However, this data must be seen against an increase in traffic enforcement operations against heavy vehicles in 2011.

In terms of accident statistics, in 2010, there were 246 accidents involving heavy vehicles, of which 163, or 66%, were at least partly attributable to heavy vehicle drivers. In 2011, there were 237 accidents involving heavy vehicles, of which 131, or 55%, were at least partly attributable to heavy vehicle drivers. The accident situation has improved further this year with 49 such accidents recorded from January to June, as compared to 77 accidents over the same period in 2011.

The Traffic Police takes a tough enforcement stance against errant heavy vehicle drivers, given the potential of serious accidents involving such vehicles. At the same time, TP also engages relevant stakeholders, such as the heavy vehicle associations and the Singapore Road Safety Council, to raise road safety awareness amongst heavy vehicle drivers and improve their skills.

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24 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Prime Minister (a) whether the Ministry regulates the activities of companies that promote investment in gold and other precious metals to the public; (b) whether the Ministry is aware of companies that are actively promoting the investment of precious metals in public areas; and (c) whether the Ministry is aware that these companies are aggressively recruiting "agents" and offering them upfront commissions for projected sales.

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There is a wide range of products and schemes, both in Singapore and globally, that claim to offer consumers potential profits. Some of these are offered by entities that are regulated, while others are transacted outside the reach of financial regulators.

MAS regulates the financial markets and the activities of financial market participants. It seeks to protect investors by setting out the rules for issuers of shares, bonds, unit trusts or other capital market products. It also regulates the financial intermediaries and infrastructure operators, such as exchanges and clearing houses, for capital markets products.

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Regulations cannot cover every type of investment. MAS has to judge where to draw the line on what it regulates, taking into account the scale of the investment activity, its role in financial markets and whether failure by a firm will pose broader risks to the system. Like most other financial regulators around the world, MAS does not regulate schemes that involve investors acquiring direct ownership of physical assets, such as property, gold, art or wine. The gold buy-back schemes which Er Dr Lee Bee Wah enquired about are not regulated by MAS.

MAS will continue to monitor market practices and the investment landscape trends, and refine the regulatory framework where necessary over time.

However, regardless of whether these activities are regulated, it is an offence under the law to operate a fraudulent or deceptive scheme. As Members know, some of the operators offering gold buy-back schemes are currently under investigation by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD). If there is evidence of fraud or other breaches of the law, CAD will take firm and appropriate action.

Schemes that claim to provide high returns with seemingly low risk will crop up from time to time. In the current low interest rate environment, people may, indeed, be more easily tempted to put their money into them. But there is a lot of sense in the old investment adage if an investment looks too good to be true, it is probably not true.

I, therefore, urge Singaporeans to exercise great care and vigilance before committing themselves to any investment scheme that claims to give high returns. There are a few things they should do.

First, they should check if an entity is regulated by MAS. MAS publishes a Financial Institutions Directory on the MAS website. It also publishes an Investor Alert List (IAL). The IAL contains a list of unlicensed entities which, based on information received by MAS, may have been wrongly perceived as being licensed or authorised by MAS. For example, Genneva Pte Ltd was listed on the IAL in February 2011.

For financial market investments, retail investors should deal only with firms regulated by MAS, such as banks, insurance companies, licensed financial advisers and brokers. Doing so will accord them several levels of protection. Regulated firms are subjected to prudential requirements which provide financial safeguards. Second, they are required to comply with market conduct rules which guard against mis-selling and require adequate disclosures, including how the products will generate the returns and the risks involved. Finally, should a dispute arise, there are established dispute resolution processes in the firm and with the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDREC).

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Second, investors should consider how the returns in any investment scheme are generated. Are they realistic? Is the operator able to explain the risks of such investments, and is there any protection or recourse should the operator itself fail? Unless one is very knowledgeable about the product and understands and is willing to take the risks, it is better not to get involved in any scheme that offers very high returns. High returns are only possible with high investment risk. In some instances, they may also be fraudulent.

Through MoneySENSE, the national financial education programme, MAS has highlighted the risks of unregulated schemes, such as gold buy-back schemes, and the pitfalls of dealing with unregulated entities. There have also been newspaper articles to warn consumers against such gold buy-back schemes. More generally, MoneySENSE has repeatedly emphasised the need to exercise extra caution when consumers receive offers that seem too good to be true. We will put effort into this education campaign.

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25 Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for Transport over the last two years (a) how many taxi drivers have been found to have flouted the LTA rule on obtaining more than the fare indicated in the taxi meter; and (b) of these drivers, how many are repeat offenders.

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Sir, 87 taxi drivers were found flouting the LTA rule on obtaining more than the authorised fare in 2010. Of these drivers, 14 were repeat offenders. In 2011, 80 taxi drivers, of which 18 were repeat offenders, were penalised for flouting the rule. For the period from January to August 2012, the number has come down to 37 taxi drivers, six of which were repeat offenders.

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30 Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Transport (a) what forms of data are used by LTA for deciding the allocation of public transport routes; (b) whether there are any gaps in the data; and (c) whether more funding is required to improve the available data, especially with regard to user-needs analysis.

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LTA has a rigorous process to decide public transport routes.

It regularly analyses ticketing data collected by the public transport fare system. This provides information on ridership patterns and growth on individual routes, and allows LTA to compare the demand with capacity on those routes. To complement the analysis, LTA conducts field surveys at public transport nodes to gain a first-hand understanding of the ground situation. LTA also draws on regular feedback collected by its Community Partnership Network from the grassroots and local communities on improvements they would like to see in public transport in their neighbourhood, and also on feedback from individuals through channels, such as email and various media platforms.

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That said, requests to implement a new route or improve existing routes will still have to be subjected to resource and financial considerations, and I hope that Members can appreciate, therefore, that not all requests can be met.

For new developments, such as HDB's Build-to-Order (BTO) sites, LTA works closely with the various land agencies to project population numbers and distribution, the pace of development, and public transport ridership, and then plans the public transport infrastructure.

This holistic manner of collecting data for route planning has, for example, helped LTA to work with Public Transport Operators to deliver a steady stream of bus service improvements through the on-going Quarterly Bus Review Process, and also the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP).

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32 Mr Yee Jenn Jong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry with regard to EDB's Global Schoolhouse initiative (a) how far has the 2015 target of Singapore having 150,000 full-fee paying international students and 100,000 international corporate executives on training here been met; (b) what is the distribution of these full-fee paying international students between pre-tertiary and tertiary institutions and between private and public institutions; (c) whether the dwindling number of private schools has affected the figures; (d) how far has the target of increasing the education sector's contribution to GDP to 5% been met; and (e) how many jobs have been created by the initiative.

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The Global Schoolhouse initiative was launched in 2002 to develop Singapore into an education hub offering a diverse mix of quality education services to the world. Three key thrusts were identified under the Global Schoolhouse initiative – first, for the education sector to be an engine of economic growth; second, to build industry-relevant manpower capabilities for the economy; and third, to help attract, develop and retain talent for the economy.

The Global Schoolhouse initiative has helped to grow the scope and diversity of our education landscape. For instance, the Economic Development Board, or EDB, has attracted leading institutions, such as French business school INSEAD and the Technical University of Munich, or TUM, to set up and grow their presence in Singapore. The Global Schoolhouse initiative also saw collaborations between foreign and local universities to offer joint academic programmes, such as the joint Executive MBA between Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Nanyang Business School, as well as the Waseda-Nanyang double MBA. The presence of these Global Schoolhouse institutions in Singapore has helped to build Singapore's brand name in education.

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As at July 2012, there were approximately 84,000 student pass holders in Singapore. The majority of these students, or about 68%, are in tertiary institutions, with the remaining 32% in pre-tertiary institutions. The breakdown of enrolment in public and private institutions is fairly even, with about 48% in private education institutions2 and 52% in public institutions. In terms of the economic contributions of the sector, as at December 2011, the education sector contributed 3.2% to our GDP and its share of total employment was 2.7%, equal to 86,000 jobs.

The private education sector has seen significant consolidation after the establishment of the new regulatory regime under the Private Education Act in 2009. However, while the number of private education institutions has fallen by half since 2009, international student enrolment in the sector has decreased only by about 11%3. The industry consolidation, coupled with more stringent regulatory standards, has generally benefited students as well as the education sector as it has ensured that baseline standards are achieved across the industry.

Since 2009, the Global Schoolhouse initiative shifted its focus towards building industry-relevant manpower capabilities and helping to attract, develop and retain talent for our economy as global competition for talent has intensified. EDB has, therefore, encouraged the introduction of programmes which are relevant to our economy, such as TUM's Master of Science in Transport and Logistics and its joint Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering with NTU. In addition, EDB has worked with companies to bring in leadership centres and training programmes for corporate executives. For example, Sony and Unilever have set up the Sony University and Unilever Four Acres Singapore respectively to conduct leadership training for their global and regional executives. Swiss bank UBS also has a wealth management campus in Singapore which provides training for its wealth managers here. Going forward, while the education sector remains an important part of our economy, the Global Schoolhouse initiative will emphasise quality of education and relevance to the economy, and not student numbers or GDP share.

EDB will continue to build closer links between research, practice and teaching, and encourage corporations and academia to work together to build manpower capabilities. This will contribute to our overall objective of developing and retaining talent in Singapore.

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33 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) what are the future plans for The Float@Marina Bay upon the completion of the Sports Hub in 2014; (b) whether The Float will continue as a public facility at Marina Bay beyond 2014; and (c) whether The Float can serve as a public space and be open to the public when there are no events.

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The Float@Marina Bay was built and completed in May 2007 as an interim replacement venue for the National Stadium to host the National Day Parade and other large scale events that required a 25,000 seater gallery. On non-event days, The Float, like other facilities managed by Singapore Sports Council (SSC), is available for rent to the public for sports and other events.

The intention is to retain The Float for recreation, sports and community use after the completion of the Sports Hub in 2014. The Singapore Sports Council is currently working with relevant agencies to look into creating an active recreation, sports and community space for the public after 2014.

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35 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development whether there is empirical and historical evidence suggesting that the pent-up demand in the last few years for housing could be due to stronger preference for marriage/setting up of family in a particular zodiac year or customary belief/ethnic traditions and, thus, temporary in nature.

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There is no such evidence. The number of marriages eligible for subsidised housing has been quite stable, at about 15,000 each year in the past decade. There is also no correlation between private housing demand and household formation.

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36 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Education (a) of the 634,098 resident graduates aged 15 years and above in 2010, how many are graduates from local publicly-funded universities in the age group of (i) 25-29 years; and (ii) 30 years and above; (b) what are the social and economic implications of having an unequal gender proportion (43% male and 57% female) of resident university graduates in the age group of 25-29 years; and (c) how will the 5th and 6th publicly-funded universities change the profile of young graduates.

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Of the total resident graduates aged 15 years and above in 2010, the following proportions graduated from local publicly-funded universities:

About 44% of those in the 25-29 years age group; and

About 33% of those in the 30-34 years age group.

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Although the statistics for resident graduates aged 25-29 years suggests that a higher proportion of females are graduates compared to males (43% male and 57% female), the disparity is not as sharp after accounting for National Service for males. This can be attributed to the fact that many males in the 25-26 age group would not have graduated yet.

It is important to note that our universities accept students based on merit, regardless of gender. Our workplaces also promote fair and merit-based employment practices regardless of gender, as laid out in the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, formulated by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP).

The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and SIM University (UniSIM) will raise our publicly-funded university cohort participation rate to 40% by 2020 by developing a distinct applied degree pathway to cater to a broader range of students with different learning preferences and interests. This will provide more opportunities for university education for our young people, and increase the proportion of graduates among the younger workforce. We also expect more to upgrade to degrees via part-time places through enhancements to our Continuing Education and Training offerings, which would raise the graduate profile in the overall workforce over time.

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38 Mr Yee Jenn Jong asked the Minister for Education (a) in each of the past three years, what is the number of foreign students who have applied to study in our autonomous universities; (b) whether there are plans to reduce the number of scholarships and tuition grants given to foreign students in our autonomous universities; and (c) what impact will a reduction in such scholarships and tuition grants have on the universities' ranking and the number of students they will attract.

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About 17,000 international students applied to study at our autonomous universities in each of the past three years. The universities have stringent selection systems and, in 2012, international students formed less than 16% of the total number of students who matriculated into our autonomous universities.

International students add diversity and vibrancy to our university campuses, and provide more opportunities for Singaporean students to interact with individuals from other cultures and experiences. Such exposure to others from culturally different backgrounds helps prepare our university students for the global marketplace.

The importance of international students to a university's learning environment is widely recognised. Hence, most university ranking tables attach some weight to the proportion of international students. While reducing the proportion of international students may have some effect on rankings, this is not the reason why our universities take in international students. Rather, having an appropriate mix of students yields educational benefit as it enables our students to develop cross-cultural perspectives and sensitivities, and helps to prepare them for a more globalised world.

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Our universities, like many top universities worldwide, provide a range of scholarships and bursaries to attract international students who will be able to add diversity and enrich the campus learning experience. Since AY2008, the fee differentiation between Singaporeans and international students has been increased to reflect the privileges of citizenship. The number of scholarships and quantum of tuition grants, as with other policies, are reviewed periodically, taking into account the overall impact on the quality of education, the manpower needs of our economy as well as global and regional developments in education and other arenas that can have an impact on Singapore's development.

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39 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Acting Minister for Manpower whether the present age coverage of the Dependants' Protection Scheme can be reviewed and extended beyond 60 years old in view of the expected rise in Singaporeans' life expectancy.

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The Dependants' Protection Scheme (DPS) is a term insurance scheme that mitigates the impact of a loss of income to a family, in the event of an insured member's permanent incapacity or death. It provides dependants with a sum of money to tide over the initial difficult period.

The need for DPS is expected to decline as a breadwinner approaches his retirement age. His children are likely to be already working or are less financially dependent. In the event of any untimely death, he would also have built up his own savings, including CPF savings, which could support his remaining dependants.

DPS premiums are kept low and affordable to help CPF members stay covered on the scheme. Extending DPS beyond age 60 would mean substantially higher premiums due to higher mortality rates. The additional premiums required to purchase a further DPS cover would be better reserved for the member's retirement instead. Setting the DPS age limit at 60 strikes a balance between the need for insurance protection for a member's dependants and his need for adequate retirement savings.

Nonetheless, for those who wish to continue to have DPS coverage after age 60, we are prepared to review our current practice and extend the coverage upon request, though members must understand that this is expected to come with much higher premiums. We will study this with CPF Board and make available the details when the review is completed. While this is being reviewed, those who wish to purchase life insurance beyond age 60 can do so from private insurers.

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41 Ms Low Yen Ling asked the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) whether he will provide an update on the new Development Support Programme (DSP) for preschool children with mild speech, language and learning delays; (b) how and when is the DSP to be rolled out; (c) how many learning support educators need to be recruited for this programme; and (d) whether the budget for this programme will be expanded in the next two to five years for national coverage.