Hansard, Wednesday, 27 January 2016

Before I proceed to call Members, just a reminder, because we have a lot of new Members, that supplementary questions are not speeches. So, please make your supplementary questions short, succinct and to the point. Mr Christopher de Souza.

1 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the 14 January 2016 bombing in Jakarta, what is being done to (i) step up Singapore's border security and internal security and (ii) increase the vigilance of Singaporeans, the resident population and the Home Team.

2 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the number of terrorist incidents globally and Singapore's status as a travel hub, what new measures are put in place to ensure our domestic security while maintaining our lead as a travel destination and attraction.

Mdm Speaker, there is a question set down by Ms Tin Pei Ling tomorrow, but it is on a related topic. So, if Mdm Speaker would permit, I would like to answer Question Nos 1 and 2 together. And if Ms Tin is satisfied with the answer, she could perhaps withdraw the question for tomorrow.

I will leave the second part to Ms Tin. But I agree to the merger of Question Nos 1 and 2, for them to be taken together.

Thank you, Madam. First, I will start off with the question by Ms Tin Pei Ling. She asked about the terrorism threat assessment in ASEAN. The terrorism threat in Southeast Asia is serious and persistent. In addition to terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and its regional affiliates such as the Jemaah Islamiyah, the conflict in Syria and Iraq and the emergence of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have significantly raised the threat level.

ISIS has attracted many foreign fighters to its ranks. Regional authorities estimate that some 1,000 Southeast Asians may have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight for ISIS. Over 70 of them may have died in the fighting, several as suicide bombers. At the same time, several self-radicalised Southeast Asians who were unable to travel to Syria or Iraq to fight have heeded the call by ISIS to carry out terrorist attacks in their home countries in pursuit of the ISIS cause to expand its self-proclaimed "caliphate". The Indonesian and Malaysian authorities have collectively arrested over 100 of their citizens for ISIS-related activities and thwarted several planned attacks in their own countries. Even then, four Indonesian ISIS supporters succeeded in carrying out a terrorist attack in downtown Jakarta on 14 January this year.

The Southeast Asian fighters pose a serious security threat when they return with battlefield experience from Syria and Iraq. A sizeable number of them have formed a dedicated group in Syria called the Katibah Nusantara lid Daulah Islamiyah or Malay Archipelago Unit for ISIS. They can be expected to use the fighting experience that they have acquired to carry out terrorist attacks in this region.

ISIS declared in November 2014 its intention to set up "wilayat" or provinces in Indonesia and the Philippines. The establishment of an ISIS "wilayat" in Southeast Asia would further raise the terrorism threat to Singapore.

Ms Tin also asked whether there have been further reports of Singaporeans intending to join ISIS. So far, at least two Singapore citizens are known to have made their way to Syria with their families to take part in the conflict there. Last year, four Singaporeans were detained and a fifth was issued a Restriction Order, on the basis that they intended to fight for ISIS in Syria and Iraq. One of those detained had planned to carry out terrorist attacks in Singapore on behalf of ISIS if he was unable to travel overseas. There are others who have expressed interest to go to Syria to fight and have been investigated or are currently under investigation. Most of them were radicalised by online videos and articles, and through social media postings. This problem of self-radicalisation continues to be a concern in Singapore.

The global and regional terrorism situation is worrying. The recent attacks in Paris and in Jakarta involved multiple gunmen carrying explosives and heavy firearms, targeting soft targets packed with people who have little or no security protection, and with the aim of inflicting maximum casualties. Against this heightened threat environment, the Home Team has adopted a multi-pronged approach, and I would like to highlight three key measures.

First, Singapore is a major transport hub in the region. More than half a million people pass through our checkpoints every day. Our Woodlands checkpoint is the busiest land checkpoint in the world. These present security risks. Attackers can gather and plan just outside Singapore before coming into Singapore to carry out the attack. This would be similar to the attacks on Paris, where the planning and preparation were probably carried out in Molenbeek where security was less tight. Border control is therefore our first line of defence to prevent an attack from taking place in Singapore.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) therefore conducts checks on travellers, vehicles, baggage and cargo at all our air, land and sea checkpoints and puts in place visible deterrent measures to detect and deny attempts to smuggle prohibited items or persons. The Police Coast Guard has also increased its patrols along our coastline and will be developing a more comprehensive set of physical barriers that will complement these coastal patrols. We will continue to assess the threat level and adjust the security measures at our borders accordingly.

But as Ms Joan Pereira's question has suggested, it is a constant challenge to manage the balance between maintaining vigilance and security at our checkpoints and facilitating speedy and efficient travel, especially in the current heightened threat environment. Some of the enhanced security measures at the land check points will cause inconvenience to travellers. This is especially so during festive seasons and holidays like the upcoming Chinese New Year period, when traveller volume is expected to increase. We are making further investments in technology to help us maintain a high level of security at our checkpoints, while facilitating efficient travel. For instance, ICA will implement the BioScreen initiative across all checkpoints to capture the fingerprints of all arriving persons by June 2016. These records will allow us to verify the traveller's identity before he is allowed entry to Singapore and will facilitate automated self-clearance during his departure.

Under the current heightened threat environment, our security agencies will continue to work closely with international and regional security partners through the exchange of intelligence and information to more effectively combat terrorism. The Police have also enhanced security measures and vigilance. The installation of police cameras at all HDB blocks and multi-storey carparks will be completed by this year, and we will look into installing more cameras in HDB estates and other public areas. Police have also stepped-up patrols in crowded areas and conducted exercises to raise the level of preparedness of its officers in response to a terrorist attack. In fact, more than 1,800 Home Team officers participated in a multi-agency security exercise on the night of 19 January 2016 to test our contingency and security response plans during a terrorist attack. Participants were not informed prior to this surprise exercise in order to test their response.

We will also work with commercial and private establishments to enhance security measures at their premises. One platform is the Safety and Security Watch Group (SSWG). Through SSWG, the Police and the business community have forged a close partnership to counter the threat posed by terrorism. Building managers or owners and security personnel work together with the Police to assess localised threats, share knowledge and pool resources to enhance their security. Response protocols are drawn up to deal with crisis situations. Tabletop exercises and live exercises are also being carried to test the plans and validate and refine the contingency plans. The Police will continue to assess the threat level and step-up patrols when necessary.

Even as we enhance security at our borders and within Singapore, Government efforts alone will not be adequate. Dealing with terrorism is not just about action by security forces. Each and every one of us has an important part to play. We must be more alert to help prevent a terrorist attack from happening. Should an attack take place, we must be able to respond in a number of ways. Above all, when a terrorist attack happens, we must stay united and resilient as one people. This was indeed the tenor of many speeches in the course of the debate on the President's Address these past few days.

In the coming months, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be working with our partners to further strengthen our community vigilance, cohesion and resilience. We will conduct regular and realistic exercises to help various community groups to be better prepared for and to remain resilient in the aftermath of any attack.

Terrorists seek to threaten our security and our way of life. They seek to instil fear and divide the community. Should a terrorist attack occur, it is important for all of us to stand united against these threats, with a spirit of resilience and determination that we should not be defeated.

Madam, I would like to ask whether the CCTV footage in the Jakarta and Paris bombings played a significant role in the detention of terrorists, post the events, as well as exposing evidential leads to where the masterminds were operating from in each of those cities. If MHA's view is that the CCTV footage provided significant evidence, how can we deploy such technology and strategy in Singapore? May I ask this to complement the Senior Minister of State's previously comprehensive answer?

Madam, I agree with the hon Member. In fact, on 25 January, Monday evening, Channel NewsAsia's Saifulbahari Ismail interviewed the Jakarta Police Chief on television, and he mentioned that he would like to see better CCTV and digital coverage of the city that would enable security forces to better deal with the situation.

CCTV and video coverage or the leverage of technology as it advances can achieve a couple of things. First is deterrence. Second is detection, and especially with analytics, you might be able to, through technology, analyse and detect certain patterns of behaviour. Third, it permits real time incident management. If you have a "live" feed as a situation unfolds, security forces will have a better feel on what is happening on the ground. Lastly, as the Member has alluded to, post-incident management, not only in the cold light of day or aftermath, but in the tension and the ambiguity as to whether the situation has ended or still ongoing. That will also provide some support.

As I said earlier, Police cameras have been rolled out and will be rolled out by the end of this year across our estates. We are studying the possibility of putting more cameras in public areas – the study is still ongoing.

We have been working and will continue to work with agencies such as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to leverage on CCTV cameras that are already out there in the public, and leverage on existing cameras that other agencies use for various purposes in order to help us in our counter-terror efforts.

We also work with private and commercial premises and businesses – I spoke earlier about the SSWG. As of last December, there are about 1,300-plus building operators that have participated in our SSWG clusters. Under this effort, Police will work with them and engage them to install video surveillance systems, to allow access and to expand coverage.

In addition to localised clusters, we also work with specific industry sectors, for example, with the chemical sector, the security sector, the hotel sector and with F&B, amongst others to help them harden what would otherwise be potentially soft targets.

Lastly, members of the public – you and I – can play a role. There are many smartphones out there. There are many vehicle cameras out there. There is an app known as Police@SG. If you have not downloaded it, please do. It allows people to submit videos, photographs, information to the Police. We will filter it. It allows close to real time analysis of videos. Hopefully, that will enhance our capabilities. We also have a scheme known as Vehicles on Watch (VOW) where members of the public keep their vehicle cameras on in the cars. That helps to just add extra layers of vigilance.

Can the Senior Member of State brief the House on counter-terrorism measures relating to air and sea and port facilities, like the air marshal programme and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS)?

There are certain security measures which, for operational reasons, would not be appropriate for me to share in a public forum such as this. But I have spoken about the importance of border security. I had spoken earlier about land, sea and air checkpoints. They have enhanced and perform very thorough checks on all arriving as well as departing travellers, whether it is through our checkpoints on land, both Woodlands and Tuas, through the air, through Changi and Seletar, as well as through sea, through ports.

But beyond checkpoints, we are also concerned about unauthorised entry. So, our physical borders, not just our checkpoints, are also places that remain vulnerable. The Coast Guard and ICA have enhanced patrols and vigilance. Physical barriers have been and will continue to be erected as an additional barrier to entry. Air security is something that is not just of concern to us in Singapore, but certainly, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and many other agencies internationally, as well as other countries, cooperate very closely and we are plugged into those efforts.

Thank you, Madam. I have two supplementary questions for the Senior Minister of State.

First, he mentioned earlier, of course, the threat of self-radicalised terrorists but he did not elaborate in his answer very much about the Government's strategies to counter that. So, I wonder if he could share with us what the Government is doing in that area. For example, is it making a concerted attempt to block, for example, dangerous Internet sites from being accessible from here?

Secondly, relating to security of people coming into Singapore via the air or sea checkpoints, could the Senior Minister of State explain whether there are enhanced measures as in additional checks on passengers coming in on a random basis, or are there more intensive checks based on certain risk criteria?

Within the parameters of the caveat that I gave to the earlier Member, let me deal with Ms Sylvia Lim's questions. First is on self-radicalisation and what the Government has been doing and willing to do. There is, in fact, a Parliamentary Question (PQ) tomorrow set down in the Order Paper, and there will be a comprehensive reply. So, I urge the Member to be patient. There will be a more thorough exposition of the issue tomorrow.

As far as checkpoints are concerned, we do 100% or close to 100% screening at our checkpoints. Naturally, there will also be selective checks depending on intelligence and other information.

Ms Tin Pei Ling. Last question.

Thank you, Madam, and thank you, Senior Minister of State for the very comprehensive reply. I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State, in view of the increasing risk in our region as well as already there are radicalised Singaporeans detected within our own home soil, does the Home Team have the sufficient capacity to prevent or deal with emergencies that may arise from terrorist attacks in Singapore, should it ever happen?

The Member asked about the capacity to deal with these threats. Madam, terror threats evolve along the way over the years, their modus operandi change, the threat levels change. So, the Home Team needs to be on top of it – needs to be prepared, needs to project, and needs to evolve along the way.

Manpower will always be tight. In fact, the hon Member, Mr de Souza, will ask that question later. Amongst other things, leveraging on technology will help augment our Home Team's capabilities to help create new capabilities that were not existent before technology had advanced to that level. All these things need to be done but on top of that, good training, proper equipping, constant exercises – both planned as well as unplanned exercises that you spring a surprise on the Forces and you test them, and continually learning from the lessons that we pick up from these exercises – need to be done. So, our Forces will be prepared, they have to be, and need to remain on top of the risk.

3 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what has been Singapore's position regarding Syrians who have been forced to flee from their homeland; and (b) what is the Government's assessment on what should and can be done at an international level to provide assistance to those who have been left behind in exceedingly difficult circumstances.

Mdm Speaker, the ongoing Syrian conflict is a tragedy. Over 220,000 Syrians have been killed. Four million have been forced to flee, and many millions more internally displaced. It does not appear that there will be any resolution soon.

Our sympathies are with the Syrian people. But as a small densely packed, crowded city-state with limited land, Singapore is not in a position to accept any persons seeking refugee status, regardless of ethnicity or place of origin. This is a long-standing, indeed decades-old, Government policy. In fact, as demonstrated by recent events in Europe, even much bigger countries with substantially more resources at their disposal are now having great difficulty handling the huge influx of refugees into Europe.

Mr de Souza has also asked what should be done at an international level to provide assistance for Syrians who remain in Syria. The answer is that there needs to be a political solution to end the conflict definitively. Initiatives such as the recent meetings of the International Syria Support Group are certainly a step in the right direction, given the participation of key stakeholders, including, if I may add, that of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. We were also encouraged by the unanimous adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which laid out a roadmap for a political settlement in Syria. However, achieving this in reality on the ground is much harder than talks and resolutions.

The situation in Syria has become extremely challenging and dangerous. Terrorist groups such as Jabhat Al Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have exploited the chaos in that area in order to establish control over territory and resources. Syria has become the epicentre for extremism and violence, and this is becoming an international phenomenon. Therefore, any eventual solution is of great interest to the rest of the world but, ultimately, it has to take into account the internal political dynamics within Syria. There also needs to be a clear strategy to deal with the terrorist groups that pose a clear and present global menace, including to us here in Southeast Asia, in Singapore, as the Senior Minister of State Mr Desmond Lee has just elucidated.

These difficulties, however, should not detract from the need for the international community to promote a political solution, and to facilitate humanitarian aid to those who need it most.

Singaporeans who wish to help to alleviate the suffering of Syrians can contribute by donating to legitimate, humanitarian charity organisations that provide emergency relief and rehabilitation support, such as the Singapore Red Cross and the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation started by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, or MUIS. In fact, this foundation supports the Temasek Education Centre in Kilis, Turkey that currently provides education for hundreds of displaced Syrian children.

I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for his comprehensive answer. I appreciate the limitations and I would just like to ask whether between now and a political solution to all of these, what more can be done for the suffering women, men and children in besieged cities, such as Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor, in the form of perhaps ration drops or fly-in drops, orchestrated by the international community? I also do appreciate the limitations involved but I think a great deal of moral support, at least attempting to do so, will go a long way for these people in besieged cities.

I thank Mr de Souza for his sympathies for the people. As I had said before, this is a tragedy unfolding in front of our eyes. We will continue to work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as well as legitimate humanitarian groups that I outlined earlier. Unfortunately, that is the limit of what we can do right now until a political solution and peace is achieved within that fractured country, and in the region as a whole. In fact, so long as there is instability there, and so long as Syria remains a hotbed attracting extremists and terrorists, or would-be terrorists, from all over the world, including us, we remain at risk.

4 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources with regard to the increasing number of dengue cases (a) whether current enforcement and fines are sufficient to deter owners of properties that are breeding grounds; and (b) what financial and resource support are provided for research to combat and reduce the Aedes mosquito population.

Mdm Speaker, over 11,200 dengue cases were reported in 2015, and this is lower than in 2013 and 2014. However, we should worry because in the recent few months, there have been a higher number of cases compared to corresponding periods in previous years. We expect the total number of dengue cases in 2016 to be high, with cases spiking earlier than usual. This increase may be due in part to the change in the main circulating dengue serotype. We have also observed an increase in the Aedes mosquito population. The warmer-than-usual year-end weather due to the El Nino phenomenon has aided the breeding and spread of both Aedes mosquitoes and the dengue virus in Singapore and in the region.

Source reduction remains the most effective way to curtail the transmission of dengue. In anticipation of a rise in dengue cases, the National Environment Agency (NEA), together with members of the Inter-Agency Dengue Task Force, has stepped up source reduction efforts earlier than usual. From November to December 2015, NEA conducted more than 193,000 inspections and removed more than 4,000 breeding habitats, the majority of which were found in homes, and this can be found in containers, flowerpots, the usual places. NEA has also stepped-up publicity efforts to raise awareness of the "Five-Step Mozzie Wipeout" and encourage the community to take part actively to prevent dengue.

Owners of premises in dengue clusters found with breeding habitats can be fined up to $5,000 under the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act. Already more than 1,000 households in dengue clusters were fined in 2015. The current penalties have been effective in keeping re-offending rates low. Nonetheless, my Ministry will continue to monitor the situation and introduce stiffer penalties if necessary.

Besides checking homes, NEA has also intensified checks for other areas, including construction sites, and taken stern action against those found breeding mosquitoes. In 2015, more than 900 Notices to Attend Court were issued to construction site contractors and over 100 Court prosecutions were taken against contractors for repeat offences. In the same period, more than 100 Stop Work Orders have been issued to construction sites to ensure that proper mosquito control measures were put in place before construction was allowed to resume.

My Ministry has set aside about $2.5 million each year to conduct multidisciplinary research in controlling the mosquito population, for example, for the development of surveillance and control tools such as Gravitraps. In addition, more than $3 million has been committed over the next three years to develop a novel method of suppressing the Aedes mosquito population through the use of male Aedes mosquitoes that carry Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacterium that can prevent mosquito eggs from hatching. The Government is also tracking the development of the dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia, and will carefully evaluate the vaccine to ensure that it is safe, of high quality and effective before it is made available in Singapore.

As a community, we need to continue to play our part to remove potential breeding habitats from places under our care. This is the most effective way to control mosquito breeding. My Ministry will also continue to work with our partners to keep up our fight against dengue through a combination of surveillance, public education, enforcement, source reduction, as well as research into new methods of mosquito reduction.

I thank the Minister for the comprehensive reply. With the reported outbreak of Zika, which is transmitted through mosquitos, may I know what are the measures that have been taken, and what other steps can the Ministry take to help Singaporeans and to prevent this disease from spreading in Singapore?

We are equally worried about the possible detection of Zika in Singapore. To facilitate this, the Ministry of Health (MOH) is working with NEA to enhance ongoing laboratory surveillance of sample Zika infection. Already, Zika is a notifiable disease under the Infectious Diseases Act. However, having said that, the Zika virus is also transmitted by the same type of mosquito that transmits dengue. Therefore, whatever we do for dengue, if we are effective, will also be effective to prevent Zika from spreading.

What we are working on is that in the event that Zika were to be found in Singapore, even a single imported Zika or a local Zika case, NEA will then start to step up its vector control activities around the case's residence and/or the workplace. If it were a single local case, we will also conduct a vector control in the case's contacts' residences. That is the first step.

But beyond that, I think it is important for all of us to play our part to understand about the dengue-spreading mosquito and the real impact of how we can reduce this threat; and to understand that, in just a week, an egg can hatch into an adult mosquito and, within three weeks, the same mosquito, if it is female, will start laying 300 eggs. That is how it starts to spread virulently. Therefore, we ask everybody to go out, help do something within your homes, stop its breeding, do the "Five-Step Mozzie Wipeout" and, if we are effective in this, we can also prevent Zika from spreading, if it should come to Singapore.

May I ask the Minister what is the new update on the new dengue vaccine? What was the outcome of the dengue vaccine which was on trial in Tan Tock Seng Hospital and whether there are now enough safety studies done for us to administer this vaccine more widely?

Unfortunately, this area is under MOH and I do not have the details to be able to answer the question. If the Member is keen to know the answer, the Member could file a Parliamentary Question on that to MOH.

I thank the Minister for the response earlier with regard to how we manage and control the spread of dengue on the ground. First and foremost, the Minister alluded to the fact that the majority of the cases are in the homes. I think the challenge is that in the residents' perception, most of the time, it comes from outside. So, what proportion, based on breeding sites, in any area has the Ministry found where dengue breeding is in the homes, compared to the external areas? That is the first question.

The Minister also mentioned that there is research being done to use male dengue mosquitos, for example, to control and curb this virulent spread. What safeguards are in place to ensure that when we do these biomedical, genetic modifications that they do not mutate to something else and cause other issues, even Zika?

The number of residential premises that we have discovered breeding is actually large. But on record the number of enforcements that we have carried out against residential premises is about equal to that of construction sites. That is because we give them a stern warning for the first instance of discovery. What we have found is that if we enforce against the recalcitrant – that means having found and given a warning, we still find it again, and we impose a penalty on them – then the recurrence of finding breading in that home disappears, almost disappears. Unfortunately, not everybody has taken a chance, but when given a penalty, that habit of checking on these things suddenly becomes much better.

On the Wolbachia, we have been looking at this since 2005. Our department has been looking at what we can do to suppress the population, first, of Aedes aegypti, particularly prevalent during warm weather. This Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti is not a genetically modified (GM) organism. And this has been confirmed by the Genetic Modification Advisory Committee in Singapore. So, the Member can rest assured that it is not a GM-mosquito.

There are many ways to do this. But what we are trying to do is to use the male Aedes aegypti which will Wolbachia-carrying, to introduce that and compete with the wild-type males for the wild-type females. Because what the scientists have discovered is that when the eggs are laid, they do not hatch. Although promising, this is something we still need to study further, and to continue to look at what the field experience is like in other countries as they experiment on this, and to ensure that when we do this in Singapore, the impact on environment and health, and even how it affects other insects or population is not adverse.

Thank you, Madam. I have one supplementary question for the Minister concerning source eradication. We have some residents living in private estates who may be living adjacent or near to private land which is unoccupied. I would like to ask what is NEA's response in such matters; as in, how far does NEA go to follow up to do checks within such premises, whether with or without the owners' consent, and is it a check on 100% of such premises or is it based on complaints?

Part of our effort is to not just be reactive but to be proactive at the start or before the advent of the dengue season. So, like I mentioned just now, we have made a lot of inspections. Altogether, in 2015 alone, there were 1.4 million inspections around Singapore. In addition to the inspections, we put in what we call "Gravitraps" to monitor whether mosquitos are breeding in that area, to look at the density of the breeding, as well as the people who get infected, from their blood, to understand the serotype changes, be able to map and, therefore, to be able to look at what are the possible risks that can be prevented both to the areas as well as to the country.

Should that then appear to be something very risky, then we will deploy our resources to the appropriate places and make sure that the population comes together to make sure that they, too, will take the steps to make sure their homes are not breeding mosquitos.

For those homes which we could not get access into, we will put a notice on their doors because we do not know why they are not there. Maybe they are on holiday or for whatever reason. But within a week, if there is no response, particularly in this period, we will have enough powers to get access into the premises and do the necessary inspection and destruction of breeding, if it is found.

5 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development what are the measures which the Ministry has put in place to ensure that the materials used in the construction of new HDB flats meet the standards required to minimise noise transmission between floors and flat units.

Mdm Speaker, HDB buildings are built using reinforced concrete in accordance with the prevailing building codes and industry norms. This ensures that our buildings are structurally safe and suitable for occupancy. While there are no existing regulations or standards on acoustical performance of building structures, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) is mindful of the needs of residents in this regard. Based on our survey, the vast majority of residents and respondents have expressed satisfaction with the noise insulation performance of their unit walls and floors. Nevertheless, HDB is continually looking at practical noise mitigation measures for the comfort and well-being of all residents.

I should also highlight that in the context of our high-density environment, and with HDB flats designed for natural ventilation, it is not possible to completely sound-proof a unit. So, we do need all residents to do their part. Considerate neighbourly behaviour, such as keeping noise levels down, especially at night, will help provide a pleasant living environment for all.

6 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health if he can provide the data that compares the workload and work stress faced by doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals at various levels in public hospitals with equivalent professionals in other developed countries, such as Australia, Japan, USA and the UK.

Mdm Speaker, direct comparative studies on workload and work stress of healthcare professionals are not readily available. One other way is to look at the statistics on the number of doctors and nurses per 10,000 population compiled by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The doctor to population ratios for Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) ranged from 22 to 34. Singapore's doctor-to-population of 21 doctors per 10,000 population is comparable to the ratios of Asian economies like Hong Kong and Taiwan, at 18.

For nurses, the nurse-to-population ratio in Australia, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the US ranged from 56 to 115. Singapore's ratio in 2014 was 69 nurses per 10,000 population, which is comparable to the ratios of Hong Kong and Taiwan at 66 and 60 respectively.

While these ratios may provide a broad comparison, we need to be mindful of the differences in healthcare demand, clinical practices and operating environments across different countries.

We are committed to providing good quality healthcare for Singaporeans which is accessible and affordable. To prepare for an ageing population, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has been building more healthcare facilities, such as acute hospitals, community hospitals and nursing homes. We are on track to meet our target of providing 9,000 acute beds, 3,000 community hospital beds and 17,000 nursing home beds by 2020.

We are also hiring and training more healthcare professionals so that healthcare institutions have sufficient manpower to care for our patients. Between 2011 and 2014, the number of registered doctors in Singapore has increased by about 22%, from 9,600 to 11,700. The number of registered nurses has increased by about 19%, from 31,700 to 37,600.

Our public hospitals have been working closely with union leaders and healthcare professionals to provide a conducive work environment. This is an ongoing effort. Initiatives that have been implemented include flexible work arrangements for nurses, shorter rotating shifts for doctors, workflow process optimisation and adoption of information technology to streamline and minimise administrative workload. We will continue to work with our stakeholders to strive for further improvements

Another important area is for all of us – Ministry, hospitals, as well as patients and their loved ones – to show appreciation and support for our healthcare workers. Often, a simple "thank you" or a nice gesture can go a long way to motivate our healthcare workers to continue doing their best to serve the public with care, professionalism and commitment.

Mr Leon Perera.

I thank the Minister of State for his helpful reply. Just a few very brief clarifications or supplementary questions. Firstly, just to clarify the doctor-to-population and nurse-to-population ratios, does it include the entire population of the island, including foreigners, or does it include just citizens and permanent residents? That is just one clarification.

Secondly, as the Minister of State kindly acknowledged, the doctor-to-population ratio may not capture every relevant dimension to the issue. There is the matter of disease incidence and caseload may differ according to disease incidence, such that the doctor-to-population ratio may not be a perfect approximation of relative workload. So, would the Minister of State or MOH consider conducting at least one initial benchmarking study to assess the relative caseload for doctors and nurses in our country, with respect to other countries with whom it may be useful to compare?

In terms of looking at the issue of caseload, would the Minister consider studying this issue in the context of the panel that has been convened to look into healthcare work processes in relation to the Hepatitis C infection cluster?

Would the Committee and the Ministry consider looking at workload – while not being a direct trigger or direct causal factor to the incidents that we have seen – but would that Committee consider workload to be, perhaps, a contributory or underlying context that might explain some of these incidents, and consider if anything needs to be done on that front, with respect to mitigating the risks of such healthcare-associated infections in future?

Mdm Speaker, I thank the hon Member for his supplementary questions.

First, the clarification on the doctor- and nurse-to-population ratio – this measures the total population. The hon Member has also asked whether we could initiate a study to look at caseloads and workload. I think there are other benchmarks that we could use to assess staff well-being in our healthcare institutions. For example, our hospitals conduct employee engagement surveys every two to three years, and this is used to gauge morale and job satisfaction. We also use the survey results to further improve staff motivation, engagement and retention.

This survey is extended to all groups of healthcare staff – doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative and ancillary staff. In the latest survey, seven out of eight of our hospitals have either higher or comparable job satisfaction scores, compared to the Singapore national norm. This is something which we will continue to keep track.

I think the suggestion from Mr Perera about looking at how we can further improve the work environment for our healthcare professionals is something we will certainly consider. We are looking at not just the work environment for our healthcare workers, but also how we can use the opportunity to improve productivity which will lead to better quality of care, better service for our patients and also to look at whether we can reduce the manpower requirements for our healthcare sector to be ready for an ageing population. These are ideas which we will take a look at, in our continuous effort to try and improve productivity and sustainability of our healthcare system.

I also want to take the opportunity to assure Mr Perera that we are doing a thorough review on how to improve infection control and also to look at the detection and response to outbreaks. The investigations that were done by the various hospitals and the professionals indicate that workload has not been a direct cause of these infections. There were other reasons for the outbreaks.

Nevertheless, I think improving work environment, making sure that our healthcare workers have the support to do their jobs well and to look after their patients well, are areas which the Ministry will certainly work closely with our hospitals and unions, to improve over the years.

7 Mr Leon Perera asked the Acting Minister for Education (Schools) whether the revamped social studies syllabus, and/or other elements in the primary and/or secondary school curriculum, will provide detailed explanations for why ballot secrecy is inviolate in elections.

Mdm Speaker, the Ministry of Education (MOE) places priority on the development of good citizens who understand their rights and responsibilities, so that they can participate actively in a parliamentary democracy. Through the Social Studies, History and Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum, students learn how elections allow citizens' interests to be represented and how this contributes to good governance. The curriculum develops an understanding of the significance of elections progressively.

At the primary and lower secondary levels, students are introduced to how elections shape our history from self-government to Independence. At the upper secondary levels, students learn about how representatives to Parliament are chosen by the people through General Elections. Students also engage in discussions about the roles of Members of Parliament and the Elected President.

Much can be taught about the elections. However, limited curriculum time requires careful selection of content for a strong understanding of citizenship and elections at each stage of the student's development. Thus, specific topics such as ballot secrecy are not included in the curriculum.

However, the Social Studies, History and CCE curriculum are designed to encourage further exploration by both teachers and students. They are provided with references such as the Elections Department website, where they can obtain more information about the process, including ballot secrecy.

Mr Perera.

I think the Minister for his helpful reply. Mdm Speaker, in the course of my grassroots work, I have encountered quite a number of Singaporeans who are under a misimpression about ballot secrecy and have articulated to me the view that they are concerned that ballot secrecy is not inviolable, and the nature of their vote may be—

Can you please put forth your question, Mr Perera?

Yes. So, in the context of the fact that there could be a minority of Singaporeans who are exercised about this issue and are concerned about ballot secrecy, would the Minister consider asking MOE to include a brief or a limited element of training about ballot secrecy within the Social Studies curriculum, given that it seems to be an issue that exercises a minority of Singaporeans, although it does not exercise the majority?

Mdm Speaker, that voting is secret has been affirmed and re-affirmed multiple times, both in this Chamber and outside. Voting is an issue that concerns all Singaporeans. Through our curriculum and through the students' own exploratory learning together with their parents, in good time, when they reach 21 years old and beyond, they will be equipped with the necessary skills to evaluate for themselves whether voting is secret.

I would like to assure the Member that MOE will do its best to teach within our curriculum and also to encourage learning beyond the classroom so that they can evaluate for themselves that voting is secret.

8 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Home Affairs how many prospective Singaporean-foreigner couples have participated in the Pre-Marriage Long-Term Visit Pass Assessment (PMLA) since its introduction.

The Pre-Marriage Long-Term Visit Pass Assessment was implemented on 1 January 2015. Last year, a total of 4,159 applications were received, and to date, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has completed processing 3,764 cases. Of these, 2,481, or about 66%, were issued with a Letter of Long-Term Visit Pass eligibility.

Thank you for the comprehensive reply. May I know, how long it normally takes for ICA to assess and also give approval?

For the Pre-Marriage Long-Term Visit Pass Assessment, it takes an average of about four weeks.

9 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the manpower crunch and constraints in the public sector, what more can be done by the Home Team to leverage on new technology to detect and deter crime, and to assist with typically manpower-intensive investigations.

Madam, the Home Team has had to transform the way we operate to cope with increasing demands amid tight manpower constraints. Leveraging on technology is one of the ways, as articulated at the start of the session.

One example is the installation of police cameras at the ground-floor lift and staircase landings of Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks and multi-storey carparks to deter crime in our estates. These have reduced crime in our HDB estates and helped Police solve cases. Installation in all 10,000 blocks should be completed by this year. We will study the feasibility of installing more police cameras in our estates and other public areas to enhance security.

We will also leverage on crowdsourcing technology, so members of the public can play a part. I mentioned earlier about the app – Police@SG app. Tapping on the many smartphones in Singapore, the app makes it easy for the public to send relevant photos and videos to the Police. This will enable close to real-time submission of information that can help facilitate investigations.

I also spoke earlier about another initiative known as the Vehicle on Watch Scheme, which was launched last year. Many car owners across Singapore have joined the scheme, keeping their in-vehicle cameras recording overnight. This adds extra eyes in our HDB carparks to deter crime. Police may approach participating car owners for footage, if needed to solve cases.

Police have also redesigned the Neighbourhood Police Posts (NPPs) and used technology to facilitate round-the-clock automated services for residents, while allowing police officers to be re-deployed from desk-bound duties to other frontline tasks, such as patrols and walking on the beat.

On the ground, our police officers will be provided with the next-generation fast response cars (Next-Gen FRC) that are equipped with more sophisticated technology. We are also exploring the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones to provide a more comprehensive situational picture in public order incidents or during the management of major events.

With better information gathering, we will invest in stronger sense-making capabilities, such as video and data analytics, so that richer and more timely information is provided to our officers while responding to incidents, or when conducting investigations. Data from different sources will be aggregated and analysed real-time to detect potential threats and criminal activities. Video-trawling technologies can allow us to identify, in a matter of minutes, objects and persons of interest from hours of video footage.

Advanced data analytics can help us to analyse data, discern patterns, and deploy our resources dynamically and in the most optimal way. We will be better able to adopt a tiered and differentiated front-line response model, channelling resources to where they are most needed. This will enable us to enhance the safety and security of Singaporeans.

Mr Christopher de Souza.

Madam, on home-to-home visits, residents have requested even wider CCTV footage on the ground floors of HDB blocks. Therefore, would the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) consider focusing the angle of the CCTV also onto staircase entry points? Also, could we reduce the size of the opening of bins, so as to reduce the risks of large bags being deposited into them, especially in crowded areas?

Madam, the PolCam initiative already involves CCTVs at the ground floor lift lobby as well as staircase landings, so that is already catered for. We are, at the moment, studying the possibility of rolling out more of such surveillance throughout our estates and public areas to enable us to deter crime and to take action when incidents unfold. As for the size of bins, this is something we certainly will look at, in terms of the overall analysis of threats.

Order. End of Question Time.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix, unless Members had asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn.]

[(proc text) Order read for the Resumption of Debate on Question [25 January 2016]. (proc text)]

[(proc text) "That the following Address in reply to the Speech of the President be agreed to: (proc text)]

[(proc text) 'We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore, express our thanks to the President for the Speech which he delivered on behalf of the Government at the Opening of the First Session of this Parliament.'." – [Mr Christopher de Souza]. (proc text)]

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

Mdm Speaker, I am glad that the President spoke about renewing our economy in his address. I would like to voice my support.

We owe it to our children to keep the country strong and our economy vibrant so that they can also chase the rainbows and fulfil aspirations. Social well-being for our people can only be enhanced and sustained if we have a growing economy that generates the financial resources to pay for the needed expenditures, which include security which the House talked about last two days, as well as to provide good job opportunities for our citizen workforce. That includes the tens of thousands fresh graduates that join the workforce each year.

In the last 50 years, we earned our prosperity largely by value adding and we are pretty good at that. Not just because we do it cheaper than others but rather, we were able to create our own competitive advantages. We engineered strong growth in manufacturing and services by way of a whole-of-Government approach – building the necessary infrastructure ahead of demand – ports, airport, industrial spaces – continually developing international linkages and connectivity to facilitate trade and investments, free trade agreements (FTAs), multinational corporations (MNCs) with their international links, instituting pro-business policies, among others, our low tax regime, and ensuring that there are sufficient manpower resources for businesses, both local sourced and foreign sourced. This strategy has enabled companies large and small to ride on the global economic cycles and thrive.

Continuing this way of growing our economy is still a viable option, particularly in areas of high value adding, and it remains a policy option. However, given the inherent constraints in our capacity, that would mean we have to settle for a much lower growth range going forward and are destined to always compete with the next cheaper player. We will also be at the mercy of the volatile global demand cycles, which tends to impact us more as a small and open economy. So, just adding value and competing on prices has become less of a value proposition for us, especially so as our economy matures and that we are near the limits in terms of manpower growth and land spaces.

Enter the value creating and innovative economy, a term that we have be hearing a lot in the last few months since the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) was set up. It is the next logical step, and it is also time that we make bold moves to open up new growth frontiers and expand possibilities.

Any restructuring and any major re-positioning of the economy of this magnitude comes with its challenges and risks. There will be disruptions to existing businesses and jobs, and the outcomes are by no means guaranteed.

Fortunately for Singapore, we are in a position of strength. Our strong economic fundamentals, our solid financials and the adaptable workforce can help us weather the risks and to tackle the multiple challenges ahead.

Our hard-earned political and social stability also give us the scope to think and act in the long-term interest of the country – in contrast with many of our regional competitors who are bogged down with their domestic political impasses or social disharmony.

For a small country with unchangeable physical constraints, further advances in digitisation and easier access to the global knowledge pool actually works better for Singapore. With smarter resource optimisation, greater technological adoption and enhanced global linkages, our smallness as a country can be less of a disadvantage. In the future landscape, it may well be the case where the big no longer beats the small. It is the fast that beats the slow and the imaginative that will eat the lunches of the uninspired. But we need to be among the early movers and trendsetters, and to exploit the fast-expanding networked world to our advantage.

The key is how we identify the future opportunities and how we could transform ourselves to seize those opportunities. The CFE has that difficult task on their plate. The Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Finance, Trade and Industry looks forward to participating in discussions and engaging the CFE on the various suggestions and recommendations in the months ahead.

In this era of fast-paced technological changes and, as a result, shortened obsolescence cycle, it is increasingly very difficult to predict future product trends. We may be none the wiser about what the next "Big Thing" would be – more than ever before. So, building hard infrastructure ahead of demand, something that the Government is very good at, may not be as straightforward in the future world.

Hence, the road ahead towards a value creating economy is more about developing soft infrastructures to become an innovative and entrepreneurial society – and thereby be able take advantage on a range of possible scenarios that comes our way.

Singapore has been consistently recognised for its business-friendly environment and producing graduates excelling in mathematics and science. We also have among the best legal framework for intellectual property (IP) protection rights in the world as well as the high availability of venture capital and research and development (R&D) funding. These are necessary conditions for a vibrant start-up scene.

However, while Singapore ranks high in world rankings in terms innovation inputs, such as infrastructural support and business sophistication, the innovation output has not been as encouraging; and it is mostly in the area of wholesale trade and financial services.

Indeed, it was not the lack of support schemes for the businesses or the regulatory frameworks being less or not innovation-friendly enough, that is the impediment.

The smart and hardworking officers of the various economic agencies are always on top of this and will continue to add new schemes, finesse existing schemes as well as to keep up with the best practices around the world. I think we only need to look at the SPRING Singapore website to see the range of schemes available to help the start-ups. I am sure the CFE will further add more new ideas and new approaches in developing innovative capabilities for companies and to expand our market linkages. We can debate that at a later date, while the new approaches that we should explore.

But what I think we need do more, and what we are talking more about today, is the human dimension of innovation and entrepreneurship. The human factor is the spirit and purpose of innovation. Successful innovation rests on the foundation of education, skills and, more importantly, the passion and risk attitudes of individuals.

I echo calls by many Members in this House for the Ministry of Education (MOE) to do more to diffuse the high stress and high stakes situation of our education system, from the primary school to tertiary level.

In the economy of the future, having good subject-based knowledge is important but not good enough on its own. We need to foster critical and creative thinking as well as develop behavioural and social skills. Our education system cannot be narrowly focused on examination-based academic performance. It just stresses out everyone – the students, parents and teachers and even the Members of Parliament, when the parents come to see us to appeal for the scores and to get into the schools. So, it stresses out everybody with very little gain in return besides generating the national examinations scores to help us do the school postings. Instead, it risks producing an education system that dampens the innovative and entrepreneur spirit. Students may score well in exams for those subjects, but they may have little passion or interest in that subject matter, which some recent international studies have shown. So, we need to distinguish the truth from the facts.

Also, schools should avoid crowding out less easily assessed curriculum such arts, sports and aesthetic subjects as these activities stimulate a wide range of social, thinking and behavioural skills. Rather, the weightage of these subjects should be increased so that learning in school can be fun and can be enriching. So, when I heard that in some schools, co-curricular activities (CCA) were stopped for students in the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) year or the "O" Level year, just so that the students can focus on their major examinations, it disturbed me quite a fair bit. How does stopping CCA during the PSLE year or O-level year help in developing the students that we want? It is just going to increase the tension and add more stress. We need to develop students to be self-assured, confident and, for that matter, to be able to multi-task.

I agree with Minister Ong Ye Kung that we should not be too obsessed with numbers. Often, when I attend schools' annual award ceremonies, the Principal's speech and presentations sometimes really sound like a shareholder's Annual General Meeting (AGM). There will be a lot of performance indicators being shown. So, I do not think numbers are that important. The speech should be about motivating the students and motivating the parents as well.

I do believe that there exists a distribution of strengths and abilities for each cohort of students. There will be some who may appear to do less well in a whole bell curve, but who, nevertheless, have the inclination to think out-of-the-box, and are perhaps less "conventional" than others in their learning attitude. Perhaps, they have more of the "maverick-like" thinking.

These are the people who may have street savviness to be entrepreneurial and to venture into uncharted waters. These may those who may not do well in schools, very much like Jack Ma, Steve Jobs or George Quek of "BreadTalk". In the early years, they tend to daydream a lot – I agree with Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam that some of it is good. In fact, we should not dampen their natural curiosity, especially during their early formative years. Help them, open up to them and give them second chances and if not, third chances even if they have not done well academically in their early years. Keep them in the system so that they can learn on and gain knowledge.

I am glad that the two Ministers at MOE have reiterated in their Ministry's Addendum that MOE will reduce the over-emphasis on academic results and make learning more enjoyable. And that the learning institutions will help Singaporeans discover their strengths and interests and thereby cultivate passions and fulfil aspirations. I have lifted this from the Addendum. I am sure this is music to our ears. These are all necessary moves to become an innovative and entrepreneurial society. We must not just say it or signal it, but also do it in every sense and every aspect.

Another human aspect that is essential for a flourishing innovative and entrepreneurial scene is the existence of lively communities of innovators and the related stakeholders. These are very much informal social structures that may involve the university alumni support groups, networks of overseas Singaporeans, mentors or serial entrepreneurs, among others, to create buzz, facilitate sharing and mentoring, and also to foster collaborations and partnerships. We need to place-make of some sort to get the entrepreneurs and innovators to come together to participate in lively forums and to leverage on the value of interdependencies. Universities and polytechnics are among the suitable convenors for such social groups and should be encouraged to initiate such communities to form.

Mdm Speaker, the third human factor I would like to touch on is life-long learning. Continual learning and seeking new knowledge are the best response to the rapidly changing technological landscape and also equally fast changing business models. We must keep up and not be on the wrong part of the skills mismatch curve as the landscape changes.

Coupled with the emergence of the so-called "gig economy" – something that Mr Ang Hin Kee has talked about with the freelancers – the concept of full-time employment or permanent employment may well be under threat. We have already seen how Uber has disrupted the traditional taxi business and the livelihood of taxi drivers, or how waves of digitisations by fintech companies are threatening traditional bank financing and bank intermediation.

We are not alone in this challenge. A recent study in the United States (US) estimated that 47% of the total US employment is at risk of being computerised or digitised. Hence, we have to make learning continual, whether it is by seeking new knowledge or learning new skills a way of life and actually enjoy and be motivated by it.

SkillsFuture could be the mindset game changer and especially with the SkillsFuture's credit of $500 that will certainly help ease the costs barriers. What I like about SkillsFuture is that it enables individuals to take ownership of their own learning journey and hopefully inculcate the attitude to always seek new knowledge and to improve skills as part of their lifestyle routine.

However, we should also be mindful about whether the training and courses under SkillsFuture would have sufficient depth and focus and whether it would help improve individual employability and skills mastery.

Also, continuous learning should be made more accessible to all in ITEs, polytechnics and universities. There should be no age barrier. There should be no paper barrier. We can calibrate the right fee structure, but we should make it accessible to all. We should also ensure that it will not be at the expense of places set aside for each cohort of new undergraduates. Over time, we need to blur the lines between learning in schools and training during employment, and it should be a continuous journey.

Mdm Speaker, for entrepreneurship and innovative culture to permeate across the society, we need individuals who are willing to try and willing to explore to step out of their comfort zones. Going forward, we literally have to think like a start-up in the way we respond to opportunities. It is not just the businesses and individuals but the entire ecosystem including the educational institutions, social stakeholders, business associations and, crucially, the Government and regulators.

Our laws, our rules as well as our Instruction Manuals (IMs) in the Government are written quite some time ago and may need to be updated to cater for a more entrepreneurial society.

Mdm Speaker, to conclude, as we venture into the value-creating world and to become an innovative economy, we have to remain open to all talents and ideas. That is very much part of the interdependencies needed for the ecosystem to flourish. Having a diverse range of talents will strengthen our position as an innovation hub. By all means, manage and calibrate our overall foreign manpower supply in accordance to our physical and social constraints like what many international centres, such as New York and London, have done. But we must remain open and not be averse to an innovator or entrepreneur from a foreign land coming here to innovate and venture. It is all a necessary part of the buzz and vibrancy.

Staying open and staying plugged to the global network has strengthened our position as a key economic hub in the past. We need to continue to stay open, to stay connected and to stay open to changes, and that way, we will give our local entrepreneurs and local innovators access to more opportunities, and it enhances our chances of succeeding as a value creating economy. Mdm Speaker, I support the Motion.

Mdm Speaker, the President ended his Address two Fridays ago with a call for Singaporeans to write the next chapter of our future together. The next chapter, in the words of President Tony Tan, will "see Singapore progress as an exceptional nation with a thriving economy and a caring an inclusive society".

It is apt that the President has called on Singaporeans to renew our pledge at the half-century mark of our nationhood to build a better Singapore as one people, regardless of race, language or religion. But our pledge goes beyond calling on Singaporeans to merely unite as one people to build a better Singapore. The frameworks of our pledge support good politics and espouse the values of justice and equality to be the foundation of our democracy so that our people as a nation can achieve happiness, prosperity and progress.

Although the President did not talk about justice and equality when he spoke on good politics, these values are non-negotiable if we want to get our politics right in the next chapter. The President has reminded us that as Members of Parliament, we all have a responsibility to do our best for our people, regardless of our party affiliation.

About 18 months into my first term as Member of Parliament for Hougang, a resident asked me if his child would be given the Edusave Bursary, will the child receive the award from me? I believe all of you know the answer so I will dispense with that. Nevertheless, I thank the President for the reminder, and I can assure the President that the Workers' Party (WP) will do its best for the people while we wait with bated breath the impending improvement to our political system, as mentioned in his Address.

Mdm Speaker, the President talked about the need to keep our nation safe and secure right at the beginning of his speech for good reason. The ASEAN region has taken a dangerous turn with the terrorist attacks in Bangkok in 2015 and in Jakarta a fortnight ago. ISIS has successfully taken its terror and fight right to our doorstep. Our way of life as we know and enjoy is now under threat. These are indeed dangerous and uncertain times we are living in. A terrorist attack in Singapore is no longer a remote possibility.

Thus, I fully support the President's call for Singaporeans to remain steadfast and united under these trying times, when misguided extremists are trying to tear this world apart through violence and fear.

While it is reassuring that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will strengthen our border security and tap into technology to help fight criminals and terrorist threats, it is my hope that this Government will also put effort in countering the spread of radical ideologies online.

The war on terrorism at our homefront is psychological as well. We cannot influence the people beyond our shores, but we can surely remind our own to value and preserve the peace and harmony we have here.

The walk with terrorism probably begins with some form of self-radicalisation, and such activities are impossible to prevent and they usually go under the radar. Self-radicalised individuals will probably pose one of the biggest threats to our security and the preservation of our social fabric.

Madam, Singapore has a lot to show the world on what it means to live in racial and religious harmony. Our cultural and religious diversity is a testament to that. Our work at achieving our unique interfaith, interracial and intersectoral harmony should be told to each successive generation to counter those dangerous and destructive ideologies propagated by radicals with misguided and violent intent.

I share Senior Minister of State Ong Ye Kung's observation that it is a sight to behold to see religious symbols of different faiths side by side and opposite each other in our HDB estates. But behind the cold existence of these religious artefacts lie a whole lot of effort in exercising tolerance, consideration and good neighbourliness. These stories must be passed down from generation to generation in all forms and means. We have to start young to sow the seeds of religious and racial tolerance in our classrooms, and hope for the best that our children will be able to discern dangerous ideologies online and reject them outright. We all have a part to play in this – this Ministry, the schools and most important of all, the parents – to make Singapore safe and secure.

Finally, the next chapter in education is critical because it is going to churn out the talents and the workforce that will take Singapore to SG100 and beyond. Madam, education is one of the key building blocks of Singapore. The Government has made many changes to our education system over the years, in search of a balanced approach to prep our young for a world that is constantly evolving. The change the educator intends to make in the next chapter must stand the test of time because lives are at stake. It must result in fostering a generation of thinking, self-motivated and innovative, and confident students.

We have to invest heavily in our human capital because it is our only hope at becoming an exceptional nation. The Prime Minister has shared that his biggest achievement as Head of Government was the emphasis he had placed on education when he first assumed office. In his first National Day Rally, the Prime Minister talked briefly about the "Teach Less, Learn More" concept of getting the maximum benefit out of educating our students through quality teaching.

The "Teach Less, Learn More" model has found its way into schools in the past decade. Can our educators say for sure that this model really works because our students continue to do well in high-stake examinations, despite being taught less in school? Has the shift to focus on quality teaching instead of quantity teaching resulted in better desired outcomes of education? Or has it merely shifted more of the learning from the classroom to the private tutors?

I am sure MOE would like to know the effectiveness of the "Teach Less, Learn More" model, but without a corresponding study into the tuition culture here, nothing can be conclusive. I do urge MOE to commission a study into the tuition culture because it will help our educators to formulate better policy decisions in the next chapter.

Moving away from basic education, how far are we prepared to inspire our young to shoot for the stars in the pursuit of their interests at the tertiary level? Is the Government pull out all the stops to attract a Nobel Laureate to take up a research or teaching chair at one of the local universities so that the Laureate can inspire a student to dream big?

We need role models in life to inspire ourselves to greater heights. This Government has gone to great lengths to pursue an Olympic medal using foreign talents in the hope that the move will bring glory to the nation and the imported Olympians could be role models for our young athletes.

In the next chapter, it is my hope that Singapore will produce a Nobel Laureate of our own. Almost 900 Nobel Laureates have been recognised since 1901. Countries such as Azerbaijan, Cypress, Algeria, Guatemala, St Lucia, and Madagascar, to name a few, have all produced a Laureate or two each. Is this Government prepared likewise with the same vigour in our human capital outside of sports? A Nobel Laureate is recognised by his or her own country of birth, so we cannot engineer that by import.

Mdm Speaker, in the next chapter in education, I do hope to see a deeper engagement between our institutes of higher learning and local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and government-linked corporations (GLCs) in the area of R&D.

Many American universities were intricately involved in the US Space programme from Project Mercury to Project Apollo and to the Space Shuttle programme. The benefits that such deep collaboration brings to the schools, the students and the community at large are immeasurable. I am heartened to read in the papers that six students from Singapore polytechnics have had their invention patented by Boeing and their names listed as co-inventors of the patent recently. Such news is inspiring. I wish our young inventors well and hope that their inventions will go into commercial production someday.

The R&D Framework under the National Research Foundation cuts across many Ministries. I am unable to determine who gets the lion share of the R&D budget, but I do hope that our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) will be given ample opportunities to nurture our young Singaporeans into exceptional scientists and inventors if the future.

In conclusion, I agree with the President that the political system here needs to be refreshed. We all want a clean, effective and accountable Government, but not at the expense of less democracy, justice and equality. I am also quietly confident that Singaporeans of all faiths will stand united to reject terrorism and attempts by misguided extremists to sow seeds of discord among the diverse and peace-loving people of Singapore.

And finally, Madam, we all know education is not all about classroom and examination. It is a never-ending journey. The Chinese has a saying “活到老，学到老”. The SkillsFuture initiative announced last year is certainly a step in the right direction. However, the values we impart to our young must stand the test of time. Each successive cohort that leaves our classroom must be resilient and, most important of all, must have a sense of belonging, without which we can never have an exceptional nation. I certainly believe that when we get our education right, we will get our security right, we will get our economy right, we will also get our society right, we will get our living environment right and most important of all, we will get our nation building right. We will be an exceptional nation.

Mdm Speaker, I support the Motion of Thanks for the President's Address. I fully agree with the five key priorities of the Government as outlined by the President. The devil, of course, is in the details.

Madam, the world confronting us and those who come after us will be different. Our society is ageing rapidly. Every job task that can be replicated can be replaced by a machine. Citizens who cannot add value enough are at risk of being left behind. Income gaps widen between those whose skills are in demand and those who cannot catch up. In the words of Albert Einstein, "The significant problems we face today cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when the problems were first created."

Madam, let me first share a simple poem that shows the different levels that we can view and address the challenges we face in life.

This poem by a Ms Portia Nelson is entitled "Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters".

Chapter I

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost ... I am helpless.

Is it my fault?

It takes me forever to find a way out.

Chapter II

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don't see it.

I fall in again.

I can't believe I am in the same place.

But it isn't my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter III

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in ... it's a habit.

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

Chapter IV

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

Chapter V

I walk down another street.

Madam, the new world is full of deep holes. Sometimes, we patch up the holes. Often, when it involves entrenched mindsets and structures, it will take more than patching up or just walking around them. We may have to walk down another street or make U-turns.

Let me share some observations and suggestions on two areas that I think will require more than patching. First, in the space of Learning; next, in Caring and Doing.

On Learning – the future of learning will be far from the teacher-directed, traditional classroom settings we are used to. In the future, learning can take place anytime, anywhere; not constrained by time or the physical dimensions of a school. We can choose from a quiver of tools, devices and learning solutions that can be face-to-face, online or blended. If SkillsFuture were to succeed, then learners will come in all ages with all backgrounds. They will have to be self-driven lifelong learners – a habit that is not yet pervasive today.