ASSENTS TO BILLS PASSED

The following Bills were assented to by the President of the Republic of Singapore on the dates stated:

     1.  Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether his Ministry has received any update on the status of the 13 granite-carrying vessels bound for Singapore which were detained by the Indonesian Navy for allegedly carrying sand and whether Singapore is still freely importing granite from Indonesia.

     The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr George Yong-Boon Yeo): Mr Speaker, Sir, Indonesia has not banned the export of granite. However, there have been supply disruptions in recent weeks due to the detention of several barges and tugboats carrying granite bound for Singapore since February.

     When I met Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda in Nuremburg last month on 15th March, he told me that an inter-departmental team from Jakarta had visited the Riaus to investigate the detention of the tugboats and barges. Minister Hassan assured me that the Indonesian team's verification process would be transparent.  I agreed with him that transparency is important. Transparency in such matters is good for trade and investment and in the national interest of Indonesia.

     On 5th March 2007, MFA sought clarification on the detained barges through a Diplomatic Note and subsequently followed up with two reminders on 12th March and 26th March. DEPLU (the Indonesian Foreign Ministry) replied on Thursday, 5th April 2007, last week via a Diplomatic Note giving us the inspection results. According to the Note, 22 tugboats and barges were detained in February and in March.  However, only seven were alleged to have violated the land sand ban by carrying land sand or a mixture of land sand and granite chips.  The rest were detained on charges of violating various other Indonesian laws, shipping regulations and customs regulations. DEPLU informed us that these cases will now be taken up through the legal process in Indonesia. We are studying DEPLU's response and will seek further clarification from the Indonesian Government, if necessary.

     Dr Lily Neo (Jalan Besar):   Sir, may I seek the Minister's comment on the article by Asiamoney magazine entitled "The Singapore Sandstorm" which said that, despite Singapore's extraordinary advances, it is still vulnerable and Singapore being the triple 'A' rated First World State can still be bullied by its big developing neighbours and that Singapore is a little more than a 10-stone weakling, defenceless against having sand kicked in its face.  Could the Minister reassure this House on the steps taken by the capable team of civil servants and Ministers to ensure that Singapore, the little red dot, with no natural resources, is not a weakling nor defenceless against having sand kicked in its face?

     Mr George Yong-Boon Yeo:  Mr Speaker, Sir, I think we are used to being called names and described sometimes in comical idiomatic ways. The responses to some of the disruptions we have faced had been discussed in this House and I believe Minister Mah Bow Tan will be talking in greater detail about them in answer to the following question. It is true, Mr Speaker Sir, that we are not a "200-pound Hulk". Maybe we are small, but we are not without capabilities and our gongfu is not bad. If sand is kicked in our face, the person may end up with a mouthful of sand in his own mouth.

     Er Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio):  Sir, I would like to ask the Minister how long more have we to wait and is there any other action or alternative that we can take?

     Mr George Yong-Boon Yeo:  In particular, which is the hon. Member referring to - the granite?

     Er Lee Bee Wah:  About those detained barges.

    Mr George Yong-Boon Yeo:  The process is now in the open. It will be taken through legal channels in Indonesia. Three of the barge owners are Singaporean. If they want our help, we will help them in whatever way we can. It is good that the matter is now transparent. I am sure that they will get their own lawyers. If charges will be pressed, they will defend themselves and the matter should be properly resolved in this way, according to the laws of Indonesia.

     Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang):  Sir, I would like to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs how he has taken this whole episode of the Indonesian reaction to the sand and granite ban on exports, and obviously it is coming against us.  Is it a diplomatic failure on the part of Singapore or on the part of ASEAN in which we are supposed to be good neighbours and we help them along?

     Mr George Yong-Boon Yeo:   Mr Speaker, Sir, this is primarily a bilateral matter. If any country, in effecting a ban on exports, does so in a way which contravenes the WTO or ASEAN's economic agreements, then we can invoke dispute mechanisms within those agreements. But I believe that it is within Indonesia's rights, for environmental reasons, to ban the export of sand, and it has done so for environmental reasons. I know there have been Indonesian legislators and officials who have talked about various motives for banning the export of sand, but the official reason given to us was for environmental reasons and we have got to take it at face value. As to what we can do in response, well, the key is that we must be diversified and we must have our own strengths. The ban of sand and the disruption of granite supply have caused some disruption to the construction industry, caused some inconvenience to Singaporeans, but I think we are able to cope, and Minister Mah Bow Tan has explained in some detail in this House how we have been able to cope.

     But if you look at our bilateral relations with Indonesia on the whole, it is a big account and we are mutually dependent in so many ways. There are specific problems here and there and it is best we manage them as discrete problems rather than linking everything together. So for example, I have informed this House before that on the Extradition Treaty and Defence Cooperation, we are negotiating these in parallel.  The negotiations are ongoing and I hope they can be resolved in a reasonably short time. We are helping Indonesia in developing the Special Economic Zone in Batam, Bintan and Karimun; we are helping them on Avian Flu in Tangerang near Jakarta; we are helping with the haze problem in the province of Jambi; and in so many areas we are cooperating. So it is important to set these problems in context.

     Mdm Ho Geok Choo (West Coast):  Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to comment on the recent blast of the granite quarry in Karimum.  How will it affect the supply to our construction industry and the measures taken by our Government with regard to other sources of supply?  Also, beyond the possibility of sabotage, what long-term plans or strategies would our Government be looking into where sand and granite from Indonesia are concerned?

     Mr George Yong-Boon Yeo:  I do not know much about the explosion at the granite quarry in Karimun apart from what I have read in the newspapers and from some reports which I have received from Jakarta. The Indonesian police is investigating into the matter and it is best that we leave it to them. If the Singapore owner requests our assistance in the Foreign Ministry, then, of course, we will help them. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked earlier, Mr Speaker, Sir, whether, in fact, the problem we are now having with Indonesia reflects a certain diplomatic failure. Well, I think that is for others to judge.

     2.  Dr Lily Neo asked the Minister for National Development whether his Ministry is importing granite from alternative sources and, if so, when will these arrive.

     3.  Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for National Development what are the specific steps the Government is taking to prevent unjustified escalations of overall construction costs by parties who give the high price of sand as the reason for increasing prices.

     The Minister of State for National Development (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien) (for the Minister for National Development: Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to answer Question Nos. 2 and 3 together.

     Mr Speaker:  Please do so.

     Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien :  Mr Speaker, Sir, Dr Lily Neo asked whether we are importing granite from alternative sources and whether shipments have arrived.  The answer is “Yes”.  When the supply of granite from Indonesia was disrupted in late February, we immediately released granite from our stockpile to make up for the supply shortfall.

     We have activated various alternative granite supply sources from countries in the region.  These measures have helped to minimise the disruption to construction activities. Shipments of granite from the alternative sources have started to arrive in Singapore and the supply is proceeding smoothly.  We will continue to work with our granite importers to maintain the flow from these sources.  We will also look for more sources to ensure that the supply line is further diversified. 

      Diversifying supply sources is part of our total approach to enhance resilience for our construction industry.  The general approach adopted under this plan is this - keep all our options open, and plan for all contingencies.  This is our best defence against the risk of a future supply disruption, whatever the reasons and whenever it happens.  So we buy from as many different countries as possible, continue to keep a sizeable stockpile and work with the industry to switch to more sustainable methods of construction.  One additional option is to tap on our local granite sources, should the need arise.  Thus, it is necessary to carry out some limited quarrying to understand the issues involved in reactivating quarries, such as the preparatory works and time involved, and the mitigating measures to put in place.  HDB will look into restarting one of its former quarries in Pulau Ubin.

     Ms Denise Phua is concerned about the impact of higher sand and granite cost on overall construction cost and has asked about steps taken to prevent unjustified increases.  Let me just explain that construction cost may change because of many factors, not just the prices of construction materials.  For example, the increased demand for skilled manpower as a result of higher construction volumes will have an impact on overall construction cost.  Similarly, we do expect the major adjustments that the industry is making, following the disruption in supplies of concreting sand and granite from Indonesia, to cause construction cost to rise.  The Government is monitoring the situation closely and will look into specific complaints on cases of unjustifiable increase in prices.

      In addition, in response to requests by some contractors who want to produce their own ready-mixed concrete, we are releasing suitable sites for the setting up of new batching plants.   Others who are interested to produce concrete are also welcome to bid for these sites.

     Meanwhile, as a developer and an owner of projects, the Government will help the contractors by co-sharing up to 75% of the price increases in sand and granite.  Public agencies have started to make progress payments. I urge the private sector developers to follow suit. All stakeholders in the construction industry - developers, contractors and concrete suppliers - must work together to cope with this short-term disruption to the industry and to move towards a more sustainable position in the longer term.

     Dr Lily Neo:  Sir, may I ask the Minister of State whether the increasing prices of sand and granite will put a dampener on our presently booming construction industry and what are the steps taken to prevent this effect?

     Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien:  The impact of the price increases in sand and granite, we estimated, would be about 2% of the overall project cost.  I think that is not a very significant proportion and definitely in this current state of the market, we believe that it is still in a very good position to benefit from the upswing.

     Mr Charles Chong (Pasir Ris-Punggol):  Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister of State mentioned that we may restart limited granite quarrying in our offshore island of Pulau Ubin.  Could the Minister of State confirm that should we restart this granite quarrying, all environmental protection measures will be taken not only

to protect our environment but also to demonstrate to some of our neighbours that granite quarrying can be achieved without damage to the environment, without the outer islands disappearing, and without compromising our maritime boundaries?

     Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien:  Thank you very much, hon. Member, for raising this issue.  We are definitely doing with all the mitigating factors considered in totality.  Starting from dewatering of the quarry, we will make sure that the marine life in the surrounding area is well taken care of.  We will measure the content that is being discharged and we will also manage the discharge rate at which the water is being released into the surrounding area.  We are very mindful of the marine life in the neighbourhood.  We are also mindful of the safety issue.  So, we want to make sure that, for example, in the immediate surrounding area, safety precautions are taken, that we do sound a siren before blasting takes place and that we will cordon off the area with barricades when the blasting takes place.  And, of course, dust generated as a result of blasting will also be monitored and managed.

     We have chosen the Kekek Quarry in Pulau Ubin because it is far away from the residential area.  So, we make sure that the impact on the residents of the island is also minimised.  And, most importantly, the transportation leg is closest to the sea, to a barge, and therefore it minimises disruption to the island life as well.  Definitely, we want to keep the island as it is as much as possible.  It is a place for leisure which we will continue to maintain it to be.  Blasting and mining activities will not take place over the weekends and not at night.  On an overall basis, we will also rehabilitate to make sure the quarried area is well taken care of at the end of the process.  So, these are all the various mitigating factors that we will consider.  And we have also made sure that the plants and the nature life are well protected on the island.

     Er Lee Bee Wah:  Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask MOS whether the Ministry will adjust the price of sand and granite from HDB's stockpile downwards as there are more and more alternative sources available.  Can the Ministry please also update the House on the state of the cost-sharing in private projects due to this sand and granite issue?

     Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien:  Mr Speaker, Sir, we are monitoring the prices.  The price of the HDB's stockpile is released at the replacement price.  And that is the only sustainable way for us to both replenish stockpile and, at the same time, release it for the use of the construction industry.  It is actually benchmarked using our replacement price from purchasing from various sources.  As much as the Member has said, if the prices would come down, we would be monitoring it.  Also, we would like to say that at this point in time, while we are releasing the stock from our stockpile, the private sector actually has the ability, and they have in fact done so, to import sand and granite on their own.  So, if there are alternative sources at better prices, we actually encourage the private sector to do so and import by themselves.

     On the Member's second question, it is not something that we would get involved in the private sector, as far as cost-sharing is concerned.  Because we understand that they have their commercial arrangements which we are not in a position to dictate or regulate.  But the Government has taken steps.  For example, the Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore Prisons Service) has started to make monthly progress payments for the cost-sharing arrangement that I have mentioned earlier on.  So, that has already taken place.  We are not waiting to the end of the project.  We are already making progress payments to help the contractors to meet the higher cost of sand and granite at this point in time.  We hope that the private sector will follow suit, and we encourage all parties to look at the issue in totality and work together as an industry to overcome the problem.

     Mr Speaker:  Ms Irene Ng, last question.

     Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong (Tampines):  Can I ask the Minister of State, rather than hike up the price three times from its original price of $20 per tonne of sand to $60 per tonne, whether we can just bring down the price so that we do not have to think of cost-sharing?  In other words, rather than you hike up the price and then you give back in terms of subsidies, why not just bring down the price to the level that we can afford so that construction can go on, and there will be stability in prices in the market and there will be a steady supply of sand that contractors can be assured of?

     Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien:  Mr Speaker, in reply, the prices are not hiked up.  It is the actual replacement price that we have to pay.  The primary reason is because of transportation cost.  The cost compared to importing from Indonesia and a country that is further afield would involve greater transportation needs and therefore the landed cost has actually gone up.  So the price at which we are releasing the stockpile is really the cost to the Government.  Of course, there is this issue about cost-sharing for existing projects.  But for new project, it will be a different matter.  The contractor, the developer, and the owner will then be able to discuss cost issues in a different manner because they are not bound by existing contracts.  Contractors will price their construction cost at the new cost of sand and granite. So, it is really not tenable for the Government to subsidise across the board, because there are projects, for example, which will enter into a new phase of awarding contractors and we definitely want these contracts to reflect the replacement cost, which is the current market price of sand and granite.

     4.  Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs if he will provide an update on the activities of the Religious Rehabilitation Group and what is the progress in the management of the remaining Jemaah Islamiyah detainees.

     The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs):  Sir, the Religious Rehabilitation Group or RRG is a voluntary group formed by some Muslim religious scholars and teachers on their own initiative. They provide religious counselling to terrorist detainees and those under Restriction Orders, as well as their families. The RRG and MUIS also help to counsel other individuals who have fallen for radical and violent ideology.

     Religious counselling is part of the overall rehabilitation of detainees.  When detained, the detainees are interviewed by ISD for their knowledge of the terrorist network and operations. At the same time, effort is made by the asatizah volunteers in the RRG to try to rehabilitate them, in particular, to show them that the terrorist ideology which they had imbibed is misguided and against what Islam teaches, and to guide them to the correct teachings and interpretations of the religion.  As part of rehabilitation, the detainees also interact regularly with ISD psychologists, case officers and their families, and are given opportunities to improve themselves, for example, through access to a library and pursuit of academic courses. 

     Rehabilitation takes time, as the detainees have been deeply exposed to JI teachings.  It is unrealistic to think that, overnight, they can be convinced that their JI beliefs are wrong, and hence released.  That said, several detainees who were less deeply indoctrinated have been released.  We will continue to try to rehabilitate the others. But it is worth highlighting that a number are adamantly holding on to their radical and violent beliefs. 

     Also on their own initiative, RRG members have reached out to the public to explain the misuse and abuse of Islamic concepts by terrorists, so that other Singaporeans will not unwittingly fall for the terrorist propaganda.  MUIS and several other Muslim organisations have done likewise.  They have conducted many public forums and talks, and also reached out through the media.  For the continued security and harmony of Singapore, we should strongly support all these efforts.  Terrorist ideologues have been unrelenting in spreading their ideas to win recruits, supporters, and sympathisers. The Government and the Malay/Muslim leaders must actively counter their rhetoric.

     5.  Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the challenges faced in (i) retraining and helping the aged fraternity to rejoin the workforce; and (ii) encouraging employers to recreate jobs; and (b) what are the measures planned or in place to encourage more employers to embrace job re-creation for older employees.

     The Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Gan Kim Yong) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mr Speaker, Sir, the challenges to enhancing the employability of older workers are multifaceted.  We need to shape employers’ mindsets towards older workers and encourage them to recruit and retain older workers.  At the same time, we also need to help our older workers stay competitive by keeping their skills up to date and relevant.

     The Tripartite Committee on the Employability of Older Workers, in its interim report released last year, recommended several key initiatives to improve the employability of older workers.  These include promoting age-friendly employment practices, such as the re-creation of jobs for older workers through job re-design, automation and the modification of job roles. Last year, NTUC, SNEF and WDA successfully assisted more than 12,000 workers under the Job Re-Creation Programme (JRP).  About half of them were mature workers.

     The Tripartite Action Group (TAG) was set up last year to facilitate sharing of best practices among companies to re-create jobs and raise productivity. Companies requiring resources to undertake these initiatives can also tap on the ADVANTAGE! scheme. So far, approximately $8 million has been committed to companies under the scheme.

     These initiatives, coupled with the strong economic growth in the past year, have helped boost the employment rate of older residents in Singapore. Between 2004 and 2006, the resident employment rate of those aged 55 to 59 improved from 55.9% to 60.6% while that for those aged between 60 and 64 rose significantly from 33.6% in 2004 to 41.9% in 2006.  Both are at record high levels.

      The Tripartite Committee will be releasing its final report shortly. The Committee will recommend additional initiatives to facilitate the employment of older workers. We will continue our efforts to work with the tripartite partners to enhance older workers’ employability.

     Mdm Ho Geok Choo:  I would like to ask the Minister of State how many companies to date have embarked on the Job Re-Creation Programme. What is the target that the Ministerial Committee on Ageing has in mind to encourage more employers to participate in job re-creation?  Also, how will the Ministerial Committee on Ageing work with other agencies to promote employability of the older workforce?  And in the midst of these 12,000 workers who have gone through the job re-creation training, how many of them are actually from the PMET category?

     Mr Gan Kim Yong:   Mr Speaker, Sir, as of 31st December 2006, some 300 companies have committed, under the ADVANTAGE! scheme, to employ and re-employ mature workers beyond the age of 62.  Many of these companies have already put in place employment practices that are age-friendly with the help of the ADVANTAGE! scheme.  We will continue to work with the tripartite partners to reach out to more companies and to encourage them to make a commitment to recruit as well as to retain these older workers. 

     Mdm Ho also asked how do we work with other partners.  In fact, tripartite collaboration is a key cornerstone of our success so far in reaching out to the older workers.  WDA will, together with NTUC as well as the employers' associations, work together and reach out to the older workers, encourage the employers to change their mindset to be pro-older workers and, at the same time, we also want to reach out to the workers to prepare them to be more flexible and to equip them with skills that are up to date and relevant so that they can remain competitive and employable.  We will continue to do so together with our tripartite partners.

     Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Hong Kah):  I would like to pick on Mdm Ho's point.  How many of these programmes are targeted at the PMET category for the older workers, especially those above 62?

     Mr Gan Kim Yong:   Mr Speaker, our programmes cater to all the workers and a significant number of them are PMETs.  They come from different career paths.  We do job re-creation and, at the same time, we also conduct retraining for them so that their skills can be applicable in other areas that are more relevant in today's economy.

     Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast):   Sir, regarding PMETs as well as re-employability of older workers, is there also tracking of salary and are they worse off if they are doing similar types of jobs?

     Mr Gan Kim Yong:   We have to recognise that the priority for us is to ensure that they are employable, and as they are employed, their remuneration or salary must reflect their competency as well as the performance and the value of the job.  With the growth of the economy, I think the job market is very healthy.  We have created a significant number of jobs, a large proportion of them are PMET jobs, and therefore we believe that they will receive commensurate remuneration according to the jobs that were taken.  At the same time, we have also recently introduced the professional conversion programme (PCP) to allow PMETs to convert to new jobs that are in demand.  But, of course, for some of the jobs that are becoming less and less relevant in this knowledge economy, these jobs will become less competitive.  So we want to help them to acquire an occupation that is more relevant to today's economy and PCP is one programme that we have introduced recently to help them achieve this.

     6 .  Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Manpower what is the significance and impact of the Cooperation Agreement, to address labour and employment issues and promote social progress, that was signed on 20th March 2007 between ASEAN and the International Labour Organisation.

     Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Minister for Manpower):  Mr Speaker, Sir, over the years, the International Labour Organisation, or ILO, and ASEAN have been cooperating in many areas of mutual interest, such as occupational safety and health, industrial relations and vocational training.  ILO's technical expertise is well regarded and valued by ASEAN.

     The Cooperation Agreement, which was signed between ASEAN and ILO recently, reflects the strong commitment of both organisations to collaborate closely in addressing labour and employment issues as well as promoting social progress.  Singapore is supportive of this Cooperation Agreement and believes that it will pave the way for increased cooperation and partnership between ASEAN and ILO through mutual exchange of information and joint technical cooperation projects.  Such collaboration is likely to benefit workers across ASEAN.

     Mdm Halimah Yacob (Jurong):  A follow-up question, Sir.  I would like to ask the Minister of State what labour and employment issues will be covered by the Cooperation Agreement.  How will workers in Singapore benefit and will the social partners be involved in this process of collaboration?

     Mr Gan Kim Yong:   Mr Speaker, the Cooperation Agreement covers a wide range of issues in labour, worker-related and employment-related issues.  In particular, from Singapore's point of view, we are very interested in workplace safety and health (WSH) matters.  In fact, as the Chair of ASEAN Labour Ministers, Singapore has adopted workplace safety and health as one of the core focus of ASEAN Labour Ministers, and this issue has also been brought up with ILO.  We are working on the programmes, together with ILO, to address issues of workplace safety and health.  I think we have three objectives in mind.  Firstly, we want to, through this platform, learn from other countries' experience in workplace safety and health.  We will also benefit from the expertise in ILO with regard to workplace safety and health.  The second objective is to share our experience and efforts that we have put in over the many years in achieving our workplace safety and health.  And, thirdly, we also want to showcase our achievements so far in WSH.

    7 .  Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Health if the process of class downgrading for wards in public and restructured hospitals can be streamlined and hastened as there are too many steps and  appointments which make the workflow process very time consuming.

     The Minister for Health (Mr Khaw Boon Wan):  Mr Speaker, Sir, public hospitals offer different classes of ward at different levels of subsidy so that patients can choose according to their budget.  While clinical care is the same, comfort and other non-clinical service levels do differ.  Before admission, hospitals will advise the patients on the estimated bill sizes so that they can make an informed choice. There is no means-testing at this stage and patients are free to choose.

     Subsequently, a higher-ward class patient may seek a downgrading to a subsidised ward.  At that stage, we will require means-testing.  It takes about two days to process the application.  But sometimes it takes longer, not because the procedures are cumbersome, but because the patients are unable to produce relevant documents to support their applications.

     We will continue to streamline the process.  Unfortunately, the necessary step of getting income information and family particulars cannot be avoided in any means-testing process.

     Dr Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade):   Sir, this is also for outpatient or SOC patient where the downgrading actually may take up to eight to 10 weeks.  I have had several cases who had actually come to me to appeal because they need to make several appointments with the medical social worker and also to get approval of the doctor for the downgrading.  So if this could be streamlined further, it would be so much helpful for the patient because, in the interim, they have to pay the non-subsidised rate while waiting to be downgraded for the eight to 10 weeks.

     Mr Khaw Boon Wan:  As I said earlier, we will try to streamline.  But, sometimes, the difficulties are that patients are unable or unwilling to disclose the necessary information.  Dr Fatimah works in SGH.  So I specifically asked SGH's medical social workers about the processes for outpatient downgrading, and they said by and large they are able to do it smoothly.  They make sure that the decision is made before the follow-up appointment.  So if the follow-up appointment is in a few weeks' time and so long as it is done in time for the next appointment, I think that should be adequate.  But if a patient is unable or unwilling to provide the information, I hope the doctor can help counsel the patient to do so.  He has to cooperate with the medical social worker, and we will try to facilitate it as much as we can.

     Mr Speaker:  Mdm Halimah, last question.

     Mdm Halimah Yacob:  I think the difficulty for patients who are seeking downgrading is also because the process of means-testing sometimes requires them to produce the salaries of all their children.  Sometimes, you have elderly patients who do not even know where their children are staying because their children do not visit them, and they may be too scared.  I have a case of a resident who is too scared even to ask his children for their payslips.  So these are the difficulties.  If the hospital could exercise some flexibility and humanity in such cases, I hope the Minister would consider that also.

     Mr Khaw Boon Wan:   Yes, we work in a humane industry and we would try to be as compassionate as we can.  I think hospitals do exercise flexibility.  I did ask for some data from SGH, in particular, on applications and what is the success rate. By and large, they said that for outpatients, about two-thirds have a successful downgrading.  For inpatients, about 1% of Class A and B1 patients have successfully been downgraded.  By and large, the hospitals do try to assist as much as they can, but they really need the help of the family members to cooperate.  Where children are not forthcoming in providing information, or worse, in helping to pay the bills for their parents, I think society as a whole must encourage the children to do so because the failure of them to do so means that you and I have to look after their parents, which I do not think is the right way society ought to be organised.

     8.  Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what is the long-term target for proportion of clean cars on our roads and whether his Ministry will push for a separate "green car" category of Certificates of Entitlement to increase the uptake of 'green cars'.

     The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry is keen to promote Green Vehicles that are less pollutive and more fuel-efficient than conventional vehicles. There are in fact various ways to do so. Dr Lim has suggested a separate 'green car' category of Certificates of Entitlement (COE). We had previously studied this idea with the Ministry of Transport and concluded that it would not be appropriate for various reasons.

      First, besides the cost, the pick-up rate of Green Vehicles is also affected by other factors, such as consumer preference, and the provision of maintenance support by the dealers.  Their demand, therefore, is best left to the consumers to decide.

     Second, in fact, it would be difficult to set a quota for such Green Vehicles.  As with all vehicle categories, their growth annually would be capped as a result.  But if Green Vehicles do not have a separate COE category, their take-up can increase freely in response to the demand, because they are part of the total vehicle population.

     To promote the adoption of Green Vehicles, my Ministry had introduced the Green Vehicle Rebate Scheme in 2001. The Scheme aims to narrow the cost gap between such Green Vehicles and conventional ones. We had enhanced the Scheme in January 2006, and the number of Green Vehicles on our roads has since picked up significantly from 198 to 716 as at end December 2006.

     Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang):   Mr Speaker, one of the common complaints that has been given by the public is that they would like to drive a green vehicle.  But the problem is that the importers are not bringing in enough models and even if the models are brought in, sometimes it is not appropriate for their economic status.  It is no point bringing in a RX400 whereby most people cannot afford.  So I am not sure whether by implementing a green category COE, it will help to further promote and force the importers to bring in such models to cater for the market that acts as a catalyst.  I would also like to ask the Minister whether, especially with the release of the Fourth IPCC Report that was stated in the Straits Times on global warming, Singapore should adopt more measures now to encourage environmental sustainability and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

     Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim:  Sir, in fact, there is a selection of green vehicles available in the market - the Prius from Toyota, the Honda and, of course, the Lexus that Dr Lim mentioned.  We feel that it is best we leave this to the market.  In fact, the incentive schemes that we have put in place in 2001 have proven to be effective.  Consumers are buying green vehicles despite the cost differential but with the upfront 40% OMV, which is the rebate, it has in fact caused a lot of people to cross over.  We constantly work with the dealers to encourage them to bring in different types of models.  And I agree with Dr Lim that this is a chicken-and-egg situation, ie, you have to provide more models and therefore people will be willing to buy.  I recall that Mr Hri Kumar, during the debate, mentioned that he could not buy something below $80,000.  In fact, I would like to tell him that there is a model now by Honda which is below $80,000, which is a green vehicle, and I hope he will buy one.

      Sir, on the second question by Dr Lim on the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, I agree with Dr Lim that climate change is an important global challenge, and we in Singapore would have to do our part to reduce greenhouse gas emission and, of course, to maintain our good reputation as an environmentally conscious city.  This point, Sir, has been raised by many MPs during the recent Budget debate and my Ministry fully agrees that the Government has a key role to play in raising awareness about global warming and to ensure that Singapore's long-term environmental sustainability is maintained.  But I think we have to be mindful that we are a small country.  So whatever that we do, if we do it alone, I do not think it will make a difference to global changes, such as climate change.  But we must play our part as a responsible member of the international community.  But if we do not have the big countries like the US, China and India on board, there will be no significant reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of what we do here in Singapore.  Because of that, we also adopt a more balanced approach towards environmental sustainability.  So we ratified the Kyoto Protocol and we have put in place measures to improve energy efficiency.  I announced in Parliament that the way to go is really to look at our consumption of energy and how best we can optimise it.  If we do this well, we can bring down our emissions, not absolute, but our emissions per GDP dollar or, what we call, carbon intensity. At the same time, this will not affect our economy, but, in fact, will render our economy more resource-efficient and more competitive.  So if we are able to put in place the programmes that we have announced, I think we can do our part to bring down some of our emissions but, more importantly, we become more efficient in the way we use energy.

At the same time, Sir, we will have to maintain our good air and water quality because it is good for Singapore and Singaporeans.  Not only does it affect the health and quality of living, but it has, in fact, become an economic competitive advantage for us because, with the good air and water quality, we have been able to attract talent, businesses and tourists.  At the same time, we will use this opportunity to grow the industry so that we can then get the industry to provide solutions to environmental challenges as well as create job opportunities. 

     Sir, in the long run, we will do our part as a small country.  But we recognise that we will need to get other big countries on board, and we hope that Dr Lim will support our initiative on the ground in terms of energy efficiency.

     9.  Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether his Ministry will consider a ban on incandescent bulbs, following a similar ban in Australia.

     Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim:  Sir, moving away from the use of incandescent light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) is a highly effective way to conserve energy.  CFLs, which can fit into the light sockets of most incandescent bulbs, use only about a quarter of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs to produce the same amount of light.  This translates into cost savings, for example, of about $110 over the lifetime of an 18-watt CFL, compared with that of a 75-watt incandescent bulb.  These cost savings far exceed the higher upfront costs of a CFL over an incandescent bulb, which are less than $10.  Furthermore, as CFLs can last up to 10 times as long as incandescent bulbs, the owner would not have to buy and replace light bulbs as frequently.  For Singaporeans who prefer the warm lighting of incandescent light bulbs, CFLs that produce warm lighting are already available.      

     However, Sir, to convince people to switch to CFLs, raising public awareness is an important initial first step.  A decision to switch to CFLs based on the individual’s choice through public persuasion is more lasting than it being imposed.  We need to raise consumer awareness of energy-efficient lamps in Singapore, and ensure that lamp manufacturers provide accurate information on their lamps.

     Sir, under the Climate Change Awareness Programme run by the Singapore Environment Council, one of the 10 energy-saving tips shared with the public is to switch from incandescent light bulbs to CFLs.  The South West CDC recently launched an initiative at Hong Kah North in which a CFL was given free of charge to households using incandescent bulbs to encourage them to make the switch.  In fact, it was a surprise to all that almost 80% of the households have already made the switch.  Such community efforts by grassroots organisations can play a very effective part in raising consumer awareness.

     To help consumers make more informed choices, NEA is working with major lamp suppliers on consistent labelling of lamps.  NEA will also study whether there is a need for Singapore to adopt minimum energy performance standards for lamps, which would remove energy-inefficient lamps from the market. 

     Sir, we will monitor the effectiveness of these actions, and continue to look into other measures which can significantly improve energy efficiency in Singapore.

     Dr Lim Wee Kiak:  Mr Speaker, Sir, there was a recent report talking about Paris as well as Sydney which switched off the lights for a few minutes or hours - I am not sure about that.  But does what we are trying to do now to save energy contradict our efforts to try to light up the city at the same time at night, since I understand that Ministries are also trying to encourage buildings in the downtown area to light up the city so that we will have a beautiful downtown area?

     Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim:  Sir, we do not see this as a contradiction.  In fact, NEA is working very closely with URA.  If we do the right choice of lighting, we do not have to necessarily light up the entire building.  But if we light up the correct spots - and here we need to engage lighting consultants - we can actually have a very beautiful downtown at night, with energy consumption not so high.  So we will work closely with URA.  Sir, if we do this well, it will complement Singapore's image as a buzzing and vibrant city.  Sir, I think the lighting will be done judiciously together with the URA.

     10.  Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport whether his Ministry will consider dispensing with the taxi surcharge and replacing it with other incentives to improve the availability of taxis during peak hours.

     The Minister of State for Transport (Mrs Lim Hwee Hua) (for the Minister for Transport):  Sir, the deregulation of taxi fares and the supply of taxi services in September 1998 and January 2003 respectively have allowed market forces to determine the appropriate fare structure according to the demand and supply of taxi services.

     The demand for taxi services fluctuates through the day, as Members will be well aware of.  It is high in the morning and evening peak hours, and considerably lower at other times.  Demand for taxis is also more concentrated at certain locations.  We cannot expect taxi companies to plan their fleet size based solely on peak demand requirements.  Hence, the surcharges set by the taxi companies enable taxi services to be priced differently at different times and for locations so as to strike a balance between supply and demand.  Without these surcharges, the shortage of taxis during peak demand periods will only worsen. 

     While fares and taxi supply are left to the market to determine, the LTA ensures that taxi service standards are not compromised.  For instance, to ensure that commuters can get a taxi, if they choose to phone-book a taxi, LTA has, with effect from January 2007, extended the monitoring period on taxi companies’ call booking performances from between 5.00 pm and 8.00 pm to between 5.00 pm and 11.00 pm under the Quality of Service standards.  LTA also works closely with stakeholders, such as the taxi companies, taxi driver associations and building landlords, eg, shopping centres and hotels, to raise the quality of our taxi services.

     Er Lee Bee Wah:  Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask whether the Ministry has carried out any study on the waiting time for taxis during peak hours and whether we are satisfied with the result.  Is there anything that we can learn from Hong Kong, which seems to have better taxi services than ours?

     Mrs Lim Hwee Hua:  Sir, indeed, there are many surveys that had been carried out on all components of taxi service standards, and waiting time is one of the key factors, and that is where the surcharges come in.  Ultimately, we are really aiming for a situation where the market demand would determine the kind of charges that commuters would be prepared to pay and whether they would decide to therefore phone-book a taxi or to wait along the street to hail.  At some point, there would have to be a balance that is struck between the commuters and the taxi companies. 

     Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong:  Sir, it seems that presently the balance is towards phone-booking.  Can I ask the Minister of State whether she can make sure that the taxi companies would improve their service so that they do not only respond to phone-booking but also to customers in the queue?

     Mrs Lim Hwee Hua:  Sir, the observation is a valid one.  But allow me to put that in perspective.  LTA's figures show that only about 10% of taxis on the streets are actually booked during peak hours.  In other words, the vast majority of taxis or about 90% are still available for street hailing during peak periods, and these taxi drivers would certainly not want to miss having a fare during these lucrative business time belts.

     Er Lee Bee Wah:  Mr Speaker, Sir, I think MOS did not answer my question on whether there is anything that we can learn from Hong Kong which seems to have a better taxi service than ours.

     Mrs Lim Hwee Hua:  Sir, I believe this point was actually debated and covered during the recent COS debate where my Minister had given a thorough comparison of the Hong Kong taxi situation where, if I recall correctly, the supply of taxis is in greater proportion relative to demand than that in Singapore.  Ultimately, it is again a balance that we will have to strike because one way of meeting all the needs is to have the supply at the peak period requirements.  But that would mean that, during the off-peak periods, there would be a lot of taxis cruising the streets empty.

     11.  Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta asked the Minister for Transport whether there are plans to (i) educate the public on civil courtesy towards wheelchair passengers riding the MRT trains especially upon embarkation and disembarkation; (ii) enforce the 'yellow lines' rule on MRT platforms so that embarkation and disembarkation are organised; and (iii) put up signs to indicate where a wheelchair person should 'park' in the train so that public consideration can be given towards his or her needs.

     Mrs Lim Hwee Hua (for the Minister for Transport):  Sir, since the early 1990s, our rail operators have regularly implemented public education initiatives, such as courtesy programmes, roadshows, school talks and learning journeys, to promote courteous behaviour on the MRT.  These have so far not specifically focused on civil courtesy towards wheelchair-bound passengers using the MRT.  However, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is working with the rail operators to facilitate greater usage of our MRT by wheelchair-bound passengers. 

     On provision of signs to indicate where a wheelchair user could "park" his or her wheelchair in the train, I am pleased to inform the House that for the Northeast Line (NEL), this is already done as the trains have a designated recess area for wheelchair users.  There are also signs at designated platform screen doors to guide wheelchair users to the train car with such a recess area for their use.  Similar signage will also be introduced along the North-South and East-West Lines where recess areas for wheelchair users have been provided on SMRT's older trains as part of its train upgrade project over the next two years. 

     Assoc. Prof. Kalyani has also asked whether there are plans to enforce the yellow queue lines.  As it is with all matters concerning civic consciousness, there is practical difficulty in enforcing commuter behaviour.  Nonetheless, station staff patrolling the platforms will advise commuters to follow the yellow queue lines, and regular announcements will continue to be broadcast to remind commuters to give way to alighting passengers.

     Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta (Nominated Member):  Sir, from the feedback that I have received from my students at NUS where I teach, as well as members of the public, at peak time, it is really very chaotic at our MRT stations, especially where there are interchanges, and sometimes I think the safety of passengers is at stake here.  As we have made our MRT stations more friendly to physically-disabled persons, I think we need to do the software aspect, now that we have a bit more hardware.  I have seen in Hong Kong that they have more staff at the train platforms, and they enforce the yellow lines.  So, perhaps for a start, we could think of some idea like that.  I personally had an example where a tourist really showed his disgust at some ugly behaviour of Singaporeans when they would not allow a wheelchair-bound person to alight and the person was stuck in the train because of the crowd.

     Mrs Lim Hwee Hua:  Sir, I agree with the Member's comment that there is certainly room for more public education and for commuters as a whole to be more civic-conscious.

     12.  Prof. Thio Li-ann asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) if he will provide an update on plans to establish an ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children under the Vientiane Action Programme and what form will such a Commission take in terms of supervisory or monitoring powers; (b) whether Singapore supports an ASEAN mechanism for protecting human rights in general; and (c) whether the ASEAN Charter will incorporate provisions to promote and protect human rights and to adopt measures to realise this objective.

     Mr George Yong-Boon Yeo:  Discussions within ASEAN on the establishment of an ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children are on-going. ASEAN officials are looking at possible modalities. Track II discussions on this issue, organised by the Working Group on an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism, are also concurrently ongoing among civil society, academia and government agencies.  There have been two consultations conducted to date, with the last one taking place last week in Bangkok.

     I believe that Professor Thio attended the first Track II consultation on the Commission in November last year, and I thank her for taking an interest in this issue.  I understand that some preliminary proposals on the modalities of the Commission will be submitted to the ASEAN Senior Officials later this year.  We look forward to receiving them.

     As for the question on whether Singapore supports an ASEAN mechanism for protecting human rights in general, there is a growing consensus of the need to protect and promote human rights as we step up our community building efforts. The fact that measures such as human rights education, the rights of women and children, and the rights of migrant workers have been inscribed in ASEAN's own action plan reflects its growing importance. Singapore supports the moves within ASEAN to raise the general level of awareness of human rights, including the rule of law and good governance, as they are all inter-related.

     At the same time, we should respect the diversity within ASEAN. ASEAN members are at different stages of development, each with its own history, culture and heritage. Any regional mechanism for human rights has to take this diversity into account.

     Human rights are best protected when they are underpinned by strong economic, cultural and social foundations. Sound national policies that promote economic growth, raise living standards and provide basic social welfare are more important than any regional mechanism.

     Drafting of the ASEAN Charter is on-going. There is a clear consensus within ASEAN that the Charter will contain a strong affirmation of the respect for human rights, as one of the basic principles of ASEAN. We have still not decided whether to have a Human Rights Commission. Being a Constitution, the Charter cannot go into details like a specific action plan.  Instead, it should allow for the introduction of specific measures as and when the Leaders agree on them.

     Prof. Thio Li-ann (Nominated Member):  Sir, I would just like to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether, in his opinion, he discerns a shift among ASEAN states in their willingness to raise human rights concerns with each other and whether this is a qualification to the principle of non-intervention in internal affairs.  Also, Singapore, as a responsible member of the international community, do we have any concerns about the human rights practices of other ASEAN members and are we willing to raise these with them, or do human rights issues remain

within the OB markers for international affairs?

     Mr George Yong-Boon Yeo:  Mr Speaker, Sir, I assure Prof. Thio that among Foreign Ministers, and among the Leaders and Ministers of ASEAN, that there is growing interest in this field -- a growing acceptance that we are interdependent, we live together in one global community.  Therefore, there should be minimum human standards which govern our behaviour.  But as to what specific steps we should take, these are issues that we have got to think over and compromise on.  Should Singapore be telling what our neighbours should do?  I do not think we should do that, because to begin with, why should they accept what we tell them?  The best that we can do is to achieve high standards in Singapore, and then set an example which others would naturally want to study.  And if we lead, let us lead by example.

    13.   Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Minister for National Development whether the Government will introduce an Interim Upgrading Programme for private housing estates so that more estates could be upgraded in view of the limited funds.

      The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman) (for the Minister for National Development):  Sir, the public areas and amenities in the private residential estates come under the purview of various public agencies.  For example, LTA manages roads, pavements and street lightings; PUB oversees drainage-related works; while NParks is in charge of works relating to parks.  These agencies have their respective maintenance and upgrading programmes for the private estates, and do consider feedback and requests by the estates for improvement works when executing their programmes.

      In addition, MND has an Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) for selected private estates, when more comprehensive upgrading is done.  In carrying out EUP, MND coordinates its works with those of other public agencies.

      My Ministry is open to any suggestions to improve the current arrangements, to better serve the needs of the private estates’ residents in a more comprehensive and cost-effective way.

      Mdm Cynthia Phua (Aljunied):  Sir, the Parliamentary Secretary is not supportive of the Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP) for the private estates which is one way of coordinating the various agencies in upgrading the estates.  I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary to look into two systematic infrastructures.  One is the lighting level.  In the private estates, the lighting level is really not up-to-date. Secondly, it is the temporary shelters along the private estates because a lot of residents as well as school children walk to the bus stops and go to the basic amenities. These are two major improvements that are needed in the private estates.

    My second supplementary question is this.  Without the Interim Upgrading Programme, would the Ministry consider setting up a body to coordinate the agencies, as he rightly said in his answer that there are many agencies involved in the private estates?

     Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: Sir, I think Mdm Cynthia Phua did not quite understand my earlier answer.  I did not say that we did not support the request for any Interim Upgrading Programme.  I said that we are open to any suggestions to improve the current arrangements. Specific to the request that she has made, we will study those requests, as we understand that private estates also have got issues that they have put across through the Advisors.  We are open to any possible suggestions.  We will study those suggestions accordingly.

     Mdm Ho Geok Choo:  I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary to enlighten the House on the criteria for the Estate Upgrading Programme and, to date, how many private estates actually had undergone such an exercise. And for those who are on the queue - I understand that quite a number of estates are on the queue - what is the estimated duration that they would have to wait?

     Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman:   Sir, seven estates have recently been selected for EUP Batch 5.  With this, altogether, we have some 30 estates that have already been selected for EUP since the year 2000 and a total of some 23,300 dwelling units would have benefited from EUP. 

     As in the case of public housing estates, it is not possible for us to upgrade all residential estates at one go. Estates in greater need of upgrading would therefore be given higher priority. So far, EUP batches are launched between one-and-a-half and two years' intervals.   Mdm Ho asked for the selection criteria.  The selection criteria of the EUP, as I have written to all Advisors, include, firstly, the age and the physical condition of the estate. Certainly, those which are older and need higher levels of upgrading will get higher priority.  Secondly, the level of community bonding that exists. For example, existence of network committees and residents' associations, because we want some level of ownership with regard to the kind of works that are going to be done. Thirdly, the scope of the significant estate improvement works that need to be done. Fourthly, how well the residents maintain their own property.  And, lastly, we want to also ensure a good geographical spread across all the different selected estates.

     Mr Speaker:  Mdm Cynthia Phua, last question.

      Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman:  I am very aware that Mdm Cynthia Phua is very anxious about when we can complete EUP projects and when we can complete studies in relation to it.  I assure her that we will take up all the suggestions.  I am not able to give a timeframe as of now because, as I have said, we are open to suggestions. We are studying possibilities of different ways of improving the programme.

    With regard to coordination work, we know that the Government has implemented a "no wrong door" policy since 2004. This means that the officer of any public agency receiving calls will help to put queries from members of the public to the right agencies. I think, today, we know that in every estate, there are different agencies that are involved in this kind of upgrading work that is needed, and the cyclical maintenance works of these different agencies may differ along the lifespan of that estate.  So it is difficult to see when, what needs to be done and how.  But when we do a proper EUP, that means that an estate is selected for EUP, we will try to coordinate as far as possible to minimise the inconveniences that will affect the residents of that particular estate.

     14.   Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many people have been convicted for failing to report their change of addresses to the National Registration Office during the past five years; (b) what are the common reasons for their failing to so report; and (c) what action has been taken against people who use their identity cards with old addresses