Parliamentary roundup: Make no mistake, the ruling party has no intention of restoring democracy
Written by Ng E-Jay
29 May 2009
Lamenting the fact that the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) currently dominates the House, can amend the Constitution freely, and controls key levers of power in the country, Worker’s Party chief Low Thia Khiang told Parliament on Monday that only an elected opposition can provide effective checks and balances.
He was commenting on the opening speech made by President SR Nathan last Monday as well as remarks made by other PAP MPs on how Singapore politics had to evolve over time to accommodate the changing aspirations of the electorate.
Mr Low however hastened to add that “we cannot blame the ruling party” for its “winner takes all, loser is a bandit” mindset, because the electorate had given it a clear mandate at every election.
Parliamentary Snapshots — 25 May 2009: MP Sam Tan called Singaporeans “mollycoddled”
Written by Ng E-Jay
26 May 2009
During the opening address to the second session of Singapore’s eleventh Parliament on 18 May, President SR Nathan spoke on a diverse number of issues like positioning Singapore for economic recovery, resisting protectionism, preparing the nation for a less benign global landscape, strengthening social cohesion and ensuring security, and evolving our political system. Since his speech offered little new insights other than rehashing the old platitudes dished out by the ruling party, I had expected the Parliamentary debates on Monday to offer little as well.
But I was wrong, as MP Sam Tan (Tanjong Pagar GRC) promptly took Singaporeans to task by insinuating that they were mollycoddled, that “many see Government help as an entitlement, something that they should tap on as a first port of call, rather than a last resort“.
Parliament passes the Public Order Act of 2009
SEE ALSO: The new Public Order Act — more arbitrary powers, more tyranny
Written by Ng E-Jay, based on information compiled from mainstream media and alternative media reports, as well as detailed clauses in the Public Order Act 2009 recently passed by Parliament
14 April 2009
Parliament passed on Monday 13 April 2009 the Public Order Act of 2009.
Unlike previous legislation which defines an illegal assembly or illegal procession as one that involves 5 or more persons, the Public Order Bill criminalizes public activities held without a police permit by ANY number of people which in the view of law enforcement authorities compromise public order.
Law Minister and Second Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam told Parliament on Monday that the Public Order Act is needed prevent trouble at major conferences such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to be held in Singapore in November this year.
Parliamentary Snapshots — 25 & 26 March 2009
Amendments to Films Act
RADM Lui Tuck Yew’s proposal of amendments to Films Act draws hearty support from some fellow PAP MPs, though some say laws could be further relaxed.
Speaking during the debate on changes to the Films Act, Senior Minister of State (Information, Communications and the Arts) Lui Tuck Yew said Singapore’s democracy would be “debased” if it was “reduced to sleek commercials, clever editing, sharp sound bites and political spin”.
The changes came after a government-appointed advisory council on new media recommended that the ban on party political films be lifted in stages.
While the rationale for keeping out films that sensationalise and distort remains valid, a total ban on all party political films is no longer tenable because political films can easily be uploaded and viewed on the Internet, Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui explained.
When proposing the changes, RADM Lui said the changes were a step forward. He said: “They will widen the space for political discourse and engagement, particularly through the medium of film and videos.”
NCMP Sylvia Lim and NMP Thio Li-Ann give in-principle support to Films Act amendments
NMP Siew Kum Hong stood as the LONE DISSENTER to the Films Act amendments being passed even as Opposition voices in Parliament support the PAP “in principle”.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I hereby applaud Mr Siew Kum Hong for having the courage to stand up for his conviction and voice out the sad truth behind the Films Act amendments which are NOT a step towards liberalization AT ALL.
TODAY newspaper, 24 March 2009
TODAY link
IT WAS a rare move by a Nominated Member of Parliament. As the vote was called, Mr Siew Kum Hong specifically asked Deputy Speaker Matthias Yao to place his “No” vote on record.
His strong feelings on the proposed changes to the Films Act were one end of the spectrum of responses yesterday from six parliamentarians, as the House passed the Bill that would allow certain types of party political films.
Coming more than a decade after the Films Act was tweaked to ban all party political films, it’s a move the Government feels will “significantly” widen Singaporeans’ political space.
But Mr Siew disagreed. Taking issue with the “problematic phrasing” of the new laws, he said: “These amendments do not seem to represent a material or true liberalisation … it will not fix the problems that need to be fixed and I cannot, in good conscience, support such a piece of legislation.”
In contrast, Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng applauded the Government’s “nuanced shift” in recognising “the need to adjust to the changing media landscape and the people’s desire for more political space”.
She cautioned, though: “Political films that intentionally distort the truth, mislead the public and incite them to rise up in misguided anger should be kept out.”
With NMP Thio Li-Ann and Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim supporting the Bill in principle — despite their dissatisfaction with the pace of liberalisation — Mr Siew was the lone dissenter to the amendments being passed. Ms Lim felt they were a step in the right direction, if a reflection that the Government was still “somewhat paranoid”.
Parliamentary Snapshots — 13 Feb 2009
CPF LIFE plans reduced from 12 to four
Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong told Parliament on Friday that the CPF Board has decided to reduce the number of CPF LIFE plans from 12 to four. And the payouts for all the four plans will start from the age of 65. The four plans are as follows:
- The LIFE Plus Plan offers higher monthly income but leaves behind less for beneficiaries.
- The LIFE Basic Plan has members accepting a lower monthly income for higher bequest amount.
- The LIFE Income Plan offers the highest monthly income, but members would leave nothing behind when they pass away.
- The default plan is called the LIFE Balanced Plan, which provides a balance between a level of retirement income and some bequest amount if the CPF members pass away early.
To illustrate, if a 55-year-old man chooses the default plan with S$67,000 in his retirement account, he can expect to receive between S$570 and S$620 every month from age 65 for as long as he lives. If he passes away at the age of 70, his beneficiaries will receive a bequest amount of between S$76,000 and S$79,000.
On whether a protracted economic downturn would affect the CPF LIFE payout, Mr Gan said: “A lower interest would lead to lower payouts. Likewise if interest rates rise, payouts will be higher .. … This is in line with the principle that the scheme should be self-funded and sustainable … … Nevertheless the CPF interest paid by the Singapore government will not fall below the guaranteed floor rate of 3.5 per cent on the first S$60,000 of CPF balances and 2.5 per cent for amounts above that.”
Parliamentary Snapshots — 12 Feb 2009
Physical Training Phase for unfit NS enlistees extended
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has decided to extend the Physical Training Phase (PTP) for National Service enlistees who fail to get the NAPFA (National Physical Fitness Assessment) Silver Award.
The PTP will be extended from four weeks to eight weeks, but the overall duration of full-time two-year National Service will remain unchanged for these enlistees.
The eight-week PTP will be implemented for those enlisted from December 2009.
Dr Ng, speaking in Parliament on Thursday, said: “Four weeks of PTP does improve their physical performance. Even after four weeks, many still do not reach the same level of fitness when compared to their peers who were enlisted directly for BMT … … So MINDEF and the SAF have decided to extend PTP from four to eight weeks. This will ensure a more uniform level of fitness amongst the recruits when they start their BMT.”
Parliamentary Snapshots — 11 Feb 2009
Govt to respond online soon
Dr Amy Khor, chairman of Reach, the Government’s official feedback arm, said that Government officials could soon be responding directly to comments made on Reach.
“Recognising that the whole process of engagement and consultation is as important as the outcome itself, Reach will continue to work with government agencies to act on and respond to feedback in a timely manner and keep contributors apprised of the status of their feedback,” she said in Parliament on Wednesday.
“Towards this end, government agencies, could, where it is useful, respond to feedback on our discussion forums.”
Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan had given Dr Khor the task of addressing Reach-related questions in the debate on the Ministry’s budget.
Parliamentary Snapshots — 10 Feb 2009
Temasek portfolio falls 31%
The net portfolio value of Temasek Holdings fell 31 per cent between March 31 and Nov 30 last year, from $185 billion to $127 billion, Senior Minister of State for Finance Lim Hwee Hua revealed in Parliament on Tuesday.
The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) also posted a decline in the value of its investments, but Mrs Lim did not reveal the numbers.
She said, however, that both Temasek and GIC have not done as badly as other market indices. Temasek’s 31 per cent drop in portfolio value was less than the 44 per cent plunge in the MSCI Singapore Index and the 45 per cent decline in the MSCI Asia ex-Japan Index in the same period, Mrs Lim said.
Temasek has achieved annualised returns of about 13 per cent over the 20 years to late 2008.
Responding to questions in Parliament, Mrs Lim said both Temasek and the GIC have sufficient liquidity to cope with Singapore’s funding needs. Mrs Lim added that Temasek and GIC are long-term investors, and as such they do not have to divest their investments in market downturns.
Parliamentary Snapshots — 09 Feb 2009
Higher Medisave withdrawal limits for surgery
THE withdrawal limits for Medisave use will be raised to help Singaporeans further reduce their out-of-pocket expenses, said Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan on Monday.
These could range from S$250 for a simple surgery (under Table 1A) — to S$7,550 for a transplant (under Table 7C of surgeries).
Surgeries are categorised into 21 tables, and run from Table 1A, 1B, 1C through to 7A, 7B, 7C, in ascending order of complexity. Medisave withdrawal limits are set for each surgical table, currently ranging from $150 for Table 1A to $5,000 for Table 7C.
The revised withdrawal limits will be implemented latest by June and will apply across all 21 categories of surgeries.
Parliamentary Snapshots — 06 Feb 2009
Govt unveils measures to support home ownership even in hard times
The National Development Ministry has announced a slew of measures to ensure Singaporeans have a roof over their heads, especially during these difficult times.
Speaking in Parliament on Friday, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said the key thrusts are to keep home ownership affordable, help home owners with financial difficulties, increase help for the needy, and safeguard rental flats.
New HDB initiatives include short-term measures such as letting home owners defer monthly payments for up to six months and reducing the monthly replayments. In the longer term, HDB officers will provide financial counselling and work out a sustainable solution to solve the home owners financial difficulties, said Mr Mah.
HDB will provide assistance to help home owners in arrears sell and downgrade their flats. In more dire circumstances, HDB will exercise more flexibility in granting another loan for purchase — even for downgraders, people who are reducing the size of their home. This is a departure from usual HDB policy, which only grants a second HDB loan to upgraders, or people who are increasing the size of their HDB flat.
Parliamentary Snapshots — 05 Feb 2009
Govt details steps leading to President’s OK
PARLIAMENT learnt on Thursday what steps the Government took to obtain the President’s consent for what will be the first-ever draw on the nation’s past reserves.
Explaining the process step-by-step, he said that Cabinet approved the proposal to draw on the reserves to fund the Jobs Credit scheme and the Special Risk-Sharing Initiative to free up bank lending one week before the Budget. But even before the Cabinet approved the move, PM Lee discussed the matter informally with the President to “sound him out and to give him more time to think over the matter”.
After the Cabinet decision, detailed briefings were given to the President and his Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA) by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Finance and the Monetary Authority of Singapore. In all, the process took one week.
Mr Shanmugaratnam said: “We addressed the President and CPA’s questions and clarifications on all relevant matters,’ said Mr Tharman … … We also briefed the President and the CPA on the possible scenarios that might require our accumulated savings or past reserves in the next few years and the contingency measures that might be necessary … … These included justifying the draw on past reserves before exhausting current savings.”
Mr Siew Kum Hong’s speech in Parliament on the Budget
EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr Siew Kum Hong’s speech in Parliament on the Budget is reproduced here with permission. Mr Siew blogs at http://siewkumhong.blogspot.com/
1. Mr Speaker Sir, thank you for allowing me to join the debate on the Budget Statement. I will touch on three aspects of this Budget: the use of the reserves, the Jobs Credit scheme, and the amount of help for the retrenched and unemployed.
Using the reserves
2. First, the unprecedented use of our reserves, to fund the Jobs Credit scheme and the Special Risk-sharing Initiative. I applaud the Government for taking this step.
3. Our reserves have always almost bordered on the mythical: Singaporeans speak of them proudly and reverently, but we know so little about these fabled reserves. Using them now sends the right signal about just how dire the situation is. It assures Singaporeans that the reserves are not sacrosanct, that they are not being accumulated for the sake of accumulating them, and that they will be used when it is necessary to do so. If the worst economic crisis the world has seen in six decades does not merit the use of the reserves, then nothing ever will.
4. But I have some concerns about the process in which the use of the reserves is being approved. We have always been told that the reserves are a hard-earned strategic asset of Singapore, and that the Elected Presidency is necessary to safeguard them. And yet, there has been precious little information about the deliberations of the President or of the Council of Presidential Advisers, in giving in-principle approval to use the reserves.
Compilation of mainstream media articles on the 2009 Budget Parliamentary debate
1. The Jobs Credit scheme
Most MPs back Jobs Credit Scheme
Straits Times, 04 Feb 2009
ST link
THE Jobs Credit Scheme dominated the debate in Parliament yesterday on the Budget Statement, with MPs describing it as ‘bold’, ‘innovative’ and ‘cleverly crafted’.
But there were also dissenting voices amid the strong chorus of support, with at least four MPs questioning its effectiveness in saving jobs.
Their main concern: Is the $4.5 billion used for the scheme well spent?
A key plank in the Budget’s $20.5 billion Resilience Package, the scheme subsidises part of employers’ wage bills, in a bid to defray costs to save jobs.
Parliamentary Snapshots — 03 Feb 2009
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Parliamentary debate on Budget 2009 kicked off on Tuesday, 03 Feb. Key highlights of the debate on Tuesday include a heated debate on the Jobs Credit scheme, MPs lauding the use of reserves but also raising concerns, and five MPs suggesting that measures to stimulate demand are also important in addition to supply-side measures. Two of their suggestions, namely cutting GST and giving out consumption vouchers, mirror those proposed by the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) last Sunday (01 Feb) on its web site, http://www.yoursdp.org/
Heated debate on the Jobs Credit Scheme
Six MPs — five of whom were from the labour movement — took on (opposition) MP Low Thia Khiang over his criticism of the Jobs Credit scheme.
The debate was sparked off by Mr Low questioning whether the $4.5 billion initiative would be effective in staving off retrenchments. He questioned if this system would save jobs in companies where sales could not sustain overhead costs.
“Between waiting three months for $900 cash rebate from the Government versus saving $7,500 immediately by retrenching a worker, which choice does the Government think a struggling employer will make?” Mr Low asked.
Mr Low also suggested that the scheme will simply benefit profitable companies that have no intention of retrenching workers.
PAP MPs were quick to respond.
Josephine Teo, MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC and NTUC assistant secretary-general, said: “Sir, I’d like to ask the Member: Is he saying that because the Jobs Credit scheme has not proven its effectiveness, it’s better for us not to have the Jobs Credit scheme and forget all about it?”
Lim Swee Say, NTUC secretary-general and Minister in Prime Minister’s Office, said: “If the choice is between implementing a S$4.5 billion Jobs Credit versus a 9 per cent cut in CPF, which one would the Workers’ Party go for? Which option?”
More Parliamentary snapshots for 19 Jan 2009
No more GST profiteering
Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister of Trade and Industry, told Parliament on Monday that in the last eight months, no complaints have been received from consumers against businesses using the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as an excuse for profiteering.
In a written reply to Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) who had asked about the measures taken by the ministry to ensure businesses do not profiteer by maintaining high prices despite the recent fall in prices of commodities, Mr Lim also said that high prices were not always due to profiteering but a result of changes in supply and demand in Singapore’s competitive and open economy, which often results in a time lag between import and retail prices.
But there may be some businesses that maintain high prices unreasonably, said Mr Lim, urging consumers to make informed purchases by referring to the price surveys on groceries the consumer association publishes regularly on its website.
Parliamentary Snapshots – 19 Jan 2009
Mr Tan Yong Soon rapped for insensitivity
THE minister in charge of the civil service, Mr Teo Chee Hean, has criticised an article written by Mr Tan Yong Soon, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, as “ill-judged” and showing a “lack of sensitivity”.
Mr Tan Yong Soon wrote an article in The Straits Times’ Life! section on Jan 6 entitled “Cooking up the holiday spirit”, describing a five-week holiday he and his family spent in Paris, learning how to cook at the Le Cordon Bleu cookery school. The cooking courses costed around $42,000.
The article attracted a storm of criticisms from Singaporeans who felt that it showed a lack of empathy for the working man. Tackling the issue in Parliament, Mr Teo said that what Mr Tan does during his vacation leave is “his private decision”. “However, I was disappointed with what he wrote in The Straits Times,” said Mr Teo in Parliament. “The article showed a lack of sensitivity and was ill-judged.”
The minister was replying to a question by Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong, who asked whether the public service has guidelines to ensure that civil servants conduct themselves “appropriately and sensitively”. Mr Siew noted that Mr Tan has the prerogative to spend his money as he sees fit. “But in these times writing about it in the national newspaper was unnecessarily provocative and unimaginably insensitive,” he said. Mr Teo agreed.
Mr Teo said that the article “struck a discordant note during the current difficult economic circumstances when it is especially important to show solidarity and empathy for Singaporeans who are facing uncertainties and hardship”.
Parliamentary Snapshots (for 18 Nov 08)
References: ST Online and Channel News Asia, 18 Nov 08
Adapted & Summarized
Singapore’s FY08 budget deficit to swell
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said in a written response to Parliament that Singapore’s budget deficit in FY08 (fiscal year 2008) could be three times larger than the initially estimated 800 million dollars, partly because of the global economic turmoil.
There may be some dampening of revenues in view of lower-than-expected economic growth and more subdued property transactions, especially in the last two quarters of the fiscal year. At the same time, government expenses have risen with an August announcement that cash handouts to ease the burden of a rising cost of living would be increased by 50 per cent along with electricity rebates. There are also higher infrastructure costs, and additional spending on procreation measures.
“The larger deficit is an appropriate fiscal stance in the context of an economy that has entered a slowdown,” he said, adding that the government would not seek to reduce the deficit by cutting spending or raising additional revenue. He added that the Government will be able to fund the larger deficit from the $6.4 billion Budget surplus accumulated in the last financial year ending March 31, this year, “when we had unexpectedly higher revenues”.
Parliamentary Snapshots (for 17 Nov 08)
References: ST Online and CNA, 17 Nov 08
Adapted & Summarized
Govt considers changes to AMD
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told Parliament on Monday that changes to the Advance Medical Directive Act may include doing away with the requirement to have a doctor witness it. The AMD is a legal document which allows an individual to tell doctors that he does not want his life to be artificially prolonged when he is terminally ill and unconscious.
Only 10,100 Singaporeans have made a living will since the AMD came into effect 11 years ago. One factor for the low take-up rate is that the current AMD Act does not allow doctors and nurses involved in the care of a patient to ask whether he has made or intends to make an AMD. There are severe penalties including a fine and a jail term for those who do so. These restrictions were originally put in as there were concerns by Singaporeans that a doctor may be less forthcoming in his treatment if he knows that his patient has already signed an AMD.
The Health Minister added that his ministry will ramp up its outreach efforts and encourage more “die-logues” to help Singaporeans better understand the difference between AMD and euthanasia or doctor-assisted suicide. He said the aim is to help Singaporeans deal with end-of-life issues more openly and in a more mature manner. Mr Khaw said: “To me, the key is not so much about AMD or how many people sign up. It’s about advance planning.”
Parliamentary Snapshots (20 & 21 Oct)
Reference: ST Online and CNA, 21 & 22 Oct
$150b reserve fund unlikely to be tapped
Minister of Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang said in a ministerial statement in Parliament on Monday that the blanket guarantee on roughly S$700 billion Singapore dollar and foreign currency deposits in local banks, finance companies and merchant banks was necessary to keep local banks competitive and prevent a flight of deposits overseas.
The move to guarantee deposits is backed by $150 billion in Government reserves, but the Government may not have to use much of it, if any at all, said Mr Lim, who is also MAS deputy chairman.
“For the guarantee to be called, two things have to happen: a bank has to fail, and at the same time its assets must be worth so little there is not even enough to repay its depositors,” he said.
Bank guarantees given earlier by regional governments such as Australia and Hong Kong had “set off a dynamic” that put pressure on other economies to do the same or else risk disadvantaging their own financial institutions, he said.
The guarantee also bolsters the public’s confidence, helps Singapore’s financial services sector function normally and contributes to restoring confidence in the global financial system, he explained.
EDITOR’S REMARK: In the event of a bank failure, it will likely take many months for the remaining assets of the bank to be liquidated and for depositors to be refunded their money, even if the remaining assets are sufficient to cover all deposits. The scenario is likely to be made worse by the fact that this forced liquidation would probably be occurring in a climate of high volatility in which general asset prices are greatly depressed. Thus, I feel that there needs to be a mechanism by which depositors are refunded their savings directly by the Government first, and for the Government to be later compensated by the failed bank through its asset sales. To ask the depositor to await the liquidation of bank assets may impose to great a financial strain on him or her.
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