Tag: parliament

Strong Hints From Lee Hsien Loong That Elections Are Coming Real Soon

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday gave the strongest hint yet that the General Election (GE) is imminent, and could be held before it is due by January 2017.

During a radio call-in programme on Chinese-language station Capital 95.8FM, Mr Lee was asked by presenter Gao Yixin when the next GE will be held. In response, Mr Lee used the analogy of a pregnancy, and said the timing of the GE is unlike giving birth where there is some predictability when the child will be born.

Borrowing Mr Lee’s analogy, Ms Gao asked if “a baby has been conceived”. To which, Mr Lee said, smiling: “The baby has already been conceived earlier on.”

Turning to his message to voters, Mr Lee said leadership renewal has always been an important issue raised during previous GEs and the coming elections will not be an exception, which is why Singaporeans should not take the elections lightly.

To vote based on the assumption that the People’s Action Party will form the Government, and, therefore, think about giving away some seats to the Opposition “is a dangerous thinking”, he added.

Reiterating a message to party activists at the PAP60 Rally in December that the next GE will be a “deadly serious fight”, Mr Lee said: “I think the Opposition will contest in every GRC in the upcoming elections, unlike in previous GEs where many areas were not contested. In such a situation, every vote is important, every Singaporean’s decision has an impact, we have to consider it carefully.”

Asked if a new batch of leaders will be introduced at the coming polls, Mr Lee said about half of these leaders have been introduced in the 2011 GE. More potential candidates for ministerial positions will be among the newcomers introduced at the next elections, he added.

Mr Lee also noted how the times have changed and Singapore can no longer be ruled under a “parenting-style” leadership. Instead, Singaporeans should be involved and discuss national issues, he said.

He also said the Government had not expected the outpouring of grief when founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew died in March.

In particular, he said he was surprised at the reaction from the younger generation, given that they did not have as much interaction with the late Mr Lee as the older generations did.

During the one-hour radio show, Mr Lee took questions from eight callers on topics ranging from parents’ stress about the PSLE, to ways to change society’s mindset about pursuing degrees and graciousness in Singapore.

Mr Lee’s hints of the timing of the next elections come after two research firms released reports last week, saying a GE is likely to be held this year.

BMI Research said the People’s Action Party may look to hold elections before the next Budget is introduced and possibly before the end of the year.

Blackbox Research also said in its bulletin last month that “there has not been a better time for the PAP to begin planning for an early election”, reporting that overall satisfaction with the Government has risen eight points from a year ago.

Source: www.todayonline.com

May 20, 2015
Workers’ Party MPs Questions PR Policy And Edusave Awards To Full-Time Madrasah Students

In the Parliamentary sitting on 13 April, WP MPs raise questions ranging from the number of foreign students offered permanent residency, reviewing/extending Edusave awards to full-time Madrasah students, effectiveness of AVA’s monitoring and warning systems for fish farmers, ‘net neutrality’, data on Eldershield, and more.

Questions for Oral Answer:

*6. Mr Yee Jenn Jong: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether Singapore-based airlines have a two-person cockpit rule or other systems to protect the cockpit; and (b) whether their pilots are required to be subjected to periodic psychological tests.

*9. Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the weight limit on the transport of gold and other precious metals in and out of Singapore by individual travellers; (b) whether diplomats are exempt from this limit, if any; (c) whether the Police is aware of a diplomat carrying up to 27 kg of gold bars in his luggage on a flight out of Changi Airport in March 2015; and (d) what measures are in place to ensure that diplomats do not abuse their diplomatic immunity to carry precious metals, drugs or weapons in and out of Singapore in their luggage.

*15. Ms Lee Li Lian: To ask the Minister for Transport whether there are plans to extend bicycle crossings at traffic junctions to other parts of Singapore.

*16. Mr Png Eng Huat: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs from 2001 to 2014, what was (i) the number of foreign students who were offered and who had accepted permanent residency when they reached Secondary 1 or later; (ii) the number of such student PRs who had gone on to become citizens; and (iii) the number of such students who had renounced their PR or citizenship.

*17. Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider reviewing and extending the Edusave Awards to full-time madrasah students.

*20. Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the number of families that have come under the Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) scheme since its implementation in 2004; (b) what is the percentage of families under HOPE that have managed to keep their number of children at two; (c) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the profile of families that have broken the conditions of the scheme and their plight; and (d) whether the Ministry considers the HOPE scheme a success.

*23. Mr Yee Jenn Jong: To ask the Prime Minister whether the Ministry is working with banks to improve SMEs’ access to foreign exchange hedging products, including renminbi hedging.

*24. Mr Yee Jenn Jong: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether AVA’s real-time monitoring and early warning systems are effective in alerting fish farmers ahead of time of the occurrence of harmful algal blooms to prevent massive fish kills; (b) whether there is a need to relocate fish farms away from areas prone to algal blooms; and (c) whether persistent algal blooms have made it difficult for Singapore to achieve its target of 15% of fish supply to be from local sources.

*26. Mr Png Eng Huat: To ask the Minister for National Development when will plans to develop Hougang Town Centre under the Remaking Our Heartland programme announced in 2011 be released given that the projected timeline for the development site to be launched is three years.

*27. Ms Lee Li Lian: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the revision to the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment requiring 1.5 metres of minimum clearance along common corridors applies to buildings built before 1 April 2014; (b) if so, whether there are plans to align SCDF guidelines with this; and (c) if not, whether Town Councils will need to have two sets of by-laws for flats built before and after 1 April 2014.

*31. Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information with regard to ‘net neutrality’ (a) whether Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or network operators are allowed to (i) throttle legitimate Internet content, albeit without rendering them unusable and still remaining above the threshold of IDA’s minimum Quality of Service (QoS) requirements; (ii) impose extra charges on consumers or providers of over-the-top (OTT) services like WhatsApp and Skype; and (b) whether there are any plans to introduce net neutrality regulations to prohibit discriminatory network management practices which negatively affect consumers’ experience when using legitimate Internet services.

Questions for Written Answer

3. Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) if he can provide an update on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations; (b) when is the Agreement expected to be successfully concluded; (c) what are the key obstacles that need to be overcome; (d) to what extent the TPP is likely to improve market access for Singapore-based firms in US, Japan and other markets; and (e) what are our economic agencies doing to prepare Singapore firms, especially SMEs, to take advantage of the improved market access that a successfully concluded TPP can bring.

4. Mr Chen Show Mao: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether the Ministry will consider monthly releases of services exports data so as to provide closer trend indicators as well as to help dampen the effects of fluctuations in monthly goods exports data.

8. Mr Chen Show Mao: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the cumulative number of people who have received payments under Eldershield300, Eldershield400 and the Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly (IDAPE) respectively; (b) what is the cumulative number of Eldershield300, Eldershield400 and IDAPE recipients who were deceased before the end of their respective payout periods; and (c) what is the cumulative number of Eldershield300, Eldershield400 and IDAPE recipients who remained in need of assistance beyond their respective payout periods.

13. Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Manpower for each year since 2005 (a) how many CPF members have successfully applied for CPF withdrawals on each of the following medical grounds: (i) permanently incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment (ii) terminally ill with a life expectancy of 12 months or less (iii) suffering from a severely shortened life expectancy (iv) mentally incapable of handling and receiving monies (v) other reasons; (b) what is the proportion of successful applications which have been granted a full CPF withdrawal; and (c) how many applications have been rejected.

Source: The Workers’ Party

April 14, 2015
Lee Kuan Yew’s 10 Most Significant Speeches

When Parliament convened on Thursday to pay homage to its longest-serving member, speaker after speaker referred to the major speeches that Mr Lee Kuan Yew had made in the House at key moments in the nation’s history. Perhaps the Parliament’s most electrifying presence ever, he pulled no punches and spoke with clarity and conviction on the challenges facing Singapore at various stages of its evolution.

Here are edited excerpts from 10 significant speeches he delivered in the House over his 60 years as MP for Tanjong Pagar:

JULY 21, 1959: Vow to cleanse the system of the evils of the past

The People’s Action Party had just swept the 1959 Legislative Assembly General Election, winning 43 out of 51 seats. It was the first time the PAP, which up till then was an opposition party, had come to power.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew was 35 years old when he delivered his first speech in the Legislative Assembly as Prime Minister, attacking those who stood against the PAP and even the civil servants opposed to its policy changes. He also assured voters that the PAP stood with the masses and that party leaders remained dedicated to the service of Singapore.

READ THE SPEECH HERE

DEC 14, 1965: Quest for a just and enduring future for everyone

In the first Parliament sitting after Singapore became an independent country, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew spoke to the House, denouncing the opposition Barisan Sosialis and exposing their communist links. He discussed racial politics in Malaysia and how it would impact Singapore. This speech set the tone for the country’s multiracial policies in the decades ahead.

READ THE SPEECH HERE

SEPT 8, 1967: Maintaining confidence in Singapore’s continued stability

In 1967, the British announced that they would be withdrawing their military presence from bases all over Asia, including Singapore. The British bases in Singapore, built from the 1930s, contributed as much as 20 per cent of Singapore’s economy at the time. In his speech to the House, Mr Lee Kuan Yew laid out the difficult options on the table.

READ THE SPEECH HERE

FEB 23, 1977: Make the right decisions, even if they are unpopular

In one of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s longest speeches ever, he held forth for nearly four hours in a wide-ranging parliamentary address.

Former prime minister Goh Chok Tong recently singled out this speech as memorable, recalling how, as a young MP listening to it, “my bladder was about to burst”. Mr Lee spoke on leadership, succession, fighting the communists and winning elections in his address to 11 young MPs – Mr Goh included – who had just entered the House.

READ THE SPEECH HERE

JULY 30, 1986: Absurd to suggest judges fall in line with Govt’s wishes

As Prime Minister in the 1980s, two of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s fiercest opponents were veteran opposition politicians Chiam See Tong and the late J. B. Jeyaretnam, the MPs for Potong Pasir and Anson respectively.

In this speech, Mr Lee rebuts allegations of government interference in the Subordinate Courts by Mr Jeyaretnam – the subject of a Commission of Inquiry which found no evidence of it – as well as Mr Chiam’s remarks that the PM “dominates the universities, the civil service, statutory boards, I think, even Members of Parliament”.

READ THE SPEECH HERE

JAN 26, 1987: Teh Cheang Wan case: No way a minister can avoid investigations

This jaw-dropping speech revealed then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s zero tolerance of corruption. He kicks off the parliamentary session by reading out a suicide note addressed to him, written by the Minister for National Development Teh Cheang Wan, who had died suddenly a month before. Mr Lee goes on to reveal for the first time that Teh was being investigated for accepting bribes.

READ THE SPEECH HERE

NOV 1, 1994: Higher pay will attract most talented team, so country can prosper

In debating the motion to change the formula to calculate ministerial pay, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, then Senior Minister, put up a robust argument for paying ministers good salaries.

He said that the private sector had taken away many good men and women from the Government, and without good people, the country would suffer.

READ THE SPEECH HERE

NOV 24, 2004: English for trade; mother tongue to preserve identity

This speech in its entirety, made in support of a revised, more flexible Chinese-language curriculum while he was Minister Mentor, is one of the most complete statements of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s views on bilingualism and language policy.

READ THE SPEECH HERE

APRIL 19, 2005: IRs needed for Singapore to keep abreast of the top cities

In the debate over whether to bring in the integrated resorts and casinos to Singapore, Mr Lee stood up to state that he was against gambling.

He had initially resisted the move to bring casinos into Singapore but he eventually changed his mind because he saw the benefits that it could bring to the country.

READ THE SPEECH HERE

AUG 19, 2009: ‘Equality is an aspiration, it is not reality, it is not practical’

In a motion to continue to affirm the tenets in the National Pledge when debating government policies, Nominated MP Viswa Sadasivan questioned if it was time for Singapore to move beyond race and treat everyone as an equal.

The next day, Mr Lee Kuan Yew delivered one of his last major speeches in Parliament and took it upon himself to “bring the House back to earth”. He argued that equality of men is an aspiration rather than the reality.

READ THE SPEECH HERE

Source: www.straitstimes.com

March 28, 2015
Bill On Limits To Public Drinking Islanwide Tabled In Parliament

Following concerns raised in recent years by some Members of Parliament over alcohol-induced disamenities in their constituencies, the Government has set in motion plans to impose a ban on boozing in public spaces and retail sales of alcohol islandwide between 10.30pm and 7am daily.

The Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Bill tabled yesterday also proposes to give the Minister for Home Affairs powers to impose even stricter curbs on the supply and consumption of alcohol in areas with “significant risk of public disorder associated with excessive consumption of liquor”. For a start, parts of Little India — where alcohol-related curtailments have been in place after the December 2013 riot, which would have expired in March — and Geylang could be declared as these so-called Liquor Control Zones.

If the law is passed, drinking after 10.30pm can continue only at home, at approved events or at licensed establishments, such as bars, restaurants and coffee shops. Infringements are punishable with a fine of up to S$1,000 for a first-time offender, while jail of up to three months and a fine not exceeding S$2,000 can be imposed on repeat offenders.

Retailers can apply to sell take-away alcohol until later, but these will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Organisers of events in public places may also apply for the restriction to be lifted for “a specific place and time”.

The proposed laws are expected to be passed within the first half of this year.

How strict the alcohol restrictions for Liquor Control Zones could be under the proposed law was not detailed, but the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said these will be substantially similar to those that have been implemented in Little India under the Public Order (Additional Temporary Measures) Act.

For instance, public drinking is barred on weekends, public holidays and the eve of public holidays in Little India. Takeaway sales are also illegal from 8pm to 6am on weekends, public holidays and the eve of public holidays. The police are also given powers to ban a person for a spell from the area.

In designating Liquor Control Zones, the minister may consider factors including incidents of crime in or near the area — whether or not these incidents are related to liquor consumption — as well as the fact that violence has occurred in the area and stricter regulations will probably prevent or reduce violence there.

In a press release, the MHA said the start time of 10.30pm is aligned with the closing time of most businesses in residential areas and it is the time by which most community events, including getai concerts during the Seventh Lunar Month, end.

The restriction will apply for the whole of Singapore so there is no confusion in terms of compliance and enforcement, the MHA said. It will also minimise the displacement of problems from one area to another, it added.

The ministry started reviewing liquor control measures since September 2012, after public feedback on law and order concerns and disamenities from over-drinking.

When it first announced its intention to impose tighter rules, the ministry said its aim was to reduce public nuisance and mitigate law and order concerns arising from liquor consumption by groups at public places.

Noting that intoxicated drinkers act violently or create public nuisances such as littering and vomiting, the MHA had also singled out the availability of cheap liquor at shops in the vicinity as contributing significantly to the problem.

The Bill comes after strong support expressed in public consultation exercises and discussions for measures to better manage retail sale hours for takeaway liquor and the consumption of liquor in public places, it said.

In June, the Government had asked for public feedback on four models of drinking controls practised in other jurisdictions that it was studying, ranging from as strict as a blanket ban to a laissez-faire approach where the police step in to seize alcohol only when there are complaints.

The other two approaches lying in the middle of this scale are restricting alcohol consumption in specific places, or during certain times.

The authorities said curbs on take-away sales and public consumption have been in force for some time in some cities, while others had stricter policies than those proposed here.

“In developing the Bill, the ministry also considered factors such as making it easy for members of the public to understand the new measures to facilitate compliance and enforcement of the new regulations,” the MHA said.

News of the proposed law was quickly met with contrasting reactions from the public and a cautious response from industry players, ranging from supermarkets to suppliers.

While some welcomed the proposed measures, others felt they went too far in controlling the behaviour of drinkers.

Meanwhile, supermarkets and alcohol suppliers, including NTUC FairPrice and Diageo, said addressing “relevant social issues” need not result in denying responsible consumers the convenience of buying liquor for home consumption after 10.30pm.

Source: www.todayonline.com

January 20, 2015
Lee Hsien Loong Hints That General Elections Is Some Time Away

Hinting that the next General Election could be some time away, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the Government has not had time to think about setting up the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee – often seen as one of the final steps in the run-up to polls.

The next GE must be held by January 2017. Speaking to the Chinese media in an interview on Thursday, Mr Lee said the Government is preoccupied with the SG50 celebrations this year and hence, has had no time to think about when to set up the committee. “When it’s set up, everyone will know,” he added.

Mr Lee was also coy on whether his successor has been identified from among the current batch of Cabinet ministers. Saying it was very likely that the person is already in Cabinet, he nevertheless added that he is not entirely certain because he is looking to bring in some candidates with potential to lead the country for the next election.

But, he said, the search for his successor should be complete after the polls.

When it was pointed out by reporters that the possible successor would have little time to work with his Cabinet colleagues if he were to come from the next cohort of Members of Parliament, Mr Lee said: “But it might not be an unfamiliar face.” So could it be someone whom the public is already familiar with? “There is the possibility, certainly” he replied.

Referring to United States President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron – both of whom had no prior experience running a government department or ministry before emerging as their respective countries’ top leader – Mr Lee said the Government might have no choice but to accept such a model.

Mr Lee also said that in the next election, voters should be prepared for the possibility of junior office-holders – such as Ministers of State and Senior Parliamentary Secretaries, and not necessarily Ministers – leading the People’s Action Party teams in Group Representation Constituencies.

Source: www.todayonline.com

January 17, 2015