MP Lee Li Lian’s speech (Debate on President’s Address 2014)

By MP for Punggol East SMC, Lee Li Lian
[Delivered in Parliament on 29 May 2014]

Introduction
Madam Speaker, as a nation, Singapore has come a long way in 50 years and achieved much that we should be proud of. As we have evolved, so have the challenges our society faces and it is time to reflect on how we can do better for our people.

Amongst the pledges outlined by the President, one that resonated with me most was strengthening safety nets to help the vulnerable. In the first part of my speech, I would like to address who we determine to be vulnerable and propose ways to support certain groups that are in need of help.

The president also pledged to support the development of stronger families and help younger Singaporeans achieve their potential. In the second part of my speech I will touch on how we can do more to support young Singaporean families in their life aspirations.

Vulnerable groups
Madam, I am heartened to hear the President commit to keeping the pathway upwards open to all Singaporeans, regardless of their background or circumstances. I have spoken at length in this House about the plight of unwed, single parents as well as caregivers, and have provided recommendations on what we can do. Today, I would like to talk about two other groups that need our attention- Divorcees and Singaporeans with foreign spouses.

Divorcees and Home Ownership
Between 2007 and 2012, there have been more than 7,000 divorces a year and more than 8,000 children affected by divorce every year. One of the biggest struggles for many divorced single parents is home ownership post-divorce.

When a couple goes through divorce, the flat will be sold and sales proceeds apportioned accordingly. Such a sale is usually done within a stipulated timeframe, and each finds him or herself with some cash from the sales, but without a roof over their heads. A divorcee is faced with several untenable options for housing. He or she can buy over the other half of the house, or purchase or rent from the open market. These choices require financial means that the individual may not have especially on a single income.

The divorcee can also purchase or rent directly from HDB but may no longer qualify as a first-timer. There are other restrictions like the debarment period of 30 months for a rental flat and a 3 years waiting period if their previous flat was purchased directly from HDB as well. A divorced parent, especially with children under his or her custody cannot afford to wait for extended periods to find a roof over their heads. The standard waiting time to queue for a BTO flat or rental flat, is already long enough. Imagine how much longer it is for a divorced parent with children in tow, who are already struggling to cope with the emotional fallout that comes with the breakup of a family.

I would like to propose that the Ministry looks into further shortening or to do away with the debarment period especially for rental flats for divorcees with children, given the challenges they face with their existing options. The Ministry should also consider expanding the number of 3 room flats under Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS). Under PPHS, the take-up rates for 4 and 5-room flats are much lower due to high rental costs and most families looking to rent under the scheme may not be big enough to be able to justify renting a larger flat.

Madam Speaker, this is timely given the President has announced the Government’s plans to ‘commit to house all Singaporeans and to help them own their homes.’ The Government understandably takes a pro-family stand in the development of our policies. However the breakdown of a marriage is difficult enough for most parties, especially where there are children involved. What the state should do to support these Singaporeans is to make it easier for them to be able to find housing, so that they can move on with their lives and provide their children with an element of stability amidst an already tough situation.

Low income Singaporeans and their foreign spouses
Today in Singapore, 4 in 10 marriages involving Singaporeans are between a Singaporean and a non-Singaporean. Yet despite this increasing trend, many Singaporeans, who tend to be lower income, face a huge challenge getting their spouses the appropriate pass to stay in Singapore long-term and live as a stable family unit.

Over the course of my work, I have met Singaporeans, typically male and earning lower incomes, whose wives are unable to qualify for LTVP/LTVP+. Today, we know that there are over 11,000 Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) holders, including Pass-Plus (LTVP+) holders. There are an unknown number of spouses who only get Short-Term Visit Passes (STVP) which require them to move in and out of the country. From my experience on the ground, the number is significant.

Many of these foreign spouses on social visit passes tend to be female, and if they have children, the children often have to shuttle in and out of Singapore along with their mothers. Extension of the social visit pass also takes time, and there is no guarantee that the foreign spouse will be granted that extension. Such conditions create a lot of stress on a young family, who cannot plan a stable life together long-term given the constant disruption and unknown outcomes.

Another problem arises when the Singaporean spouse who is the sole breadwinner in such cases, passes away or becomes critically ill, leaving the foreign spouse to take over the responsibility of supporting the family which often consists of very young Singaporean children. Daily living quickly becomes an uphill task. Eventually, the foreign spouse may be forced to leave Singapore with his or her children. It is a shame to lose Singaporean children this way.

Madam Speaker, marriage is a choice that everyone has the right to make. While it is not explicitly stated, what can be observed are two clear areas of consideration when awarding passes to foreign spouses- the length of stay and duration of marriage, as well as sponsor’s ability to financially support the family and sustain the marriage. The first is understandable as we do not want to encourage sham marriages in exchange for benefits but no Singaporean should be unduly penalized for his or her choice in partner based on social status or income level. The current criteria for applications – regardless of long/short-term passes, PR, or citizenship – should be made clearer and more transparent so that a full review can be conducted.

Priority should be given to applications by Singapore family units. This was outlined in the WP Population White Paper, which states that the process of new citizenship naturalization should prioritize foreign spouses of Singaporeans. This is especially with regard to “resident foreign spouses who have settled in Singapore […] Many of them are parents of children who are citizens. They are a group that is naturally integrated in the Singaporean core, and priority should be given to them when granting new citizenships”.

On top of supporting vulnerable groups, the President has pledged that the government must support strong families – one way that they can act to achieve both would be to tackle this issue to help retain and keep families intact. We need to be able to distinguish foreigners who want to make a home here with their Singaporean family from those who want to use Singapore as a stepping stone. It is important to recognize that it is the Singaporeans and their Singaporean children who suffer most in such situations. I urge the Government to review this to keep the family unit in mind.

Madam, I will now move on to the second part of my speech.

Supporting young families
We cannot ignore the national challenges we face with low fertility rates, and we must do all we can to support young Singaporeans so that they can make an easier choice to have families in the first place. A critical way to do this is to ensure that parents have greater flexibility in managing family and work commitments, and have adequate care support for their children at different stages in their lives.

Availability of Student care
Madam, in Mandarin please.

在盛港和榜鹅的这些新镇里,有比较多的年轻家庭居住,今日对托儿所的需求将会转变成为明日对学生托管服务的需求。目前,设立在学校内的学生托管中心非常受欢迎。对那些两人都须要工作的年轻夫妇来说,是否能够放心的把孩子交给托管中心照顾,是一件非常重要的事。

我认为,政府应该多在学校内设立学生托管中心。一般上,人们都比较放心把孩子送进开设在学校内的托管中心,一来因为中心是在学校,二来托管中心的监护人也能够帮忙督促孩子的功课和行为,三来这么做能减少家长对家庭女佣的依赖。

教育部长在今年三月财政预算案的拨款委员会辩论中透露,教育部将在未来两年在另外40所小学设立托管中心。这虽然是一件好事,但我认为在数量上还不足以满足日益增加的需求。

此外,虽然社会及家庭发展部部长在拨款委员会辩论中说,该部门会与劳动力发展局合作为托管中心的教师提供训练课程;但是,和托儿所不同的是,学生托 管中心的业者不受到政府部门对其运作水准的管制,这是个隐忧。我希望政府在增设校内托管中心方面能够扩充的更快,也希望托管中心的师资水平能够继续获得提 升。

English translation to the Chinese segment:

In estates like Sengkang and Punggol, the demand for today’s childcare will be the demand for tomorrow’s student care services. School based student care centres are popular among parents and important especially in supporting working parents and young families. Parents would have a greater peace of mind when they know that their children have a place to go to after school, without the need to travel whether back home alone or to another venue for after-school care. This arrangement also reduces their reliance on domestic helper.

While it is good to learn from the Minister for Education at the last COS that MOE will increase the number of school-based student care centres by 50%, or 40 more,_this number is still not enough to meet the growing demand for such centres.
Unlike childcare, student care operators are not subjected to Ministry’s supervision for quality. In the last COS, Minister for Social and Family Development said that MSF will work with WDA to offer training and potential courses to either new entrants or existing teachers in the student care services. I would like to urge the Government to put in more effort into the expansion of student care centres as well as enhancing the quality of our student care teachers.

Madam, back to English please. I move on to my last point.

Flexible work options
I’ve brought this matter up several times before in this house.
Financial incentives introduced by the Government such as Baby Bonus and Child Development Account to encourage having more children need to be complemented by a change in attitudes and mind-set of employers with regards to flexible work options. According to some surveys, 88% of Singaporeans say they work beyond office hours. Other reports suggest that a minority of companies have work-life balance initiatives for their employees. Work-life harmony has been tackled exclusively in the domain of manpower policy. This clearly has not worked. As work-life harmony is associated with business performance and productivity, there is a need for closer coordination between ministries that are concerned with productivity. The National Productivity and Continuing Education Council (NPCEC), which brings together representatives from the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Education, Manpower and Finance, is a very appropriate body to address work-life harmony. The council should integrate work-life strategies into its industry-specific productivity strategies and campaigns. This will also have the advantage of customising work-life strategies to the specific work processes, contexts and needs of different industries.

Conclusion
Madam, the President concludes his speech pledging ourselves anew to build a better, brighter Singapore. Today we have the ability to broaden our social security nets and to pay closer attention to the diversity of challenges our citizens face today. As a successful and progressive country, we are in the best position to focus more attention on those who need an extra hand. People must be at the centre of how decisions are made, even if they belong to the fringes, for it is really how we treat those who are most vulnerable that is the true mark of leadership and governance. Thank you.