ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF SINGAPORE FIRST SESSION ORDER PAPER MONDAY, 26TH MAY, 2008 No. 51 1.30 p.m. 247 QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER* *1. Mdm Ho Geok Choo: To ask the Senior Minister how has the strong Singapore dollar helped the average Singaporean to keep high inflation at bay. *2. Mdm Ho Geok Choo: To ask the Senior Minister what is the key to Singapore’s success in maintaining a strong Singapore dollar policy and how it has contributed to keeping Singapore competitive. *3. Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what measures are being taken by ASEAN and Singapore, in particular, to assist the people of Myanmar in the aftermath of the cyclone disaster; and (b) whether the Myanmar junta has welcomed humanitarian relief from ASEAN. *4. Miss Penny Low: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what is the Government’s position on the catastrophe deadlock between the Myanmar junta and the foreign aid agencies; (b) what can Singapore, as a member of ASEAN, do to help bring the much needed aid to Cyclone Nargis victims; and (c) what can our residents, which include Myanmar nationals, do to help the catastrophe victims. *5. Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether the delays by the Myanmar Government in accepting foreign aid for people displaced by Cyclone Nargis and allowing the entry of foreign aid experts to assist with basic relief efforts, breaches the spirit of Article 1 [Purposes 7 and 11] and Article 2 [Principle 2(i)] of the ASEAN Charter; and (b) if so, what can Singapore, as a member and present Chairman of ASEAN, do to ensure that the spirit of the ASEAN Charter will be adhered to by Myanmar once the Charter's ratification process is completed. No. 51 26 MAY 2008 248 *6. Mr Siew Kum Hong: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what measures are being taken and what safeguards are in place to ensure that aid contributed by Singapore and Singaporeans reach the victims of Cyclone Nargis; and (b) what is the Government’s position on the legitimacy of the referendum conducted by the junta in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone. *7. Dr Lam Pin Min: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs if he will provide an update on the disciplinary actions against those officers assessed to be culpable in the Mas Selamat incident. *8. Mr Arthur Fong: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs for each year from 2005 to 2007 (a) how many motorists were summoned for seatbelt infringements; (b) how many deaths were related to drivers and/or passengers not wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident; and (c) how many motorists were given summonses for not securing infants (baby capsules) or children (booster seats when required) in vehicles. *9. Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what are the safety requirements before a bus is allowed to transport students; (b) whether the Ministry will look into enhancing the safety standards for school buses; (c) whether it will require special reinforcing of the vehicle frame before the vehicles are allowed to run as school buses; and (d) whether it monitors the driving performance of bus drivers who ferry school children. *10. Mdm Cynthia Phua: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what steps are being taken to enhance the protection for students while travelling on school buses; (b) what are the interim safety measures to be implemented immediately; (c) why school buses are not required to install seat belts for its passengers; (d) what is the outcome of the review of the requirement of 30 children to an attendant in our school buses; and (e) whether the Ministry plans to impose a guideline of having an attendant for children below the age of 10 in our school buses. *11. Mr Sin Boon Ann: To ask the Minister for Transport whether safety belts in school buses are necessary and, if so, whether the Government will consider a financial assistance plan to help school bus operators install safety belts or new seats with anchor points for safety belts so as to expedite the process of implementing safety belts in school buses. *12. Er Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Transport what is the cost of installing a safety belt to each seat in a school bus. No. 51 26 MAY 2008 249 *13. Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Transport what action is taken to address the current problems faced by many motorists with respect to being fined for improper payment of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges given that they may be attributed to faulty cashcards, in-vehicle units or ERP gantries. *14. Er Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Education what are the criteria used by schools to appoint bus operators to transport students. *15. Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) whether all the key positions for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) organising committee have been filled; and (b) if he will provide an update on the progress of the preparations to-date given that the 2010 YOG is less than two and a half years away. *16. Ms Ellen Lee Geck Hoon: To ask the Minister for Health why the enforcement and control of hand, foot and mouth disease cases are not extended to private education providers for toddlers, young children and religious schools such as Sunday school in churches. *17. Mr Ong Ah Heng: To ask the Minister for Health what measures are in place to prevent the estimated 8% of Singapore’s population who have diabetes from developing other medical complications such as stroke, kidney failure, blindness and foot diseases. *18. Mr Zainudin Nordin: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) if he will provide an update on the vision of making Singapore an education hub; (b) whether there exists a conducive eco-system that allows education services in Singapore to flourish; (c) whether the recent rise in property prices and operational costs has affected efforts to attract reputable institutions to locate in Singapore; (d) what is the present total number of foreign students in Singapore and the long term target of this number; and (e) whether the current immigration policy is in line with and "friendly" towards the objectives set for the education hub. *19. Mr Ang Mong Seng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of our plans to be an international education hub (a) how many foreign students his Ministry intends to attract over the next 3 years; and (b) what are the plans to provide sufficient affordable accommodation for these students. No. 51 26 MAY 2008 250 *20. Mr Inderjit Singh: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how many people who registered for HDB's Design, Build & Sell Scheme (DBSS) flats at Boon Keng lost their booking for the flats and their deposits (in terms of option fees) because they failed to secure their loans from HDB or the banks; (b) whether HDB processed the loan applications before or after the applicants paid their 5% option fee; and (c) how many flats remain unsold as a result of cancellations due to whatever reasons. *21. Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how many cases under HDB's Reduced Repayment Scheme were approved in 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively; and (b) whether HDB has any plans to enhance the scheme so as to reduce the number of cases of flats being repossessed. *22. Mr Gautam Banerjee: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry has plans to review the law on mandatory caning of foreign workers who overstay as a result of rogue labour agents. *23. Mr Gautam Banerjee: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) in the last 12 months, how many foreign workers were caned for overstaying; and (b) whether caning of foreign workers, particularly if they are innocent victims of unscrupulous labour agents, will affect Singapore's relationship with the countries from which these workers come from. *24. Mdm Ho Geok Choo: To ask the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts what measures will be taken to update laws restricting the airing of political views on the Internet in view of the recent statements by the Ministry that a lighter-touch approach to Internet regulation is being considered. *25. Miss Penny Low: To ask the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts in light of the ‘10TouchPoints’ competition held in 2007 which promotes innovation and creativity in the redesigning of objects for daily use (a) whether the winning entries have been adopted or adapted by public agencies and corporations; (b) if so, what is the success rate; and (c) if not, does the Ministry plan to promote its design solutions to both the public and private sector. No. 51 26 MAY 2008 251 *26. Ms Ellen Lee Geck Hoon: To ask the Acting Minister for Manpower in light of the intrinsic value in the contribution of homemakers, whether he will consider extending the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme to housewives who have no income by staying at home to look after their children and having a maid/childcare is too costly for them. *27. Mr Siew Kum Hong: To ask the Acting Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry intends to introduce a mandatory rest day for foreign domestic workers and, if not, why.