Debate on Annual Budget Statement

Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Budget. In my speech last year, I gave an analogy that we were taking a roller coaster ride in the dark. We do not know where and when the twists and turns are, but we stayed united and trusted each another, and now, we are out of the tunnel and can anticipate the turns and the twists.

And that is what this Budget is about. It is about knowing there is much global uncertainty, cost of living issues, an ageing population and the need to sustain social mobility.

This Budget anticipates these issues and aims to navigate Singapore onwards in solidarity and unity in an ever-dynamic landscape.

Sir, I want to thank our public service officers, especially our healthcare workers and educators, for their commitment and professionalism over the past three years. We must continue to support them by providing a better work-life balance.

I have some suggestions.

First, clear guidelines on work hours and designated times for disconnecting should be established.

For teachers, a suggestion from the Singapore Teachers' Union (STU) is the introduction of a whitespace for marking, lesson planning, student guidance and counselling. This will allow the teacher some focused time to get some work done rather than doing it after school hours.

A second suggestion by STU is the enhancement of effective communication channels between teachers and management. For example, how do we empower teachers and cultivate teacher agency, so that teachers can negotiate deployment such that win-win outcomes are achieved for the teacher and the school?

Third, I am also aware of the abuse healthcare workers and teachers may encounter. I ask that we explore and provide practical ways to support and protect them. A zero-tolerance policy with clear protocols for handling such cases must be established. We must do more to say that if you harass or abuse our officers, there will be consequences.

Sir, two areas in this year's Budget that resonate with me are providing opportunities for everyone to advance in life and strengthening our social compact. I will touch on these two broad areas: education and health.

I welcome the announcement that that we will invest more in our children – to scale up the KidSTART programme nationwide to support more children in disadvantaged families.

I note, however, that for children aged three to four years old residing in public rental flats, the preschool enrolment rate is lower than the national average. Residents have shared their challenges and I empathise. But I do believe that the mindset of preschool education must change. It is not just play.

In early childhood education, children are provided with opportunities for deliberate play and exploration, allowing for social interaction and problem-solving skills beyond what books can offer. This is essential in their development. Perhaps it is time that we mandate compulsory education for preschool. This will underline a strong commitment to tackle inequality at the earliest juncture possible and ensure that every child can discover the joy of learning, exploration and play.

Sir, in my maiden speech, I mentioned that I envisioned a future where specialised courses are curated in collaboration with industry partners, creating a symbiotic relationship between content and relevance and further supported by a robust apprenticeship approach.

Thus, I am heartened that we will continue to invest in our people and the Jobs-Skills Integrator is an excellent initiative. To me, this is a game-changer because not all skills training will translate into good employment outcomes. This will plug the gap and ensure that training improves employment and earnings prospects. Additionally, if successful, it could be the building block as to how we address the issue of increasing income wage gap between non-graduates and graduates. I hope the pilot programme will succeed and we can extend this further to other industries.

Going upstream, I hope such integrators can be embedded in our Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs). Apart from the main programme where our students may specialise in, flexibility could allow them to take up other modules of interest. These integrator-like modules could stack on top of their specialised course and this increases their employment opportunities and allows them to remain agile in a dynamic job space.

Sir, although the Budget this year does not mention mental health directly, it is clear that many of the announcements will positively impact our mental health.

For example, the enhancements to the GSTV scheme and Assurance Package will cushion the pressure of the cost of living. It covers not only the lower-income families but also the middle-income families and families that are much larger. This includes those with the elderly and children.

For the lower-income individuals and seniors who face difficulties with their medical bills, the MediFund would go a long way in ensuring a safety net for them.

But Sir, to me, the greatest positive impact is on families.

A family, the bedrock of society, is our source of love, support and strength. I am heartened that in this Budget, the anxieties and concerns held by young families are addressed.

First, supporting housing aspirations through the additional ballot for their BTO flat applications and the enhanced CPF housing grant. I know many of the young families welcome this. However, I also know that not all families are identical for various reasons and circumstances. For instance, more could be done to support single-parent households, who often face greater financial strain.

I received feedback from a single mother who shared her concerns about raising three school-going children and aspired to own her own flat. She shared that she had no CPF as she was not working previously but currently holds a good job and wants to be self-reliant.

Additionally, the Government could consider increasing support for families with children with disabilities or special needs. These families also face additional financial burdens due to the higher care and education costs. Collectively providing additional financial assistance and support services for these families would help ease their financial burden and improve their quality of life.

The second concern is the cost of raising children. I know many of my younger married colleagues welcome the many related announcements. This includes the Baby Bonus. But beyond the monetary support, the support for parents to manage their work and family commitment is, in my opinion, the most impactful.

Numerous studies have shown that the time spent with children is the best investment. While many factors contribute to a child's development and well-being, spending time with children has shown to have numerous positive outcomes. I spoke previously about the need for employers to be more compassionate to our workers and recognise that individuals' priorities vary at different stages of their lives and that work and life are interdependent but increasingly intertwined. Therefore, I am heartened that the Government will introduce the voluntary Tripartite Standard on Flexi-Work Arrangements and make these arrangements more pervasive.

At the same time, I urge employers to review their mental wellness programmes and consider providing workers with a time-out where they can unwind, recharge and be free from work emails, texts, or calls.

Sir, my final point is about workplace health.

Recently, there has been an alarming number of workplace accidents. MOM and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) have made efforts to foster a workplace safety and health culture. However, more must be done to support workers to ensure workplace safety and health.

I propose that the Government make it mandatory for every company to have a work-safety committee that includes a qualified union representative. These representatives know the ground well and they are familiar with the safety processes. The Government can incentivise companies to form these committees with union representatives through grants to foster work-safety culture and processes. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] This year's Budget is a thoughtful and inclusive one. I support the Deputy Prime Minister's call to strengthen our social compact.

In my English speech earlier, I touched on three issues: Comprehensive support for workers, Education and Health. Allow me to summarise.

First, I urged that we provide more comprehensive support for workers, especially for healthcare sector workers and teachers. I called on the Government and employers to review workload and job scope to ensure quality work-life balance. These include setting clear guidelines on working hours and introducing WHITESPACE or time that is set aside specifically for workers to perform additional work or projects. As for education, I welcome the announcement to enhance the KidSTART programme nationwide.

This move demonstrates a strong commitment to combat inequality as early as possible and ensures that every child is given the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Although this year's Budget did not directly mention mental health, it is clear that this Budget will have a positive impact on mental health. For example, improvements to the GSTV Scheme and Assurance Package will reduce cost of living pressures. It covers not only low-income families but also middle-income families and large households.

For low-income individuals and senior citizens facing financial difficulties with their medical bills, MediFund will help and ensure that there is a safety net for them. For me, the biggest positive impact is on families. I am heartened that in this Budget, the concerns of young families can be addressed.

First, by supporting housing aspirations through additional ballots for BTO flat applications and by increasing the CPF Housing Grant.

Second, help for parents towards the cost of raising children, and support to manage work and family commitments.

I hope that young families will take advantage of the support and grants provided. I believe that, through this Budget, Singapore will emerge stronger in our effort to move forward in the new era.

(In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, the Budget is well-balanced and a well-conceived plan that addresses the country's immediate needs while investing in the future.

The focus on enhancing social safety nets, promoting economic growth and investing in the future will benefit Singaporeans from all walks of life. The support for vulnerable groups, particularly in the areas of education, young families and the elderly, is a testament to the Government's commitment in creating a more equitable and caring society. These measures will go a long way in reducing income inequality, improving access to healthcareand providing a more supportive environment for families.

Overall, the Budget is a positive step forward in the new era. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Budget.

Sir, nurses are there for us in good times and bad times and I have seen first-hand the lifesaving work that nurses do for us.

There were there with me when my first child Ella was born, celebrating with us as we welcomed Ella into our lives. There were there with me when I said goodbye to my dad. I remember the nurse crying together with us as they processed the terminal discharge so we could fulfill my dad's wish of passing on at home.

Part of me was surprised that the nurse was crying. I thought they would be used to seeing patients come and go. But the nurses truly cared for daddy. He could not have been better cared for and I am very grateful for the nurses at SGH who made his final days more comfortable.

And nurses were there with me when we welcomed my twins Katie and Poppy into the world almost exactly six years ago. Actually, tomorrow, it is their birthday. It was both a happy and extremely worrying time as Katie and Poppy were born premature and spent 10 weeks at the Neonatal ICU (NICU) and High Dependency Ward at SGH. Doctors and nurses there saved their lives.

As I shared in my Adjournment Motion in 2017, "it was surreal sitting at the NICU, doing kangaroo care with my baby, singing to her while watching the mayhem in NICU. Watching the staff handle a never-ending arrival of pre-term babies and a never-ending chorus of alarm bells as babies stop breathing. The staff members handle each situation so professionally, so meticulously and with so much tender loving care."

I do not think we can thank nurses enough for the work they do for all of us.

Sir, in this year's Budget Statement, Deputy Prime Minister shared, "through our collective effort, we have found our way through this pandemic."

One group of workers who played an outsized role in helping Singapore find its way through the pandemic is our healthcare workers. I sincerely thank all of our healthcare workers – our nurses, doctors, therapists, pharmacists, TCM physicians, allied healthcare professionals and many, many more.

Today, I will focus my speech on nurses who form the largest proportion of our healthcare workforce. The reality is that, as most Singaporeans are celebrating the move to DORSCON Green, nurses would not have the chance to celebrate. Their workloads are heavy, their shifts are long and they get little time to rest. So many nurses have shared with me that nurses are resigning en masse. Attrition rates have gone up and I know the Government is aware of this problem.

I am glad that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has been reviewing the salaries and allowances of nurses and also announced a 2022 Nurse Special Payment package. These increases in pay are welcomed but do not go far enough.

Emily, a nurse, told me, "There is not enough trained people to handle the cases. Everyone is exhausted from the lack of staff, resignation rates. I have recently been attached to a few different hospitals and I see the same issue everywhere. Patient's safety is compromised and nurses are just burnt out. We are thankful that the Government has been increasing our pay and giving us special payments. But what I really, really want is more quality time with my family. Better shifts, better working hours."

I spoke with nurses across multiple dialogues last year and this year and collected their ideas in a public survey of 173 nurses.

Based on these consultations, I will raise three recommendations today: first, protect rest time for nurses between shifts; second, protect rest time for nurses during shifts; and third, provide more ancillary support staff for nurses.

My first recommendation is that we ensure that nurses have protected rest time between shifts. The first problem is that nurses often stay on average one to two hours after every shift to ensure that their work is complete. Working overtime is not uncommon. But for nurses on shift work with irregular hours, working overtime means that they lose precious hours of rest between shifts.

The second problem is that nurses often do a morning shift (AM) which starts at 8 am immediately after doing an afternoon shift (PM) the day before which ended at about 10 pm.

Some do this on consecutive days, so PM, AM, PM, AM and they call this the PAPA shift. They often get home at midnight, sleep for a short while before they wake up to prepare for the AM shift, which again starts at 8 am. Some nurses have shared with me that they work such punishing shifts almost every week or every other week.

One nurse shared with me, "As I am typing this message now, I am in the train, on my way back home. Will be doing morning shift tomorrow and that would mean about five hours of rest for me before my day starts again."

Constantly working overtime and four, five hours of sleep – how can that be enough sleep? We already know insufficient rest is dangerous.

That is why we have regulations in other industries setting basic requirements to manage fatigue. For example, we require flight crew members to get an equivalent amount of rest when they work 10 to 16 hours. If they work any longer, they must get at least 24 hours of rest. Can our nurses get the same level of protection as our air stewardess and stewards?

Many studies have been done on the importance of fatigue management in healthcare. A 2019 meta-study on fatigue in healthcare found that it increases error rates, slows reaction times, increases likelihood of accidents and injuries, and reduces motivation.

This is not just about nurse well-being but also about patient-safety. Our nurses have to make life and death decisions on every shift.

The Government cannot just leave this to the hospitals to manage and decide on their own. Fatigue affects the well-being of nurses and the health outcomes of patients. Will the Government look into regulations to address nurses' fatigue instead of leaving again these matters to hospitals to decide on their own?

This will also not be new for the Government. The Government has introduced regulations for the airline industry. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM)'s Workplace Safety and Health Council also has guidelines on fatigue management.

My second point is on protected rest time for nurses during their shifts. While they usually have a one-hour rest of rest time, many nurses have shared with me that they simply do not have enough manpower to rest for a full hour. So, they do not enough rest between shifts and even during shifts.

One nurse shared with me, "It is not uncommon for nurses to not have enough time to have toilet breaks because of the amount of things that come to us during the shift."

Of the nurses I surveyed, 90% shared that it is common for them to have to continue working during their rest break. They shared that they have to do so because of patient needs and administrative work.

Emily, the nurse, shared with me a day of work for nurses in her ward, "one junior takes care of and showers 16 patients. At the same time, we have to make sure they get their breakfast and lunch, while checking their vital signs twice per shift or according to their doctors' orders. We have to make sure every intake or output – drains, urine, motions – of every single patient is charted and diapers are changed."

She continues, "The nurse in charge will have to serve the medication. It is very common for patients to have more than 10 medications, be it IV, oral, pre-meals and post-meals. There are different timings for patients. We have to follow doctors' rounds, carry out orders, and make sure that the physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist and medical social worker have seen our patients. We have to do dressings and help the junior out."

At the end she said, "we hope we get to finish our report before the next shift comes so that we get to go home on time."

I was exhausted just from reading that.

MOH has shared that it is working closely with public healthcare institutions to shore up recruitment, for both local and foreign staff. However, time is needed to recruit and train nurses. Meanwhile, our nurses are on the brink of burn-out.

Concurrent with recruitment efforts for nurses, will the Ministry work with hospitals to ensure that the rest time of nurses during their shifts are protected? I understand that current realities of nursing means that there has to be some flexibility around rest times. But we must mandate some level of protection of rest.

Sir, I understand that the lack of adequate rest for nurses that I have raised is rooted in a lack of manpower which MOH is already looking into.

Of the nurses surveyed, nearly 80% felt that they were not able to focus on clinical care because of administrative duties that were much heavier than necessary. MOH is already looking into recruiting healthcare ancillary staff for non-clinical duties. But beyond non-clinical administrative duties, patients and next-of-kin also demand customer service from nurses. Seventy-seven percent of nurses surveyed felt that they cannot focus on clinical work because too much time is spent on providing customer service to patients.

One nurse commented that patients and families "want us to clean their surroundings for them, want us to heat up their food and water and even collect their food delivery orders."

Another nurse said, "Sometimes patients and relatives will tend to request for nurses to do unreasonable things like washing their underwear, buying food for them, fixing their spoiled charger/handphone. Even as simple as changing the channel of the TV, they will ask nurses to do it for them. Sometimes, patients and relatives treat nurses as their personal helper."

I understand that patients who are unwell and next-of-kin who are stressed understandably look to nurses for support. But the kind of customer service demanded by some patients and next-of-kin is a misuse of invaluable time and expertise of nurses who are already overworked. Yes, we can do a public education campaign on this, but nurses need us to do much more to help them.

Nurses shared with me that they appreciated the 900 Singapore Airlines cabin crew who were redeployed as Care Ambassadors during the height of COVID-19. These Care Ambassadors worked with nurses and doctors on non-clinical nursing tasks. More than 70% of nurses shared that the Care Ambassadors were helpful or very helpful in allowing them to focus on clinical care for patients.

A nurse said, "The Care Ambassador helped to offload some of the non-nursing work and allowed nurses to be more focused on caring for sick patients who need more attention. The Care Ambassador was able to spend time talking to patients, allay their anxiety and make them feel supported."

MOH has recognised that Care Ambassadors' service and communication instincts helped to alleviate the manpower tightness in healthcare institutions during the pandemic, allowing again nurses to focus on more complex clinical and care-related work.

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) has been working with SIA to train KTPH's new Patient Care Officers, a new role inspired by the Care Ambassadors. I hope MOH will consider studying and expanding KTPH's Patient Care Officers programme to other public hospitals. This will relieve the workload of nurses, enable them to deliver better patient care and ultimately reduce the attrition rate.

Finally, as we hire more support staff, the current one nurse to four to five patient ratio must be enforced. Many nurses were upset when we shared in this House that "The typical nurse-to-bed ratio for general wards in public acute hospitals is one nurse for every four or five beds." The reality on the ground is far, far from this typical ratio that MOH shared.

Nurses stressed to me that we should also ensure that the hiring of more ancillary healthcare workers or even Patient Care Officers should not affect the nurse-to-patient ratios. They need more nurses, not less.

Sir, let me conclude. It is good news that MOH has acknowledged the manpower needs in the nursing industry and is working on recruitment.

However, concurrent with shoring up recruitment, let us retain those already in the profession. To retain nurses, we of course have to ensure that salaries are competitive. But we must also go beyond the monetary.

The need for more rest is the recurring cry for help that I hear from nurses. Can we help our nurses have more rest by mandating protected rest time between shifts, providing strong protections for rest time during shifts, and hiring more support staff, including ancillary care staff and Patient Care Officers?

Nurses care for us and those who are dear to us. But the burden of that care is now too heavy for them. As one shared, "Our health and our relationship with our families are compromised. We are taking care of people when we can’t even take good care of ourselves and our family."

I have been struck by how many nurses I talked to spoke of their love for the profession and their desire to serve, even as they talked about how exhausted they are.

Another nurse told me, "We are called back for overtime when staff is down, when we don’t go to work because we are tired, the management counts the number of times and mentions it in our appraisal for not being a team player and marks us down for it. These are just sad realities. We end up feeling burnt out and essentially hating the very job that we started loving. People leave because they see no end to this dark tunnel."

I hope MOH can provide nurses with some light at the end of this dark tunnel and look into the three recommendations I have raised on their behalf.

Sir, during the pandemic, we clapped for our nurses as part of the Clap for #SGUnited campaign, to show appreciation for those on the front lines of the fight against the pandemic. As we transition out of the pandemic, the workload of nurses has not eased and they continue to be on the frontline when it comes to our health. There are there for us in good times and bad times and we need to be there for them now, to protect them and help them when they need us the most.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the past three years, the cost of living has risen sharply and universally due to COVID-19 and the Russo-Ukraine conflict creating disruptions in production and in the supply chain. Singapore has registered a steady increase in core inflation throughout 2022, hitting almost a 14-year high in September with 5.3%. Inflation in food and services have also increased steadily, hitting 7.5% and 3.7% respectively in December 2022. Overall, core inflation for 2022 stood at 4.1% and headline inflation was at 6.1% – a significant increase from 2021 and before.

This has clearly had an impact on many Singaporeans and their families.

Interestingly, during the same period, we saw more super-rich families setting up family offices in Singapore to manage their wealth. At the end of 2022, Singapore had almost 700 family offices. This is almost double that of 2020. The number of ultra-high net worth individuals, defined as individuals with at least US$30 million in investible assets, grew 8.6%, reaching 4,206 individuals in 2021, amongst which 28 are billionaires. The number of ultra-high net worth individuals in Singapore is projected to increase to about 6,000 by 2026.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I understand the need for these individuals and their funds here in Singapore. But taken together, one cannot help but express concern if our society will eventually become more stratified with the existence of two perceived "Singapores" – a Singapore that caters to the lifestyle and consumption demands of the wealthy and ultra-high net worth individuals; and another "Singapore" for everyone else. Such perceptions are potentially divisive and might fracture the social compact that the Government has painstakingly built with Singaporeans over generations.

Much of this perception perhaps comes from the ostentatious display of wealth by these ultra-high net worth individuals. While I believe that one should not hold anyone's wealth against them and each individual should be free to spend their money as they wish, I can also understand why conspicuous displays of wealth would not be well-received by many and could even lead to unhappiness and frustration and resentment amongst others.

I believe this is a risk that the present Government is aware of and this year's Budget sends a signal on how the wealthy can, and should, contribute more to our nation building.

The increase in consumption-based taxes such as higher Buyer’s Stamp and Additional Conveyance Duties for Buyers of higher-value properties and higher marginal Additional Registration Fee for higher-end luxury cars will potentially increase the tax base from which the Government can affect social transfers from those who can afford it to those who need more help and support.

This approach is a balanced and fair one since a consumption-based tax that targets luxury consumption does not significantly alter Singapore's competitive corporate and personal income tax because these taxes kick in only when one purchases high-end luxury properties and cars.

Ultimately, the increase in consumption tax of these high-end luxury properties is unlikely to dampen the demands for them since they can be considered as Veblen goods, that is, the increase in tax might actually drive up the demand for such products as they are now regarded to be even more exclusive. This further increases the amount of tax that the Government can draw when the wealthy and ultra-high net worth individuals purchase them.

From those who have more to those who need more. I am personally heartened to know that the Singapore Government, has through this Budget, further strengthened its commitment to support the majority of Singaporeans, especially those who need an additional leg up.

The Enhanced GST Vouchers and the various support payouts under the Assurance Package will help to cushion some of the impact of the rising cost of living. While we can never fully mitigate the impact of the rising cost of living, especially when many of the factors that drive costs up are external to our shores, what we can do is to minimise or assuage the impact of the increased costs by providing targeted assistance.

I hope that the Government will continue to support the more vulnerable communities through direct assistance such as CDC vouchers and GSTVs, and also strengthen short term assistance such as ComCare vouchers and financial assistance through the Social Services Offices.

I would now like to speak about enhancing the roles of fathers and men in families.

As a father, I am heartened to learn that the Government has recommended an extension of paid paternity leave from the current mandated two weeks to four weeks. While the extension is presently still voluntary, this is nonetheless a step in the right direction.

At present, pro-family measures are mostly targeted at women, specifically, with tax incentives and support schemes for working mothers. In comparison, there are fewer schemes in place to encourage men and fathers to play a more active role in their families and in parenting. I would thus hope to see if more measures could be rolled out to support and enhance the role that men and fathers could play in their families over the course of their children's lives.

I would also like to ask if the Government can consider restructuring the present childcare leave structure so that parents are entitled to tiered childcare leave until their children turn 18.

At present, parents are entitled to six days of paid childcare leave until their youngest child turns seven years old. The first three days of leave are paid by employers, with the remaining three days paid by the Government, subjected to a cap of $500 per day including CPF contributions.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the current childcare leave structure hinges on the assumption that children below the age of seven are more likely to require additional attention from their parents. I feel that we need to revisit this assumption. Any parent would tell you that a child above the age of seven requires differentiated, but no less attention, as children below the age of seven.

As parents, we want to be there for our children, and with our children when they celebrate major life events and milestones, or simply just to spend time with them as they journey through life. Speaking as a parent of a 15- and 12-year-old, I can tell you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and you might agree with me, that the journey only gets more challenging and intense after the age of seven.

As such, I would like to suggest that the Government consider providing at least three days of paid childcare leave for parents until their children turn 18 years old.

I have also spoken before about the platforms to support the mental health and well-being of men in one of my previous speeches. Making the same point, I hope that the Government can also better support men in their fatherhood journey and to enhance their roles as caregivers to complement the roles played by mothers.

Women are still naturally associated with being maternal and nurturing – terms that are still not naturally associated with men. These perceptions are quite gender stereotypical and frankly, might actually be unfairly burdening women and mothers with more societal responsibilities and expectations.

Can we not do more to encourage fathers to play a larger role in nurturing their children, being there for their families? Can MOE and MSF consider partnering NGOs like Dads for Life to conduct more workshops for fathers on parenting?

Similarly, can MOM consider how it could work with corporations and companies to support fathers? At present, more support could be given to fathers at work. Many companies have initiatives that celebrate motherhood and have HR schemes such as flexible work scheme or part time work arrangements for working mothers. Can we not do the same for fathers? For instance, can fathers take on part time work arrangements without having to fear that such arrangements would be held against them, thus allowing fathers to play a more effective familial role without sacrificing their careers?

In conclusion, Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to touch on a final point on support for public housing.

While a significant portion of this Budget is focused on providing near term support, other measures such as parenting and pro-family measures are longer term focused. One of the most crucial lynchpins to promoting parenting and pro-family measures is of course, public housing.

Public housing matters have been hotly debated in this House at the recent parliamentary sessions, mostly debating on the affordability of HDB flats for young Singaporeans who wish to own their first flat.

Let us not also forget that there is another group of Singaporeans who also deserve housing support – mid-age Singaporeans with children. I hope that the Government does not forget this group and would like the Government to consider enhancing housing support for them, especially if they would like to purchase a resale flat in a mature estate to live close to their parents so they can form that extended, larger, familial support network.

In this regard, it is not just about getting support from their elderly parents to help with their own young children, but rather also to facilitating and supporting, helping their own elderly parents while managing their own young children.

I hope that the Government will consider granting families with children a percentage-based grant based on the price of a resale flat if they wish to purchase a flat in a matured estate as opposed to an absolute grant as presently structured.

A percentage-based grant will make resale housing more relatively affordable in mature estates and care more accessible for such families. It also would be a more equitable distribution of grants that are needs-based rather than one that is a standard amount.

Of course, caveats must be put in place to ensure that this system is not abused by those who choose mature estates for their own personal preferences albeit no familial ties in the estates. However, we must recognise that there also those whose elderly parents are living in mature estates where the prices of resale flats are high – what can we do to better support these buyers of resale flats in their desire to build and develop an extended family nucleus?

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, my clarifications and suggestions notwithstanding, I conclude my speech in firm support of the Budget.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the last three years had been tough for our people but we are finally riding out this storm. The full force of the crisis had been mitigated by decades of careful savings and implementation of sound measures. Thus, we all have to do our best to save where we can. This is necessary to prepare for potential future crises, whether they are triggered by geopolitical tensions, extreme weather conditions or any other causes.

Most importantly, we must stay united as a people. It is our unity which has enabled us to overcome the crisis together. On the ground, many individuals and groups had come together to help those most badly hit by the pandemic.

One of the first COVID-19 clusters was in my constituency in Henderson-Dawson. More specifically, it was at Bukit Merah View. Quite a few residents had to be quarantined, leaving young children and the elderly at home. My community centre coordinated home care, delivery of food and necessities to these households. I was heartened by organisations, volunteers, residents and grassroots leaders who stepped forward to help. There were also residents who donated money to their favourite hawkers whose livelihoods were hit hard by the COVID-19 restrictions. Youth and children pitched in, drawing cards to comfort those in hospitals who could not receive visitors.

How can we keep these relationships and networks warm so that we can tap on them should another crisis strike? Or rather, without the sensational nature of a crisis, how can we encourage more of us in the community to offer just that little bit of additional help and support to each other and lessen the burden together?

As expected, during a Budget debate, there will be many ideas put forth on how we can provide more support to Singaporeans and inevitably, that would mean we have to spend more. However, as fellow Singaporeans, we can all play our part to make this country a better place – and every little bit of effort counts. If everyone can chip in just a bit more in their own way, be it to look out for each other or to lend a helping hand and with some creativity, I am very sure we can bring about a better Singapore for all.

In addition to asking each other how much you are getting from this year's Budget, can we also ask ourselves how we can do more to look after our families, our friends, our neighbours and our fellow Singaporeans?

The COVID-19 cluster incident in my constituency proves that indeed, we have many willing helping hands in our community. What is needed is for all the stakeholders in an estate, in a community to be familiar with what to do in emergencies.

How can we set up and maintain crisis activation centres and keep the relationships among stakeholders, including residents, grassroots leaders, community organisations, places of worship and more, warm through regular bonding and training programmes?

We need more than Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for emergencies like fires, floods, power failures and such. When the representatives on the ground know one another, can put a face to a name, the effectiveness of crisis management will be higher, and in some emergencies, every minute counts.

In countries like Japan, where they are constantly threatened by earthquakes, regular drills with high participation rates are the norm. Beyond emergency preparedness exercises, our residents should know what to do when there is a fire, power or communications failure, flooding or more dramatic scenarios such as bomb threats or someone with a weapon on the loose.

We must co-create solutions in preparation for such threats.

The Government cannot do this alone. Thus, I was heartened to learn about the pilot Total Defence Community Table-top exercises where residents presented their suggestions on how to prepare for future crises. I support the decision to scale up this exercise so that more communities can participate as part of the SGSecure programme. Indeed, during times of peace, we need to practise and ensure that we are familiar with the essentials of coping in emergencies and life-saving skills.

I urge the Government to enhance the funding, support and resource allocation for crisis preparation among its agencies and on the ground. It is time for SGSecure to go beyond the threat of terrorism and to mean more than "Run, Hide, Tell" to our people. I hope that we can gather at least half of all Singaporeans to step forward to be trained in first aid, CPR, basic firefighting and other critical life-saving skills and to start training our younger generation in all these skills as well. Sir, in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I urge the Government to enhance the funding, support and resource allocation for crisis preparation amongst its agencies and on the ground. It is time for SGSecure to go beyond the threat of terrorism, and to mean more than "Run, Hide, Tell" to our people.

I hope that we can gather at least half of all Singaporeans to step forward to be trained in things like First Aid, CPR, basic firefighting and other critical life-saving skills, and to start training our younger generation in all these skills as well.

(In English): As a multiracial, multi-religious society, we need to be extra vigilant to guard against attempts to strike at the fault lines in our society and to destabilise our community. It takes time and effort to understand and nurture bonds among people with different backgrounds, gradually building mutual trust and solidarity. Unity is only possible with these bonds and a willingness to place the interests of community above self, with the stronger helping the weaker.