Dear fellow Singaporeans, Every year in February, the Minister for Finance will present the planned expenditure for the following year which begins on 1 April. All our livelihoods are directly affected because the budget dictates how government is going to allocate financial resources to various sectors like the military, education, economic development, community services, healthcare.

Dear fellow Singaporeans, The Singapore People’s Party would like to wish all Christians a Peace and God-filled time with your Family and Friends. To all Singaporeans, May this Christmas bring about a sense of gratitude for everything that we have and also comfort as we reflect on all our blessings in our lives. Merry Christmas! Singapore People’s Party

Statement on the massive MRT breakdown on 15 Dec Public transport has been the hallmark of Singapore’s success in the eyes of the government. They have always claimed that it is priced reasonably, is highly efficient, and has brought much convenience to Singaporeans. Singaporeans have now woken up to know that last night’s catastrophic MRT train failure has shown this to be categorically untrue.

As expected, we are facing another round of public transport fee hike right after the General Elections. There are many implications to this hike and it signals the spirit of the incumbent government towards infrastructure pricing. However, it is timely for me to make a few short statements regarding the hike in taxi fares announced this week. We are already familiar with the fee structure of taxi charges. My focus is on the general pricing  [ Read More ]

Mr Speaker sir, I welcome the government’s proposal to exempt court-ordered maintenance payments to a woman from tax. I believe that this will go some way to relieving the burdens that single parents face in Singapore today. However, I would like to query the Minister for extending tax relief for Research and Development expenditure to R&D incurred overseas. Would this not lead to an exodus of R&D activities and investments away from Singapore? I also  [ Read More ]

Mr Speaker sir, I support the aims of the amendments to Section 69C of the Telecommunications Act to further promote competition in the telecommunications services market, namely, in empowering the Minister to issue a separation order to a telecommunication licensee. Amendments to Section 69B, however, extends the power of the Minister to allow him to order remedial actions on a person who acquires the assets, business and shares in a telecommunication licensee. Accordingly, the Minister  [ Read More ]

Mr Speaker sir, Employees, whether they are Singaporeans or migrant workers, deserve fair compensation when they suffer from work-related accidents or occupational diseases. Therefore, I am encouraged to learn that this amendment will expand the coverage of the Work Injury Compensation Act to include diseases that are the result of an employee’s exposure to chemical and biological agents. Mr Speaker, could I just seek a clarification from the Minister – what exactly counts as chemical  [ Read More ]

Mr Speaker sir, I support the spirit behind the Special Needs Savings Scheme, which this bill seeks to create, in that the Government is not leaving it to trust funds provided by private companies for the care of children with special needs. However this scheme does not go far enough. It is a very small step, though in the right direction. It is not clear how this new scheme is very much different from the  [ Read More ]

Countdown to 2012 with a trip to Ipoh followed by spending New Year’s Eve at Kuala Lumpur. Trip highlights: Taiping Lake Gardens, Taiping Indian temple, Feed Lucky Wild Boar from the jungle, Nan Tian Long, Pi Li Long. Stay at 5 start The Legend Hotel in KL, Gala Dinner, games, lucky draw, Countdown 2012 etc. (details provided by tour guide) Tour fare includes: 2 Night hotel accommodation, 2 breakfast, 3 lunch, 3 dinner, $10k travel  [ Read More ]