Parliament Prorogues Until 16 May 2014

Parliament to kick off second half on May 16

Govt to map out strategies during break for remainder of five-year term

By Tham Yuen-c, The Straits Times, 16 Apr 2014

PARLIAMENT will reopen next month, after taking a mid-term break, to discuss new strategies for creating a brighter future and a better Singapore for all.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said this yesterday as the House was prorogued, or closed midway through the Government's term, for members to take stock of their work.

Post by Lee Hsien Loong.

The new session will start on May 16, with President Tony Tan Keng Yam setting out the Government's key priorities for its second session until the general election, which must be held by January 2017.

A debate on the President's address traditionally follows in a week or so.

Since Independence, Parliament has been prorogued 10 times. The recess is a time for the Government to map out the agenda and policies for the remaining years of its five-year term.

Mr Lee yesterday gave a hint of things to come in a Facebook post, saying Parliament had been busy in the past 21/2 years debating the White Papers on ministerial salaries and population, and also passing Budgets that had included "major economic and social policies".

The first session had, in fact, been marked by significant shifts in these areas as the Government moved to address issues of stratification in society.

Mr Lee had flagged it as a priority in 2011 when, after the general election, he opened the 12th Parliament with a promise to help low-income and disadvantaged families "take the next step".

Key policies of the past three years have reflected this focus.

The GST Vouchers scheme, Workfare enhancements and the Pioneer Generation Package are examples of its effort to level the playing field via subsidies.

MPs interviewed cited them, saying the measures show how the Government had put in stronger social safety nets.

They illustrated the "determined effort to ensure social mobility will be there", said MP Liang Eng Hwa of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. These effortsare likely to continue, he added.

Greater affordability of HDB flats is another key achievement, said MPs such as Mr Gan Thiam Poh of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

He said he no longer hears complaints from first-time home buyers about costly flats, after the prices of Build-To-Order flats were delinked from the resale market.

Yet another key achievement was slowing down immigration.

Unhappiness over the influx of foreigners had culminated in intense debate when the Population White Paper was released last year. The Government later said the 6.9 million population figure for 2030 was meant for planning purposes, and was not a target.

In the next session, the MPs expect health care and transport issues to come into sharper focus.

Many pointed to the $8 billion Pioneer Generation Package, saying it would address the health- care concerns of 450,000 seniors.

The importance of the second term was noted as well by Leader of the House Ng Eng Hen, at the end of the debate on ministries' budgets last month.

Using a sports analogy, he said: "If we have completed the first half of the match, the more crucial second half begins when Parliament reopens after prorogation. We still have much to do.

"This House therefore urges all of us together - Government, MPs and our people - to commit ourselves to the task of improving the lives of all Singaporeans in the remainder of the term."

MPs welcome 'chance to build momentum'
Parliament break will let them reflect on areas like social policies, they say
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, The Straits Times, 16 Apr 2014

MPs HAVE welcomed the pause in Parliament, calling it a chance to reflect on how they can continue to build momentum in areas of priority, such as social policies to help the needy, health care and transport.

They noted that the first session produced good policies, like those in public housing.

Complaints at Meet-the-People sessions about Housing Board balloting exercises and flat prices have fallen in the past 21/2 years.

But efforts will not stop here, said 10 MPs interviewed yesterday.

The break will give them time to think of what more can be done to keep up the momentum.

"Since we have time to prepare for the next session, we cannot disappoint. We have to continue to improve," said Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Gan Thiam Poh.

Parliament was prorogued yesterday, and will resume next month.

Closing a session of Parliament midway through the Government's term of office is referred to as proroguing. Unlike the dissolution of Parliament ahead of a general election, it is done for the Government to set the agenda for the remaining years of its term and to take stock of its work.

It can also be done when there is a new prime minister or president.

Since Independence, Parliament has been prorogued 10 times. Before yesterday's move, it was prorogued in 2009. It was also prorogued in December 2004, four months after Mr Lee Hsien Loong succeeded Mr Goh Chok Tong as Prime Minister.

Mr Lee said then that it would be timely to end the session of Parliament and reconvene the following year as there was a new Government and new priorities.

In 1999, Parliament was prorogued after newly elected President S R Nathan was sworn in.

Dealing with recessions has also been a reason. In 1986, Parliament was prorogued for President Wee Kim Wee to outline new policies to tackle the severe recession that started in 1985.

For the new session next month, MPs have already drawn up wishlists of issues to discuss.

Some MPs, like Mr Gan, said they wanted to look at a quicker way to fix train problems, although long-term infrastructure improvements are in the works.

Details for MediShield Life should be hammered out in the second session too, they added.

MP Zainal Sapari of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC hopes to see more done to help low-wage workers and their families lead better lives amid rising living costs.

Added Mr Seah Kian Peng, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Social and Family Development: "We need to build a more inclusive society, where nobody is left behind by economic progress.

"In the last three years, in particular, social policies have taken centre stage. But there's still a lot more work to be done to make sure we don't lose momentum."

Nominated MP Eugene Tan, noting Singapore's 50th birthday next year, agreed and said: "In many ways, if Parliament can be more focused on the social dimensions, then we are setting the stage well for the next 50 years of our history."

LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND

As we move forward, there are groups that might not be able to keep pace, but we cannot let them fall behind. The last 21/2 years have seen further improvements to support rendered to needy Singaporeans - and this shows we're moving in the right direction.

- Marine Parade GRC MP Seah Kian Peng

PROMOTE MORE BONDING

I hope the Government will spare more time and effort looking into how to promote bonding. As MPs, we've seen a lot of disputes among neighbours in the community that are difficult to solve, and we need to find a way forward to promote more harmonious living.

- Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng

MORE FOCUS ON SOCIAL POLICIES

We will continue to see refinement - or an even closer focus - on social policies in the second term... I think it's important, because as society becomes more complex, too much focus on economic policies makes us a very transactional society, judging people based on their worth.

- Nominated MP Eugene Tan

Three years on, a changed Singapore

DURING the last general election, public sentiment towards government policies was generally negative.

You could almost sense that the people were clamouring for change, with opposition parties seizing on almost every contentious issue - from housing shortages and cost of living to public transport and foreign workers - to drum up support.

In short, many people thought the nation was heading in the wrong direction.

GE2011 turned out to be a watershed election that redefined Singapore politics, with the ruling party losing a group representation constituency for the first time.

This was enough to impel the Government to act - and it did almost instantly.

Three years after the election, Singapore has been transformed.

Cash over valuation for flats has plunged from a high of $100,000 to almost zero today; the supply of Build-to-Order flats has made the resale market unattractive; and measures to curb private property speculation have stabilised the market - at least for the short term.

Also, curbs on foreign workers have benefited Singaporean workers across all sectors of industry.

Transportation issues are manageable now, with more buses added and more MRT lines open.

And with more childcare centres, working parents are able to have peace of mind.

It feels as if we have got our country back. This is truly an amazing feeling, and is testimony to our effective government. Our leaders have listened and were not afraid to reverse policies when necessary.

If we look around the region, we will find that there is no government, past or present, able to turn things around so quickly and effectively.

Ours did, and whatever differences in opinion we may harbour or however we perceive the Government, we should be grateful that our voices were heard and our nation is back on the right track.

Douglas Chua
ST Forum, 17 Apr 2014