Highlights on parliament on 17Oct2011

SINGAPORE: Singapore's new Parliament got into full swing on Monday with the start of the week-long debate on the President's speech.

Kicking off the motion to thank the President was Lam Pin Min, MP for Sengkang West and chairman of GPC for Health.

Dr Lam said the May 2011 General Election (GE) was a water-shed event in Singapore's political history not because an opposition party had managed to secure a Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

He said he felt it was a result of Singapore's political landscape being dramatically altered with the advent of the Internet and social media.

So the take-away message from the GE was that online platforms - whether they are social media tools, online news sources or blogs - are inevitably now part of the standard tool kit for people engaged in politics.

"I agree with the President that diversity in society is a good thing... We see in Singapore, people who root themselves to causes they believe are right and passionate about. I believe this is good for Singapore, for the people have developed what we can call a Singapore soul," Dr Lam said.

"As politicians, let us continue to engage Singaporeans in the issues they believe in, with the tacit agreement that we are all moving towards a better Singapore."

Dr Lam said what struck him most about the President's Address was his call to make Singapore the best home for all Singaporeans.

Hence, there is the need to meet the challenges of the global economy head-on and ensure economic growth benefits all segments of society.

The changing demographics of Singapore will pose a significant hurdle for the nation, such as the declining birth rates.

Dr Lam said besides taking a microscopic analysis of the current procreation package, the government will also need to have a macroscopic review of the social support required to encourage Singaporeans to have more children.

These include childcare and preschool facilities as well as more family-friendly workplace arrangements.

Another area of concern among Singaporeans is medical care.

As Singaporeans grow older and people start living longer, there is a need to relook at the medical funding framework to address some of these problems in the near future.

Dr Lam emphasised citizens must understand Singapore is not a welfare state and there will not be free medical care.

But with rising medical costs, he said it is worthwhile to think about how the government can help the lower- and middle-income groups by increasing the quantum of subsidy for them.

Dr Lam said over the next few days, MPs will be speaking on a myriad of issues, ranging from hot topics such as housing, transport, healthcare, education and the economy, to delicate concerns of security, terrorism and even government reserves.

He called on them to speak candidly.

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[Mr94OKj]

haha so 8 pap mp/s and 2 pap mp/s shown?