Election of Speaker

On 24 August 2020, at 5.30 pm, the Serjeant-at-Arms laid the Mace below the Table of the House.

The Leader of the House stood up and addressed herself to the Clerk of Parliament.

The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Clerk, I propose, "That Mr Tan Chuan-Jin do take the Chair of this Parliament as Speaker."

Member Mr Sitoh Yih Pin stood up and addressed himself to the Clerk of Parliament.

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Clerk, I support the proposal.

There being only one proposal, the Clerk then declared Mr Tan Chuan-Jin to have been duly elected as Speaker of this Parliament. [Applause.]

Mr Speaker, standing at the Table, took an Oath of Allegiance.

Mr Speaker went to the Chair and sat down.

Then the Mace, which before laid below the Table, was placed on the Table.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

6.10 pm

Mr Speaker: Leader of the House, Ms Indranee Rajah.

The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the House, may I extend our warmest congratulations to you on your re-election as the Speaker of this Fourteenth Parliament.

In your last three years as Speaker, you gained the respect of Members of this House with your fairness and impartiality. Your firmness in discharging your duties has also enabled smooth and orderly proceedings in this House. I have every confidence and trust that the good standing of this House will continue to be maintained under your Speakership.

Sir, you will be Speaker of Parliament that is sitting in extraordinary times and has its work cut out for it. While our COVID-19 situation is under control, the need for vigilance remains to prevent recurring waves of infections as we have seen in other countries – indeed, the fact that this evening’s Sitting is in two locations is a testament to this. As we redouble our efforts to see Singapore through this crisis, we must also not lose sight of our longer term goal of building a better Singapore – an economy that serves as a global-Asia node and continues to create good jobs; a liveable city equipped to adapt to the effects of climate change; and a caring and inclusive society where every Singaporean can achieve his or her full potential, regardless of starting point.

As we deal with our internal challenges, we must also continue to secure Singapore’s position as a trusted and valued partner in the region and the world, amidst an increasingly uncertain global environment.

Sir, the issues that this House will consider over the next five years will be increasingly complex, with no textbook answers or model solutions. We will have to find our way, create solutions suited to our unique context while holding fast to the values that define us as Singaporeans. We welcome sincere and rigorous debate from Members on both sides of the House – be it new ideas and policy proposals, or the difficult decisions that have to be taken and trade-offs that have to be made.

In this Parliament, we have, for the first time, an officially designated Leader of the Opposition. May I take this opportunity to formally congratulate Mr Pritam Singh. I look forward to working with him in this new term of Parliament.

Sir, Parliament is more than a place where laws are made. It is a place where the aspirations of a nation are articulated and made real.

This must be a House with a heart that cares, a voice of reason and a place of courage to do what is right, all conducted with the necessary dignity and decorum. Over this, Mr Speaker, you will preside.

Once again, my heartiest congratulations. [Applause.]

Mr Speaker: Mr Pritam Singh.

6.14 pm

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Workers' Party Members of Parliament and the Progress Singapore Party Non-Constituency Members of Parliament, congratulations on your re-election of Speaker of Parliament.

Since your election as Speaker in 2017, you have given the Workers' Party Members of Parliament appropriate time to engage the government of the day on the issues that matter. We trust that you will continue in the same vein.

In your few short years as Speaker, you have sought to increase public awareness of Parliament and its work through new methods of communication, such as engaging younger Singaporeans through social media. In doing so, you have encouraged Singaporeans to take an active interest in Parliament as an Organ of State that is fundamental to our democracy.

Mr Speaker, you have done so in step with the changing norms of society and without losing sight of the formality and serious purpose of Parliament as a central pillar in our system of Government.

When Parliament opened after the President's Address in 2016, I spoke on the tremendous scope available to Parliament and, more specifically, through Select Committees to make our politics more accountable and better accessible to all Singaporeans.

Mr Speaker, I hope you can lend your weight to this and continue to explore ways to demystify the work of Parliament and to better enable Singaporeans appreciate law-making and debates on policy imperatives and trade-offs. Parliament's direct and indirect impact on each and every Singaporean and our businesses is massive; and it is only appropriate that we amplify the choices and the reasons behind the decisions made or not made in Parliament more widely. In doing so, I hope Singaporeans are, in turn, driven to understand the issues we debate deeply but always in the context of a small and multi-racial society which has to balance and accommodate many different viewpoints and shifting norms.

Beyond our shores, I, along with other Parliamentary colleagues, joined you in an official visit to Malaysia in March last year. The courtesy visit to the Malaysian parliament, the Dewan Rakyat, was a highly successful one. I recall the moment our delegation had just taken our seats in the Malaysian parliament's Visitors' Gallery when the matter of a Malaysian member of parliament's ejection from their parliament was being fiercely debated and vigorously challenged. I do not think it was a coincidence that another Malaysian member of parliament stood up and invited the Dewan Rakyat to seek your advice from the Visitors' Gallery as to whether such a removal of a member of parliament was proper. Though we have not experienced such an episode ourselves in the Singapore Parliament in recent memory, it is clear that your views of how such a matter should be handled are valued in the region.

You followed up with another visit in the latter part of 2019 with an official trip to the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly or Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat Republik Indonesia where you invited former Workers' Party Secretary-General Mr Low Thia Khiang to join the delegation. Sir, your active interest in engaging parliamentarians of our closest neighbours is something that has not gone unnoticed. Indeed, as this generation of Singaporeans traverses a more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world than before, we would be remiss to ignore our closest neighbours and the context of Singapore's place in our neighbourhood and the wider world.

I am sure the House will continue to look forward to your leadership in such official functions which also include meeting Singaporeans overseas and flying the Singapore flag high.

Sir, on behalf of the Opposition Members of Parliament and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament, we wish you a successful turn as Speaker of this House. We will continue to support your efforts in raising the esteem of our Parliament and our country, both in and out of this Chamber. Congratulations. [Applause.]

Mr Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

6.18 pm

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Speaker, please allow me to speak in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, I rise in support of my colleagues in congratulating you on your unanimous re-election as the Speaker of Parliament. You have an even more challenging role to play in this Fourteenth Parliament and we have full confidence that you would be able to guide and help us to contribute to a more robust debate in the House.

Since you were first elected in September 2017, you have enhanced the digitalisation experience in parliament for its members and have shown fairness and impartiality to every member. And, in fact there were moments where you summarised the sitting and even peppered your remarks with wit to lighten an otherwise heated or sombre session.

In this new Parliament, there may be more supplementary questions, and maybe even interruptions and interjections. Your task will obviously not be an easy one.

I am, however, certain that you will treat all of us equally and fairly. As we say welcome to new members from both sides of the House, I am confident that the new members can look to you, Mr Speaker, for your forbearance to make their participation less daunting. New members will have a friend in Mr Speaker.

Please allow me now to say a few things about Mr Speaker’s other qualities. Besides being a savvy social media platform user, you are an accomplished photographer, with a heart to help others, and this is evident in your strong support for charities through your photos. This also means that, when Mr Speaker takes a glance at you, do take note for he may be seeing your points in a different light. As you know photographers use colour filters in tricky lighting conditions.

Now, we also know lensmen usually possess patience and flexibility. They can keep waiting and sometimes take a hundred snapshots just to get one good photo. But rest assured that we will not test your patience from the Bench. Above all, photographers also have an eye for beauty, creativity and details. Yes, we will stay focused during the sittings and also be appropriately dressed and observe the rules of decorum and etiquette in this House.

Once again, congratulations on your re-election, Mr Speaker. Thank you. [Applause.]

Mr Speaker: Ms Tin Pei Ling.

6.21 pm

Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson):(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, congratulations on your re-election as Speaker of Parliament. Your re-election is what we all hoped for. I believe my colleagues, like me, wish to offer our heartfelt blessings to you.

Mr Speaker, you are our respected Speaker. Furthermore, you are now the most popular Speaker in our modern history. Named the "Coolest Singaporean on Twitter", you not only preside over serious matters in Parliament and serve the residents in your constituency, but also engage actively with netizens on social media.

Your re-election symbolises our expectations for Parliament in the coming years. Parliament is where laws are made. This is also an important forum where we can debate about the present and future of Singapore and Singaporeans. The most pressing task on hand is to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, revive our economy and help Singaporeans resume normal lives. Looking ahead into the post-COVID-19 era, how do we lead Singapore towards another 50 glorious years? It all starts from here.

In addition, as Parliament is imbued with more diverse and colourful elements, how do we transcend political ideologies and verbal sparring to fight for Singaporeans' interests in unison?

We need a Speaker who is just and compassionate.

Mr Speaker, I have worked with you for 10 years. From what I have observed, you have three qualities that make you the best candidate for the Speaker's role.

First, you are compassionate and care for the people around you. You will not neglect anyone, no matter how unimportant or removed they are from you. You constantly keep an open mind and listen to views from all parties to understand their aspirations and challenges, so that policies can be implemented effectively, new laws enacted are fair and balanced, and that the people can benefit. In your constituency, your affable manners and series of people-centric community schemes have won praises and warmed the hearts of many. To you, every resident and every life is precious, each worthy of your attention.

Second, you have a sense of righteousness. You are a just and fair leader. If you see any unfairness, you will surely step forward. I remember that when you were the Minister for Social and Family Development, you supported the idea that single mothers should enjoy the same maternity benefits so that their young children can be properly cared for. As a mother, this is very important. This is one good example. You are the same in your own constituency. MacPherson can be considered your neighbour. From my years of observation, I am convinced that you are a good leader who treats everyone equally, no matter how insignificant or powerful he is.

Third, you are humorous but still maintain propriety and can preside over proceedings in this august Chamber. Having served in the army and Cabinet, you are not only equipped with rich experiences but also possess uncommon confidence and composure to deal with any situation. In Parliament, occasional heated debates are inevitable and can be seen as a healthy phenomenon. However, there should not be stalemates in Parliament, especially in the face of the pandemic and economic transformation. We must continue to work for Singaporeans' common good and forge ahead. Hence, having a Speaker who can lead and rally all sides in Parliament is all the more important now.

Mr Speaker, I look forward to the start of this new term of Parliament and hope that you will pay attention to your health because things are going to get busy again in Parliament. Congratulations once again! [Applause.]

Mr Speaker: Mr Vikram Nair.

6.26 pm

Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Mr Speaker, in Tamil, please.

(In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I am happy to speak in support of Mr Tan Chuan-Jin's election as Speaker.

We both entered politics at the same time in 2011. Since then, Mr Tan has held different responsibilities, including as Minister for Manpower and Minister for Social and Family Development.

Mr Tan, you are a man with a big heart. You always try to engage people. Even where some may disagree with you, you talk to them. You are active on social media and regularly engage people and share stories about your life and your thoughts on matters.

As Speaker of the House, you have brought that same spirit here. You have tried to make parliamentary business interesting to members of the public by explaining the rules and their purpose in an interesting way.

This term of Parliament will see us charting the course through the COVID-19 crisis. It will be important for our people to understand the issues and what is being done to manage the situation. I believe you will play your part to manage the debates fairly and find creative ways to keep the public engaged in the matters in this House.

Mr Tan, my congratulations once again to you. Thank you. [Applause.]

6.29 pm

Mr Speaker: Hon Members, I would like to thank the Leader of the House Ms Indranee Rajah, for proposing me as Speaker and for her kind words, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin for seconding the nomination. I am also grateful for the kind words of the Leader of the Opposition Mr Pritam Singh and of Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Ms Tin Pei Ling and Mr Vikram Nair. I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for your support in re-electing me as Speaker. I am fully committed to being fair and impartial but you also do know that I am fully committed to being firm.

I have no intention of ejecting anyone from this Chamber, so, please help me to help you. As Mr Saktiandi has said, I have also no intention of "photoshop"-ing anyone out of the picture. Ms Tin Pei Ling, in her tribute, talked about me caring for those near me and those afar. I suspect she is referring to herself because there were a couple of times in the last session, where she sat in the far corner and did not quite catch my eye, and I did not call her to speak. So, I hear you and I will try to remember that.

I am also fully committed – and I do need your support for this; many of you participate in this as well – to continue to engage the public. Because it is imperative that we earn their trust, respect and confidence in order for us to be able to do what we do here.

For the first time, we will be opening Parliament from two locations – here in Parliament House and in The Arts House. As Members know, The Arts House used to be our previous Parliament House. I think there is a special sense of nostalgia for many of the Members, those in The Arts House, to be there in that same Chamber, taking the oath as many of our predecessors did when they pledged to serve Singapore and Singaporeans honourably and faithfully. If I may be candid, I think many of us here would have wished that we were one of those that were designated to be there this evening.

The Oath of Allegiance is important not because after you take this oath, you become Members of Parliament. In case there is any doubt, you became a Member of Parliament the very night itself when the Returning Officer declared you as victorious in your constituency. The oath is important because, constitutionally, Members of Parliament cannot participate in Parliamentary proceedings until they have taken this oath. Hence, it is important, despite all the challenges that we face because of COVID-19, we need to make sure that we make the arrangements and provisions for all of us to take this oath. And we do so in full accordance with the process because we need to uphold our role in keeping the government of the day accountable to citizens. That is our role in Parliament.

But accountability also begins with every Member, where we represent the interests of our residents to the best of our abilities. Therefore, we must always keep our eyes and ears close to the ground to understand their concerns. I think all of us need to boldly state our positions, put forth your proposals and seek clarity on matters and issues that matter to your residents. But to be able to do this, we need to participate in Parliamentary proceedings.And to participate in Parliamentary proceedings, you need to be here in the Chamber. So, I look forward to seeing all of you here at every Sitting unless you have official duties or are on urgent leave.

The Fourteenth Parliament will see 31 newly elected Members of Parliament, the largest number of Opposition Members in recent history and a formally designated Leader of the Opposition. These developments reflect a greater desire by Singaporeans to have more choices and voices in Parliament. We can expect and I think we will expect more contestation. This is a natural step forward. It is good for our country and our people if and only if contestation leads to better outcomes for our people and our nation, for the present and for the future.

However, do beware that the wide and easy path towards polarisation and division is easy to embark on – the pathway to populism and short-termism. We are all now in a situation where there are no 10-year series answers to fall back on. There will be difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions to be made because there are very real and genuine trade-offs that need to be undertaken.

Will we focus on solutioning or will we focus on politicking? All of us will determine what these possible outcomes would be. It is important for all of us to remember that regardless of whatever political stripes or colours, wherever we stand on issues, never forget that, as Singapore Parliamentarians, we all serve a common purpose. We have been successful as a people and as a nation on many fronts because we have been exceptional, because we have been different. My challenge to all of you and to all of us here is that, in this House, can we be exceptional because we are able to transcend our political affiliations, our interests and our differences? So that even as we contest passionately and sometimes vigorously, even as we robustly debate and scrutinise laws, policies and Budgets, can we show Singaporeans, can we show the world that we need not be factious, we need not be fractious? Can we earn their trust and confidence as they look upon us as we carry out our business in this Chamber? It is not beyond us – and I look to all of you, and especially to the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition – to help us realise this.

In closing, let me echo what the Leader of the House stated. We are opening our Fourteenth Parliament in extraordinary times. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary people and leaders. Let our politics drive us forward and not drive us apart. We are in a raging storm. The countries that are agile, adaptive, determined and, above all, united will be the ones that will be able to ride the waves of recovery. I am confident that we will eventually overcome COVID-19 and emerge stronger.

So, all hands on deck as we embark on this next lap of our journey together as Parliamentarians. I wish you godspeed, fair winds and following seas as we seek safe harbour from this almighty storm that we find ourselves in and to ready ourselves for the many, many more exciting journeys ahead.

With that, thank you very much and all the best. [Applause.]

I wish to inform hon Members that the President will be present in this Chamber to deliver her speech at the Opening of Parliament later. I, therefore, suspend the Sitting until 8.00 pm. Order. Order.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 6.35 pm until 8.00 pm.

Sitting resumed at 8.00 pm.