Punggol East By-Election Later News Update

[sengkang]

[h=2]Message from LTA on road closure
[/h]
by Punggol East SMC on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at 11:21pm ·

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE AT BUANGKOK EAST DRIVE TO KPE FOR GANTRY LAUNCHING WORKS



As part of the road improvement works, our main contractor, M/S Ley Choon Constructions and Engineering Pte Ltd will be carrying out gantry launching works at Buangkok East Drive to KPE.

To faciliate the gantry launching works, a stretch of Buangkok East Drive to KPE will be temporarily closed on 6 and 7 March 2013, between 12.30am and 5am daily.

Motorists are advised to take the alternative route as shown in the enclosed traffic diversion plan. Directional and information signs will be placed well in advance of the road closure area to inform and guide motorists to use the alternative route. Traffic marshals will also be deployed to assist the motorists. Motorists are advised to follow the directional signs displayed.

Please feel free to call M/S Ley Choon Constructions and Engineering Pte Ltd Assistant Project Manager, Mr Ji Ren Liang at 9817 8336 or LTA Higher Engineeering Officer, Mr Yong Foo Nyen at 9129 7017 or LTA Principal Engineering Officer, Mr Loo Wei Kok at 9295 7702 or Manager, Project Communications, Mr Ho Kok Khun at 9137 5571 if you have any enquiries or feedback.

Thank you and we look forward to your support in this project.

 

[sengkang]

"Last year, the Ministry of Health announced an increase in the withdrawal of Medisave for outpatient treatments for approved chronic diseases, raising it up to $400 a year.

However, the list of ‘approved chronic conditions’ did not change. Currently, there are 10 ‘approved chronic conditions’ that one must suffer from, in order to be entitled to use Medisave for outpatient treatment.

Many elderly suffer from other common ailments, which though not an approved chronic condition, are health problems that are persistent and require continual medication to control or manage.
These health problems may include cataract, osteoporosis or Parkinson’s disease to name a few.

Some of these age-related health problems may be controlled or managed with long term medication, while other problems may require further tests or health screenings in order to detect them.

A more flexible use of Medisave would greatly benefit the elderly, since many of them may not suffer from an approved chronic condition, but have other illnesses that require costly long-term care and constant medical attention." ~ MP Lee Li Lian (12 March 2013)








COS 2013 Debates: MOH – Medisave (MP Lee Li Lian)
wp.sg


Madam, I would like to ask the Ministry to look into expanding the scope of outpatient treatment which can be covered by Medisave.

 

[sengkang]

"Madam, today a married woman is given 16 weeks of paid maternity leave. The situation for single mothers is very different. Single mothers are currently only entitled to 8 weeks of paid maternity leave from the state. [...]

Maternity leave is particularly important for the child as well as the mother to recuperate physically and emotionally from child bearing.

A mother’s marital status is irrelevant. They may be single by chance, but mothers by choice. [...]

I certainly hope that the government does not view an additional 8 weeks of paid maternity leave to single mothers as a financial burden.

Rather, I hope that the government will appreciate the needs of the child, as well as the value of the bond between a mother and her child, which is non-measurable in monetary terms. [...]

As such, I call upon the Ministry to consider extending the benefits of 16 weeks of unpaid maternity leave to single mothers and also look into granting paternity leave for single fathers." ~ MP Lee Li Lian (14 March 2013)



COS 2013 Debate: MSF – Single parents (MP Lee Li Lian)
wp.sg
By MP for Punggol East SMC, Lee Li Lian [Delivered in Committee of Supply on 14 March 2013] Madam, today a married woman is given

 

[sengkang]

"I come across such cases every week during my MPS, where residents above 55 years are unable to pay their housing loans through their Retirement Account because they have insufficient funds left over and above the Minimum Sum, and they struggle to find additional funds to pay off their housing loan installments.

One such resident Mr Ang, had about $20,000 transferred from his CPF-OA to his Retirement Account when he turned 55 last year. His monthly instalment for his housing loan is $700.

He appealed to CPF to allow him to use the funds in his Retirement Account to pay for the instalments but was rejected.

This leaves him with the only option of forking out cash for the installments. This is a heavy burden for him whose take home pay is less than $2000, on top of that he needs to finance his children’s tertiary education. [...]

It is important to set aside sufficient funds for retirement.

However, at the same time we must acknowledge that there are immediate financial concerns that warrant exceptions to present rules.

I urge the Minister to consider allowing CPF members to use their Retirement Account to continue to pay for their outstanding loan, even if they do not meet the Minimum Sum so as not to create sudden additional financial burden to them." ~ MP Lee Li Lian (14 March 2013)



COS 2013 Debate: MOM – CPF Retirement Account (MP Lee Li Lian)
wp.sg
By MP for Punggol East SMC, Lee Li Lian [Delivered in Committee of Supply on 14 March 2013] CPF Members who have reached 55 years old, will see a portion of

 

[The_Hypocrite]

Single moms are fucking up ang mor land by breeding more to get more benefits and screwing men to get them to pay child support,,that is y minimal support must be given to single moms to discourage them from breeding. There must be no advantage for single moms to have kids as compared to married and responsible couples.

this policy will fuck up singapore as I bet that now women will want to have kids so they can get a hdb flat and maximise on the profits.

"Madam, today a married woman is given 16 weeks of paid maternity leave. The situation for single mothers is very different. Single mothers are currently only entitled to 8 weeks of paid maternity leave from the state. [...]

Maternity leave is particularly important for the child as well as the mother to recuperate physically and emotionally from child bearing.

A mother’s marital status is irrelevant. They may be single by chance, but mothers by choice. [...]

I certainly hope that the government does not view an additional 8 weeks of paid maternity leave to single mothers as a financial burden.

Rather, I hope that the government will appreciate the needs of the child, as well as the value of the bond between a mother and her child, which is non-measurable in monetary terms. [...]

As such, I call upon the Ministry to consider extending the benefits of 16 weeks of unpaid maternity leave to single mothers and also look into granting paternity leave for single fathers." ~ MP Lee Li Lian (14 March 2013)



COS 2013 Debate: MSF – Single parents (MP Lee Li Lian)
wp.sg
By MP for Punggol East SMC, Lee Li Lian [Delivered in Committee of Supply on 14 March 2013] Madam, today a married woman is given

 

[sengkang]

"As anchor operators, the PAP Community Foundation and the NTUC My First Skool receive heavy set-up and operating grants, and in the process prevent fair competition in the childcare market. This will gradually reduce the choices and viable options for parents. [...]

Mr. Chan Chun Sing stated that the scheme is currently under review and the Implementation Committee for Enhancing Pre-school education will be announcing the details in due course.

Many parents in my ward of Punggol East will be anxiously waiting for the outcome of this review. There are insufficient childcare facilities in Punggol East to meet the demand of the ward.

...the demand for childcare facilities in Punggol East will only continue to increase with the increase in houses in the vicinity and hopefully with more young couples, encouraged by recent moves, having more children.

As such, I call upon the Ministry to prioritise the building of childcare facilities in younger estates, and to also factor child care spaces into the design of BTO flats in all new towns.

I would also like to ask the Minister if there are any specific plans to develop additional childcare facilities in Punggol East SMC." ~ MP Lee Li Lian (14 March 2013)



COS 2013 Debate: MSF – Enhancement of pre-schools (MP Lee Li Lian)
wp.sg
By MP for Punggol East SMC, Lee Li Lian [Delivered in Committee of Supply on 14 March 2013] Madam, childcare is an integral part of a couple’s plans for r

 

[sengkang]

We invite Punggol East SMC residents from Blks 116A to 122E to join us for this tea session.

 

[sengkang]

[h=5]Lee Li Lian （李丽连）[/h]
I'm pleased to announce the 1st Punggol East community event I look forward to meeting the residents from Blk 116A to 122E. Young children are welcome to join us too! Don't worry if you are living in other blocks as we will be conducting similar sessions in different areas of Punggol East to cater to different clusters.

Was busy with the Budget and COS Cuts debate for the past 2 weeks. I will be posting details of my 10 Cuts shortly.


We invite Punggol East SMC residents from Blks 116A to 122E to join us for this tea session.

 

[sengkang]

Punggol East SMC


[h=5]UPDATE On Rivervale Plaza Renovation

Shortly after the By-Election, Ms Lee Li Lian wrote an email to HDB to enquire about the renovation of Rivervale Plaza. Recently, she also met up with the rep from HDB and the contractor when she visited shops that suffered water leakage problems.

We were assured that work is progressing and the contractor had been speeding things up. We were also assured that the renovation is on schedule to be completed by June 2013.

Let's hope that there will not be any more unnecessary delays as we look forward to June 2013![/h]

 

[sengkang]

My 2nd Cut, filed under PMO too: Car Loans

The original intention of this Cut was to ask for exemption to be given to disabled drivers and their caregivers. I'm happy to hear of the announcement even before I deliver my 1 min speech on this.


COS 2013 Debates: PMO – Car Loans (MP Lee Li Lian)
wp.sg
By MP for Punggol East SMC, Lee Li Lian [Delivered in Committee of Supply on 7 March 2013] Madam, I am glad to hear from Minister

 

[sengkang]

3rd Cut, filed under MCI: IDA’s penalty to operators.
http://wp.sg/2013/03/cos-2013-debates-mci-idas-penalty-to-operators-mp-lee-li-lian/

 

[sengkang]

4th Cut: Rental Housing, filed under MND.

'I hope that the Minister has started to think deeply about this issue and can share with us, from the appeals that HDB receives, under what conditions or criteria has the HDB granted a rental flat to a Singapore citizen with a foreign spouse? If not, what other alternatives are there for them?'





COS 2013 Debates: MND – Rental Housing (MP Lee Li Lian)
wp.sg
By MP for Punggol East SMC, Lee Li Lian [Delivered in Committee of Supply on 11 March 2013] Madam, Minister S Iswaran told Parliament on 5 March 2013 th

 

[sengkang]

Filed under MOH, my 5th Cut: Medisave.
http://wp.sg/2013/03/cos-2013-debates-moh-medisave-mp-lee-li-lian/

 

[sengkang]

My longest Cut goes to MOT, 3 mins: Affordable Fares
http://wp.sg/2013/03/cos-2013-debates-mot-affordable-fares-mp-lee-li-lian/

 

[sengkang]

[h=5]Lee Li Lian （李丽连）[/h]Conducted my 1st house visit after BE on Thursday night. It was done at a much slower pace with more time spent with each household. One of the lovely families I came across Picture taken with Logash (left) and Viraj (right).

 

[sengkang]

[h=1]13-03-23: Rice Distribution[/h]Updated <abbr title="Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 12:49am" data-utime="1364057346" class="timestamp">2 seconds ago</abbr> · Taken at Blk 182 Rivervale Cresent




A kind donor gave us 300 packs of rice, 5kg each, to give away to the lower income residents of Punggol East. Last week, more than a dozen volunteers knocked on the doors of units of selected blocks and gave out flyers informing residents to collect a free pack of rice at 1pm, 23rd March, at the void deck of Block 182.

Today, we were very fortunate to have over twenty volunteers to help Li Lian with the distribution. We gave out the first pack of rice at 12:45pm to an elderly couple, one of whom was in a wheelchair. Knowing that some of the residents would have difficulty carrying up the rice to their flats, our volunteers selflessly agreed to help residents bring up the rice when requested.

By 2 pm, we had only managed to give out about half of the 300 packs. As we were concerned that many residents might have forgotten about the distribution, volunteers fanned out to the different floors to knock on the doors of residents who had not collected the rice.

Asha, a 22-year old volunteer, found a resident just about to leave for work and had forgotten about the distribution. As the lady needed to rush for work, Asha ran down and back up to pass her a pack of rice to ensure she wouldn't be late for work.

Asha has this to say at the end of the day:
"It was very fulfilling to see the grateful smiles on the faces of the residents when they received a simple pack of rice, something many of us take for granted. These are the little gestures that make my experience as a volunteer more enriching."

 

[sengkang]

[h=1]13-03-23: Rice Distribution[/h]Updated <abbr title="Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 12:49am" data-utime="1364057346" class="timestamp">2 seconds ago</abbr> · Taken at Blk 182 Rivervale Cresent




A kind donor gave us 300 packs of rice, 5kg each, to give away to the lower income residents of Punggol East. Last week, more than a dozen volunteers knocked on the doors of units of selected blocks and gave out flyers informing residents to collect a free pack of rice at 1pm, 23rd March, at the void deck of Block 182.

Today, we were very fortunate to have over twenty volunteers to help Li Lian with the distribution. We gave out the first pack of rice at 12:45pm to an elderly couple, one of whom was in a wheelchair. Knowing that some of the residents would have difficulty carrying up the rice to their flats, our volunteers selflessly agreed to help residents bring up the rice when requested.

By 2 pm, we had only managed to give out about half of the 300 packs. As we were concerned that many residents might have forgotten about the distribution, volunteers fanned out to the different floors to knock on the doors of residents who had not collected the rice.

Asha, a 22-year old volunteer, found a resident just about to leave for work and had forgotten about the distribution. As the lady needed to rush for work, Asha ran down and back up to pass her a pack of rice to ensure she wouldn't be late for work.

Asha has this to say at the end of the day:
"It was very fulfilling to see the grateful smiles on the faces of the residents when they received a simple pack of rice, something many of us take for granted. These are the little gestures that make my experience as a volunteer more enriching."

 

[sengkang]

[h=1]13-03-23: Rice Distribution[/h]Updated <abbr title="Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 12:49am" data-utime="1364057346" class="timestamp">2 seconds ago</abbr> · Taken at Blk 182 Rivervale Cresent




A kind donor gave us 300 packs of rice, 5kg each, to give away to the lower income residents of Punggol East. Last week, more than a dozen volunteers knocked on the doors of units of selected blocks and gave out flyers informing residents to collect a free pack of rice at 1pm, 23rd March, at the void deck of Block 182.

Today, we were very fortunate to have over twenty volunteers to help Li Lian with the distribution. We gave out the first pack of rice at 12:45pm to an elderly couple, one of whom was in a wheelchair. Knowing that some of the residents would have difficulty carrying up the rice to their flats, our volunteers selflessly agreed to help residents bring up the rice when requested.

By 2 pm, we had only managed to give out about half of the 300 packs. As we were concerned that many residents might have forgotten about the distribution, volunteers fanned out to the different floors to knock on the doors of residents who had not collected the rice.

Asha, a 22-year old volunteer, found a resident just about to leave for work and had forgotten about the distribution. As the lady needed to rush for work, Asha ran down and back up to pass her a pack of rice to ensure she wouldn't be late for work.

Asha has this to say at the end of the day:
"It was very fulfilling to see the grateful smiles on the faces of the residents when they received a simple pack of rice, something many of us take for granted. These are the little gestures that make my experience as a volunteer more enriching."

 

[sengkang]

[h=1]13-03-23: Rice Distribution[/h]Updated <abbr title="Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 12:49am" data-utime="1364057346" class="timestamp">2 seconds ago</abbr> · Taken at Blk 182 Rivervale Cresent




A kind donor gave us 300 packs of rice, 5kg each, to give away to the lower income residents of Punggol East. Last week, more than a dozen volunteers knocked on the doors of units of selected blocks and gave out flyers informing residents to collect a free pack of rice at 1pm, 23rd March, at the void deck of Block 182.

Today, we were very fortunate to have over twenty volunteers to help Li Lian with the distribution. We gave out the first pack of rice at 12:45pm to an elderly couple, one of whom was in a wheelchair. Knowing that some of the residents would have difficulty carrying up the rice to their flats, our volunteers selflessly agreed to help residents bring up the rice when requested.

By 2 pm, we had only managed to give out about half of the 300 packs. As we were concerned that many residents might have forgotten about the distribution, volunteers fanned out to the different floors to knock on the doors of residents who had not collected the rice.

Asha, a 22-year old volunteer, found a resident just about to leave for work and had forgotten about the distribution. As the lady needed to rush for work, Asha ran down and back up to pass her a pack of rice to ensure she wouldn't be late for work.

Asha has this to say at the end of the day:
"It was very fulfilling to see the grateful smiles on the faces of the residents when they received a simple pack of rice, something many of us take for granted. These are the little gestures that make my experience as a volunteer more enriching."

 

[sengkang]

[h=1]13-03-23: Rice Distribution[/h]Updated <abbr title="Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 12:49am" data-utime="1364057346" class="timestamp">2 seconds ago</abbr> · Taken at Blk 182 Rivervale Cresent




A kind donor gave us 300 packs of rice, 5kg each, to give away to the lower income residents of Punggol East. Last week, more than a dozen volunteers knocked on the doors of units of selected blocks and gave out flyers informing residents to collect a free pack of rice at 1pm, 23rd March, at the void deck of Block 182.

Today, we were very fortunate to have over twenty volunteers to help Li Lian with the distribution. We gave out the first pack of rice at 12:45pm to an elderly couple, one of whom was in a wheelchair. Knowing that some of the residents would have difficulty carrying up the rice to their flats, our volunteers selflessly agreed to help residents bring up the rice when requested.

By 2 pm, we had only managed to give out about half of the 300 packs. As we were concerned that many residents might have forgotten about the distribution, volunteers fanned out to the different floors to knock on the doors of residents who had not collected the rice.

Asha, a 22-year old volunteer, found a resident just about to leave for work and had forgotten about the distribution. As the lady needed to rush for work, Asha ran down and back up to pass her a pack of rice to ensure she wouldn't be late for work.

Asha has this to say at the end of the day:
"It was very fulfilling to see the grateful smiles on the faces of the residents when they received a simple pack of rice, something many of us take for granted. These are the little gestures that make my experience as a volunteer more enriching."