MP Allen Lee say foreigners no need to pay more

[annexa]

SINGAPORE: Even as some PAP Community Foundation (PCF) branches mull over a possible fee increase for its kindergartens and childcare centres, at least one branch will go ahead with a fee hike — but only for its foreign enrolment.

Kebun Baru PCF’s two centres will increase fees by S$10 and S$20 from next month for children of permanent residents (PRs) and foreigners, respectively.

PRs will pay between S$110 and S$130 for nursery fees at the two centres and between $120 and $140 if their child is in kindergarten. For foreigners, the new fees are between S$140 and S$160 and between S$150 and S$170, respectively.

Letters signed by the branch administrator informing parents of the revised fees, which MediaCorp obtained a copy of, were sent out as early as April.

Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency (GRC) Member of Parliament Inderjit Singh, the chairperson of Kebun Baru PCF, said the decision was made last year at the GRC level.

"We want to differentiate what we’re charging to locals and foreigners. Costs have gone up, and to keep PCF education as affordable as possible for Singaporeans, I think we need to ... have it more differentiated," he told MediaCorp.

The fee gap from next month at Kebun Baru will be as much as S$50 a month. But it remains to be seen if this will stave off any fee hike for local children.

Mr Singh said the branch will still have to review operations routinely, that is, every six months. With teacher salaries forming the bulk of its costs and as wages increase in general, the branch will look at fees as part of its reviews, said Mr Singh, who noted that PRs and foreigners form a small proportion — about 5 per cent — of total intake at Kebun Baru.

In fact, the small proportion of foreign pupils is one factor that other branches might take into consideration. Sembawang GRC MP Ellen Lee said: "If the numbers (of foreign intake) are very far and few between, is there a need to have this differentiation?"
Ms Lee’s Woodlands PCF branch is among the centres considering whether to charge more to cover costs, as reported yesterday in Today, and she said that falling enrolment is another factor against greater fee differentiation.

"If there’s going to be shortage of places, then you can give priority to Singaporeans ... (but) how much can you recover if the enrolment is so small? I don’t think we need to necessarily create any difficulties," she said. —



This MP not understand the meaning of "Singapore" and "Singaporean"? Just because her enrolment number not enough means everyone must forget the basic principal that Singapore belong to Singaporean? If enrolment not enough is it must do more work get more student or kaopeh Singaporean not pay enough? Another foot in mouth say wrong thing, misquoted saga?

 

[red amoeba]

wah say...just elected only can so fast turn her back to her voters liao....

 

[Leongsam]

What sort of idiotic parents would want to send their children to brainwashing centres in the first place????

 

[karmabear]

This is her profile on the PAP pound website. Make herself sound like mother theresa but backstab citizens in the end. Fat fuck can go and audition for Mrs Shrek.

http://ge.pap.org.sg/candidate/ellenlee

Ellen Lee Geck Hoon, 54, was elected a Member of Parliament of the Sembawang GRC on 6th May 2006.

She received her primary, secondary and pre-university education in the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus at Victoria Street, Singapore. She graduated from the National University of Singapore with an LLB.(Hons) Degree in 1980. She was called to the Bar on 14th January 1981 and has been practicing as an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore since then till now.

Except for the 3 years when she worked as a Legal Assistant, Ellen ran her own law firm as a sole proprietor for 21 years from 1984 to 2005. She practiced mainly commercial, banking, corporate, civil, criminal, conveyancing and family law. She has been a Consultant at Messers Ramdas & Wong since 2005 where she concentrates on practising Family Law.

During her undergraduate days, Ellen was already actively involved in community work through her membership in the St. Vincent de Paul Society, helping needy families to become financially independent. After Ellen started practising as a lawyer, she extended her outreach to the community through giving free legal counseling and talks on different law topics at community centres, VWOs and schools, running legal letterboxes in the Chinese and English newspapers, radios and TV shows. She was also President of the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers where she expanded the free legal counseling services to 15 community centres so that throughout the month, such services are within easy reach of the public in different parts of Singapore.

For about 10 Years, Ellen was Chairperson of the Singapore Law Society's Family Law Practice Committee where she was a liaison between the Family Court and the Family law practitioners to improve upon the practice and programmes. She was also appointed a Court Counsel for children in contested divorce proceedings. In addition, Ellen was appointed a Panel Advisor for the Juvenile Court to help oversee the recommendations for the rehabilitation of the youth offenders.

Since her election in May 2006, Ellen has successfully executed the Lift Upgrading Programme for all eligible flats in Woodlands to have lifts stopping at all floors. She has also added more facilities and enhanced existing infrastructure, such as building more covered walkways, built mega and smaller hard courts and play groumds, exercise corners and a skate board park, created pedestrian malls at Notrh Plaza 883 and Plaza 888 respectively and procured free lunch time parking at both plazas, installed barrier free access, amongst others, to enhance the living environment and facilities in Woodlands.

In the area of preschool education, Ellen has installed computers in all Woodlands PCF Education Centres so that all students will be taught computer lessons without paying extra fees. Ellen has also brought in several education specialists to supplement existing courses to enrich our students and enhance the skills of our teachers and staff.

Ellen is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Singapore-Turkey parliamentary Friendship Group and the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is also a member of the GPC for the Ministry of Health and currently serves as a member of the National Transplant Ethics Committee.

In the Women's Wing, Ellen is Chairperson for the "Celebrate Wellness" Project that brings together diverse groups such as the Health Promotion Board, the KK Women & Children's Hospital, Great Eastern Life Assurance Company, the Tsao and Khoo Foundations, Tote Board, the Singapore Turf Club, The Singapore Cancer Society, The People's Association's WIN Council and the Women's Wing to stage road shows to encourage eligible women to go for a further subsidized mammogram screening.

Ellen strongly believes in supporting community organisations in their efforts to serve the communtity. Notwithstanding her election as an MP, she continues to actively engage and serve NGO's and VWOs in her capacity as Honorary Legal Advisor to a substantial number of Chinese Clans and Associations, Chinese and Indian temples and other non-profit organisations such as Family Service Centres and miscellaneous groups.

Ms Ellen’s Wishes for Woodlands

With deep concern for needy residents getting on in years and not in good health, Ellen would like to set up a day-care centre, with rehabilitative services, so they can receive the care they deserve during the day when their children or family members who are their care-givers work. Other benefits provided by the day-care centre include activities to engage them in a meaningful way so they won’t feel lonely or depressed. Additionally, they will receive therapy if necessary and enjoy the company of friends.

Next on her to-do list is designing activities to integrate residents into the Woodlands community, with the view to invite more people to volunteer for community events which will also contribute to the renewal of grassroots leaders. This is important as leadership continuity will help make the grassroots organisation remain strong and relevant to the needs of the community. Hopefully, younger residents will also volunteer their time and learn from more experienced grassroots leaders. It will provide grassroots leaders more time to enhance their capabilities through various courses. Helping the young to run grassroots activities will also help grassroots leaders to consolidate their strengths in various areas. Thus with sharing of experiences and constant upgrading, the overall pool of expertise and leadership capabilities will increase.

For pre-school children at our PCF centres, Ellen intends to have more programmes aimed at personal cultivation. This is beyond the basic literacies of reading, writing and so on. Ellen noted that increasingly, our children are cared for by domestic helpers and family members while their parents are busy at work and It is therefore more important now for us to inculcate in our children not just the cores values that we subscribe to but also a sense of self-reliance that will see them grow into more resilient, more independent and more appreciative of what they have, especially in socially peaceful times. Much of their survival instincts have been blunted so new programmes may be needed to call them up so children can explore the world for themselves to make new discoveries and grow up! Ours is an increasingly fast-paced society, there is little time to learn all these precious skills. As such, the pre-formal schooling period is the best time to let them learn these skills readily, before they are given other things to occupy them.

For the community at large, in terms of infrastructure such as lift-upgrading, barrier-free access and so on, there remain areas that need to be improved on, for instance, common areas. It is hoped that residents will continue to provide feedback on what needs to be improved and that they will volunteer their time to take ownership of the projects that should be implemented. It then becomes a more meaningful experience to be able to bring about changes where they could be made; and where they could not be made, to have the satisfaction of knowing that they have played their part by putting in an effort for the desired change. When you take ownership in making changes not just for yourself but also for benefit of the whole community, the sense of satisfaction is the greatest.

Ellen’s Views On Grassroots Leaders

To Ellen, Woodlands Grassroots Leaders are committed and dedicated to their work which is commendable as they are not paid. She feels that the ruling party is fortunate to have the support of many grassroots leaders whose belief is that they should help a government that is doing the right things to do what is good for the country. In helping to organise events for the community, grassroots leaders contribute to not just the residents’ well-being but also their own, as they too, are stakeholders it the country’s continued prosperity. As citizens we all have to do our part to enhance what we already have, for the sake of our children and their children.

Ellen’s most satisfying moment being Woodlands’ MP

No single most satisfying moment. Ellen shares what she cherishes about the past 5 years in Woodlands thus: 1. Using the powers of the MP ‘s office to get things done for residents; 2. Residents’ expression of their appreciation of the MP as final resort when personal efforts proved futile; examples include securing a rental flat to provide roof over dependents; enabling families to reunite by assisting with gaining entry into Singapore for a foreign spouse or parents living overseas; securing employment and staying on the job; securing funds for re-skilling programmes; 3. Residents’ appreciation of MP’s effort to help although they didn’t get what they wanted. Ellen remembered fondly a resident who came to ask for help after leaving the prison. The resident wanted very much to find a job but with little education and no funds, he was not successful. Fortunately, Ellen connected him with E2i and with funds from Comcare, he took up a course and found a part-time job. The success story continued with his proving himself to his employer who later confirmed him as a permanent staff and paid him a better salary. The hardworking resident finally got his wish to upgrade to a bigger flat for his family.

Ellen’s role as MP

Ellen feels that as MP, her most important role is helping residents who come to her with their problems. Problems range from housing, education, immigration, work, even disputes with neighbours, to children’s admission to schools, polytechnics or universities. Where solutions do not present themselves readily, Ellen explores with her residents different approaches, including lowering their expectations, striving for a win-win where possible. As an MP, Ellen ensures that there is bonding among residents and integration into the community through community events centred on themes such as multi-cultural festivities, health and environment. Ellen reaches out to schools in her role as MP through accepting invitations to significant events such as Speech Day, Sports Day and Speech and Drama events. She is impressed by the conducive environment that schools give their students to learn, and the many programmes to foster innovative and creative thinking. Another important role is reaching out to religious groups. Getting to know them is important as cultivating good ties is good for racial and religious harmony in our society. Added to the above is the important role of forging collaborative links with other constituencies in Sembawang GRC. Projects that benefit the whole GRC, such as the Waterfront opening, programmes that cater to the needs of special segments such as the elderly, and various inter-constituency projects rely on good links between residents of Woodlands and the other constituencies for their success. Through events at the GRC level, residents become aware of facilities and services they can enjoy outside their own constituency. They make more friends and enrich their lives greatly when they use the given opportunities. At the national level, Ellen works with parliamentary groups outside Singapore to forge better links with other countries.. She learns about different parliamentary models and feels that ours works better in getting things done efficiently.

 

[johnny333]

Looks like the honeymoon is over until the next election

 

[sirus]

 

[Heart Break Kid]

She probably not in the same league as Princess Fiona

If I am going Taiwan to work, I will probably send my kids to an international school. Its a good times to get away from those old ladies who supported PAP with their lifes. I do not want my kids to grow up in places like PAP kindergartens.

 

[Zombie]

Very surprising that a lawyer thinks like the wet market obasan, whose concern is only costs.

 

[halsey02]

What they are saying is, PR, Foreigners are the best pay masters, they would welcome their money & would want to impprt them by the airbus380 full load into SINgapore.

Lesser mortals, home grown bean sprouts..go get e-coli... ha ha ha ha

 

[kingrant]

We can also follow her logic that perhaps the price difference is not great enough to make a diff. Therefore, the foreigner's fees should be raised even higher for the schools to make a profit.

 

[KuanTi01]

Shrek & Princess Fiona look better!

 

[streetsmart73]

wah say...just elected only can so fast turn her back to her voters liao....

hi there


1. red, cry yesterday, wayang today, about turn tmrw.
2. that is sheep's kpis mah!
3. nothing changed nothing new.

 

[jw5]

What sort of idiotic parents would want to send their children to brainwashing centres in the first place????

Idiotic brainwashed parents?

 

[annexa]

Ok I hope this is what she is meant to say!

We can also follow her logic that perhaps the price difference is not great enough to make a diff. Therefore, the foreigner's fees should be raised even higher for the schools to make a profit.

 

[Lian9]

Thank you...for a moment, i was thinking who is Ellen Lee, didnt really come across this name..till one brudder here post her pic...
It's really quite interesting...as in her comments...haizz...