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Singapore's Members of Parliament have gone online to submit topics they want to raise during the deliberations on the budget allocations for the various ministries.
Ahead of the marathon budget session starting on Tuesday, Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi told Channel NewsAsia how he hopes to maximise the limited time.
He said that efforts to do so over the past two years had shown results.
Parliament's Budget debate session is a two-prong process.
First, MPs will speak on the Budget delivered by Second Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on February 15.
Channel NewsAsia understands that 58 MPs have indicated they want to speak.
Once the Budget is passed, Parliament will then scrutinise the budget allocations for the various ministries and key institutions such as the Judiciary, the Attorney General's Chambers and even Parliament House.
"It used to be when we get 500 cuts and mind you, the Committee of Supply is only for a seven-day period. So, to accommodate 500, or at one time we achieved more than that, is really quite difficult," said Mr Tarmugi.
"And it is not really for us to tell the MPs to stop and say to them that they can't submit cuts. It's their right to send in the amendments to the Committee of Supply, which means I have to be very strict in terms of time. That means they only have a minute or two to present their amendments. And we have some MPs submitting up to 50 to 70 amendments," he added.
So two years ago, Parliament introduced a countdown timing system.
"They have a digital clock in Parliament which will show different colours as you get closer to your time. I think the key is to put your point across succinctly," said Michael Palmer, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.
Since last year, a different style was adopted.
To make the best use of time during the marathon Budget debate, MPs have now been allotted 18 minutes each to raise all the issues they want during the Committee of Supply with the respective ministers.
Parliament's Speaker felt this would give enough time for MPs to focus on the issues that need to be raised and also to give the Ministers enough time to reply.
"Realistically, for the cuts to be effective, you have to prioritise what kinds of amendments you want to make and which are the ministries that are important so that you can prioritise the ministries. It is much more important or useful to have a few good cuts so that you speak effectively and in depth," said Mr Tarmugi.
"Judging by the experience of the last COS (Committee of Supply), it worked quite well and the MPs were able to speak within the time limit given and many did not use the entire 18 minutes."
"It requires a bit more discipline to plan your speeches, marshall your arguments and pace your speech. Sometimes you've got not much time, but you have so many facts to put across, so you tend to race through your speech."
And that's the Speaker's advice to the new MPs who will be going through the Budget debate process for the first time.
For a start, he said they had been quite articulate and more willing to speak their minds when they made their maiden speeches during the debate on the President's speech last year. - CNA /ls
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