The following question stood in the name of Ms Joan Pereira –
1 To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what criteria need to be met before the installation of speed cameras for roads; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider installing them where speeding takes place often especially at locations where these incidents occur mostly at night.
\t
\tMr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Question No 1.
\tThe Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, for the installation of speed cameras, the Traffic Police (TP) will consider locations where speeding takes place often and which are prone to accidents. This is regardless whether the speeding incidents and accidents tend to occur at night or in the daytime. In addition, TP will assess if the terrain is suitable for the camera to be installed and effectively detect violations.
Besides fixed speed cameras, TP officers conduct anti-speeding operations daily. TP also works closely with LTA on the installation of speed regulating measures, such as road humps and speed regulating strips, where necessary and feasible.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Pereira.
\tMs Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I have two supplementary questions. First is, may I know how many speed cameras are installed across Singapore? Second, on the recent Tanjong Pagar accident, I understand there have been numerous feedback and complaints with regard to speeding in the area. May I know what enforcement TP or MHA has carried out in response to the complaints and feedback?
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. There are 41 fixed and mobile speed cameras deployed across Singapore. In addition, we have one average speed camera system which is deployed at Tanah Merah Coast Road. That is for question one.
For question two, indeed, TP has received feedback of speeding along Tanjong Pagar Road, but the numbers are not high. While it is not known to be a speeding-prone area, TP conducts frequent patrols and road blocks in the vicinity to deter and detect drink driving and speeding.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Drivers Issued with Summons and Fined for Illegally Modifying Their Cars","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"2 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Transport (a) in the past two years, how many drivers have been issued with summons and fined for illegally modifying their cars; and (b) whether any action is taken against the car workshops that have carried out the illegal modifications.
The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan) (for the Minister for Transport): In the past two years, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has issued an average of 610 notices of offences per month to owners of illegally modified vehicles. These include the installation of non-compliant exhaust systems, lighting systems and tinted windows.
Any person who illegally modifies a vehicle can similarly be penalised under the Road Traffic Act. LTA will investigate and take action against workshops if they are found to have engaged in illegal modification activities.
\tMr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Thank you, Speaker. I have received many complaints from residents regarding noisy cars, noisy motorcycles, speeding along the East Coast Parkway and Mountbatten Road. Residents complain that cars and motorbikes have been illegally modified to remove the noise muffler and hence, are much noisier. There are also comments that the car in the Tanjong Pagar accident was illegally modified and hence, became combustible.
I wanted to ask the Senior Minister of State whether the Government will step up enforcement and impose higher penalties against workshops that carry out such illegal modifications. At the end of the day, it is not just the drivers who modified the vehicles, but also the workshops that are complicit in carrying out the illegal modifications. And currently, with the travel restrictions, these modifications cannot be done or undone in Johor Bahru (JB).
So, when we send the vehicles for testing, would LTA take action against vehicles that had been illegally modified and whether they can trace where the modifications had been done?
\tDr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I want to thank the Member for his supplementary question. It is, indeed, a serious offence for vehicles to be illegally modified because of the safety risks they pose as well as environmental hazards like noise pollution. But noise pollution from vehicles can be caused by a variety of factors: illegal modifications as well as the vehicle design or the driver's behaviour. Indeed, vehicle noise for some high performance vehicles may be louder, but it is not because they are illegally modified. Noise may also appear higher in residential neighbourhoods or at night when the ambient noise is low.
Nonetheless, the agencies including LTA keep a very close track on public feedback on noisy vehicles and if we suspect that there is illegal vehicle modification, LTA will investigate and take action against those who are involved.
As regards the Tanjong Pagar incident, SPF is still investigating, so it is premature for us to comment on this.
I would like to also address the Member's query about stepping up enforcement and enhancing penalties against workshops. Indeed, in 2017, we updated the Road Traffic Act to strengthen our enforcement efforts against workshops. But it remains challenging to establish culpability against the workshop. For instance, we need the vehicle owners to identify the workshops and then, for them to agree to be prosecution witnesses. So far, the vehicle owners we have interviewed have not been cooperative. Nonetheless, LTA is looking at other measures to gather evidence to take action against the workshops.
But more importantly, what we do is to stem the demand for such illegal modifications that is from the source. That is why we have also enhanced the penalties against vehicle owners found to have illegal vehicle modifications. In 2017, the penalty for illegal vehicle modification for the vehicle owners was increased to up to $5,000 or up to three months jail, or both for first-time offenders. The penalties are doubled for repeat offenders.
In addition, we have introduced an enhanced vehicle inspection regime. That is for repeat offenders. Vehicle owners who are found to have modified their exhaust systems, for instance, for second or subsequent times, they will be subjected to more frequent mandatory vehicle inspections of every three to six months, instead of the normal every one to two years. In addition, if they are found to have tampered engines in the vehicles, the vehicles will have to be de-registered and they might not be granted rebates for the residual Certificate of Entitlement or Preferential Additional Registration Fee, if there is any.
With these strict penalties, as well as our regular enforcement and inspection efforts, we have been able to reduce the number of illegal vehicle modification offences from about 1,800 per month on average in 2015 to about 550 per month on average in 2020.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Promoting Demand for Locally Grown Produce","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"3 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) other than the SG Fresh Produce Label, what efforts are in place to increase demand for locally grown produce; and (b) how many local companies have successfully applied for the label.
The Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment (Mr Desmond Tan) (for the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment): Mr Speaker, local food production plays an important role in Singapore’s efforts to enhance the resilience of our food supply. To complement the ramp-up in local food production under the \"30 by 30\" goal, my Ministry supports the local farmers in a few ways.
Last year, we ran the Singapore Food Story campaign to raise consumer appreciation and support for local produce. As part of the campaign, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) launched the SG Fresh Produce (SGFP) logo to help consumers identify and support local produce. The logo was designed in consultation with industry stakeholders and over 2,200 members of the public. To-date, over 50 local farms, distributors and supermarket retailers have successfully applied to use the logo on their produce packaging and marketing collaterals.
SFA is also helping to promote local produce through promotions and better branding and display at major retailers like NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage, Sheng Siong and Prime Supermarket. In the virtual space, the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation Limited (SAFEF) has partnered Lazada’s Redmart to launch an e-SG Farmers’ Market page. This offers consumers the convenience of choosing over 100 local produce items from 20 local farms at the click of their fingertips. As part of its outreach, SFA has helped to connect farms with potential corporate buyers, such as food and beverage and retail establishments, to negotiate possible offtake arrangements and partnerships.
Later this year, a \"Clean and Green\" standard for urban farms will be launched. This certification recognises local farms that have adopted resource-efficient farming practices and ensured clean farming environments. It serves as a mark of assurance to our consumers that the produce from these farms are not only free from synthetic pesticides, but are also grown in a sustainable way.
In the spirit of Singapore Together, the Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment and SFA convened a Citizens’ Workgroup last year to co-create ideas to increase demand for local produce. Arising from their recommendations, we have recently announced plans to work with industry partners and interested members of the Citizen’s Workgroup to pilot two projects targeted at marketing local produce to two key customer groups: new mothers' first meal after delivery and patrons at our markets.
While SFA will continue to support local farmers through promotions and initiatives mentioned above, increasing demand for local produce is ultimately the responsibility of the farmers. Producing good quality and safe farm products, giving good value to the consumers and getting production at a competitive cost level will ensure the sustainability of our local farming industry. We will work closely with the farmers and the stakeholders to help local produce gain market acceptance in Singapore.
\tMs Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Sir, I thank the Minister of State for his response. I think many appreciate the fact that we are tackling food security and note that we have a \"30 by 30\" goal. But there are concerns that as we ramp up production and improve productivity, whether there is also an equal focus on and resources being put towards ensuring and monitoring that production is environmentally sustainable.
To that end, I am glad to hear about the upcoming \"Clean and Green\" standard and also the work of the Citizens' Workgroup.
But, for example, practices such as proper waste management, how will that be looked into? I would be very grateful if the Ministry could share some of its plans in this regard. And also to what extent is food from land-based and sea-based farms exported for consumption overseas instead of being consumed here in Singapore, and does that go towards our \"30 by 30\" goal?
\tMr Desmond Tan: I thank the Member for her supplementary question. There are actually two parts to the question. The first is on how, as we ramp up, we continue to ensure that environmental sustainability is taken into account. The second is on export. So, I would touch on the first part, first.
First of all, the \"30 by 30\" goal, is precisely to give us this opportunity to relook at how we can create the agri-food hub in Lim Chu Kang as part of the master planning. Through the process of masterplanning, we can, not just increase the productivity of our produce, but also to take into account some of the environmental factors in the design of the land use as well as the methods in which the farming technology can be introduced in this new plan.
To give you an example, as part of the design of the Lim Chu Kang masterplanning, we will be taking into consideration the possibility of integrating different services together, as a shared service, for example, the waste management that the Member talked about. This will allow us to ensure that the environment factors are taken into account and to pool the resources together from different farming industries and technology to be introduced to ensure that the environment is protected.
Having this hub also allows us to ensure the integration of some of the services from the food waste to industry feed and food feed or vegetable feed. To give you an example, poultry waste can be recycled to produce biogas, which can then provide some energy for the farms. At the same time, the solid waste from poultry waste can also be used as fertilisers for the vegetables.
These are some of the ideas that we will be implementing and this gives us an opportunity not just to ramp up the productivity but also to ensure that environmental sustainability will be taken into account.
The second part of the question is about exports. Today, most of our local produce are catered towards local markets. In the coming \"30 by 30\" plan, we envisage it is likely to be the same. However, we do understand that the exporting of vegetables and produce will allow our farms to gain economies of scale, lower their costs and become competitive regional players.
So, we will work with ESG and the agencies to support our markets to facilitate their exports, where necessary, and to ensure that we do not just have a very vibrant agri-food hub in Singapore, but also a competitive one in the region.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Alleged Misappropriation and Pawning of Ceremonial Jewellery at Hindu Endowments Board","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"4 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the Hindu Endowments Board has undertaken a review of the case involving the alleged misappropriation and pawning of gold ceremonial jewellery between 2016 and 2020 with an aggregate pawn value amounting to more than $2 million at an endowment under its administration by its employee with a view to identify any shortcoming that led to the incident arising and steps to be taken to prevent such a situation from happening in the future at all its endowments.
\tThe Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai): Mr Speaker, Sir, the alleged misappropriation and pawning of gold ceremonial jewellery, happened at the Sri Mariamman Temple (SMT), one of the four Hindu temples managed by the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB).
The former Chief Priest of SMT, Mr Kandasamy Senapathi, has been charged in Court for offences under the Penal Code and the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act. The case is presently before the Courts and I will not go into the specific details of this case. However, I will share the follow-up actions that have been taken since the discovery of this case.
The HEB has taken the matter very seriously and has conducted routine audits for all four of its temple endowments, including the SMT, to ensure that all ceremonial jewellery is properly accounted for. HEB has undertaken a review of this case following the incident and has commissioned a special audit of gold inventories in all of its temples to ensure that all ceremonial jewellery has been accounted for. No other irregularities were discovered.
HEB has since also worked closely with the Commissioner of Charities (COC) to review and strengthen its governance and internal controls to ensure proper safekeeping and management of gold items. In particular, HEB is improving the gold movement registers to track all movements of gold items within the temples. The Temple Management Committees will also tighten up oversight of all the gold inventories in their respective temples. HEB will also conduct more audits each year, including unannounced audits.
HEB will continue to work with each of its Temple Management Committees to prevent abuse, and mitigate circumvention of governance controls. HEB, in collaboration with COC, will also be sharing the lessons from this episode and the best practices learnt with other Hindu temple charities so that all temples can do its part to continue to improve the management of its temples.
\t
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Agreement between Countries to Recognise COVID-19 Vaccination Taken by Respective Residents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"5 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the progress on reaching a bilateral agreement with countries to give recognition to the COVID-19 vaccination taken by the respective residents travelling to each other's country; and (b) whether Singapore will only accept vaccines that have been approved by the Health Sciences Authority and residents that have taken such approved vaccines before they can travel to Singapore.
\tThe Minister for Transport (Mr Ong Ye Kung): Vaccination has given hope that countries may be able to reduce the risk of infection and hence, step down border measures such as testing, quarantine and Stay-Home Notice (SHN) requirements, and progressively restore international air travel in a safe manner. However, for that to happen, we need more scientific data, data that needs to be available as a basis of study, so that health authorities can determine the extent to which vaccines can reduce the likelihood of an individual infecting others. Until then, it is premature to decide if border measures can be reduced for vaccinated individuals, and whether for purposes of implementing border measures, there should be differentiation between vaccines.
Notwithstanding this, a no-regret step to start working on now, is a system of mutual recognition of vaccine certification between countries. Singapore has put in place a system of digital vaccine certification that is tamper-proof and verifiable. This system relies on HealthCerts, a set of digital standards for issuing digital COVID-19 test result certificates developed by GovTech and the Ministry of Health. We are in discussions at the International Civil Aviation Organization and with various countries on the mutual recognition of such certificates. Such bilateral consultations and discussions will take some time.
Over the past year, we have been able to allow some travel to take place, without requiring vaccinations as a condition for entry into Singapore, so in answering the Member's question, we have no plans to now impose the requirement that: unless you are vaccinated, you cannot travel. No plans to impose that requirement. Instead, we continue to use test and SHN requirements to ensure that travellers do not bring the virus into our communities. I will elaborate more on these plans in the upcoming Committee of Supply for the Ministry of Transport.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Safe Management Measures at Workplace","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"6 Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Manpower when will the next review of safe management measures at the workplace be conducted and what will be the considerations in such a review.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Zaqy Mohamad) (for the Minister for Manpower): Speaker, in January, safe management measures (SMMs) in the general community setting were tightened. This was due to a rise in the number of community cases then, and in view of the anticipated increase in social activities during the Chinese New Year. The tripartite partners decided to defer any updates to the SMMs for the workplace. The Multi-Ministry Task Force will monitor the COVID-19 situation for a few weeks after the Chinese New Year period to assess when public health measures, including SMMs for the workplace, can be adjusted.
Adjustments to SMMs for the workplace will consider the public health risk, level of community cases, as well as employee and business interests. As we have seen from the resurgence of infections in some countries in the region, we must remain vigilant in our approach to managing the transmission risks.
For now, work-from-home remains the default working arrangement. Employers must ensure that no more than 50% of employees who are able to work from home are at the workplace at any point in time, and that these employees work from home for at least half their working time.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Seah.
\tMr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Mr Speaker, Sir, I just have some supplementary questions for Minister of State Zaqy. First, the reason why I raised this is because I know that many businesses, employers in various workplaces, they are still suffering. We all understand the need to be conservative and to stay vigilant. And hence, my first supplementary question is could Minister of State give an indication of when this review will take place? Is there a specific timeline and whether vaccination is going to be a factor in the considerations?
Obviously, I hope that in weighing the interests between business and health, both are equally important that we strike the right calibration.
\tMr Zaqy Mohamad: I thank the Member for his question. Sir, we fully understand and recognise that some employers do feel that the work-from-home requirement hinders collaboration, productivity and sometimes, even the building of team spirit. So, that changes the corporate culture a bit. At the same time as well, we have seen employees, many have adjusted well at home with the new arrangements. But at the same time as well, some also still prefer to work in the office if their home environment is not conducive.
Therefore, we are constantly monitoring, and as I mentioned in my earlier response, we stand guided by the Multi-Ministry Task Force. They will review a few weeks after the Chinese New Year period.
This is quite key because, how we adjust the work-from-home requirement will have to take into consideration the public health risks. At the same time as well, we need to also look at how community cases develop, especially after the Chinese New Year period. We will monitor the situation and try to balance as much as we can the employers' as well as the employees' interests.
On the Member's question on whether vaccination will play a role in our measures, the key thing is this, until enough people are vaccinated, vaccinated employees should continue to practice public health measures such as Workplace SMMs. We are still monitoring the duration of the vaccine's protection and its effectiveness in preventing transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, there are few factors still in play, as vaccinations are still on-going. So, let us what with the Multi-Ministry Task Force and see how best we can manage and adjust and cater to both employers and employees.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Carbon Emissions of Ride-hailing Industry and Proposal to Transit Industry to Electric Vehicles","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"7 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the total carbon emissions generated by the ride-hailing industry in Singapore (i) in value terms and (ii) as a proportion of the total carbon emissions of the land transport sector; and (b) whether the Government has plans to support or require the transition to electric vehicles in the ride-hailing industry, perhaps starting with rental fleet partners of ride-hailing operators.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan) (for the Minister for Transport): In 2020, the ride-hailing industry in Singapore generated an estimated 0.3 million tonnes of carbon emission when performing ride-hail trips. This is about 4% of the estimated seven million tonnes of carbon emission generated by the land transport sector.
Under the Land Transport Master Plan 2040, our taxi and private hire car companies have committed to make their entire fleet run on cleaner energy by 2040, and operators such as ComfortDelGro and Grab have been adding electric vehicles to their fleets.
The Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority will continue to work with our industry partners to transition the entire ride-hail fleet to cleaner energy vehicles. We hope with our recent push to promote Electric Vehicles (EVs) under the Green Plan, we will accelerate the transition.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan. A very short supplementary question, if possible.
\tMr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. A very short supplementary question. Will the Government consider giving a periodic milestone for the ride-hailing industry to convert to EVs?
\tDr Amy Khor Lean Suan: As I have noted in my reply, the point-to-point or, PHC sector operators have already committed to convert their entire fleet to cleaner energy vehicles by 2040. And indeed, they have been progressively replacing their internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
So, for instance, for the taxi operators, between January 2018 and January of this year, the proportion of cleaner energy vehicles, hybrid as well as electric vehicles have actually increased from about 18% to close to 60%; about 59-odd percent. And for the point-to-point sector, the proportion has actually increased from about 20% over the same period to about 35%.
So, they are progressively doing that and we will work closely with them in the transition to cleaner energy vehicles.
Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question Time.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), Written Answers to Question Nos 9-19 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix. Question No 8 has been postponed to the sitting of Parliament on 2 March 2021.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Fourth Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for FY2020/2021","subTitle":"Paper Cmd 6 of 2021","sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [Allotted Day]. (proc text)]
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
The Chairman: Fourth Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, contained in Paper Cmd 6 of 2021. As there are no amendments, I propose to take the Heads of Expenditure en bloc. I will first take Head P of the Supplementary Main Estimates.
[(proc text) Question, \"That the sum stated for the Head P as shown on page 2 of Paper Cmd 6 of 2021 stand part of the Fourth Supplementary Main Estimates\", put and agreed to. (proc text)]
I will now take the Supplementary Development Estimates which are for Heads I, L, P, Q and S.
[(proc text) Question, \"That the sums stated for Heads I, L, P, Q and S as shown on page 5 of Paper Cmd 6 of 2021 stand part of the Fourth Supplementary Development Estimates\", put and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Question, \"That the sum of $9,124,100 shall be supplied to the Government under the Head of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Fourth Supplementary Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, contained in Paper Cmd 6 of 2021\", put and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Question, \"That the sum of $107,489,900 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Fourth Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, contained in Paper Cmd 6 of 2021\", put and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolutions to be reported. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. Second Minister for Finance. (proc text)]
The Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has come to certain resolutions.
[(proc text) First Resolution reported ‒ (proc text)]
[(proc text) \"That the sum of $9,124,100 shall be supplied to the Government under the Head of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Fourth Supplementary Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 contained in Paper Cmd 6 of 2021.\" (proc text)]
[(proc text) Second Resolution reported ‒ (proc text)]
[(proc text) \"That the sum of $107,489,900 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Fourth Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 contained in Paper Cmd 6 of 2021.\" (proc text)]
Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Speaker, I beg to move, \"That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions.\"
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolutions accordingly agreed to. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022","subTitle":"Committee of Supply – Paper Cmd 5 of 2021","sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [2nd Allotted Day]. (proc text)]
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head J (Ministry of Defence)","subTitle":"Securing our place in the world","sectionType":"OS","content":"
Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Chairman, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head J of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
The past year has been marked by disruption and change on a global scale. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated some worrying geopolitical trends and seen the rise of growing nationalism across the world. In the face of a serious public health crisis and economic challenges on a scale not experienced in recent years, many countries have turned inwards and shifted their focus to domestic priorities. They have closed their borders and put in place a multitude of protectionist policies.
This pandemic has paradoxically weakened the prospects for multilateral cooperation at a time where it is needed the most. Even the distribution of much needed vaccines across the world has become yet another area of great power contestation. Small states like Singapore are particularly vulnerable to external geopolitical shifts, and a volatile and complex international environment would invariably undermine our own security. As geopolitical rivalries intensify and as countries' commitment to multilateralism becomes increasingly undermined by the pandemic, Singapore is unfortunately put in a challenging position.
In light of these tumultuous times, how have recent geopolitical and security developments shaped the Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces plans and priorities, both now and in the years ahead? Chairman, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Miss Cheng Li Hui (Tampines): Chairman, on 13 February this year, the Singapore Air Force scrambled our fighter aircraft in response to a suspicious aircraft. In any given year, our Air Force response to and investigates more than 350 suspicious air threats in order to protect Singapore's skies. On average, that would mean an air threat almost every day.
Defence of our country is of fundamental importance. It extends beyond air defence and concerns our ability to effectively and safely deal with external threats and to safeguard our survivor. It is only when Singapore is secure and safe, that Singaporeans can live our lives and pursue our aspirations with peace of mind.
Sir, our defence capabilities over the years come at a cost and sustained investment into our men and women as well as the best technologies. I would like to ask the Minister how has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted our defence spending and whether it has any impact on MINDEF's and the SAF's long-term plans?
The Chairman: Mr Vikram Nair. Not here. Mr Alex Yam.
Mr Alex Yam: COVID-19 has certainly caused unprecedented disruption to our economy, society and our very way of life. Over the last 12 months, Singaporeans have lived with closed borders, the circuit breaker, and the introduction of numerous limits on everything from work modalities to our social gatherings.
I, for one, remember trying to balance a Zoom meeting with three other separate home-based learning sessions at the same time.
In this time of crisis, Singaporeans have risen as one to face down the virus. The Government, civil servants, frontline workers and ordinary Singaporeans have all done their part to bring us to where we are today – to be able to enjoy some semblance of normalcy.
Many may have heard or read about how MINDEF and SAF has contributed to the national COVID-19 fight. But few know the full scale of the problem that we faced, and the might that MINDEF and SAF brought to bear against it, especially when the crisis was at its peak.
Seeing the SAF trucks roll in to our Community Club with the first delivery of surgical mask many months ago, was a moment of pride. For all these and more, I add my gratitude to our servicemen and women for your stellar contributions. Would the Minister for Defence share more details of MINDEF and SAF's contributions to Singapore's efforts against COVID-19, including on-going and future plans?
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Mr Chairman, in many parts of the world, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has weakened public confidence in Government's capacity to respond to threats to public health. In Singapore COVID-19 has disrupted our way of life, although have thus far, have been able to mitigate and contained the impact.
When the crisis is over, many countries will need to better prepare for the next pandemic including new biological threats. Given our collective experiences over the past year, many now agree that global health issues can and will have an impact on national security.
Can the Minister for Defence share with us what MINDEF is doing to strengthen our defence against future pandemics and other potential biological threats?
Mr Alex Yam: Mr Chairman, Singapore faces threats around the clock and this does not change with COVID-19. As a small nation, we know it takes very little to tip us over. This is why we need the Singapore Armed Forces to be ready at all times.
The pandemic has disrupted many aspects of SAF operational readiness, including training and exercises – both local and overseas. NS training was deferred for an extended period of time, and overseas training and exercises had been severely curtailed. I would imagine that this has affected the RSAF in particular, which requires sufficient air space to conduct its flight training.
Yet, it is imperative that the SAF continue to maintain vigilance over all of our air, land, sea and cyber domains – to defend our sovereignty. Could the Minister for Defence provide an account of how the MINDEF as well as the Singapore Armed Forces has maintained operational readiness to keep Singapore safe, even amidst the pandemic? Over the long term, how does the SAF intend to manage the challenges of a prolonged pandemic?
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Chairman, the need for both diplomacy and deterrence is well understood by Singaporeans. The Workers' Party believes in a strong defence. I have also personally served on MINDEF's ACCORD Committee for seven years and found it very meaningful. Nonetheless, I believe Members of Parliament from both sides of the House have received increased residents' feedback about noise and vibrations from RSAF aircraft. This can be seen from Parliamentary Questions filed by various Members of Parliament who represent constituents living proximate to air bases.
Residents from Aljunied GRC are in this group, living close to Paya Lebar Air Base. Feedback from residents include early morning and night flight times and how the more powerful planes at low altitudes leave homes vibrating in their wake.
I have tried to explain that the RSAF needs to train in the darkness as well, but some insist that the current levels are excessive. To be fair, there have also been studies about aircraft noise being associated with detrimental effects on health.
Sir, I foresee that MINDEF's response will be what it has maintained all along, that Singapore faces real threats, that we cannot allow our capabilities to degrade and that RSAF has already reduced its local training as far as possible.
While we agree on the first two principles, could the Minister elaborate on the extent of local training today? For instance, has the COVID-19 pandemic required SAF to do more training locally?
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Chairman, in our nation’s fight against COVID-19, MINDEF and SAF personnel have answered the call of duty and taken up critical roles both at the frontline and behind the scenes.
While combating the challenges of the on-going pandemic is at the forefront of our minds, we are also keenly aware that security threats do not abate during this period. Enlistment, training and operations must go on in the \"new normal\", in order to maintain a high level of operational readiness that is critical to safeguard Singapore’s peace and security.
Our servicemen and women have traditionally lived, trained and operated in close proximity. The training in the SAF is physically demanding, which could lead to the transmission of droplets. Besides the risk of transmission in camps, other risks are in confined spaces and they include tanks, aircraft and seacraft.
As our servicemen and women continue to discharge their core mission to defend our home, what are the precautionary measures that have been implemented to keep them safe from COVID-19, and how effective have these measures been? What about our servicemen and women presently in facilities overseas? What kind of protection has been put in place for them? Are there sufficient vaccines and access to the best quality of healthcare for our service personnel abroad?
In addition to preventive measures, would the Ministry also share the measures which will kick in when a serviceman or woman is suspected of having the infection? How would SAF prevent such situations from escalating?
Mr Abdul Samad (Nominated Member): Chairman, around the world, COVID-19 has posed tremendous challenges to governments’ capacity to respond to and manage public health threats. In January 2020, COVID-19 emerged in Singapore and rapidly disrupted our way of life.
I am certain it has affected MINDEF or SAF in a number of ways, including having an impact on our NSmen training. I note that the SAF has implemented rigorous safe management measures, testing and cohorting regimes. In fact, if my memory still vivid, MINDEF or SAF have also contributed to the national COVID-19 response to keep our frontline workers safe during the peak of the pandemic.
As the COVID-19 situation stabilises, what plans does MINDEF/SAF have to progressively recall NSmen in the coming year? How will MINDEF continue to ensure the safety of NSmen amidst the COVID-19 context?
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Mr Chairman, the SAF plays a vital role in deterring potential aggressors and protecting the nation’s peace and stability. The face of defence is rapidly transforming. Rapid technological advancements have enabled militaries all over the world to become increasingly capable. The pandemic might have slowed down defence spending but it will certainly rebound. Countries will not abandon their efforts to modernise their military. Geo-political tensions demand so. Shifting multilateralism requires so. Conflicts continue to flare up globally, both on the battlefields and in the cyberspace.
As a small country, our military size will always be limited. Thus, we need to make up for our size with the constant upgrading of SAF’s capabilities to take our nation into the new era of defence. The Next-Generation SAF vision was first introduced in 2019 by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen with the core objective of enabling the nation to better respond to security threats, especially in the new age of technology. Could MINDEF provide us with an update on the SAF’s progress towards building the Next-Generation SAF to better guard our national interests?
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong (Jurong): Chairman, the nature of warfare is continually evolving and so must the SAF if it wishes to stay relevant. State-on-state conflict may no longer manifest itself in the exchange of physical blows. Instead, we see conflict existing below the threshold of war and waged in non-physical domains such as the cyber realm. Threats to national security have become increasingly amorphous and may not easily be defined or identified. At the same time, the threat of terrorism remains prevalent. Terrorist groups in the region and around the world could try to capitalise on existing societal fragmentation exacerbated by COVID-19. The SAF must be able to defend Singapore against a whole range of threats. The SAF must also be capable of executing flexible and calibrated responses, and do so in a sustainable manner.
It has been identified before that the full-time national servicemen pool will decrease by a third by 2030. This resource reality means that the SAF cannot go about its business as usual. While the national resource pool might be decreasing in numbers, its texture is also changing. The new generation of Singaporeans are becoming more educated and digitally literate. This places the SAF in a good position to harness the potential offered by digital technology. The Fourth IR technology such as Artificial intelligence, Robotics, Data Analytics and the Internet of Things offers the SAF the opportunity to conduct its training and operations in a more efficient and effective manner. The SAF must be agile and adapt in order to reap the potential that digital technology has to offer.
Could the Minister for Defence provide an update on efforts towards building the Next Generation SAF?
The Chairman: Mr Vikram Nair. Not here. Mr Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman.
Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman (Marine Parade): Mr Chairman, our security environment is becoming increasingly complex. MINDEF and SAF will need to gear itself up to be operationally ready for a wider spectrum of threats. However, at the same time, SAF will be faced with the quantitative challenge of filling manpower due to our declining population growth rate.
Going forward, the conundrum of doing more with a leaner SAF is going to be increasingly pressing issue. Nonetheless, this is not an insurmountable challenge. As a small country, Singapore has always been cognisant that manpower is an inherent constraint. We have constantly leveraged technology to supplement our limitations in terms of our manpower. The SAF has done so in the past and will continue to do so.
Could the Minister for Defence please update the House on how MINDEF/SAF is preparing itself to deal with the increasing manpower constraint that it will face?
Mr Desmond Choo: Over the last one year, the news headlines have understandably been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic and US-China relations. However, we must not be distracted – terrorism is still present. The UN Office Of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) reported earlier this month that ISIS’ efforts to regroup and reinvigorate its activities have been gaining momentum amidst the pandemic. When the world is focused on fighting COVID-19, the terrorists could very well be planning their next attacks.
Violent extremism may be closer than imagined, especially with the pandemic shrouding the threat of terrorism. Southeast Asia remains a key target for ISIS recruitment. This was, perhaps, most apparent in August 2020 when two female suicide bombers self-detonated in the Philippine city of Sulu amidst the height of the pandemic. Closer to home, the recent news of the deportation of a Malaysian man with alleged links to ISIS also shows the need to continually guard against external threats. We clearly cannot allow fighting terrorism to take a backseat amongst our priorities.
As the world shifts towards a digital one, not only are we plagued by the concern of conventional terrorism, increasingly, that of unconventional ones such as cyberattacks and radicalisation. The latter threats are especially worrisome. The proliferation of various messages platforms which offers anonymity and encryption features also make it easier for terror groups to advance malicious activities.
Mr Chairman, as seen from the aforementioned issues, the threat of terrorism is not only increasing, but evolving as we speak. I would be grateful if MINDEF could provide us with an update on how they are maintaining vigilance against terrorist threats, especially in relation to those in cyberspace.
The Chairman: Mr Vikram Nair. Not here. Mr Henry Kwek.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Kebun Baru): Mr Chairman, Sir, as part of the MINDEF Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC), I had the chance to visit MINDEF’s impressive cyber-range, which seeks to train our cyberwarriors on how to deal with simulated cyberattacks.
At the COS debate last year, the Minster for Defence spoke about our plans to build an integrated cyber command and cyber force to protect Singapore’s interests in the digital domain. I believe MINDEF has invested considerable resources in the area of cybersecurity. Nevertheless, this is an area that the threats are increasing exponentially. The recent breach experienced by the cybersecurity company FireEye via the company supplier, Solarwinds, that supplied the network monitoring software, demonstrates the heightened risks.
Software supply-chain attacks are some of the hardest type of attacks to prevent because they take advantage of the trusted relationships between vendors and customers and machine-to-machine communication channels, such as software update mechanisms that are inherently trusted by users. And Solarwinds is not an ordinary software vendor. Its customers include 425 of Fortune 500 companies, all top ten US telecommunications companies, all top five US accounting firms, all branches of the US Military, the Pentagon and the State Department. This goes to show that no country, industry, organisation or even type of information technology is immune to cybersecurity threat.
In view of this, I would like to ask the Minister for Defence for an update on our effort to enhance our military’s cybersecurity.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Chairman, at the COS debate last year, the Minister for Defence informed the House about the formation of a NS Review Committee (NSRC) to examine ways to enrich the NS experience and maximise the potential of every national serviceman. Would the Ministry provide an update on initiatives that the NSRC has been working on and, in particular, plans to make the most of the contributions of our servicemen?
National Service forms the backbone of our defence. It is also a rite of passage for all young males in Singapore, who commit two years in the prime of their lives to safeguard our territory and ensure our sovereignty and peace.
When they complete their full-time NS, our servicemen continue to make sacrifices in their personal and work life, so that they are fit and ready to protect Singapore. The requirement to serve up to 40 days of Operationally Ready National Service (ORNS) per year is necessary but demanding. We should seek to minimise the disruption to their civilian routines as much as possible.
Last year, I spoke about supporting our men with care arrangements for their family members in the event they do not have the necessary support when they are in camp. This is an important concern because we need our servicemen to focus on their military duties with peace of mind.
It is important that we continue to examine ways to bring the best out of our servicemen through the different stages of their NS journey. We must keep their morale high and motivation strong, supporting them so that their NS involvement through their different life stages will become more engaging, meaningful and fulfilling.
I welcome the Ministry’s earlier announcement that it would be looking into optimising skill-based deployment. Will the Ministry share an update on how SAF can improve upon how it assesses that the unit assigned to an NSF is the best fit for him? How is SAF tapping upon our serviceman’s vocations and civilian expertise to enhance their NS contributions? How can our NSF communicate their areas of interest with SAF so that it could be better filtered or sorted into a role that the NSF could excel at? What are the main challenges in skills-matching? Can more flexibility be exercised so that in the event of poor fit, whether these are functional or manpower incompatibility, redeployment can be made?
In addition, how can SAF motivate NSFs to do better, beyond what they are required to and align the goals of the members of the unit?
Lastly, how will MINDEF engage families and employers to get fuller support and cooperation for our servicemen’s deployments? Is it possible to make better use of new technology to enable our servicemen to manage both NS obligations and civilian duties? Likewise, let us leverage on technology to enhance SAF communications and interactions with our servicemen.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: Mr Chairman, I would like to take both cuts together.
Much has been said in this House regarding the Singapore Green Plan 2030, which has been described as a whole-of-nation effort to tackle climate change decisively. What are MINDEF and SAF doing to advance the sustainability agenda and to support the Singapore Green Plan 2030? My second cut.
At the COS debate last year, the Minister for Defence spoke about the various measures taken by MINDEF to improve environmental sustainability and reduce carbon footprint. I recognise that this is not an easy balance for MINDEF to strike because our military is organised to function in wartime conditions. In war, one of the first things that any capable adversaries will target are supply lines and fuel. So, while we get our armed forces to go green, we must bear in mind that operational resilience under the toughest conditions must be achieved. And that is no trivial matter. It will potentially entail a revamp of our military’s supply chain planning process.
Can MINDEF provide an update on how MINDEF and SAF have continued to contribute to our national effort to address environmental sustainability? And can MINDEF share its broad planning principles on how to balance contributing to sustainability while maintaining our critical defence edge?
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Mr Chairman, apart from protecting Singapore from current threats, MINDEF plays an important role in safeguarding our future. At last year’s debate, MINDEF shared about various measures taken by the Ministry to improve environmental sustainability and to reduce carbon emissions. And that they would take various steps to ensure that the SAF would be on track in meeting our national emission targets.
So, I would like to ask the Minister to provide an update on how MINDEF, and specifically SAF, is progressing on this front? As I have said quite a few times, the need to address climate change requires a whole-of-Government approach. MINDEF’s contributions towards this national effort to address environmental sustainability is no less important.
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, climate change is more than an environmental issue as it has implications for our defence and security. For small island nations like ours, the potential threats from rising sea levels and more volatile weather conditions can pose as much of a threat or, worse, compromise our national security measures.
Unfortunately, we have limited means to control the outcomes of global climate action. Yet, the potential threat and damage to us from climate change are disproportionately large. Nevertheless, when it comes to climate change mitigation, we will do our part and put in our best efforts. We will continue to cooperate with global initiatives and collaborate with other governments, the private sector and non-profit organisations to mitigate climate change. We need to pull together a whole-of-society effort to improve environmental sustainability.
At the COS debate last year, the Minister for Defence spoke about the various measures taken by MINDEF and SAF to improve environmental sustainability and reduce carbon emissions. Would the Ministry provide an update on these initiatives and how MINDEF/SAF has continued to contribute to national efforts to meet the objective of environmental sustainability?
One of the areas I am interested in is how MINDEF is working to meet our national targets to reduce energy and water consumption within its own buildings, bases and fleets, both in Singapore and overseas. Likewise, for its field operations and training. Will SAF be tapping more into green technologies for greater energy efficiency? Will we see more military vehicles powered by green energy and do we see the infrastructure ready to support more of such vehicles which will help to reduce emissions? Does MINDEF purchase carbon offsets and, if so, what was the quantum last year? Will MINDEF elaborate on its sustainability requirements for its procurements and how it processes the various categories of waste it generates?
Miss Rachel Ong (West Coast): Mr Chairman, Happy Founders Day! May I have your permission to take both my cuts together?
First, on Work-study Diploma. Singaporeans serving National Service Full-time, or NSFs, spend around two years in the SAF at a formative period in their lives. In this regard, it is important to provide support for our NSFs to contribute meaningfully during their service to our nation. At the same time, amidst a challenging economic context and tight labour market, it is also increasingly important to train and develop our NSFs, as young adults entering the workforce.
I was encouraged to learn that in September last year, MINDEF introduced the Work-Study Diploma, also known as WSD, for NSFs to be trained as certified Army and Air Force Technicians while serving their NS. This is an important initiative that would further harness the potential of our NSFs and also prepare a long, strong talent pipeline for specific industries.
Could the House be given an update on the WSD programme? In addition, would we consider more of such schemes for Servicemen who may be interested to explore other careers? Many of our NSFs also take on other part-time courses on their own accord. To build on the current WSD programme, and possibly streamline NSFs personal learning efforts aligning with SAF’s needs, are there any plans for MINDEF to launch similar programmes for other vocations? May I continue with my second cut?
A strong SAF capable of deterring potential adversaries is a key pillar of Singapore’s defence. However, Singapore’s birth rate has seen a steady decline, seeing a 28% drop in live resident births from 1990 to 2019. This matter of falling manpower is an issue that SAF has had to grapple with. In order to keep Singapore secure, it is critical to ensure that a leaner SAF can continue to maintain its capability edge and operational readiness, by maximising the use of its available manpower, while keeping ahead of our evolving landscape. Here are two considerations.
First, as I understand, the current reservist system places our NSmen in their original units which they began as NSFs. However, some of our NSFs pick up new capabilities and competencies along their professional work life, some of which could be meaningfully leveraged by SAF in its move towards digital transformation, green technology and new capabilities. I would like to ask the Ministry whether there are plans to recognise the competencies of our servicemen in their civilian work and in their subsequent deployment in SAF.
The second consideration is to review the physical fitness criteria in the deployment of our NSFs and NSmen for new, evolving roles in SAF in digital, cyber and non-operational competencies. The level of physical fitness required in these roles differs from those in operational ones. A review in criteria may open up a larger talent pool for SAF to tap on these roles. Could the Minister provide an update on the initiatives that the NSRC has been working on to better deploy our servicemen based on their civilian expertise to match with SAF’s ever evolving needs?
Mr Alex Yam: Chairman, your permission to take both cuts together.
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr Alex Yam: Mr Chairman, training safety has been a key concern of mine for many years. This moment, I would also like to extend condolences to the 39-year-old Regular Serviceman who passed away unfortunately last week after undertaking personal physical training.
Safety does not happen by accident. It must and always be the SAF’s top priority. This is an obligation that the MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces owe to every Serviceman and their loved ones. The second External Review Panel on SAF Safety would was inaugurated in 2017 would have completed its three-year tenure last year. The fresh perspectives from the diverse range of experts that were gathered on that panel would have provided the Singapore Armed Forces with insights on how to improve safety systems and processes. Could the Minister provide an update on the panel’s findings and how has the SAF followed up on its recommendations? My second cut.
Singaporean families send their children to serve in the SAF each year. The safety record of the SAF is naturally one of the key concerns of all families, and it is essential that we maintain the trust that Singaporeans have in the SAF.
At the COS debate last year and in 2019 as well, the Minister for Defence Dr Ng and Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Heng Chee How spoke about the SAF Inspector-General’s Office, or IGO in short, which plays a key role in strengthening safety in the SAF. I understand that the SAF IGO conducts audits of safety practices across the SAF. Since its formation in 2019 in the aftermath of training accidents, the SAF IGO would have completed its first two-year cycle of audits.
Could the Minister provide an update on the IGO’s audit findings since 2019? And in light of this, what are the training safety measures that have been introduced in response to the IGO’s findings?
Miss Rachel Ong: The healthcare sector is undergoing rapid digital transformation, from tele-medicine, the use of virtual reality in treatment, to wearable medical devices in preventive medicine. In the Senior Minister of State for Defence, Mr Heng Chee How’s speech at the COS debate last year, Senior Minister of State Heng highlighted that the SAF’s Virtual Care initiative as an example of how the SAF was leveraging technology to better serve our National Servicemen. This included the use of video conferencing tools to diagnose and prescribe treatment for common ailments remotely.
May I request an update on this initiative and how else MINDEF would be leveraging digitalisation to enhance medical support for our soldiers beyond Virtual Care?
Ms Hazel Poa (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, recently, the Straits Times reported on the findings of the State Coroner regarding the death of National Serviceman Dave Lee due to heatstroke, which was partially caused by delayed evacuation. I cannot profess to know the pain of parents and families who have lost their loved ones. I can only guess. To quote the mother of Dave Lee, she said “Parents who have lost a child will never have any closure. There will only be sadness...That is all I can say.”
We know it is for an important cause. The cost of our national defence has, however, fallen unevenly, with some families paying a higher price than others. We should not take our people’s support for National Service for granted. Apart from ongoing efforts to improve training safety, I would like to put forth two proposals for the Minister’s consideration.
Firstly, the best way to secure commitment to national defence is to ensure that the families of our fallen Servicemen are taken care of. While I hate to put a price tag on the sacrifices made, ex-gratia payments based on WICA is, in my view, inadequate. In peacetime situations, I urge the Government to benchmark compensation according to a reasonable projection of lifetime income based on actual civilian wages of NSmen multiplied by their remaining work life, and $1 million for NSF.
Secondly, I am proposing that a special day be designated when we commemorate and remember those amongst us who paid the ultimate price for our national defence and honour their families, and remind ourselves annually of the importance of training safety. On this day, let the whole nation say to these families – we remember and we are grateful.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Mr Chairman, Singapore's defence strategy is dependent largely on the contributions of our National Servicemen. It is important that should our soldiers suffer injuries in the course of their service to the nation, they will be fairly compensated. This will give them the assurance to give their best during training and operations. I have a few questions for the Minister about MINDEF's insurance and compensation schemes.
First, does the current $150,000 Group Term Life and Group Personal Accident insurance cover operationally-ready National Servicemen? NSmen may be serving only up to 40 days a year, but they often participate in dangerous military exercises during that short stint.
Second, how was the amount for their insurance coverage derived? Is there room to increase it to provide better coverage in the event of death or total permanent disability of the servicemen?
And third, what are the factors considered for the lump sum disability compensation in the case of permanent disability?
Lastly, if a serviceman suffers a service injury in the course of actual combat operations, is the quantum of payouts the same as for training injuries?
Mr Don Wee: Chairman, all young male Singaporeans and residents have to commit two years in the prime of their lives for service to our nation. It is important that we recognise their contributions and sacrifices and do our best to support them as they prepare for further studies or entry into the workforce after they complete full-time NS.
For those looking for employment in the current economic climate, they will encounter many obstacles. I strongly urge MINDEF to extend career guidance, counselling and employment support to our NSmen. They may also need skills training or upgrading. Will MINDEF consider providing them with post-NS skills training advisories?
Some those who face financial difficulties, what kind of assistance schemes can they tap upon and would the Ministry provide grants or interim loans to help them pay for their studies, training or family expenses and to tide them over this difficult period? Does MINDEF have any form of referral arrangement with MSF?
Ms Joan Pereira: Chairman, a capable and combat-fit SAF is the ultimate guarantor of Singapore's security and the physical fitness of our national servicemen is of utmost importance to the SAF's operational readiness.
The SAF has many long-standing policies aimed at encouraging physical fitness amongst our National Servicemen, such as requiring NSmen to pass IPPT annually and allowing NSFs to serve a shorter term of NS if they attain a high standard of physical fitness prior to enlistment.
At the Committee of Supply debate last year, Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Heng Chee How announced the PREP4NS initiative to help pre-enlistees be more physically prepared before entering NS. How effective has the PREP4NS initiative been in helping pre-enlistees become more physically fit?
During this pandemic, the capacity of many MINDEF and civilian training facilities have been reduced due to safe distancing measures. What measures does MINDEF have in place to ensure that training venues, equipment and slots are accessible and available to our servicemen to keep fit and in shape?
The quality of food also has an impact on fitness. Food insecurity may affect some servicemen in the lower income groups during this pandemic. Does MINDEF provide any form of assistance to our servicemen to ensure that they have access to nutritious meals to stay healthy and fit?
Healthcare issues affecting our servicemen must be dealt with urgently and thoroughly as every manpower resource is precious. Would the Ministry share an update on the healthcare measures and assistance schemes it has to keep our troops combat-fit?
What else is MINDEF/SAF doing to better support and motivate our servicemen in maintaining their physical fitness?
Mr Chong Kee Hiong: Chairman, one key focus area announced by the National Service Review Committee (NSRC) was to review aspects of NS to better meet the needs of a new generation of National Servicemen. I whole-heartedly support this. MINDEF and the SAF must continue to be good stewards of our servicemen's time and talent. These are precious resources and should be utilised strategically.
We have to adapt and seize the advantages presented by technological advancements. Proactive adaptation will enable us to be more efficient in our processes and also keep us ahead of emerging threats.
Can the Ministry share an update on the NSRC's progress and specifically, about some initiatives that the NSRC has been working on to make NS processes more easily accessible and convenient for pre-enlistees, NSF and NSmen? Will there be improvements to waiting times and service delivery standards?
In addition, it had been pointed out that there are trade-offs between convenience and security. What measures does MINDEF have in place to ensure that these processes are convenient, efficient and secure? Will the Ministry also share how regularly it collects and reviews feedback from NS servicemen and the public to enhance our NS processes?
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): Locally and globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly amplified the role of technology in our lives. During the circuit breaker, the restrictions on movement increased our reliance on digital platforms and connectivity in multiple aspects of our lives. As Singapore embarks on a digitalisation journey, so must the SAF.
On the defence front, how can we better tap on the opportunities presented by technology and digitalisation to improve the NS experience for all our servicemen and women?
At MINDEF's Committee of Supply debate last year, I was glad to hear from Senior Minister of Stare for Defence Mr Heng Chee How's sharing on various technology and digital solutions that MINDEF/SAF had been working on to enhance different facets of the NS experience, from administration and training to healthcare.
Could MINDEF provide updates on how it is leveraging technology to enhance soldiers' NS experience and well-being? Does MINDEF/SAF plan to integrate these different services, in order to provide our servicemen with a smoother and more convenient user experience?
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Chairman, the strength of our Total Defence depends on every Singaporean playing his or her part to help our country overcome and emerge stronger from each crisis. Singaporeans have put Total Defence into action to overcome past crises, such as the outbreak of SARS as well as economic downturns and terrorism threats.
The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented test of our collective resilience as a nation. It is heartening how Singaporeans have risen to the occasion to play their part in their fight against this COVID-19. Our people have banded together through adversity despite the uncertainties of the situation and personal hardships. Singaporeans have much to be proud of our response to COVID-19. Yet, the fight is far from over and we must not let our guard down.
I would like to ask the Ministry: how can we fortify our Total Defence as we continue to battle COVID-19 and how can we increase our resilience against future challenges?
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mr Chairman, the send-off to Tekong, a common rite of passage for most Singaporean males, are often met with emotional farewells. We see proud fathers, crying mothers, siblings with their smartphones out documenting the occasion. Sir, just as the Tekong send-off is a family affair, we must treat the defence of Singapore, and National Service as a community affair and hope to see the community rally behind our brave men and women of the force.
The security of Singapore is contingent not only on the efforts of MINDEF and the SAF but also on the unwavering commitment of Singaporeans to defence.
Since its inception, the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence, ACCORD, had set out to deepen engagement with businesses, educational institutions, family members and community groups, as well as to facilitate initiatives from the community that better support National Defence and National Service (NS).
Since then, the solidarity shown by the community with our soldiers has been heartwarming. More are aware of the sacrifices made by our soldiers and how it is imperative that we have Singaporeans defend Singapore.
Mr Chairman, we would like to seek updates from the Government about ACCORD's plans for the current term, 2020 to 2022, regarding efforts to strengthen community support for defence and NS. What are the roll-out plans like, in terms of engagement, particularly for divisions like Punggol Town, where we have many young families with their sons going off to serve their country?
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: With increasing use of the Internet and social media, many of us are becoming more vulnerable to fake news and misinformation online.
Amidst the on-going pandemic, the spread of fake news has been an area of deep concern, especially given the potential for this to cause unnecessary alarm or panic, or lead Singaporeans to make misinformed choices relating to their health.
Two years ago, the sixth pillar of Total Defence – Digital Defence – was launched in recognition of the increasing pace of global digitalisation and with this, the growing threats in this domain. How is MINDEF/SAF strengthening Digital Defence to prevent online falsehoods from damaging our society and eroding communal cohesion?
Mr Seah Kian Peng: Mr Chairman, I had raised this at last year's Committee of Supply and also recently spoken on this at the Motion on climate change.
Climate change poses a grave threat to Singapore and needs to be addressed in a concerted response by the whole-of-Government and society. Given the nature of the required approach, will MINDEF consider adopting Climate Defence as a new pillar of Total Defence?
This is the third time I am raising this issue and I understand that some things do take time to work through. But I am a patient man. It took me six consecutive years, bringing up the issue of paternity leave before it was finally approved. Of course, it was raised by other Members of Parliament as well. Like climate change, I play the long game!
So, let us place climate change as the seventh pillar of Total Defence and give it the priority and urgency that it deserves.
Mr Don Wee: Chairman, in 1984, the Government recognised that national security was a massive and complex issue. We identified five pillars of Total Defence to acknowledge that areas, such as social cohesion and economic resilience, were as important as military strength. In recognition of the new waves of threats brought about by increasing digitalisation, Digital Defence was introduced as the sixth pillar in 2019.
Today, climate change is perhaps the most pressing concern for the world. Rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions, amongst other climate change threats pose ever-increasing dangers to Singapore. Climate change also have a big impact on our military operations and training, the maintenance of equipment and facilities and the direction of future defence strategies.
The climate change threat needs to be addressed by a concerted response by the whole-of-Government and society.
In this Budget, we have made room for long-term planning, including for environmental issues. This is the right approach. Given the nature of the required approach, will MINDEF consider adopting Climate Defence as the new pillar of Total Defence?
If the Ministry does so, environmental defence will be front and centre in our defence schemes. As part of our national security planning, there will be implications for policies, national priorities, resource allocation and long-term environment defence strategies.
Having Climate Defence as the seventh pillar of Total Defence will send a powerful message to all Singaporeans and the world about how seriously we are tackling climate change and our level of commitment to environmental sustainability. Going forward, this consideration will underpin all major decisions we make and facilitate more effective defence coordination. I urge the Ministry to consider this suggestion seriously.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, permission to take both of my cuts together.
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Chairman, Since its introduction in 1984, Total Defence has played an important role in our society. It was recognised early on that threats, not just military threats, will impact Singaporeans from all walks of life. Ensuring that Singapore is safe and secure is not simply the duty of MINDEF and the SAF, and it is truly a whole-of-nation effort. It is important that all Singaporeans are involved in conversations about Total Defence and about defence issues that impact everyone's lives, including National Service.
The SG Together movement has initiated Singapore Together Emerging Stronger Conversations in August 2020, where views may differ but all strive towards a common goal. At the Committee of Supply last year, then Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Maliki Osman spoke about how MINDEF would conduct a series of engagement sessions as part of the SG Together movement to hear Singaporeans on how all of us can do better to put Total Defence in action.
This past year has been challenging for all of us and I have been heartened to see Singaporeans from all walks of life step up and help each other through difficult times. In light of the difficulties that we are faced with in the midst of this pandemic, I am interested to hear what Singaporeans had to say about keeping Singapore safe and secure and about how to strengthen Total Defence and NS. What are the outcomes from these engagement sessions and how will MINDEF take public views and suggestions forward?
Today, the COVID-19 crisis has tested Total Defence and the collective strength and unity of our society. We had to strike a balance between ensuring sufficient medical supplies, defending the nation from external dangers and protecting our relations with other countries. As Singapore works towards emerging stronger from this crisis and adapting ourselves to a post-COVID-19 world, Total Defence will remain indispensable to a united Singapore.
However, the success of Total Defence is contingent upon active participation and engagement by all parts of society, including the Government, businesses, communities and individuals. COVID-19 has made all the more evident that we must continue to build resilience in our people and community.
In order for Singapore to prevail over other existential threats to come, it is important that we fortify the resilience of the entire community. How is MINDEF supporting and empowering Singaporeans to play an even greater role in Total Defence so that the country can emerge stronger together?
The Chairman: Minister Ng Eng Hen.
The Minister for Defence (Dr Ng Eng Hen): First, let me thank Members of this House for their comments, their input, their feedback and their positive comments about the SAF's contribution to this fight against COVID-19. My MINDEF colleagues, Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How and Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad and I are very thankful for these comments. I am sure our senior officials and commanders will be greatly encouraged by your positive comments.
As Members of House have eloquently described in their speeches, this year's Committee of Supply and Budget Debates are being held in truly extraordinary circumstances. Mr Alex Yam, Miss Cheng Li Hui, Ms Joan Pereira talked about this. To wit, COVID-19, a once-in-a-century disruptive change agent, has become the defining issue of our time, with its spread to all corners of our world.
Rustle through the pages of history and very few epochal events have had that kind of impact. I think, World Wars One and Two, certainly; the advent of the steam engine, electricity, the telegraph and the Internet. But those changes evolved over decades, not precipitously. Just barely a year later and our lifestyles have been changed – here and everywhere, some turned upside down. Singapore needed one circuit breaker, but many countries had two, three, even four or more imposed to contain this dreaded disease.
Experts think that the post-COVID-19 world will never revert to status quo ante. A new normal beckons and it is to this future for which we must prepare and position Singapore.
The phrase \"never waste a good crisis\" comes to mind. I will share during this Committee of Supply the lessons we are learning from the pandemic and the adjustments, even new directions, that MINDEF and the SAF will take. Our traditional security challenges remain and I will provide updates of those plans, but we must also deal decisively with additional threats on the horizon.
The first obvious fact is that MINDEF's budget will see double-digit growth year on year – not seen since 1998 – but mainly because MINDEF spent about $1.5 billion less than planned in 2020, about 10% less, due to the delay of some projects. Let me mention some big-ticket items: SAFTI City, to be completed by 2024 instead of 2023; our Invincible-class submarines, delivery expected in mid-2022, six months late. If the post-COVID recovery ensues, MINDEF expects its budget to stabilise and return to a growth trajectory targeted and announced in previous years – about 3 to 4% nominal growth each year, to keep pace with inflation over a period.
But more importantly, how does Singapore prepare for the security environment of a post-COVID-19 world? Many Members of Parliament have talked about and asked\trightly – Dr Wan Rizal, Mr Abdul Samad, Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Shawn Huang.
The pandemic stress-tested the existing global system and not all components will survive unscathed. Take the US-China strategic rivalry. It was already deteriorating before COVID-19 struck, but change of US administrations notwithstanding, the rivalry has in fact sharpened as a result of COVID-19. Instead of global co-operation, the geopolitical landscape became more fragmented.
Vaccine diplomacy was one clear example. We will circulate the map. You could draw a coloured map of the world based on the vaccines they are using, whether produced in the United States, Europe, Russia, China or India. Mr Chairman, can I ask that the map be distributed. [A handout was distributed to hon Members. Please refer to Annex 1.]
This is the map that MINDEF staff came up with. I think it will be too much of a stretch to say that this will be the world henceforth but these \"vaccine blocs\" – blue, red or multi-coloured – are instructive about affiliations and even directions in our future.
Vaccine diplomacy, as we see it, can extend to other systemic levers too. It has already involved technology, namely 5G, semi-conductor chips, but other areas like debt financing, supply chains, purchase of arms and defence equipment are up for grabs. It is difficult to conceive of a wholly-bifurcated world but neither will the post-COVID-19 world be a rainbow-coloured one hoped for, à la Globalisation 1.0.
The US-China strategic rivalry will shift the global centre of gravity to our region, and I mean this physically for defence and security. Since 9/11, now two decades old, the United States and its allies have been committing resources and troops to the Middle East. This generation will witness a shift of hard assets to our region in Asia.
Previous US defence secretaries have progressively committed more assets to the Indo-Pacific area. France and Germany have followed suit. The United Kingdom has declared that it would send a carrier strike group to the South China Sea this year. The Quad – Australia, India, Japan and the United States – conducted Exercise Malabar off the coast of India for the first time in 13 years.
I have previously furnished details of Asia's military spending, which surpassed Europe's a decade ago and is now 40% higher. Asia's military spending is 40% higher than Europe's.
I do not need to embellish these trends as Members of this House can readily imagine the potential consequences from the increasing militarisation in Asia, both from countries within and outside. What does it spell for Singapore? Greater uncertainty and risks.
MINDEF's response to the heightened contestation is to remain friends with all. We continue to work with like-minded partners to forge a security architecture that is inclusive for big or small countries and in which disputes are resolved through peaceful means. We encourage countries to dialogue, cooperate and respect a rules-based international order.
This is a motherhood statement of policy, but as Members here can well imagine, the actual implementation can be difficult and tricky. For Singapore's voice to be heard amid the cacophony, we must be useful to stronger voices, especially when tensions rise.
Members would have read of our many interactions with other countries. Bilaterally, apart from strong relationships with both the United States and China, we are friends with many countries in areas of mutual interest.
Some recent examples: with Australia, our Prime Minister signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2015. For defence, the expanded Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area and the Greenvale Training Area are under construction and on track to being completed by 2024 and 2028 respectively. With India, we signed agreements to enhance collaboration in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and submarine rescue support and cooperation. We also inaugurated the Singapore-India-Thailand Maritime Exercise in 2019. Apart from the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) this year, we will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, which remain strategically important to the regional security architecture. All these multilateral engagements increase Singapore's mindshare.
Another signature security event that achieves this is the Shangri-La Dialogue. We had to cancel it in 2020 last year but this year, it is on track to being held physically, barring unforeseen circumstances.
These engagements are not merely good to have but necessary to protect our interests. MINDEF and the SAF will step up these efforts even as contestation increases.
Another epiphany from this COVID-19 pandemic is that we must continue to plan long term and, more importantly, steadily invest in emerging and novel capabilities precisely when we think we least need them. I think this was Mr Alex Yam's point.
Nowhere has this wisdom been more vindicated than in MINDEF and SAF's ability to respond to COVID-19. I do not want this House to misunderstand. This is not hubris speaking but deep gratitude for the commitment to defence spending over many years. Let me illustrate.
The virus first entered Singapore at the end of January 2020. Within the same month, DSO managed to get the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests up and running, fully operational. At the same time, general staff, with medical input from SAF Medical Corps' doctors, had to ensure continuity of operations.
Through the waves of infections last year, and despite on-going SAF operations – apart from the brief suspension of basic military training (BMT) during the circuit breaker – only a small number of COVID-19 cases arose within the SAF. Member Ms Joan Pereira asked about this. They were detected, contained effectively, with no clusters formed. Mass testing by DSO for SAF soldiers, practical medical advice for cohorting and other safety measures were key weapons and confidence boosters in our fight against COVID-19.
DSO has gone on to improve PCR and antigen testing. DSO and A*STAR's RESOLUTE 2.0 PCR kits are now commercially available and will be used with automation to conduct about 4,000 tests a day for the whole of Government. Within MINDEF and the SAF, DSO and the Medical Corps validated that saliva tests are shown to be as accurate as nasal swabs.
As a result, the SAF has been using saliva tests to complement swab tests for monitoring of its soldiers since October last year. The RESOLUTE 2.0 PCR kits were also essential in dealing with the outbreaks in the migrant worker community.
Apart from PCR and antigen testing, serological testing of large numbers was needed to prevent our community care facilities and quarantine facilities from being overwhelmed. The Medical Corps and DSO staff worked with MOH to validate serological tests. At its peak, the joint taskforce worked with MOH to test nearly 40,000 sometimes, each week.
We have had other breakthroughs. In March last year, DSO bio-staff harvested convalescent plasma from our COVID-19 patients here, then isolated and identified their neutralising antibodies. These antibodies are starting clinical trials with Government agencies, research institutes and biomedical companies.
The key question is: “Where did this bio-defence and medical capability come from and how was it maintained?” The answers are simple: people and facilities.
Over the years, we have kept up our investments to maintain 40 bio-personnel in DSO – not a large number, 40 – and about 250 doctors and paramedical staff in the Medical Corps. After SARS, we did not let that crisis go to waste, learnt the right lessons, built more secure bio-labs in DSO. Quietly and without fanfare, this group of men and women has stayed true to their mission. And it is just not against bio-threats. Our capabilities against chemical threats have also been strengthened.
Few Singaporeans know that DSO is a designated lab by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). What is OPCW? OPCW is the leading international organisation, 193 member states, that heads investigations when toxic substances are suspected to be present. Some examples are chlorine, sulfur mustard, sarin and even Novichok. There are only 12 OPCW-designated labs around the world capable of verifying chemical agents in both environmental and biomedical samples; and DSO is one of them. The fact that DSO is designated as part of this network speaks highly of our standards and competence internationally, not to mention the resources we would have locally if ever such an episode occurred in Singapore.
There is another feather in our cap. The current Laboratory Head of OPCW, this is based in The Hague, Ms Chua Hoe Chee, is the first Singaporean to be appointed to this role. She is a long-time staff from DSO.
Members would agree with me that those investments from our defence budget that went into building medical and scientific capabilities have paid for themselves many times over. Had we not learnt the right lessons following SARS, sarin, anthrax and other lethal chemical and biological incidents over the years, DSO would not have had the facilities, let alone the people and expertise to produce tests and other breakthroughs, when COVID-19 invaded our shores. I thank this group of dedicated professionals in the bio-defence and medical community, in MINDEF/SAF and nationally. We owe them a great debt.
As Dr Wan Rizal asked, what can we learn from this? I think learning from this pandemic, MINDEF will further build up our laboratories and capabilities to deal with biological threats.
As an infectious agent, COVID-19 could have been much worse. Let me explain that. For example, mumps and measles are four to nine times more infectious. For lethality, SARS and MERS caused many more severe cases and deaths. Suppose we are unlucky, and we get a virus that is just as infectious as mumps and measles, and just as lethal as SARS and MERS. Unthinkable! But we should think of it. Can we plan on the basis that future pandemics or biological attacks will not be worse than COVID-19? Or can we “outsource” to or call another country for help when it happens? I think Members in this House would unanimously say surely not.
It would be foolish to depend on others and we need to build capabilities within Singapore to protect ourselves.
Many developed countries already have labs with the highest biosafety level – we call these BSL-4. And these were built many years ago. Since 2015, countries in Asia like China, Japan and Korea have also built these BSL-4 labs. In ASEAN, there are none. Singapore has BSL-3 labs, which prior to this pandemic, were assessed as adequate protection. MINDEF will therefore invest about $90 million for DSO working with MOH to upgrade our facilities within DSO to the highest biosafety level of BSL-4. The BSL-4 labs will require more stringent levels of air separation and must have the ability to quickly shut down and isolate that facility, when needed.
It goes without saying that safety is paramount, and DSO will work with MOH to ensure that we will have the highest standards of protection required for BSL-4 labs. We will bring in third-party and overseas experts to advise us on the entire process – beginning from the design, to construction and thereafter, to validate the systems periodically. We will maintain our record of absolute safety of our bio-labs built so far.
There is another area in which steady investments paid rich dividends – our ability to exercise command and control over complex operations. At the height of our efforts against COVID-19, we deployed over 6,000 MINDEF/SAF personnel across a wide range of operations that Members of Parliament here described in your speeches. They included packing five million masks in two days, stabilising the outbreak in the foreign worker dormitories, helping set up the Community Care and Recovery Facilities, supporting contact tracing and medical logistics operations. Senior SAF commanders assumed leadership of several national taskforces, reporting to the Multi-Ministry Task Force. DSTA developed command and control systems for the national COVID-19 operations. These smooth operations occurred because this is what the SAF does, day in day out. All of us here who have served our National Service and In-Camp Trainings know this. We may grumble sometimes about these mobilisations as NSmen, but it keeps the machinery warm, so that when the SAF is activated, it ramps up into the lean and mean machine it needs to be.
Even as the SAF contributed to the fight against COVID-19, it continued to maintain operations at a high level of readiness to keep Singapore safe from external threats. And Mr Alex Yam talked about this in his cut. Protection of key installations, maritime security, air defence, counter-terrorism efforts continued around the clock.
On training, which some members have asked about, some overseas and large-scale exercises like the RSAF’s Darwin detachment and the multilateral naval exercise RIMPAC have resumed, enabled by strict adherence to safe management measures, robust testing, and enhanced medical protocols. Others will take time to restart or reach pre-COVID levels. Locally, In-Camp Trainings (ICTs) have progressively picked up, up to 80% of pre-COVID levels – I think Mr Abdul Samad asked this – and are expected to resume fully by the later half of this year. The nation-wide vaccination programme will facilitate this resumption.
There have been questions asked about RSAF training. Ms Sylvia Lim filed a cut. And I have addressed questions on RSAF training in this House last year as she had pointed out, which were put forth by Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and Dr Lim Wee Kiak. I do not intend to reprise those remarks, which Members can look up in the Hansard. I will give an update on RSAF training this year.
The impact of COVID-19 was precipitous and to keep our fighter pilots current, the number of local training flights increased in 2020. Since October last year, we have brought down the number of local training flights to what they were before the pandemic – an average of 600 sorties each month. How did we do this? We had to call on the generosity and goodwill of foreign partners so that more of our pilots can train overseas. Please be reminded that they too have local populations in overseas training detachments, perhaps not as densely populated as Singapore, but communities there will have to bear with the noise generated by our planes. I want to thank the defence establishments and communities of these countries for helping us build our capabilities to defend Singapore – they are true friends. With their help, the RSAF local training this year will be brought down to pre-COVID-19 levels.
But let me sound a gentle note of caution. We have good friends overseas, but if for any reason – whether it is a worsened COVID-19 outbreak or complaints from their local community – Singaporeans must be prepared for local training to be stepped up. The SAF will do all it can to minimise this, but Singaporeans must be willing to make some sacrifices for our own security.
Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Shawn Huang have asked for updates on the development of the Next Generation SAF. Despite some delays due to COVID-19, the SAF remains on track, I am happy to report. For the Army, Headquarters Sense and Strike was inaugurated last November. This is essentially a re-organisation of HQ Army Intelligence and HQ Singapore Artillery under 6 Division, to integrate capabilities so that both can “See Better” and “Shoot Faster” with less manpower.
We also inaugurated the Navy’s Maritime Security and Response Flotilla, made up of refurbished patrol vessels. Four new purpose-built vessels will replace them in due course. The RSN will also deploy unmanned surface vessels and complete their sea trials later this year to complement manned ships for maritime security.
For the RSAF, upgraded F-16s are expected to roll out in the coming months. The RSAF will also receive new helicopters this year – H225Ms to replace our Super Pumas and our Chinook 47Fs (CH-47Fs) to replace our older Chinooks. We remain on track to receive four F-35 Joint Strike Fighters around 2026 and for the RSAF to start basing their training in Guam from 2029 onwards.
Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Shawn Huang made very incisive remarks about how we should not be distracted by COVID-19 against existing threats. And they were talking about terrorism. And they are spot on. The terrorist groups in the Middle East, particularly Al-Qaeda and ISIS, have been weakened. But paradoxically, success there can increase the threat here especially when the number of terrorists coming into our region has gone up, either returning or foreign, bringing with them networks, tactics and expertise in violent crimes and explosives. Our concern is that the collective intelligence and surveillance capability of ASEAN is a fraction of what the US and allies have in the Middle East. This gap can cost precious lives here.
To close the gap and pre-empt terror attacks, MINDEF decided to stand up a multilateral Counter-Terrorism Information Facility (CTIF). I am happy to announce to this House that the facility has been completed and has begun operations despite COVID-19. The CTIF will bring together like-minded countries to share intelligence, provide early warning, monitoring and analysis capabilities in a centralised and coordinated manner.
Mr Shawn Huang and Miss Rachel Ong asked about emerging areas, technology and the like. Let me deal them. We are already employing artificial intelligence, robotics and data analytics to enable new warfighting concepts and force multipliers for the Next Gen SAF. MINDEF has also recently established a “Digital Factory”. What is a \"Digital Factory\"? It allows our people, product developers and designers to come together under one roof, to collaborate on designing, testing and scaling secure digital solutions. And as a result, we have been able to build and deploy software three times faster than before.
The Cloud. The Cloud will play a greater role in our digital future. I think no one disagrees with that. But for defence establishments, there will always be security concerns as we move to cloud-based systems. Nevertheless, after careful study, MINDEF and the SAF have decided that cloud computing is a key component to enhance effectiveness and reduce our need for manpower. These were the points touched on by Mr Chong Kee Hiong and Mr Patrick Tay. Security concerns will be addressed through tiering.
First, a MINDEF Commercial Cloud will roll out in mid-2021, starting with just administrative and maintenance functions, and this will benefit NSFs and NSmen with better and more responsive services. Beyond this, classified information will also leverage cloud systems. This was a big decision, after much study and debate. As the security standards for these areas need to be more stringent, such systems will be physically housed in MINDEF/SAF and separated from other day-to-day functions on the cloud.
Mr Henry Kwek asked about the Integrated Cyber Command Force. Let me give updates.
I am happy to report that the Cybersecurity Task Force (CSTF) has now been stood up under the command of Chief C4I, who reports directly to Chief of Defence Force (CDF). This has improved our ability to monitor and actively seek out potential threats and aggressors in the cyber domain. We have already announced that more NSmen will serve in the CSTF and we are working with academic institutions to raise their skills through initiatives, such as the University Work-Learn Programme with NUS and the Critical Infrastructure Security Showdown cybersecurity exercises – I am not sure this is showdown or shutdown but it says \"showdown\" here – with SUTD's iTrust Centre for Research in Cyber Security. I think this is something that Miss Rachal Ong mentioned. In addition, the SAF will hire more cyber-specialists as regulars, mainly through our Military Domain Expert Scheme.
As our platforms in the SAF evolve to run on new technology and as we add new roles, such as cyber-specialists and drone operators, indeed, more opportunities are created for our NSmen; and a number of Members of Parliament have made this point. And they reminded us that last year, I announced the set-up of the NS Review Committee headed by our Chief of Army and MINDEF's Deputy Secretary for Administration. They have done good work. Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How will provide an update in his speech shortly.
But let me address points asked by Mr Chong Kee Hiong, Mr Mohd Fahmi and Mr Shawn Huang that with more jobs redesigned and using new technology, indeed, a larger pool of servicemen will now be able to contribute in areas for which they were previously not eligible or capable. And this has less to do with our manpower constraints but the expansion of capabilities and avenues in which they can contribute. For example, being deployed for maritime security and protection of installations, through the use of unmanned surface vessels and unmanned watch towers.
More fundamentally, the NS Review Committee has highlighted that the old binary classification that many of us grew up with here of Combat-Fit or non-Combat-Fit – makes little sense when applied to roles such as unmanned vessel operators. Miss Rachel Ong used another term – \"operational\" and \"non-operational\". That also does not capture what we are talking about because an unmanned vessel operator has very little to do whether he is combat-fit or not combat-fit. He or she is actually very operational.
So, the old system is outdated and retrogressive for many roles in the Next Gen SAF. Moving forward, the SAF will use an updated and refreshed Medical Classification System, which together with its PES system, will better match vocations and deployment of National Servicemen. The new system will take into account their civilian jobs and skillsets which Members of Parliament have asked about. Of course, these changes must not compromise safety or the operational readiness of the SAF. As I have said, Senior Minister of State Mr Heng Chee How will give more details.
Mr Seah Kian Peng, Mr Henry Kwek and Mr Don Wee asked about climate change and sustainability and I would like to touch on this last topic.
I spoke about some changes MINDEF and the SAF were already making at last year's Committee of Supply. And since then, the Government has unveiled the Singapore Green Plan 2030 (SGP30), a whole-of-nation movement to advance Singapore's national agenda on sustainable development. And rightly, Members of Parliament have asked what is MINDEF and SAF's response and involvement in SGP30. After all, it would be understandable, perhaps even excusable, given our mandate, to reduce our commitment or even opt out.
I want to assure this House that MINDEF and SAF will more than do our part for SGP30. Let me first state why before going into the details.
The COVID-19 vaccine was developed in the fastest time in human history – never seen before. What used to take years to accomplish was done in weeks. In fact, a few days the mRNA sequence was produced after the genome came out. But the consequences of extreme climate change are existential and cannot be mitigated, let alone solved, in weeks, months, even years.
MINDEF and SAF have gone through a thorough evaluation of our carbon and waste footprint and determined that we can meet and in major areas exceed, the national targets set under the SGP30. By 2030, MINDEF and SAF will reduce the growth of overall emissions by two-thirds compared to business as usual, using current systems. By 2050, we aim to halve the 2030 emissions in line with our national strategy. Let me give details on how these specific goals will be achieved.
We will have three major green initiatives – carbon emissions, water and waste – with key targets for the SAF to go greener.
First, carbon emissions. Today, our main sources of emissions are building infrastructure and military platforms – no surprise there. For buildings, we aim to attain the Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy standards for all new large and retrofitted buildings where feasible. We will also deploy more solar panels in SAF camps and bases by 2025 so that our solar adoption will be doubled, from 20 to 50 mega-watt peak, equivalent to the electricity consumed by 12,500 4-room households. These changes are significant and will reduce our carbon emissions growth by about 40% by 2030.
For platforms, it is harder to reduce emissions, but we will do so when replacements are available and cost-effective, without any loss of operational effectiveness, compromise in security or sharp rise in defence spending. Let me repeat that because it is important. We will do so when replacements are available and cost effective, without any loss of operational effectiveness, compromise in security or sharp rise in defence spending.
I choose my words carefully, not to over-promise unrealistic goals, but neither to evade responsibility to show results but we will do what we can.
The Army will replace its current administrative vehicle fleet with an all-electric one by 2030 – 400 of them. In tandem, charging infrastructure in camps and bases will be set up. The RSN will equip newer vessels like the Littoral Mission Vessels with energy-efficient LED lights, ozone-free water-mist fire suppression systems and look into using garbage converters to reduce waste volume.
For air combat platforms, green fuels that meet the criteria of cost effectiveness are just not yet fully developed. Nevertheless, the RSAF will commence trials of green aviation fuel for some of our F-16s, so that we can understand the engineering, logistics and infrastructure works needed to scale up its use when these green fuels do become more cost effective.
I have finished with carbon emissions. Let me talk about water.
We will take further steps to reduce water consumption. We will progressively replace water fittings with more efficient ones which are at least three-ticks under the Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme. We will continue to invest in water recycling systems, such as those for vehicular washing. The goal is a 10% reduction in water consumption by 2030.
Third, waste reduction. We will step up the \"3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle\" initiative significantly. For food waste, we have already implemented segregation and recycling processes in 14 cookhouses. We will extend this to all cookhouses by 2024. We have put in place waste disposal contracts to recycle and repurpose electronic waste, waste oil, chemicals and scrap metal. The aim is to reduce waste by 30% by 2030.
To succeed in this SAF-wide initiative, we must empower all units to contribute their best efforts. And central to this strategy is for each unit to know how much it produces in emissions and waste or water consumption – just imagine if we ask our population to save water or electricity without measuring it. Therefore, MINDEF and SAF will install smart utility metering systems progressively for all our buildings. This will allow commanders of each unit to take ownership and give directions to make the SAF greener. When the smart metering is complete, unit commanders will be equipped to compare themselves with their peers and benchmarks and to reach their required targets. I must add that MINDEF and SAF are able to do this because we have direct command and control over all our units.
This initiative to go greener needs to be sustained for the long-term and Mr Seah Kian Peng calls it a \"long game\". But it can be derailed by a few forces. Apathy and lack of awareness are two that I hope will be alleviated by the use of smart meters.
But there is another force that can dissipate our efforts. If each group champions its favourite environmental cause, the SAF could be pulled in different and sometimes, unproductive directions. So, MINDEF and the SAF must start off on and maintain the correct trajectory, guided by science, data and evidence on effective outcomes. We must put in a structure to achieve these outcomes and not get distracted along the way. MINDEF has, therefore, decided to set up a new SAF Sustainability Office. It will report to the SAF's Chief of Staff-Joint Staff, who will assume the role of the SAF Chief Sustainability Officer. The office will be advised by an External Advisory Panel made up of experts in various fields. I believe that this command structure guided by the right advice will put us in the best possible trajectory for this long-term enterprise. My colleagues Senior Ministers of State Heng Chee How and Zaqy Mohamad will address other points which Members have brought up.
Mr Chairman, I want to conclude on two points. The clarion cry that we have heard in this House again and again, indeed, for this generation of Singaporeans facing this globally destructive and disruptive COVID-19 pandemic, is to emerge stronger. But can we? For MINDEF/SAF, we must, if we are to secure our defence for another generation. Much of what I have talked about is looking far ahead, to a future in which we continue to have an SAF that can protect Singapore's interests and the well-being of Singaporeans despite the uncertainty and rising risks in our region and globally.
I am deeply conscious, Mr Chairman and Members of this House, that defence takes up a sizeable share of the Government budget and not just the resources of our Budget but more importantly, he personal commitment of the servicemen and their families, something Ms Joan Pereira and Ms Hazel Poa talked about. I want to thank Members of this House and Singaporeans for your trust, your unstinting support and commitment to maintain a strong defence. All MINDEF and SAF can offer in return to you and the Singaporeans that we serve is this pledge to be good stewards of these investments and to keep Singapore safe for many years ahead. [Applause.]
The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How.
The Senior Minister of State for Defence (Mr Heng Chee How): Mr Chairman, Defence Minister Dr Ng has emphasised the need for a forward-looking SAF to confront increasingly complex challenges. As the SAF adapts to face these challenges, National Service or NS must be a crucial part of this transformation. NS continues to be the backbone of our defence and we must strengthen NS for our Next-Gen SAF and a new generation of National Servicemen.
We established the NS Review Committee, or NSRC, last year precisely with this in mind. Let me share the committee's enhancements, focusing on three areas: first, maximising our servicemen's contributions; second, improving their health and fitness; and third, enhancing their service experience.
Let me begin by speaking on maximising our servicemen's contributions. As the Minister for Defence has described just now, with differing medical fitness levels, education backgrounds and skillsets, our servicemen can contribute to our defence effectively but differently. We seek to unlock their potential in several ways.
Optimising deployment. First, establishing new vocations and redesigning existing ones for our full-time national servicemen, or NSFs. In recent years, new vocations have been established in the SAF in response to the changing threat environment, such as the vocation of cyber specialists who protect our networks and systems. For more established roles, the Minister for Defence has highlighted our redesign of jobs through technology, such as the development of unmanned watchtowers and unmanned surface vessels to augment our security troopers and base defence operators.
Second, better matching of servicemen to roles where they can be operationally effective, regardless of medical fitness. This again, the Minister for Defence has mentioned earlier. We are redesigning our medical classification system and the Physical Employment Standard or PES System, to shift away from the binary classification of a serviceman either as combat-fit or not combat-fit for purposes of deployment.
That system has been with us for a long time. Medical exclusions that used to limit deployments may no longer be so relevant in today's operational context, especially with the latest technology. The key idea is to deploy every soldier in a meaningful operational role without compromising safety and while maintaining and ensuring operational effectiveness.
We are therefore reviewing the use of functional assessments to determine our servicemen's deployability in specific vocations. For example, the SAF has introduced functional assessments to guide our selection of transport operators – just as a practical example. What that assessment does is that it replicates the physical demands required for daily operations, enabling us to better match our servicemen's functional abilities to the role's actual demands. If successful, we will then extend this trial to other vocations such as tank operators.
In other words, we look at the vocations – the jobs – and the requirements of those jobs as opposed to whether you are rated combat-fit or not combat-fit and then try to fit our servicemen into those two categories.
Third, helping our servicemen acquire new skills to better perform their roles. Miss Rachel Ong asked about the Work-Study Diploma, or WSD, which we launched last September with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). As a start, this is open to NSFs serving as Air Force and Army technicians. Under the WSD, servicemen will undergo training to obtain a MINDEF-sponsored ITE diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering or Electrical Engineering. Spending three or four years in total with the SAF, these servicemen will be given a contract that will entitle them to the pay and benefits of an SAF Regular after they have completed a stipulated period as NSFs. The first batch of 37 servicemen will commence this programme this April.
These WSDs are MINDEF and the SAF's latest addition to \"work-learn\" schemes for our full-time national servicemen. We also introduced the Cyber NSF Scheme in 2018. These schemes support our servicemen's professional development while allowing them to put their learning into practice and contribute to MINDEF and the SAF in the defence of Singapore. We will continue to explore more of such \"work-learn\" schemes in the future.
Beyond NSFs, we see a valuable opportunity to harness the useful knowledge and skills that our NSmen have attained through their studies and civilian work.
In 2019, we announced that NSmen with specialised civilian expertise can be deployed earlier in their Operationally Ready NS cycle earlier to areas requiring such expertise, such as in law and psychology, under the Expertise Conversion Scheme. The scheme has served us well against a growing spectrum of non-conventional threats, including in domains such as infocommunications and maritime.
Moving forward, we will systematically expand opportunities to deploy NSmen with relevant civilian expertise and we will increase the areas they can be deployed to and establish a dedicated deployment centre to oversee this expansion.
Next, enhancing safety.
Even as we seek to maximise our servicemen's contributions to mission success, let me at the same time emphasise that safety will always be a central priority for us as well. It is always mission success and safety always.
Following the training accidents from 2017 to 2019, the SAF has invested even more significant efforts to enhance safety management in our units, to train our commanders better in safety leadership and to establish an even stronger safety culture among our soldiers.
In enhancing these areas, we have continued to tap on external safety experts. This started in 2013, when MINDEF established the first External Review Panel on SAF Safety, or ERPSS, to have safety experts from academia and the industry provide an independent assessment of the SAF's safety systems and processes.
The second ERPSS completed their 3.5-year tenure in December 2020. They have been extremely helpful to MINDEF and the SAF in assessing the progress of the SAF's safety journey as well as in highlighting opportunities for improvement. We also appreciate all the Panel members' participation in the MINDEF's Committee of Inquiry (COI) for training accidents and the Panel's independent review of all COI findings on training safety.
Mr Alex Yam asked about the second ERPSS' findings. The second ERPSS acknowledged the efforts and progress the SAF has made to strengthen safety and observed its strong command emphasis on building a positive safety culture. These efforts include internalising the importance of safety in SAF units' everyday activities and leveraging digital means to enhance safety management. The Panel also offered useful suggestions based on the industry's best practices such as benchmarking the safety training of our commanders, trainers and safety officers to those of the industry standards. The SAF will follow up on these recommendations.
Given the Panel's valuable contributions, MINDEF has accordingly commissioned the third ERPSS for another three-year tenure, beginning this year.
Apart from the ERPSS, the SAF conducts internal audits to ensure there are robust safety management systems and a healthy safety culture in our units. The SAF Inspector-General's Office, or IGO, was formed in 2019 and it has just completed its full first two-year audit cycle of all SAF formations. Mr Alex Yam requested an update.
Overall, the IGO observed notable progress in strengthening the SAF's safety culture. There has been a sustained uptrend in open reporting received in the past two years, where servicemen, regardless of rank, reported near-misses and safety hazards. Our units have also made significant adjustments to their training schedule to permit time for safety, including conducting daily safety briefs and catering dedicated training time to obtain feedback from soldiers on safety. To overcome the rank gradient, our units have appointed rank and file soldiers as safety advocates to communicate and facilitate communication with their unit's commanding officers on safety matters.
The IGO's audits also found that soldiers have responded positively to the safety measures implemented in this past two years – building on past efforts but within the two years since the IGO's formation – with our commanders leading enhancements in unit safety processes and influencing their soldiers' safety mindsets.
Nevertheless, given the constant turnover of servicemen, it is crucial that the SAF sustains these efforts, keeping our soldiers updated on the latest safety incidents and lessons learnt to avoid making mistakes or repeating mistakes and doing all we can to prevent accidents.
Ultimately, the SAF is committed to the vision of zero accidents. We must continue to uphold our duty of care to every serviceman entrusted to us – as highlighted by the Minister for Defence.
Our attention to safety extends beyond training safety systems to ensuring our medical systems are progressively improved – which Miss Rachel Ong asked about. After all, our servicemen's health is paramount to their safety and their well-being.
In collaboration with the DSTA and industry partners, we have developed a portable electronic medical records system – or what we call PACES Mobile. This enables our medical officers to access our servicemen's medical information remotely on their laptops. By providing our medical officers with the full medical history of our servicemen, including while they are on overseas exercises and deployments, PACES Mobile has improved medical safety and the quality of patient care. Since its launch in October 2019, it was used and has supported 23 overseas exercises and over 2,000 patient encounters.
MINDEF and the SAF will spare no effort to protect our servicemen. Yet, the reality is that every military force around the world will have to deal with the prospect of injury and death amongst its soldiers.
Mr Gerald Giam asked about our care for soldiers who suffer service injuries and Ms Hazel Poa, the recognition for servicemen who die in service and the support given to their families.
Our compensation framework takes reference from but goes beyond what is provided for by the Work Injury Compensation Act, or WICA. Any compensation amounts are generally in the area of between two and four times of that provided under the WICA. MINDEF will also pay for all necessary medical expenses of injured servicemen at Government restructured hospitals, clinics and community hospitals for as long as it is required. This includes the cost of medical supplies, counselling and specialist care.
Should these servicemen experience a loss of earnings after their release from service as a result of medical or hospitalisation leave, MINDEF will also compensate them for up to two years from the day after their service ends. Again, this exceeds WICA's provisions, where the compensation for loss of earnings is up to a year from the date of the accident. Over and above all these, MINDEF provides servicemen with life and personal accident insurance during their term of service.
Beyond compensation, injured servicemen may also receive financial assistance under MINDEF's welfare schemes, which can assist with immediate needs, depending on family circumstances. This may include mid-to-long term financial assistance. Other forms of support are also provided based on the serviceman's and his family's specific needs, including medical arrangements and counselling support. These avenues of support extend also to the families of our deceased servicemen.
That said, no amount of compensation or assistance can replace a loved one. We know that. We agree. And that is why we take the trust that Singaporeans and Singaporean families have in MINDEF and the SAF absolutely seriously. We will do everything we can to look after our servicemen.
Every death in service is painful. It carries immense significance for the family and we in MINDEF and the SAF certainly honour our fallen men and women. Ms Hazel Poa spoke of dedicating a day to do so. We already have that day. It is called the SAF Day and we have a parade every year in the presence of our President or our Prime Minister. In the course of that parade, we remember specifically men and women of the SAF who have fallen in the course of duty. Individual units and formations also hold remembrance events to honour their men and women who have fallen.
Next, supporting our NSFs. Our servicemen serve a critical operational need and we greatly value their contributions. Yet, we recognise that beyond serving the nation, our servicemen are also critical contributors to their families, some of whom face economic dislocation, for example, last year, due to the disruption brought on by COVID-19. Mr Don Wee asked about this. To enable our NSFs to focus on their NS obligations, MINDEF/SAF maintains a variety of financial assistance schemes, including ones designed to support immediate, acute needs, such as a sudden retrenchment in the family.
Commanders have been paying special attention to signs of financial distress among NSFs during the pandemic, and where necessary and appropriate, have helped with the application for such financial assistance. The assistance schemes have, therefore, been deployed in tandem with the evolving economic situation. The application process has been simplified and shortened, and we also allow for more extensions.
Mr Don Wee also asked about the support available to NSFs anxious about entering a difficult job market after full-time NS. Under SkillsFuture@NS, NSFs can use their Electronic Pre-Release Employment Programme, or E-PREP credits, for over 4,000 selected courses to update or acquire new skills. We also organise a quarterly Enhanced Career and Education Fair, where NSFs can access resources on career and educational opportunities and attend customised SkillsFuture Advice workshops. Over 74,000 NSFs have benefited from these efforts since 2015.
In addition, we have enhanced their Certificate of Service package to reflect not only our NSFs’ achievements and contributions, but also their competencies gained through Workforce Skills or WSQ Qualifications. This serves as a useful reference for prospective employers.
Next, improving health and fitness. Let me now move on to the NSRC’s second enhancement: initiatives to improve the health and fitness of our servicemen. We constantly seek to motivate our servicemen to keep fit and healthy, as this forms a good foundation upon which to build our SAF’s operational capabilities. Ms Joan Pereira asked about this.
For pre-enlistees, I introduced the Pre-Enlistees Exercise Programme for NS, or PREP4NS, last year, where pre-enlistees can register for complimentary one-year membership to six SAFRA gyms to improve their fitness.
Responses have been encouraging. Since its first trial in November 2019, about 5,000 pre-enlistees have been accorded the PREP4NS membership. More than 80% of these have visited the SAFRA gyms since mid-June last year, notwithstanding the difficulties posed by COVID-19. Quite obviously, if not for COVID-19, the response would be even greater. Many have also reported improvements in their Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) scores. Thirty-three percent more pre-enlistees attained a Gold after receiving their PREP4NS membership.
We are expanding the PREP4NS trial to include admission, beyond the SAFRA gyms, to 24 ActiveSG gyms across Singapore. Pre-enlistees can look forward to yet more facilities to prepare for Basic Military Training. Registration for the PREP4NS membership to the ActiveSG gyms will be announced later.
Similarly, we are mindful of the work-life demands on our NSmen’s time and are exploring additional ways to provide more convenience and flexibility for NS fitness activities. This will motivate our NSmen to keep an active lifestyle, ensuring that they remain operationally ready. We hope to announce more details soon.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked about initiatives to make our NS processes more convenient for our servicemen. Besides fitness activities, our enhanced Health Screening Programme (HSP) is a key example of this. NSmen who are IPPT-eligible and aged 35 and above undergo screening to ensure that they can safely participate in the more strenuous activities during the ICT.
We have introduced two enhancements, which will benefit about 11,000 NSmen annually.
First, we can now complete the HSP for most NSmen in a single session instead of two, thus saving them an entire trip.
Second, we will establish a specialised HSP centre in our MMI campus in NUS Kent Ridge by mid-2021. MMI used to be known as the Military Medicine Institute. This centralised location will bring greater convenience to our busy NSmen, who can expect shorter booking and waiting times.
Better experience through digitalisation is the next area that I will speak on.
The NSRC’s third focus area is enhancing every serviceman’s NS experience. Our daily activities are increasingly conducted on digital platforms. We therefore intend to leverage technology to enhance the NS experience, and this is part of our digital transformation efforts, which is on-going, and which the Defence Minister mentioned.
MINDEF and SAF have established an NS digital transformation plan for the next five years to develop digital products catering to our tech-savvy servicemen. We also have plans to consolidate all digital services through the NS journey onto a single platform, which is what Mr Patrick Tay asked about. Our national servicemen are at the heart of our digitalisation drive and we are committed to making NS-related services and processes ever more convenient and seamless.
Mr Chairman, let me sum up. As the SAF transforms to meet new threats, so must NS. We are committed to strengthening NS for a new generation of servicemen in three ways: maximising their contributions, improving their health and fitness, and enriching their NS experience.
We must never forget that NS was designed and put in place for an existential purpose. We need NS and we need an effective NS in order to safeguard our survival, security, freedom and sovereignty. With committed and capable national servicemen, Singapore will continue to more than survive and to thrive. [Applause.]
The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad.
The Senior Minister of State for Defence (Mr Zaqy Mohamad): Mr Chairman, Dr Ng’s speech underlined how we need not just the SAF but all of society to support Singapore’s defence against conventional and non-conventional threats.
Total Defence remains Singapore’s best preparation and response to crises. With every Singaporean organisation, family and individual playing a part through Total Defence, we can deter threats, overcome crisis and emerge stronger from each test.
Member Dr Wan Rizal asked about how Total Defence played a part in Singaporeans’ fight against COVID-19. Our response to the pandemic is a good example of Total Defence in action.
COVID-19 has upended businesses and industries, affected jobs and disrupted the way we live. Together, we have rallied the whole community. SAF, the Public Service, the Home Team and many other agencies have worked hard to contain and manage the pandemic.
Our people have stepped up in support – from retired doctors and nurses to national servicemen, participating in COVID-19 operations. Community and religious groups, volunteers and the everyday resident made efforts to reach out to those who are more affected, such as retrenched workers, lower income families and the elderly. Some even played their part to debunk misinformation and scaremongering on social media. The result is that we have been able to keep our communities safe, keep infections and hospitalisations low.
We are in a better position today to reopen our borders and restart our economy, and hopefully host major international events such as the Shangri-La Dialogue and the World Economic Forum later this year.
Working together has moderated the impact of COVID-19 and strengthened the resolve and cohesiveness of our society, not just in dealing with COVID-19, but for future threats too. This is Total Defence in action – a demonstration of what we can achieve when the pillars of military, civil, economic, social, psychological and digital defence all working in concert.
In Total Defence, there are many everyday heroes and heroines. I have been privileged to meet many of them. One such person is full-time national serviceman (NSF) Lieutenant Karthikasan S/O Natarajan, an Air Warfare Officer from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). During Karthikasan’s full-time National Service (NS), he volunteered to serve at the SAF-led Medical Operations Task Force. He meticulously verified the records of thousands of workers, ensuring that they would be transported, housed and cared for at the right facilities. What struck me about Karthikasan was his strong sense of duty. He extended his National Service commitments for eight months, so that he could continue to contribute to Singapore’s fight against COVID-19 and watch over Singapore’s skies.
Another such person is Military Expert (ME) 4A (NS) Muhammad Nurhafiz Bin Juma’at, a 34-year-old Operationally Ready National Serviceman (NSman) from the Singapore Army’s 8th Combat Support Hospital. Last year, Nurhafiz volunteered to serve as a Nursing Officer at the Singapore Expo Community Care Facility during his In-Camp Training. Nurhafiz took care of the migrant workers, pulling 12-hour shifts to ensure their well-being and facilitated their recovery. He even missed the first week of Hari Raya. Nurhafiz said, and I quote, \"The sacrifice was worth it as it was not only for our loved ones and the nation, but also to care for the migrant workers who are in need of our medical care and support during this critical period\". Today, Nurhafiz is a senior staff nurse at the Sengkang General Hospital and continues to contribute tirelessly at the frontline.
These contributions, along with so many others, demonstrate how Singaporeans have gone beyond their call of duty to help others during this pandemic. They exemplify the spirit of Total Defence. Every action, no matter how big or small, counts in our fight against COVID-19.
Mr Chairman, even as we focus on recovering and emerging stronger from COVID-19, we must remember the threats facing Singapore are never completely eliminated. We must therefore continue to emphasise Total Defence to prepare Singapore for the threats of today and tomorrow.
Pillar by pillar, we must strengthen each of them so that they are even more ready and resilient. Take, for example, the Military Defence pillar. I echo Senior Minister of State Heng who shared our efforts to transform NS for the Next-Generation SAF.
NS is the foundation of our military defence. As we continue to transform NS, we must continue to strengthen societal, business and family support for military defence and NS. This way, we can continue to motivate our servicemen to do their best as they defend Singapore.
Last year, I was pleased to welcome new members to the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence or what we know as ACCORD. The new ACCORD is well-placed to provide fresh perspectives that will enhance its work to strengthen societal support for National Service and defence, with members that hail from diverse backgrounds. The Council includes representatives from the banking, logistics, technology and e-commerce fields, such as new member, Mr Quek Siu Rui, CEO of Carousell, on board. ACCORD also welcomes new members from youth-oriented organisations, such as Ms Tan See Leng, Executive Director of Heartware Network and Ms Samantha Ng, National Youth Council INSPIRIT Youth Leader.
Member of Parliament Yeo Wan Ling asked about the focus areas for the new ACCORD term. ACCORD members have identified a few, including stepping up engagement with youth and women on defence and National Service issues, raising public appreciation for NSmen and employer recognition of the skills they gain from National Service.
To enhance outreach, ACCORD is pushing for more digital engagement channels. MINDEF/SAF has begun working with ACCORD to put these new plans into action, and ACCORD members themselves have led some of these initiatives.
One example of digital engagement was a well-received webinar hosted last year by ACCORD Member and Director of Mums@Work, Mrs Sher-Li Torrey, for mothers with sons entering NS. The mothers gained insights into what their sons can expect from NS and were assured that their sons would be well-taken care of. They also provided useful feedback for us to consider. We will work with ACCORD to organise more of such webinars on a larger scale this year.
For parents whose sons are liable for NS, a visit to the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) is important to understand what their children will go through. Due to COVID-19, such visits had to be temporarily discontinued. In its place, from September last year, we piloted virtual visits to the BMTC. More than 180 families got to explore the BMTC via an online video and engage in a virtual dialogue with senior commanders. Many families said that the visit gave them a better understanding of NS training and felt that their sons' safety would be well-looked after. MINDEF will soon expand these virtual BMTC visits to a wider group, including Singaporean families residing overseas.
Besides going digital, we will develop other channels and more creative ways to engage Singaporeans on NS and Total Defence. Here, I am happy to announce that a fully revamped Singapore Discovery Centre (SDC) will be opened at the end of this year. The refreshed SDC will be a one-stop destination for visitors to learn and experience Singapore's history and imagine its future in a fun and immersive way. SDC re-opened partially last October, enabling visitors to experience the augmented reality (AR)-enhanced exhibits in the upper gallery that provide a cinematic journey into Singapore's history. When the renovations are completed, SDC will unveil a refreshed lower gallery on contemporary issues confronting Singapore. The public can look forward to more interactive features that encourage visitors to envision Singapore's future, through group activities, discussions and AR-enhanced exhibits. Visitors will go away with a better appreciation of what we are defending, against potential challenges confronting Singapore.
The SDC will also expand its outreach through new programmes for different groups, such as students, youths, National Servicemen and members of community organisations. A new \"Friends of SDC\" volunteer group will also be formed to tap on the energies of volunteers. For example, individuals passionate about sharing our Singapore Story can sign-up as volunteer guides for the galleries.
We will continue to strengthen all the pillars of Total Defence through collaboration with our partners. Member of Parliament Patrick Tay had asked about Digital Defence, which was added two years ago. We have been working to strengthen Singapore's defences against cyber and disinformation attacks, which can be particularly damaging to our community, especially in crises like COVID-19. We have collaborated with our partners to develop educational programmes on Digital Defence, to increase Singaporeans' understanding of digital threats and equip them with skills to detect and deal with fake news.
One such example is our collaboration with the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) to introduce the topic of Digital Defence in a module on Digital Transformation. Following a successful pilot with SUSS in 2020, we will work with ACCORD to reach out to other Universities to potentially introduce Digital Defence into relevant course modules.
Another example is our collaboration with SkillsFuture Singapore, National Library Board and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore to add a Digital Defence component to the SkillsFuture for the Digital Workplace programme. This is currently being offered at 19 institutions, including Polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education. So, we are, slowly, expanding our reach. Through these programmes, we will continue to encourage actions that Singaporeans can take to be secure and responsible online, and strengthen our defences against online falsehoods that threaten to divide our people.
There have been suggestions to add new Total Defence pillars, such as a biological defence pillar, or a climate defence pillar, as Members of Parliament Mr Seah Kian Peng and Mr Don Wee have suggested. We agree that pandemics and climate change are both serious threats that require concerted responses by the Government, businesses, communities and individuals. We can take efforts on preparedness, actions and resilience in the physical, digital and psychological realms. Be it to address climate change or biological threats, we believe that the existing concept and pillars of Total Defence are relevant and can be put into action.
For now, we will focus on the present six pillars, and incorporate pandemic responses and environmental sustainability themes, where appropriate, within each pillar. What is more important is that we act, and that our actions translate into impact. This is why the Government has been strengthening our infectious disease infrastructure and we have just announced the Singapore Green Plan 2030 that we are all committed to.
On our part, MINDEF is fully committed in supporting these efforts. Earlier, Dr Ng announced our plan to upgrade our facilities within the Defence Science Organisation (DSO) to the highest biosafety level, Biosafety Lab Level 4 (BSL-4), and MINDEF's efforts on environmental sustainability. These are not small. These are major moves that we are making within MINDEF.
Here, I would add that the revamped SDC will have a sustainability theme in its infrastructure and programmes. These include the deployment of over 2,000 solar panels to generate power for about half of SDC's electrical consumption; as well as new education programmes on urban farming and sustainability for the public.
Member of Parliament Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked how MINDEF will support and empower more Singaporeans to play a greater role in Total Defence as we emerge from COVID-19. We will do so by encouraging Singaporeans to be more active in conversations about defence and NS issues. It is for this reason that we launched two series of engagements last year, \"Strengthening Commitment to Defence\" and \"Total Defence for a Future Singapore\", in conjunction with the Singapore Together Emerging Stronger Conversations.
In these sessions that I attended, participants shared with me that COVID-19 had reinforced the importance of NS and Total Defence in preparing Singapore for crises. Many of our Youths felt it. They felt the commitment. I am heartened by their valuable suggestions to strengthen the public's commitment to NS and Total Defence. Their opinions demonstrate their determination and their will to shape Singapore’s future and protect its well-being. We will hold more engagements this year to reach out to more people on NS and Total Defence.
Member of Parliament Zhulkarnain asked about how MINDEF would take the outcomes of our public engagements forward. Now, this is an important question, too. We are excited to embark on the suggestions raised. Some will be taken through ACCORD, such as developing fresh content on how our National Servicemen have contributed to the COVID-19 national response. We hope that this showcases the invaluable skills and efforts by our National Servicemen and inspires others who have yet to serve National Service.
We are also exploring forming or tapping on the Singapore Together Alliances for Action (AfAs) that will bring together stakeholders from the Government, businesses and community to follow up on initiatives to strengthen Total Defence and all our support for NS.
Mr Chairman, I would like to end by quoting a thank-you note addressed to all National Servicemen who contributed to our COVID-19 operations. Then a Primary 6 student from Nan Chiau Primary School, Miss Lin Yitong, wrote this note last year, and I quote, \"Thank you, Mr Soldier. I appreciate everything you have done for the nation to fight the virus. Thank you for your sacrifices. Let’s all stay strong and fight the virus! You are the best!\".
I echo Yitong's words of appreciation, determination and hope. We thank our servicemen and every Singaporean for their contributions in the fight against COVID-19. Your actions have shown that, with everyone doing their part for Total Defence, we will emerge stronger from this crisis of our generation and with greater confidence in our future.
This is why we continue to invest in Total Defence – to best prepare for, respond to and recover from any crisis. We will continue to build Total Defence into every Singaporean's DNA to meet the threats of today and tomorrow. Together, we will keep Singapore strong – for now, and for future generations to come. [Applause]
The Chairman: Clarifications? Mr Alex Yam.
Mr Alex Yam: Thank you, Chairman. Two quick clarifications, a follow up to my first cut. Could I ask if Dr Ng could share more about the state of our bilateral and multilateral security relations with our immediate neighbours and key partners? Are they on an even keel and does MINDEF see any potential downside in security cooperation in the region as the pandemic progresses?
My second clarification is for Senior Minister of State Heng. He mentioned the appointment of safety advocates. Could he share what proportion of units have already appointed them and if there are any significant ideas or improvements that have arisen from their participation?
Dr Ng Eng Hen: Our relations with our friends, partners and surrounding countries are good. If I can mention some signature events, I think the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding which Prime Minister signed with President Trump then was a significant event because that was a 30-year agreement which now is extended.
Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia is certainly a very powerful instrument to build not only defence ties but ties between countries, and as well as physical assets in Shoalwater Bay and Greenvale, and we are committing resources there.
Our agreements with India in terms of submarine rescue and the Singapore India-Thailand Maritime Exercise, or SITMEX, are emblematic of our trust; our agreements with China and the other Plus partners in the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting, or ADMM.
With our surrounding countries, we have good relations with the Malaysian Armed Forces, as well as the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) and we will continue to work with them. But I think all of us are realistic. We do not mean that there are no differences. But from time to time, differences occur, and we will find channels to smooth over them and to continue to build ties. So, I would say that there are no spiky issues that we see on the horizon, but neither should we believe that it is all hunky-dory and, you know, we are all the best of pals. I mean, it is, as I have said, the systemic risks have gone up and, in the contestation, whether it is between the US, China and other aspects, I think we can expect, from time to time, bumpy rides as well as the ability for the SAF to have to respond when we need to.
The Chairman: Mr Gerald Giam. Hang on a second. Mr Heng Chee How.
Mr Heng Chee How: Thank you, Mr Chairman. The hon Member Mr Alex Yam asked about the implementation status for the safety advocates in our services. I am happy to report that, for the Army as well as the Navy, all units already have them; and the RSAF, the Air Force is also making very good efforts in that direction. I think this really goes to illustrate the seriousness with which we take the subject of safety and how we want to be open about it in order that we might be able to prevent accidents even better.
The Chairman: Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: Chairman, I thank Senior Minister of State Heng for responding to my cut. Can Senior Minister of State Heng clarify if operationally-ready NSmen who suffer service injuries or accidents will receive the same compensation and insurance coverage as full-time National Serviceman? If not, can MINDEF move towards this framework, given the invaluable contributions of our NSmen to our nation's defence?
Second, could SMS also share whether there are plans to increase the existing group term insurance coverage? Finally, is there a framework for enhanced payouts for servicemen who are injured or killed in actual operations?
Mr Heng Chee How: Mr Chairman, in response to Mr Gerald Giam's three questions, the first one is whether or not NSmen, should they be injured, whether the treatment with regard to compensation is the same, the answer is yes. On his question whether or not the group term insurance payout amounts can be raised, I would like to inform him that MINDEF and SAF do review the quantum of coverage periodically, and we will take into account all relevant factors as we conduct these reviews. If I may request him to remind me of the third question that he had?
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: Sure. Is there a framework for enhanced coverage for servicemen who are killed or injured in action?
Mr Heng Chee How: Thank you. Mr Chairman, the compensation framework relates to injuries suffered by servicemen in the course of their duty, in the course of training, in the course of service-related activities and, therefore, it would also cover actual operations.
The Chairman: Mr Alex Yam, would you like to withdraw your amendment?
Mr Alex Yam: Chairman, my thanks to fellow Members for the 41 cuts across a multitude of topics on our security and defence. A very big thank-you to Dr Ng Eng Hen, our two Senior Ministers of State, for their considered response and affirmation of our commitment towards safeguarding our sovereignty. With that, Mr Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $14,814,265,200 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $907,700,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
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Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Chairman, I beg to move, “That the total sum to be allocated for Head N of the Estimates be reduced by $100”.
COVID-19 has brought about tensions in foreign relations amongst various nations. Borders were hurriedly closed as governments attempted to stem the spread of the virus, and added to this was the tension arising from even the transnational supply of medical equipment. Nationalism was rearing its ugly face and multilateralism was elbowed aside.
In closing the 75th session of the UN General Assembly last September, Assembly President Volkan Bozkir noted that the pandemic has been a test, demonstrating that multilateral cooperation is the key to overcoming global challenges, and he stressed the need for collective action to tackle common threats and “vaccine multilateralism” to combat the coronavirus.
In this pandemic the absence of cooperation is somewhat puzzling because global public health generally requires cooperation to control its spread and to minimise the damage to the global economy. Dr Joshua Busby of the Robert S Strauss Center for International Security and Law pointed out that, in the past, if we looked at various diseases and epidemics, the US and the Soviet Union found it within their interests to cooperate – and even outdo each other – such as on the eradication of smallpox in the midst of the Cold War.
The dissonance among leading nations, amidst this pandemic, prompted even Pope Francis last October to issue an encyclical, to lament the poor cooperation amongst countries and to warn that the forces of “myopic, extremist, resentful and aggressive nationalism are on the rise”.
I quote from that encyclical: “Aside from the different ways that various countries responded to the crisis, their inability to work together has become quite evident. For all our hyper-connectivity, we are witnessing a fragmentation that made it more difficult to resolve problems that affect all of us.”
With the then US administration vigorously advancing its America First policy, a mixture of nationalism, unilateralism and xenophobia, and its rivalry with China, the world was left, perhaps, with a leadership vacuum. The resultant fallout was a relative decline in multilateralism and the weaponisation of global interdependence. This is fast becoming a \"new normal\".
I recall that in the early days of the crisis, the great uncertainty that permeated as borders started closing and the then unknown virus was spreading rapidly. I also remember many a frantic resident contacting to ask for advice as they or their family members tried to leave parts of the world, such as China, to return home for safety. Our MFA consular officers were tested up to the hilt to mobilise resources to bring Singaporeans overseas home to their families during this crisis. A debt of gratitude to all those who worked so tirelessly then and now to bring them home.
Can the Minister, therefore, speak on our efforts to bring Singaporeans home over the course of the pandemic as borders closed? These border closures also disrupted much of our supply chain. How did the Ministry do its part to ensure that our supply chain continuously connected us to the world?
As we begin our vaccination campaign in earnest, it is worthwhile stating that Singapore is an early supporter of COVAX, the COVID-19 Vaccination Global Access initiative. How is Singapore playing its role as a responsible global partner and neighbour in this regard? Chairman, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, as a small nation, we have to work harder to protect our sovereignty and independence, and avoid being dominated by bigger countries. To secure our place in the world, we need support and cooperation from other friendly nations who are also committed to an open rules-based global order and multilateralism. There are many common threats which we can only overcome by working together with our allies. These challenges include climate change, pandemics, terrorism, cyberattacks, water shortage, food insecurity, just to name a few. We are also dependent on partnerships for trade and other exchanges vital to our survival.
Hence, we have put in much effort over the years to build strong and productive relationships with our neighbours and nations further ashore. We have been actively engaged with the international community and contribute to common goals. In many areas, we are punching above our weight. We have established a track record as a fair, reliable and valuable partner. Amidst the global uncertainty and growing geopolitical tensions, we need to re-strategise.
What are some of the practical measures that we have taken to maintain or strengthen Singapore’s reputation as a constructive and responsible member of the international community?
Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang): Chairman, Sir, for decades, Singapore has managed a free market economy and is well-positioned as an international and regional hub. COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted economies globally.
Would the Minister for Foreign Affairs share how will Singapore maintain its status as a hub for trade, shipping and finance given the economic uncertainties caused by this pandemic and what is our strategy to emerge stronger should the inflow of resources and talents be constrained by the pandemic?
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairman, Sir, it is likely that the path to recovery will be long-drawn, uncertain and uneven in a post-COVID-19 world.
As mentioned in one of my earlier speeches in Parliament, I strongly feel that there is a need for Singapore to have a deeper cultural understanding of our ASEAN region, in view of greater potential growth opportunities, especially since ASEAN forms a strong economic powerhouse. This greater interconnectedness is necessary, especially with the growing uncertainties and instabilities, such as rising protectionism over supply chains, resources, data and technology, as well as extraordinary levels of public debt globally to fund the exceptional financial responses during this pandemic.
To achieve this, I propose that the Continuing Education and Training (CET) as well as SkillsFuture components for each ITM include understanding industry models, the supply chains, the business strategies and the cultural context of how things are done in our neighbouring countries. These cultural knowledges developed through CET are essential for fostering people-to-people connections within the ASEAN region and to ensure stable business partnerships. COVID-19 has underscored the importance of Singapore towards strengthening its adaptability and resilience to cope with uncertainties and instabilities. As such, how may MFA assist to provide these opportunities within CET and SkillsFuture to support pre- and post-tertiary education and lifelong learning? How may MFA strengthen our resilience via relationships, partnerships and people-to-people connections with other countries?
Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): Chairman, Sir, in June 2020, Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan spoke in a virtual townhall with our Foreign Service officers and, within the excerpts of the speech published in The Straits Times, Minister Vivian highlighted that “finding relevance remains an existential imperative for us”. I agree.
During a pandemic, “No one is safe until everyone is safe”. But over the past year, we witnessed how some advanced economies were absorbed in their fight against COVID-19 with multiple lockdowns, or were embroiled in factious politics, leaving little capacity to fulfil their global role as they should. Given the lack of global leadership, each of us then must try and do our best to help combat the pandemic. Despite the challenges and, small as we may be, Singapore must still do our part, to be helpful, relevant and be a responsible global citizen.
A Chinese idiom comes to mind – “雪中送炭”, which literally means delivering charcoal when snowing. It is always tougher to give help to others when we are not having it easy, too. But it is during tough times that we show our mettle and demonstrate genuine friendship.
Therefore, I would like to ask how is Singapore contributing to the international effort in combatting COVID-19 and how might our Singapore response evolve looking ahead?
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Sir, the competition to fight for precious vaccine supplies has already given rise to vaccine nationalism. In contrast, Singapore has endorsed the elevated stance that advocates for fair and equitable access for vaccines, or one of vaccine multilateralism. Vaccine multilateralism is simply pragmatically necessary if international borders are to reopen. To this end, Singapore has been an active participant in various global initiatives. I have some questions on our contributions to these efforts.
One of the key initiatives is the COVAX Facility, a global risk sharing mechanism aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. More than 190 countries are now involved in COVAX.
In December last year, Singapore announced a contribution of US$5 million to the COVAX Advanced Market Commitment or AMC financing instrument. How was this contribution sum of US$5 million determined and how does it compare with the contributions of other nations?
The current US administration is committing up to US$4 billion to the facility and G7 leaders have just issued statement calling for all partners to increase support for COVAX. Will Singapore be heeding this call?
On the conditions of our donation, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted recently that the WHO could accommodate requests from governments that wish to earmark some of their donations to specific countries. With ASEAN centrality in mind, has Singapore avail itself of this option so that it can channel parts of this donation to ASEAN countries?
Singapore is also serving as a co-chair of the friends of COVAX Facility alongside Switzerland. Could the Minister elaborate on what Singapore's role is as the co-chair and the actions plan by the grouping to assist the COVAX Facility? Most specifically, how can the friends of COVAX Facility help discourage vaccine hoarding, especially by the richer developed countries?
Mr Chong Kee Hiong (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Chairman, the COVID-19 pandemic is the crisis of our generation. The impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the world had been devastating. In Singapore, we suffered the worst economic recession in our history.
COVID-19 vaccines have been identified as the only long-term solution to counter the pandemic. As MOH had assessed, Singapore has the capacity and capability to vaccinate our entire population by the end of the year at the latest, if all our vaccine batches continue to arrive as planned. We can then look forward to resuming even more activities.
However, we are all keenly aware that our economy is highly dependent on broader economic developments beyond our shores. As a global hub, we need open borders between nations and the freedom to travel in order to thrive. Our survival requires continued engagement with other countries through trade and many other areas of cooperation and exchanges.
Thus, it is important for our economic recovery that everyone in the world, not just Singaporeans, has access to safe and efficacious vaccines. This is because no one is safe until everyone is safe in this pandemic.
The threat of this evolving disease requires international cooperation and as some had described it, vaccine multilateralism.
Will the Minister share with us details and updates on how Singapore is helping to promote vaccine access to the wider international community?
As one of the contributors to the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Advance Market Commitment (AMC) mechanism, what are our roles and contributions to the international effort? The objective of the COVAX Facility is to obtain and distribute two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines equitably by the end of this year. It will help people in low and lower middle income countries have access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Six members of ASEAN are among the countries eligible for COVAX assistance. As a member of ASEAN, what more can we do to help our closest neighbours? How can we work with their leadership to ensure that the vaccines can also reach their needy, especially those in zones of conflict and unrest? In addition to monetary contributions, will Singapore be deploying manpower or other resources to help?
Beyond our region, is there a role for us to assist in areas further afield, to lend a helping hand to our other allies? Would the Minister provide an update on these initiatives?
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Mr Chairman, across the world, in the past one year, we have seen how cooperation is needed to solve many large and complex problems, distinguished by three key facets of modern life – porosity across borders, movement and mobility and high inequality.
In the current pandemic, vaccines have become an important weapon against the virus. But just 10 countries, including Singapore, have administered 75% of all vaccines, and 130 countries have no doses at all.
This is a mirror to the challenges that we face in climate change. Environmental problems too are porous. They affect everyone and financial strength offers no protection because we are all in this together.
Like the virus, environmental pollution is no respecter of national borders. There is no apportioning of blame because we are all users. So how is Singapore collaborating with partners to maintain the positive momentum on climate change?
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong (Jurong): Mr Chairman, after a year of fighting COVID-19, much resources have been committed to stopping the spread of the virus. There is much toll in the economic, social, emotional aspects and no effort was spared galvanising the nation, saving communities and helping those who were most affected.
Given these immense challenges, will there be sufficient capacity for the greater challenge that remains – climate change and our existential need to achieve sustainability?
We must. The warming of the earth over the next decade is unavoidable. Many other planetary limits have been breached and we are on the verge of a tipping point where the loss of biodiversity, degradation of water, air and cooling systems of the world will be irreversible.
Mitigating climate change through decarbonisation is a key and necessary response.
The Paris Agreement stated that that all parties will reduce their carbon footprint by more than 50% by 2030 and eliminate it by 2050. However, this was based on a growth and temperature rise estimates that have since exceeded assumptions. We have to do more. I understand that despite all challenges, Singapore pressed ahead to submit its nationally determined contribution and long-term low emissions development strategy.
Could the Minister for Foreign Affairs provide an update on how will Singapore continue to contribute to the global efforts against climate change?
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Chairman, in recent years, we see countries behaving in an insular manner. Protectionism is on the rise as well as nationalistic sentiments. Now, the pandemic also undermine international bodies for the alleged biases, leanings and political pressures. However, Singapore still needs to open up, work together with other nations through the various multilateral platforms.
Now, besides the pandemic, can the Ministry shine some light on what are the other important challenges facing Singapore that we are working with the international community and at multilateral platforms?
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Kebun Baru): Mr Chairman, the pandemic has accelerated the digital revolution and its role in driving economic growth. Therefore, there is a pressing need for new regulations to ensure the safety and security of digital data flows, such as consumers' personal information.
Can MFA share how we are working bilaterally with other countries as well as with platforms like the UN and ASEAN, to develop and strengthen international norms, not only to take digital cooperation forward, but also to ensure that cyberspace remains safe, secure and open for our citizens.
I would also like to take this chance to thank our MFA officers, especially those based overseas, who put in their lives on the line for the past one year, to defend Singapore's diplomatic interests and to assist Singaporeans overseas who are in need.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mr Chairman, Sir, even as relations between the US and China remain uncertain, Singapore is in a sweet spot and we are happy where we are. Our position of diplomatic neutrality must continue, though economically, we cannot afford to be indifferent to these tensions.
Nowadays, wars are not fought with guns, but with market access, economic protection and the movement of people. Naturally, the effects of these tensions are felt intimately by our SME towkays here in Singapore and they will definitely be watching how US-China tensions unfold.
It is our hope that our neutral stance will continue to find resolve in the midst of these tensions. Economically, however, we seek updates on how the Government is preparing the heavily globalised Singaporean economy to remain resilient in light of economic uncertainties that businesses, especially SMES might face?
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Mr Chairman, can I take my two cuts together?
The Chairman: No. Separate it. Do your cut first.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: One after the other? What I meant is, I can continue with the following cut?
The Chairman: Yes, you can take both cuts together as Mr Vikram Nair is not here.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: Thank you. Mr Chairman, Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan recently responded to questions on the situation in Myanmar. Following the coup by the Tatmadaw. He stated that an escalation of the situation will have serious consequences for both Myanmar and the region.
Indeed, reports that developments remain highly fluid contrary to hopes for greater stability. The death toll of protestors being killed by Security Forces has reportedly been increasing. And yesterday, it was reported at least 18 have been killed. This is disconcerting.
Dr Balakrishnan, in his earlier responses, has indicated a need for consensus to hold an ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Myanmar situation.
Given the continued uncertainty and tenseness of developments, will the Foreign Minister provide an update on Singapore's position on the crisis? Will he also inform the House of Singapore's role in facilitating the emergence of a consensus for a meeting, if there is one, and what we hope can be achieved from this meeting?
ASEAN's ability demonstrate initiative on the Myanmar issue may be key. We speak repeatedly about ASEAN unity and centrality but that centrality only matters if it is meaningful and can make a difference. This is important because an effective ASEAN helps members like Singapore maintain our autonomy and a platform to make our voices heard.
Singapore is invested in ASEAN success. So, it is imperative for the Government to bring Singaporeans on board with what it is doing to support our ASEAN's ability to play a practical and positive role when faced with unfolding situation in Myanmar. Political instability in the region, even away from Singapore, can have an impact for us here.
Further, Southeast Asia is also a focal point or intensifying competition between the US and China, and any inability ASEAN to address such an ability could spur further contestation among major powers in our region. This may possibly cause severe and even irreversible divisions in ASEAN in ways that paralleled the recent crisis within the Pacific Islands forum.
Calls in Myanmar for the boycotting of Singapore firms began after Dr Balakrishnan's earlier answer to the House which included a line on separating business and politics. Our Government's views, notwithstanding, perceptions in Myanmar and elsewhere in the world may differ. So, this has to be sensitively managed.
Finally, I would like to ask what is being done to reach Singaporeans who may be stranded in Singapore but are unable to contact the Embassy in the event of any connectivity issue. Being in a position to extend support may be especially critical in the event of a further escalation of violence and instability. Singaporeans in Myanmar should know of the contingency plans for extraction should the need arise. My next cut.
Singapore's foreign policy towards the US and China has been one where we have reiterated that we do not wish to choose sides and want to retain the ability to make choices for ourselves.
Our Prime Minister has even implored both Beijing and Washington to stabilise the US-China relationship and focus on building constructive ties. This position rests on the view that many areas of significant overlap in interest exists between the US and China, and will continue to exist if not expend. But this does seem at odds with recent global developments.
Mr Chairman, I think it is clear that the world has entered a new phase of renewed major power rivalry between the US and China. Many are now familiar with US President Joe Biden's foreseeing extreme competition in US-China relations and General Secretary Xi Jinping's framing of a wide range of issues as PRC's core interests that the US should respect. A recent South China Morning Post editorial even noted that disputes between China and the US appear unavoidable.
Realistically, no amount of pleading or reasoning from Singapore is ultimately going to change minds in either Washington or Beijing. Any believe that a Kumbaya moment will come at any time soon, may be optimistic, but potentially naive.
As a smaller actor, Singapore will probably do well to be prepared for the worst that may yet to come. Given the current trajectory in US-China relations and the very real possibility of a more tense environment, several key questions loom large with Singapore.
I would like to ask the Minister to spend some time in laying out Singapore's strategic vision to deal with the potential challenges that lie ahead.
First, I would like to ask, how Singapore's autonomy and freedom of action can be protected under the more contentious circumstances that we find ourselves in today? Second, how will Singapore maintain positive and robust ties with the two majors, competing against one another without getting drawn unnecessarily into the friction and risk being ground up in the process? Third, how does Singapore avoid one party perceiving our efforts to stand for our own interests as being detrimental to theirs, and earning suspicion for siding with their rival?
Let me be clear. I am not asking for operational details. I am asking these questions because Singaporeans need to understand and by into the Government's strategic vision on these aspects of our foreign and even security policies and the guiding principles there too, for us to have any chance at success in navigating these very tricky waters.
The Chairman: Miss Rachel Ong.
Miss Rachel Ong (West Coast): Chairman, may I have permission to take both my cuts together?
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Miss Rachel Ong: First, some bilateral relations with Malaysia. Singapore shares strong ties with Malaysia beyond economic, defence and trade to our people-to-people interactions and social relations. Our interdependencies in the areas of jobs, food and water supply, transport links, tourism and trade, have only been further magnified in the last year from border restrictions arising from the pandemic.
There are two concerns I would like to raise. The first, re-opening of borders with Johor. Prior to the pandemic, travelers using the Causeway between Johor and Singapore averaged over 300,000 per day, with over a third being Malaysians who commute daily for work and study. Since the Movement Control Order in March and the suspension of the Reciprocal Green Lane, movement has been reduced to travel under the PCA and commercial vehicles.
This has a multi-fold impact on trade, tourism and also social ties between Singaporeans and Malaysians with family members across the border. With the roll out of the vaccination programs in Johor and Singapore, I would like to ask the Ministry if there are upcoming plans to reopen borders with Johor?
The second is the high-level interactions with Malaysia. Regular and active exchange of visits between our political leaders have, in the past, helped our leadership on both sides develop relations and better understand each other. These exchanges are important to set the tone and overall direction for our bilateral relationships.
The COVID-19 pandemic and border restrictions have effectively put a halt to these physical interactions. How have these impacted our high-level interactions with Malaysia?
May I continue with my second cut on bilateral relations with Indonesia. Indonesia is one of our closest neighbours. We have a deep and multi-faceted relationship that is rooted in mutually beneficial cooperation across multiple sectors. Similarly, our regular physical exchanges have been disrupted by COVID-19. It is essential that we maintain the close linkages between Singapore and Indonesia, so that we are ready to emerge stronger from the pandemic, which has impacted both our economies.
Singapore's economy, contracted by 5.08% in 2020, while Indonesia's contracted by 2.07%. Nonetheless, Singapore remained Indonesia's largest foreign investor in 2020. We also rank among each other's largest trading partners, with Indonesia ranking number 6 amongst Singapore's top trading partners in 2020 and a merchandise value of $48.8 billion. It is encouraging to know we continue to collaborate on key economic projects such as the Industry 4.0 Programme.
May I ask how the Ministry has sought to build on the Singapore-Indonesia relationship over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic? How will our two nations work together to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19, and maintain essential connections and economic links?
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei are interlinked across social, economic, political, and security fronts. Singapore and Malaysia share a close relationship where many of our citizens live and work in both countries. Prior to the pandemic, more than 300,000 travellers crossed the Causeway every day.
Despite the pandemic, bilateral cooperation between the governments of Singapore and Malaysia has resulted in the formation of the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) travel schemes. However, given the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia, Singapore has suspended the RGL for a period of three months, beginning from February 2021. Given the disruptions to cross-border flows, could MFA explain how we have maintained our close linkages?
Brunei is another close neighbour with whom we share a special relationship. Singapore and Brunei have long-standing arrangements such as the Currency Interchangeability Agreement and also cooperate extensively in defence, finance, trade and investment. In March 2020, the Singapore Government contributed 3,000 diagnostic tests and one PCR machine to support the Brunei Government's fight against COVID-19.
In April 2020, a joint ministerial statement released by nine countries, including Singapore and Brunei, affirmed commitment to ensuring supply chain connectivity, to facilitate the flow of goods including essential supplies, amidst COVID-19. In September 2020, Singapore and Brunei initiated a RGL to facilitate essential business and official travel for residents from both countries. I would like to ask the Minister, what are the latest developments in Singapore-Brunei relations?
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Chairman, Indonesia is one of our closest neighbours and our relations have been underpinned by family ties between the people of both nations, cultural exchanges, interdependence and substantive collaboration across multiple domains. Singaporeans and Indonesians travel between both countries frequently, to visit relatives and friends, for leisure, for study, work and business. Our ties run deep and go back a very long way.
The on-going COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in travel restrictions and caused much hardship for people on both sides. It is much harder now to do everything, whether it is seeing loved ones or continuing cross-border business projects. How have we maintained or deepened this relationship during this challenging period? What are some of the initiatives and projects to keep our relations strong?
Next, I would like to ask the Minister for an update about Singapore companies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Would the Minister provide an update on how our companies are tapping this growing market and which sectors they are developing? While it is less familiar to most Singaporeans, it is an emerging market with great potential. Due to its young population, Sub-Saharan Africa is growing quickly and presents many opportunities which will do us well to seize them.
I understand that Singapore is one of the larger investors in Africa among Southeast Asian countries. As of 2019, there were more than 60 Singapore companies operating there. They covered a wide range of sectors, including agribusiness, manufacturing, logistics and digital services. How has our trade with them been progressing and would the Minister share some details about our investment figures and market share? How else is the Ministry supporting Singaporeans working and doing business there, especially in this COVID-19 environment?
Ms Sylvia Lim: Despite the devastation from COVID-19 last year, ASEAN was able to adapt. For instance, at the ASEAN held on 15 November, the landmark Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or RCEP was signed. The signing of the RCEP serves to broaden and deepen ASEAN's engagement with Australia, China, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.
At the same time, there are also fault lines which could unravel and undo all the progress ASEAN has achieved to date.
These fault lines play on the differences between ASEAN member states. A recent survey entitled State of Southeast Asia 2021, was conducted by the Yusof Ishak Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, among more than 1,000 academics, policy-makers, business people, civil society leaders, media and other organisations, from the 10 ASEAN member states. The survey results showed that overall, six in 10 respondents in ASEAN would choose the US over China, if forced.
When broken down by country, survey respondents from three countries should greater support for China, than the US, namely Myanmar, Brunei and Laos, while the respondents from the other seven countries showed stronger support for the US than China. Sir, the territorial disputes in South China Sea, still remain thorny issues. Recent happenings in Myanmar are highly regressive from a human rights perspective. ASEAN's operating principle of working through consensus, may be seen as a stumbling block at such times.
Given the above, I would like to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs on how Singapore will seek to strengthen ASEAN's centrality and coordination? How will we work further through the ASEAN economic community and the ASEAN political security community? What about the potential of NGOs and the people to strengthen ASEAN?
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Sir, Deputy Prime Minister Heng in his Budget speech highlighted that the strategy for our country to emerge stronger must involve deepening Singapore's position as a Global-Asia node. He also signalled that Singapore must deepen its capacity to collaborate and innovate with partners around the world, especially the ASEAN countries.
It may seem incredible, but over the course of the past one year, where all eyes appear to be focused on the Herculean effort in healthcare, social compliance and understanding the virus itself, two things happened under the radar, which shows that we have kept faith with the vision and how it stood us in good stead.
First, the securing of sufficient supply of vaccines ahead of other countries. This is no small feat. And today, Singapore is in a very good position to emerge from the pandemic. We must not take for granted that a small country with no bargaining power can secure a reliable supply of such a precious commodity and provide logistics, not just for Singapore, but for others in the region.
Second, investments in Singapore have continued unabated. We have heard of expansion of global firms in Singapore. In 2020, Singapore attracted Singapore attracted $17.2 billion in investments, despite its worst recession since Independence. We are therefore in a good position to realise the ambitions of a Global-Asia node. The question arises as to how MFA can facilitate these ambitions? How does MFA's work to enhance cooperation with these countries contribute to this imperative? Will the integration of ASEAN markets happen?
Deputy Prime Minister Heng has identified three areas for focus. The first is in the area of setting standards. Second, the area of human capital development, and the third, international business linkages.
All these rely on innovation, enterprise and technology. These must not be the esoteric domain of glass and steel in biopolis, but must flow into the conversations of coffeeshops in our housing estates, into \"what I want to be when I grow up\" essays in primary schools. The Global-Asia node cannot be an ambition for the few, but a lived reality for all.
Can the Minister tell us how MFA's efforts to make Singapore as a global Asia hub, improve the daily lives of Singaporeans, especially during these difficult times?
Mr Derrick Goh (Nee Soon): Chairman, Singapore has always been strongly committed to free trade and connectivity as this is the foundation of how we make a living as a nation.
From this perspective, ASEAN is an important grouping for Singapore to strengthen our connectivity with Southeast Asia, to deepen our role as a hub for the region and sharing the vision of realising the ASEAN Community by 2025. Can Minister share how will Singapore be supporting ASEAN, especially this year's Chair, Brunei, to forge a closer ASEAN for the benefit of all?
Mr Abdul Samad (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, Singapore has and will continue to thrive because of our openness to connect to all our partners around the world. We are friends with every country of the world and I believe we will and must continue to be so.
We worked hard to maintain strong and cordial relations with our neighbours in the ASEAN countries. We have also been cooperating closely with them to advance ASEAN's community-building efforts and develop new areas of collaboration such as smart cities and digitalisation.
While we should press on with such efforts in our neighbourhood, this pandemic has also shown the importance of having a wider engagement strategy to shore up our country's resilience. In this regard, I would like to ask how is the Ministry deepening Singapore's engagement with other key partners beyond the ASEAN region?
I look forward to hearing from the Ministry the new efforts and measures they will put in place to sustain the relationship and engagement that has been built over the years for the present and the future.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Chairman, due to the pandemic travel restrictions, many Singaporean Muslims have not been able to perform the Haj and the Umrah since last year. Haj 2020 was deferred. Umrah pilgrimages are on hold until at least the third quarter of 2021. The Saudi government also limited the number of Haj pilgrims and only to residents within Saudi Arabia last year.
How is the Ministry working with the Saudi Arabian authorities to ensure our citizens have opportunities to perform their pilgrimage safely when restrictions are lifted? Can the Minister advise when Singaporean Muslims can look forward to making their annual pilgrimages? Would their vaccination status, for example, have any impact on their opportunities for them to do so?
Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Mr Chairman, amid the closing of borders and lockdowns, and the gloom due to the pandemic, paradoxically, the Middle East has shown some promise of peace in the region last one year. The Abraham Accords normalised relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as Bahrain. In another new chapter in the region, Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries have reinstated diplomatic relations with Qatar – three years after ties were cut with Doha.
These agreements would perhaps signal a major shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics, which have long been characterised by the refusal of Gulf Arab states to engage in talks with Israel. The agreement can perhaps motivate additional Arab nations to negotiate bilaterally to normalise relationships with Israel. There are, of course, others who feel that the agreement would again ignore the most controversial regional issues such as the Palestinian question or the fraught relationship with Tehran.
Singapore and the Middle East have always had high-level exchanges, economic cooperation and people-to-people linkages. There are exchanges in a number of sectors, including healthcare, governance, culture and the environment.
We have the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (GSFTA) and we are the first country outside of the Middle East to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) with the GCC. We have also a good relationship with Israel and the Singapore-Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation has been supporting joint industrial R&D projects between companies from both countries.
Yet, while peace portents well for the world, we are reminded that the region is still very much a tinder box with the new US administration's tense new relationship with Saudi Arabia, continued acrimony with Iran and unease with some of the Israeli administration's policies.
Given these major developments in the Middle East, what are the implications for our foreign policy?
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Chairman, trade is one of the most important pillars of our economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many of our established markets and it is timely for us to consider greater diversification. We should consider tapping into opportunities in other markets, especially those beyond Asia. Emerging economies in central and eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America are developing strongly with young populations. While they may not be obvious choices for our entrepreneurs, these are promising markets worth considering.
How are we engaging these emerging markets beyond Asia? Would the Minister provide an update on the measures and frameworks, such as trade agreements, to support Singapore companies there? How else is the Ministry supporting local companies interested in exploring opportunities in these markets?
Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines): Mr Chairman, in delivering Singapore's National Statement at the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2019, the Prime Minister said, \"For small countries like Singapore, multilateral institutions, systems and laws are critical for our survival. These give us a stake in the global commons and a means to defend and advance our interests. A rules-based system imposes responsibilities on all countries and creates a stable environment for all. This is why Singapore is a staunch advocate of the United Nations (UN), international law and of the multilateral system.\"
For many decades, the United States has played the leadership role in forging a global multilateral system. However, the immediate past US President Donald Trump had very different views or rather, he had his own way to perform the role.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020, the US administration officially gave notice to withdraw from World Health Organization. On the environment front, there were nearly 100 rollbacks under the Trump administration to loosen regulations on everything from air and water quality to wildlife. In 2017, Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The United States formally left the global pact on 4 November 2020, which, ironically, was the day after the US elections, which gave us Joe Biden as the 46th American president.
Mr Biden called climate change an existential threat to the health of our planet and to our very survival. He vowed to reverse some of the Trump administration's policies as well as enact more of his own to combat climate change. On the first day after his inauguration, Biden signed 15 executive orders, including one to re-join the Paris Agreement.
There is a Chinese saying, 朝更暮改, which literally means: what was just changed in the morning, changes again at night.
However, it would be wrong to label the United States, a global superpower, as fickle in its policies. Its institutions would be able to provide a good level of policy consistency from administration to administration. On the other hand, the United States has become more polarised as a nation. While Trump lost the elections, he still won more votes than any other presidential candidate, with the exception of Joe Biden.
With such a domestic landscape, how does Singapore see political considerations shaping future policy developments in US international relations? Can the Minister share how Singapore will seek to work with the new Biden administration?
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Chairman, last year, Singapore and China celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. Singapore's economy depends heavily on trade and China is Singapore's biggest trading partner. In December 2020, both countries came together for the 16th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation. It is the highest level of bilateral platforms between both countries.
Connectivity, digitalisation and sustainable development are increasingly critical areas for collaboration in a post-COVID-19 world. We have to ensure that the Singapore-China economic relationship is mutually beneficial and not one which is a win-lose.
Does COVID-19 have an adverse impact on existing areas of cooperation? What is the state of our relations with China and the progress of our government-to-government projects?
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Mr Chairman, Singaporean businesses have internationalised well in the China market and with many great success stories. This is to a large extent due to the substantive and multi-faceted relations that the two countries have built and enjoyed over the decades. Economic ties between the two countries are robust and continually being improved upon with regular enhancements to bilateral free trade agreements and new cooperation initiatives.
The series of government-to-government projects like the latest China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative demonstrate strong state-level relations and have helped add further impetus to the economic relations at both the strategic and the business levels.
For Singaporean businesses, the annual Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meetings, co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister Heng and China's Vice Premier Han Zheng, are often highly anticipated events where businesses look out for announcements in new areas of cooperation or for better mutual accesses to each other's markets.
The recent conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) would hopefully further invigorate Singapore-China trade.
China is a massive and diverse market, with each region and province offering varying business opportunities and investment potential. It is not possible for Singaporean businesses to be in every part of China. It makes sense for Singaporean businesses to operate, where possible, in areas where we have consular and economic agencies' support.
Can I ask the Minister how would MFA shape Singapore-China relations in the new global landscape and what would be the new focuses in the area of economic, trade and investment relations? What opportunities are there for Singaporean businesses in China, especially at the provincial and at the city levels?
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Mr Chairman, there are currently 200,000 Singaporeans living abroad. For these Singaporeans, the MFA's Overseas Mission serves as the primary point of contact when they require any assistance. COVID-19 has placed some of these Singaporeans in a precarious state, especially for those in countries where the virus is less well-contained. Many of them would still be unable to return to Singapore for work or health reasons. COVID-19 has accentuated the need for Overseas Missions.
Could the MFA provide an update on how it has provided consular assistance to Singaporeans abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic? What roles do MFA's Overseas Missions play in providing consular assistance and what should Singaporeans in need of such assistance do? What challenges does MFA face that require the public's support?
Next, the strategic balance in the world is shifting due to the tussle between the United States and China. The world powers are going through a complex adaption to the new world order. Regional blocs and smaller countries have to similarly find its place in the new system. Furthermore, with Singapore as the fifth largest recipient of foreign direct investment inflows in the world, external developments will have a marked bearing on the future of every Singaporean. The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on critical food, medical supplies and vaccines are a good example of how complex international relations can have acute impact on Singapore's survivability in the longer run.
Against the backdrop of a more participative and cosmopolitan citizenry and international relations frequently being played out on social media, can the MFA share how it has engaged with Singaporeans on our foreign policy and how fellow Singaporeans can play their part in it? How can the Ministry better share complex foreign policies regularly so that Singaporeans can better understand our bilateral and multilateral initiatives?
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Chairman, Singapore had flourished, despite our lack of natural resources, by being attuned to the needs of our region and the world. By fulfilling these needs and adding value, we had aligned the interests of our allies with our own and had thus been able to earn our place in the world. Our relevance had enabled us to survive and thrive.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many disruptions and changes. Our status as a hub – air hub, maritime hub, financial hub and more – is being threatened by uncertainty, travel restrictions and tighter border controls. In addition, ever improving online connectivity has shrunk distances between nations, bypassed physical obstacles and blunted certain geographical advantages. To stay relevant within this new order, we will have to change course, invest more in certain sectors and partnerships, reduce resource allocations for others or even give up certain endeavours.
Would the Ministry share how Singapore is working to retain its relevance internationally in this challenging environment? How can we remake ourselves so that we remain a valued member in the international community? In the face of weakening multilateralism, what is Singapore's strategy to secure our place amidst international engagements?
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): A cornerstone of Singapore's foreign policies defending our interest at multilateral organisations, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization and International Maritime Organization. Singapore has won a seat on the councils of both organisations. Last year, we achieved another milestone in having a Singaporean, Mr Daren Tang, elected as a Secretary-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Towards securing our candidatures, we need to depend on the support of more than just our major and regional partners. Singapore also has to engage countries in Africa, Latin America, the Carribean and the Pacific Islands. However, engaging these countries is a mammoth task. In MFA, there are about eight desk officers who cover about a hundred countries in these regions and only three resident embassies in these regions. Inevitably, we sacrifice depth of knowledge for width of engagement. Can I ask the Minister, are the current resources sufficient, given increased competition from other countries?
Second, is MFA receiving enough support from other Government agencies? While it is understandable that domestic issues are prioritised over hosting foreign visitors, sharing expertise and offering technical assistance, the latter set of actions are a key aspect of our engagement in our larger foreign policy goals. I am glad that the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) has moved some courses online. The SCP is a useful tool in building goodwill for Singapore and it is vital that its effectiveness is maintained despite COVID-19.
The on-going pandemic has reduced the number of opportunities for direct high-level physical contacts with these countries. Has MFA been able to maintain or step up such contacts through virtual meetings?
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member): Sitting on the coffee table at my firm's lobby is a book titled \"The Singapore Foreign Service: The First 40 Years\". I received this as a young Foreign Service Officer in my first job. I placed it at my lobby so that visitors can peruse it while waiting for their meetings or interviews and in a small way, help to educate people on the important work that our foreign service does.
I recall then-Foreign Minister George Yeo, not long after the launch of this book in 2006, saying in this House that our Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) are a \"special group of people\". And indeed they are.
When the pandemic broke, our FSOs played a critical role in providing consular support and comfort to Singaporeans overseas, helping to bring many of them home. As the pandemic grew more widespread, our FSOs remained overseas, many in countries where the pandemic was raging and in which it was unsafe for them to remain. They continue to be there now, protecting and advancing Singapore’s interests.
Sir, it is easy to be out of mind when one is out of sight. So, while we are safely cloistered here at home, largely unaffected by the pandemic, let us remember that there are fellow Singaporeans overseas, doing their part at the absolute frontlines of this battle against COVID-19.
On this note, I would like to echo Member Henry Kwek in thanking all of our Foreign Service Officers and diplomatic staff overseas for their dedication, courage, loyalty and service to Singapore and Singaporeans.
In this connection, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs what are the measures being taken at missions to protect our foreign service officers against COVID-19 and what are the plans for them as regards getting vaccinated against COVID-19?
The Chairman: Order. I propose to take a break now.
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 2.55 pm.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 2.34 pm until 2.55 pm.
Sitting resumed at 2.55 pm.
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
[(proc text) Debate in Committee of Supply resumed. (proc text)]
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
Head N (cont) –
The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Chairman, when I spoke at last year's Committee of Supply (COS), at that point in time we had just repatriated 266 people from Wuhan, our own citizens. And this just in the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, 2020 has been a very busy year. At MFA, we undertook our largest ever consular operation in our history. Mr Alex Yam would know that we worked round the clock and have brought back so far, over 4,500 Singaporeans and their family members. There were many challenges, but we were determined to leave no Singaporean behind. Around the world, flights were disrupted, borders were closed, public health situations were deteriorating. And we had an unprecedented number of requests for consular assistance. In some countries like India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, we were able to mount repatriation flights to bring large groups home.
But there were other places where Singaporeans were stuck in areas where we had no ground presence, no embassies. I am glad that members of this House have conveyed their appreciation to the men and women of MFA, all of whom, I want to emphasise, have remained unflinchingly at post overseas throughout this crisis, even as it worsened. Many of them are still separated from their family members, after one year. More than 300 of our officers continue serving at our overseas missions. They fly our flag abroad, keep in touch with Singaporeans overseas, help those who wish to come home, provide support to those who choose to remain. They also work closely with our economic and health agencies to sustain our flows of food, medical supplies and vaccines. They are part of the whole-of-Government of Singapore.
I should also say, although I will not reveal the numbers, that some of our MFA officers have been infected with COVID-19 whilst they were overseas at post. For privacy reasons and operational reasons, I hope you will not ask me for the numbers, But let me assure this House that fortunately, all of them have recovered and are well.
But again, this reflects our debt to them. Their grit and their resilience and their commitment to duty in the face of a crisis.
Our Foreign Service Officers have worked over many years to build up diplomatic capital and in the last one year, we have drawn down on this capital. For example, where we had no embassies, we reached out to our partners including Malaysia, Japan, France, the UK, Israel and Taiwan to help bring our people home. Similarly, where we could, we also facilitated the return and transits of other countries’ nationals using our aircraft or transiting through Changi Airport.
Across the Causeway, we have been working closely with the Malaysian authorities to help more than 350 Singaporeans who are elderly, or minors, or people with disabilities, so that they could reunite with their families in Singapore throughout these border closures.
Mr Alex Yam had also asked about how we helped to ensure supply chain connectivity. In the early days of the crisis, when borders were closing, we worked with partners like Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand and our fellow ASEAN countries to keep the supplies of essential goods flowing. And this was absolutely crucial in that time of disruption and upheaval.
Let me give you one example. We established an air freight connectivity partnership with New Zealand, where flights transported food from New Zealand to Singapore and medical supplies Singapore to New Zealand.
Efforts over the years to enhance our presence at multilateral fora have also paid off. We have participated actively at the UN, at the WHO and the WTO. And our networks were also key to securing our vaccine supplies early and to minimise delays.
But beyond shoring up our foundation in a time of crisis, we are also building up resilience for a post-COVID-19 future. In this shifting, uncertain and volatile environment, strengthening our resilience is inextricably intertwined with increasing our relevance to the world. Mr Lee Kuan Yew's reminder to us to always seek relevance, has never rung more true than today.
Let me touch on five priorities.
First, diversifying and deepening our trade relationships. COVID-19 amplified the push for shorter supply chains, for greater efficiency and security, and many countries were stampeded into this. Nationalism, protectionism, became politically attractive in many parts of the world, especially when there is fear and uncertainty.
So, the fact that we were still able to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, last year, was an important boost for trade and economic integration but also a statement and affirmation in itself, of the importance of maintaining multilateral trade relationships. It reaffirmed the role of free trade for shared prosperity and peace.
Both the RCEP and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, remain open, the door remains open for like-minded economies to join, and as pathfinders to what we hope will ultimately be even wider agreements.
For Singapore, I do not think I need to remind the House that trade remains three times our GDP. So, this is not a debating point, trade is our lifeblood. Sustaining international support for trade helps bolster our economic growth, as well as create jobs for Singaporeans.
Second priority, to enhance our nexus for trade, shipping, finance, and data, and even more important, ideas. Throughout this crisis, Singapore has continued to be a transit hub for foreign nationals who needed desperately to get home, as well as for crew changes for the maritime industry so that essential supplies and food, and medication can continue to move across the globe.
This is one reason why MOT has been very busy. Changi Airport, our port could never close. This is the other reason why, you will continue to see from time to time, we will have cases, apparently imported. Because, unlike other countries, complete isolation and shut down is not a viable strategy for Singapore.
Even now, we are facilitating Singapore's economic recovery by continuing to negotiate reciprocal green lanes, RGLs, and other safe travel arrangements. Although, Members of the House will also appreciate that green lanes' bubbles will have to open and shut according to circumstances. We need flexibility.
But the more important point is that we have continued to be a paragon of reliability, trustworthiness, that we have honoured at all times, the sanctity of contracts. We have never impounded supplies even when the crisis was deep.
The third priority is to promote multi-stakeholder partnerships. COVID-19 has in fact shown that we can achieve new levels of partnership between government, civil society and industry – across borders – when we are united around a common purpose.
For example, we have seen unprecedented levels of international scientific and medical cooperation throughout this crisis. Let me give you an example.
China scientists actually published the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in January last year. Very early, in the pandemic. Because they published it and because Singapore also played a small but important role in curating and processing the genome – and in fact, subsequent massive amounts of data on the genome database for COVID-19 – diagnostic tests were quickly developed all over the world, including in Singapore. There has been effective cooperation across borders to share research and to develop tests, vaccines and treatments.
Ms Tin Pei Ling asked how Singapore has contributed to international efforts to fight COVID-19. Apart from our work on diagnostic kits, we were also amongst the first in the world to launch digital contact tracing solutions and one of the first to develop a contact tracing protocol, which we then open-sourced so others could access it, use it, modify it.
Singapore also played a key role in establishing the COVAX collective vaccine purchase mechanism, which I believe several Members – Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Chong Kee Hiong – have asked about this. We must start with the principle, that fair and equitable access to vaccines across the globe is essential. This is not an ideological position, this is a practical proposition, because no one is safe, until everyone is safe. This is especially so for a small, open country like Singapore. No matter how well we control the pandemic within our borders, life cannot resume and get back to the status quo ante, unless the rest of the world is also made safer.
This is why Singapore was an early supporter of the COVAX Facility, which seeks to harmonise public and private incentives for global vaccine development. We founded and we co-chair the Friends of the COVAX Facility group, to provide impetus and support for the Facility's development. It is very easy now to say, \"Oh, that's obvious. Why don't you do more?\" But we will put our hands up when it was not obvious and when everyone was focused internally.
Under the COVAX mechanism, self-funded countries like Singapore will be allocated a certain small amount. But really, what this facility does is to ensure that subsidised vaccines will be allocated to other 92 low- and lower middle income countries. So, on this count, Singapore is a net donor. Have no doubt about that.
Now, in a panic, in a crisis, it is actually quite natural for every country to look to secure supplies for themselves first. But we know that the virus knows no borders. COVAX's primary value is in supporting wider access to vaccines. Without it, we would all be collectively worse off.
In fact, Members may or may not be aware that it was Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who introduced the term \"vaccine multilateralism\", which everyone bandies about now. He used it in June last year and it has since been acknowledged by the WHO Director General, and it has entered the international anti-COVID lexicon.
We also contributed US$5 million to COVAX to help low-income countries access vaccines through this facility. Our quantum took into account the needs of the larger international community, and also our status as a tiny city state, but a responsible and contributing member of the international community.
The need for a multilateral approach to fight COVID-19 is therefore, self-evident. This virus, I repeat, does not discriminate across language, race, religion or borders. And therefore, it is in our collective interest to help each other.
The fourth priority is climate change and many Members have referred to this. I am pleased to report that even in the midst of the pandemic, many countries continued to push ahead with implementing their obligations under the Paris Agreement. China, South Korea and Japan announced net zero targets.
And we welcome the return of the US to the Paris Agreement. As a small island state, Singapore is disproportionately affected by climate change, but this is not a problem we can solve on our own. We must continue to work with the international community to operationalise, in a real and practical way, the Paris Agreement.
For Singapore, MFA will work with other Ministries to do our part as a responsible member of the international community. We will seek new areas of cooperation, in innovating to build greener, more liveable cities, and because the world has now reached the point where more than half of humanity live in cities, urban solutions that we generate in Singapore will have salience and will be relevant all over the world. Therefore, we will help sustain global momentum towards a more sustainable future.
This brings me to the fifth area, digital cooperation, which Mr Henry Kwek addressed. The digital revolution was actually well under way before the onset of COVID-19. The pandemic actually acted as a stress test, it was a catalyst, it sped up our movement online, voluntarily or otherwise; and everyone had to rely on digital tools for work, for school, for purchases, for transactions.
To sustain growth and help us move ahead in the digital economy, we need to develop common frameworks, common global standards to ensure that cross-border transactions and engagements and digital exchanges, including e-payments and data flows, are safe, secure and efficient. This is why we concluded Digital Economy Agreements with Australia, Chile and New Zealand, and are exploring more with other partners.
At home and abroad, we are also supporting capacity-building. Deputy Prime Minister Heng put a lot into education and skills and training, and that is to make sure that Singaporeans will have the skills and the capacity to be at the forefront of this global revolution.
At the UN, ASEAN and other platforms, we will continue to work with our partners to develop and strengthen norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. Here you know I am referring to cybersecurity, which, in fact, remains a clear and present danger for all of us. Even more so now, that we are so dependent on digital technologies.
Making progress on these priorities that I have just outlined, will not be easy. The world will continue to feel the pandemic's after-effects for several years to come. There will still be great geopolitical and macroeconomic risk for Singapore. I want to spend some time addressing this question of \"risk to Singapore\".
First, global debt is already rising at unprecedented levels in the post-financial crisis era, that was 2007, 2008. Now, with COVID-19, you have seen a doubling of the global debt overhang. Governments have rolled out fiscal measures, loosened monetary measures, corporations have borrowed to stay afloat during the pandemic.
In the short term, these steps have helped to avert the worst economic consequences for the globe. But you know these are ultimately not sustainable in the long run. That means, managing the transition will be a perilous journey for all of us, and especially for Singapore because of the role that we play in the global economy. So, that is one.
The second is that the economic impact of COVID-19 has deepened fault lines, all across the globe and led to divisions both within and between countries and societies. Politically, that is why we are witnessing growing friction and distrust rather than cooperation and confidence-building. There has been increased pressure for governments to take a nationalistic, protectionist and isolationist approach. We have already seen this happen, whether it is the scramble for masks or PPE, or even now, in the distribution of vaccines.
The third risk that we are going to confront is that COVID-19 has, in fact, accelerated the pre-existing downward spiral of the US-China relations. Over the past year, we have witnessed sharp exchanges between senior figures on both sides. And this is deeply worrying. The US-China relationship remains the linchpin for geopolitical stability.
But the fundamental shift in relations between two superpowers preceded the outbreak of COVID-19.
China is increasing its influence, asserting its place in the world. The younger generation in China who grown up in the last 40 years have only known ascendency and they will not tolerate being treated or even perceive being treated unfairly by any foreign power.
At the same time – and I tell you as a person who has had to travel frequently to the United States over the past five years, except for last year –now there is absolutely no doubt that there bipartisan support in the US for a tougher stance against China, to rectify what they believe are unfair practices, trade practices as well as to deal with a contest, a competition with a strategic rival on a scale that United States has never faced before. Even with new Biden administration, it is unlikely that the measures and tariffs against China will be removed in the near future.
Friction over trade, emerging technologies, human rights, defence, finance and cybersecurity have all continued unabated.
But I still believe, or perhaps you can say that it is a hope, that the US and China will find ways to manage their relations. Practical cooperation is possible, especially if it is conducted within a rules-based multilateral system, with established rules and norms of engagement.
Some areas, in fact, COVID-19 is an example, which has starkly reminded the world of our interdependence and it would have been far more effective if the US and China had been able to cooperate effectively from day one.
Another area where you need effective cooperation between the two superpowers is climate change. And here, I speak from personal experience. In 2015, as a Ministerial facilitator for the negotiations that ultimately led to the Paris Agreement, I witnessed first-hand how effective cooperation between the US and China enabled us to achieve what would otherwise have been unattainable in 2015.
President Biden and President Xi had their first official phone call recently – I am sure it was carefully selected – the date was on the eve of Chinese New Year.
It was a polite but firm conversation. They spoke about their respective concerns and differences. But they also discussed tackling COVID-19, the global health system, climate change and countering proliferation. I think that is a good start but without wishing away all the fundamental hurdles, obstacles and prickliness to their relationship.
In our own region, it will be crucial to maintain ASEAN Centrality amidst this greater geopolitical competition and uncertainty.
We must continue strengthening ASEAN integration in concrete ways, whether in public health, economic cooperation or establishing protocols to prepare for safe re-opening. And this will reinforce the concentric circles of an open and inclusive regional architecture, which includes mechanisms like the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum and help ASEAN hold together, even as external forces try to push us or pull us one way or another, as it will invariably happen.
But ASEAN also has additional internal challenges. And Myanmar, unfortunately, is a case in point. The recent developments in Myanmar are a source of grave concern to Singapore and indeed, to the larger ASEAN family.
The immediate priority is to halt all acts of violence and the use of lethal force and to step back from a rapidly deteriorating situation. Yesterday, I think you all know there was a significant escalation in violence across the cities in Myanmar. Security forces shot at civilians with live rounds, rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas. Many deaths and injuries were caused. We are appalled by the use of lethal force against civilians. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives and we hope that the injured will recover quickly. We strongly reiterate that the use of lethal weapons against unarmed civilians is inexcusable under all circumstances. We call on the Myanmar military authorities to exercise the utmost restraint, to desist from the use of lethal force and to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation in order to prevent further bloodshed, violence and deaths.
Prolonged instability in Myanmar will have serious consequences for Myanmar, for ASEAN and across our region. We therefore call on all parties in Myanmar to engage in discussions and to negotiate in good faith, to pursue long-term peaceful political solutions for them to achieve national reconciliation, including a path to find a way to get back to the path of democratic transition. And we believe this can only begin if President Win Myint, and State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Ky and the other detainees are immediately released.
Despite ASEAN's core principles of consensus and non-interference, ASEAN can still play a constructive role in facilitating, hopefully, a return to normalcy and stability in Myanmar. This was why Singapore strongly supported ASEAN's efforts from the start, including the ASEAN Chair's Statement. We believe in engagement and dialogue in good faith with all relevant stakeholders. A special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting will be convened via video conference tomorrow and where we will listen to the representative of the Myanmar military authorities.
ASEAN will also work closely with all our external partners to foster an inclusive dialogue with all key stakeholders. And we must ensure that the mutually beneficial relations that ASEAN and our partners have built up do not become paralysed by this issue.
If we can hold together and maintain ASEAN Centrality, the longer term prospects for our region are still robust.
In case people do not appreciate the use of the word \"centrality\", it is not just jargon. You see, the choice for Southeast Asia is either we hang together, as what Mr Rajaratnam said at our founding, or for us to become fragmented into battleground and proxy states and vessel states. So, when we say \"centrality\" and \"integration\", these are crucial for all the 10 members of Southeast Asia, all the more so when there is geopolitical instability. But if we can hold together, hang together, maintain centrality, then our longer term prospects for our region, in fact, are bright.
Despite the pandemic, consider the fundamentals of growth in our region. We have 650 million people. ASEAN has a growing middle class and, in fact, will be one of the parts of the world in the next 20 years with the fastest growing middle class. We also have a rapidly expanding digital economy. It is no accident that we have a disproportionate number of unicorns, not just in Singapore, but also in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and expanding across ASEAN.
We are also well-placed to leverage the reconfiguration of supply chains that is occurring now in the world. Accelerated no doubt by COVID-19 but really, fundamental trends that were already there beforehand. And so, it is imperative that we press on with economic integration, fulfil the ASEAN Community Blueprints, and continue to expand cooperation with all of ASEAN's external partners in an inclusive way.
Let me now turn more specifically to how Singapore will navigate the relationship between the US and China.
We have a longstanding, strong relationship with the US. It is a cooperation that is multi-faceted. It includes vital areas: defence, security, economic, cybersecurity and people-to-people education.
And as the digital economy grows, we should all remember that the US is home to a vast pool of innovation, technology and talent that they harvest from all over the world. Its companies in Silicon Valley and beyond are global champions. It remains at the forefront of developments in science and technology. American companies like Pfizer and Moderna have been trailblazers on vaccines and treatments. American innovation and enterprise remain engines for global growth. American companies will continue to lead the digital revolution. This is why I never count the Americans out.
The cumulative stock of US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Southeast Asia stands at more than US$338 billion. The exact number is not so important. What is more important is that this sum is more than what the US has invested in India, Japan, South Korea and China combined. Stop for a moment to think about that. The US has more invested in Southeast Asia than it has in India, China, Japan and South Korea combined. Every time I met President Trump, I reminded him of this statistic. And there is another factoid. Approximately 85% of the US total investments in Southeast Asia are in Singapore – which creates many good jobs here. So, you understand then why our relationship with the US remains crucial.
And the US military presence has underpinned peace and stability in our region for over half a century. I recently spoke separately with newly-appointed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Fortunately, both are old friends. I am familiar with them. I have known them in various incarnations before their current positions. We reaffirmed our excellent relationship and robust cooperation and discussed doing more in areas like global health, cybersecurity and the digital economy so that together, we can better tackle the challenges of our generation.
With China, we share a deep, historical, cultural, linguistic legacy. We have a wide-ranging and important relationship, and I will get Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat to speak more about that after this. But I want to highlight a few points.
China remains our largest trading partner, and surprisingly, we are China's largest foreign investor. We have three government-to-government projects: the Suzhou Industrial Park, the Tianjin Eco City and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative and all these have made commendable progress over the years. And you will know that Deputy Prime Minister Heng just co-chaired the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC).
Despite the pandemic, we have kept up our pace of cooperation and engagement with China. We sent medical equipment and supplies to each other at crucial stages of the crisis respectively. For operational reasons, I cannot go into details but let me assure you – when the chips were down on either side – fortunately, at different times – we stepped up and we helped.
That is how you build trust. That is how you prove that you are a reliable partner, when a crisis breaks out and the chips are down.
Therefore, you should not be surprised that China was the first country with which we established a reciprocal agreement – both because we have both been able to control the pandemic domestically and also because of this large reservoir of trust.
Politburo Member Yang Jiechi visited Singapore last August and I also met State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his transit in Singapore in October. Needless to say, I have been on the phone with him several times in the last year.
Going forward, we will continue to strengthen existing collaboration, with Singapore plugged into China's dual-circulation strategy. And we will look for new opportunities and break new ground.
So, given our deep friendships and our investments with both the US and China, it is inevitable that we will feel the tug of great power competition from time to time. We must expect this. We must not be upset or panic whenever we feel these tugs. In fact, I would say this is a design feature of the way we engage the two superpowers.
It is normal for two superpowers to try to influence others to their way of thinking, particularly, if we are considered to be an important account, worth pushing and pulling.
But I want to stress it is normal – in fact, it is imperative – for Singapore, or for any country, for that matter, to want to be able to choose for ourselves instead of being forced into making decisions by other people – in other words, not to be forced into making invidious choices.
So, in navigating between the two superpowers, we must continue to maintain a consistent and principled foreign policy. For me, in simple terms, it means, I say the same thing to Wang Yi as I say to Antony Blinken. I do not have the luxury of saying different things to both of them and then hoping they do not compare notes. By being consistent.
Next, we exercise our sovereign rights but with full respect for a rules-based multilateral world order and international law, and regardless of inducements or threats. What that means is that from time to time, we will have to say \"no\" to one or the other or both.
When that happens – if you look back over the last five years, there have been incidents. We depend on the confidence, cohesion and unity of the Singaporean public and of Members of this House, across party lines, to stick together. That is how we maintain our relevance and our strategic autonomy and that is how we preserve our independence and our unique identity as a multi-racial, multicultural city state in the heart of Southeast Asia. By being relevant to both and at the same time, making it very clear to both of them that we will never be a stalking horse or a Trojan Horse for the other.
This same principle actually applies in our dealings with our closest neighbours, which I think Miss Rachel Ong and others have asked about.
With Malaysia, we have always sought a win-win approach in the many areas where we have common interests. I had previously spoken about how we had helped to bring each other's citizens home – I told Minister Hishammuddin we \"tumpang\" each other's transport – and we facilitated travel between our countries for those with urgent and compassionate needs because so many of us have relatives across the Causeway.
We have coordinated well with Malaysia on our COVID-19 safeguards in order to minimise the disruptions to our companies, workers and citizens as well as the cross-border flow of goods and supplies.
Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein is a good friend whom I have known for two decades now. We met at the Causeway but with the boundary separating us on 26 July last year to discuss our travel arrangements in light of the border closures. Shortly after, we launched the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and the Periodic Commuting Arrangement on 10 August 2020 for essential work, business and official travel.
Given the resurgence of COVID-19 worldwide, including in Malaysia in recent months, we had to suspend the Reciprocal Green Lane for three months from 1 February 2021 but we will review this after the suspension period. We will continue to work with Malaysia to gradually resume the cross-border movement of people, but this will need to include mutually agreed public health protocols to preserve the public health and safety of our peoples, while taking into account the medical resources available on both sides.
I will continue to maintain regular communication with both the Foreign Minister Hishammuddin and the Menteri Besar of Johor Hasni Mohammad.
We have managed to make progress on bilateral projects and issues. For example, we concluded negotiations to resume the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link Project in July last year. When completed, the RTS Link will ease Causeway congestion, improve connectivity and foster more convenient people-to-people ties and generate shared economic and social benefits.
Where we have had differences, we have also been able to manage them in a calm and rational way. For example, Malaysia allowed the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) Bilateral Agreement (BA) to be terminated on 31 December 2020 and has agreed to compensate Singapore for costs already incurred by Singapore in fulfilling our obligations under the HSR BA in accordance with this agreement.
We had been flexible in trying to work out an arrangement that was acceptable to both sides and had agreed to suspend the construction of the HSR Project in September 2018. And then, in May 2020, we agreed to extend the suspension period to 31 December 2020. However – and I think Minister Ong has explained to this House before – we could not accept Malaysia's latest HSR proposal as it constituted a fundamental departure from our prior agreement.
Ultimately, whilst we seek cooperation with our neighbours, we must always ensure that Singapore's long-term interests and rights are also protected. Still, it is good that both sides have been able to handle this amicably and will continue cooperation in other areas.
In Malaysia, Movement Control Orders have also been implemented in the different states. Malaysia declared a State of Emergency which will last until August 2021. Both the pandemic and the political situation will remain fluid and we probably will see an election in Malaysia later this year. Regardless of the outcome, we continue to look for opportunities to work with Malaysia and to make progress where we can.
On Indonesia, we continue to have a close and substantive partnership, even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. High-level exchanges have continued, including Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi's recent visit to Singapore. In fact, I have been in almost daily contact with her, either by phone or via WhatsApp message for quite some time. We will continue to work together towards a strong recovery.
Areas for cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia include public health, economic growth and investments, financial cooperation and safe travel. There has already been progress on some of these areas. I will just give you a quick few examples.
Prime Minister Lee and President Joko Widodo endorsed the renewal of our Bilateral Financial Arrangement in 2020, which will help support monetary and financial stability in both our countries. We also launched an RGL with Indonesia in October 2020 to keep up business activities and people-to-people exchanges in a safe way. Whilst this Reciprocal Green Lane is currently suspended, we look forward to working with Indonesia to resume this when both sides are ready to do so, when the pandemic is under better control.
We have also been providing medical supplies, including diagnostic test kits, PCR machines and personal protective equipment (PPE) to both the central and regional governments as well as various non-governmental organisations.
In addition, we have taken steps on outstanding bilateral issues. At the last Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat, Prime Minister Lee and President Jokowi also welcomed our agreed \"Framework for Discussions\", where military training and the Flight Information Region (FIR) will be discussed separately but concurrently. And I am pleased that officials on both sides have continued discussions to move these issues forward.
It speaks to the strength of our relationship that though the current situation may be challenging, we continue to look for ways to work constructively together.
Mr Chairman, as we look ahead, there is much uncertainty on the horizon, particularly the foreign horizon. The waters around us remain turbulent. There will continue to be unexpected currents, gales, typhoons, maybe even tsunamis that could potentially throw us off course.
But the last year has shown that – as Singapore Inc, as the Singapore people and the ship of Singapore – we have demonstrated our resilience as a people and as a country. We have made sacrifices for each other, we have looked out for each other's well-being and safety, we have kept the public health situation under control, and leaving no Singaporean behind anywhere in the world has been perhaps the best reminder about the value of citizenship. It is not just a red passport opening doors all over the rest of the world.
We have preserved our relevance and I think we have actually strengthened our reputation as a principled, reliable and credible actor on the international stage. These will stand us in good stead going forward as we continue to pursue Singapore's long-term interests, always preserving our independence and our unique identity as a multi-racial, multicultural city state in the heart of Southeast Asia.
This is our way of fulfilling Deputy Prime Minister Heng's challenge of emerging stronger. We will emerge stronger in an uncertain world. [Applause.]
The Chairman: Minister Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman.
The Second Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman): Thank you, Mr Chairman. COVID-19 has caused major disruptions in our external environment. While the situation in Singapore has improved greatly since last year, normalcy remains some way off. Meanwhile, MFA will have to maintain and strengthen relations with our neighbours and partners to achieve peace and prosperity for ourselves and our region.
As Minister Balakrishnan has said earlier, as a responsible member of the international community, we worked with our partners to bring Singaporeans home and helped foreign nationals do likewise, despite the global impact of travel restrictions. We kept supply chains open and served as an airbridge to facilitate critical and compassionate travel and the operations of United Nation (UN) agencies such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
As a reliable host, we saw to the welfare of vulnerable foreigners working in Singapore. We ensured medical care, meals and phonecards for migrant workers and mandated that their salaries be paid on time.
Our relations with our immediate neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia, remain strong. While issues have cropped up from time to time, we have addressed them constructively. We should not take this cooperation for granted.
Relations with our nearest neighbour, Malaysia, can be best characterised by the Malay saying “bagai aur dengan tebing” or like bamboo and the water’s edge. Malaysia and Singapore are deeply intertwined, with strong people-to-people and economic linkages. Although COVID-19 and the ensuing border restrictions have caused significant disruptions, both countries have cooperated to alleviate these challenges. In the early days of COVID-19, we appreciated Prime Minister Muhyiddin’s assurance that supplies from Malaysia would not be disrupted even with their lockdown.
As Minister Vivian Balakrishnan earlier said, Singapore and Malaysia have helped each other during this difficult time. For example, in April 2020, we brought 60 Malaysians out from Bangladesh on a Singapore Airlines flight. Malaysia also helped Singaporeans return home, including 22 Singaporeans who left Nepal the same month on a Malaysian government flight.
We have also worked very closely with Malaysian authorities to facilitate Singaporeans’ travel into Malaysia for essential and compassionate reasons. Since March 2020, we have also facilitated the appeals of more than 250 Singaporean citizens and Permanent Residents to travel to Malaysia. When Malaysia implemented its Movement Control Order in March 2020, many Malaysians who used to commute to work in Singapore daily could not do so at that time. We worked with employers on short-term housing for these workers. In August 2020, we launched the Periodic Commuting arrangement to facilitate cross-border travel for work.
Let me now turn to our relationship with Indonesia, which remains strong, despite the pandemic. Singapore remained Indonesia’s largest foreign investor in 2020, a position we have held since 2014. In fact, Singapore’s investments in Indonesia increased by 50% in 2020 over 2019.
We have kept up momentum on our bilateral projects. I will now elaborate on these relationships in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Zhulkarnain has asked how we have maintained close ties with our nearest neighbour Malaysia, during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly given the disruptions to cross-border flows.
Singapore and Malaysia are each other’s second-largest trading partners and significant investors.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought sharp focus to the interdependence of both countries.
On 18 March 2020, Malaysia imposed its first Movement Control Order (MCO).
We reacted quickly to the developments.
We immediately formed the Singapore-Malaysia Special Working Committee on COVID-19 to ensure both sides could work together and achieve a mutually beneficial outcome as well as facilitate the safe movement of essential people, goods and services.
We have worked closely with the Perikatan Nasional government to tackle the effects of COVID-19, especially on essential cross-border movements.
This allowed us to ensure that our supply chains with Malaysia continued uninterrupted, particularly for perishable food products, despite the border restrictions.
Just like us, Malaysia has been working hard to bring its COVID-19 situation under control.
Various categories of Movement Control Orders (MCOs) have been implemented in the different states in Malaysia. Malaysia also declared a State of Emergency in January 2021.
We wish them well and stand ready to provide any assistance that might be needed.
Throughout the pandemic, our leaders and civil services have maintained good, open lines of communication.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the mode of our interactions with Malaysian leaders. Nevertheless, we have adopted other ways to continue these high-level interactions.
This has allowed us to cooperate constructively in facing the challenges posed by the pandemic.
I would also like to put on record Singapore’s appreciation for Malaysia’s successful APEC Chairmanship despite COVID-19, capped off by Malaysia’s successful hosting of the virtual APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November 2020.
Such interactions continue to advance regional economic integration even as we tackle the pandemic together.
Now allow me to turn to Singapore’s relationship with Indonesia. Our relationship with Indonesia is deep and multifaceted, with mutually beneficial collaboration spanning trade, investment, tourism, security, and education sectors.
Singapore maintains close ties with Indonesian leaders.
We have worked well with President Joko Widodo and his Administration and look forward to sustaining this positive momentum.
We have also maintained close regional engagement with Indonesia’s provincial leaders.
Prior to the onset of the pandemic, I made a working visit to several cities in the Indonesian provinces, including Jambi City, Pekanbaru, and Batam.
This was part of our overall effort to strengthen cooperation with Indonesia’s regions and suss out new opportunities for collaboration.
Many of these opportunities are currently situated in the Province of Riau Islands (KEPRI), specifically Batam, where investment from Singapore totaled US$132 million in the first three quarters of 2020.
Singapore was also the country that invested in the largest number of projects in Batam, with investments in a total of 620 projects.
Singapore looks forward to continuing our strong links with the regional leaders and hopes to restart exchanges through physical visits when the situation allows.
Ms Joan Pereira has pointed out the substantive cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore in many different areas and enquired about our efforts to further strengthen this relationship during this COVID-19 pandemic.
We have kept up our high-level exchanges with Indonesia.
Many of our Cabinet Ministers and officials kept up regular engagements and communication with their counterparts through video and phone calls.
We have continued to maintain strong momentum on our bilateral economic projects.
We convened the Six Bilateral Economic Working Groups (6WG) Ministerial Meeting virtually, allowing us to advance mutually beneficial projects such as the Kendal Industrial Park and exploring ways to increase the volume of trade in agricultural products.
At the strategic level, we have continued discussions on the management of our Flight Information Region (FIR) and military training with Indonesia separately but concurrently under the Framework for Discussions announced at the Leaders’ Retreat in 2019.
Our defence and security establishments continue to maintain strong ties and stand ready to work together in areas such as counterterrorism.
We are also working closely to tackle common challenges such as in the environment sector.
In addition, we launched the Singapore-Indonesia Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) in October 2020.
Following its launch, the RGL successfully facilitated official and business travel.
While currently suspended, we will continue working with Indonesia to resume the RGL when both sides are ready to do so.
As a concerned neighbour, we have contributed in our own small ways to Indonesia’s fight against COVID-19.
In the early days of the pandemic, we conveyed medical supplies, including PCR machines and test kits, and PPEs.
In November last year, we arranged for the delivery of 10 million surgical masks and two million bottles of hand sanitisers to Indonesian provinces and organisations.
Mr Zhulkarnain has also asked for an update on our relationship with Brunei.
We enjoy a longstanding special relationship built on a strategic trust long forged between Singapore and Brunei.
This trust is evidenced by, among others, our strong defence cooperation and the Currency Interchangeability Agreement.
Singapore is one of Brunei’s main export destinations and main sources of imports. Singapore and Brunei also recently signed Memorandums of Understanding to cooperate on social development in September 2020, and on agri-food and agro-technology cooperation in February 2021.
DPM Heng Swee Keat and I visited Brunei in November 2020 to offer condolences on behalf of the Singapore Government on the passing of His Majesty the Sultan’s son, His Royal Highness Prince Haji ‘Abdul ‘Azim.
This was the first overseas visit by Singapore political office holders since COVID-19 travel restrictions were imposed.
We have always enjoyed strong cooperation with Brunei in various sectors.
We have leveraged our strong ties to address the challenges posed by COVID-19.
This includes the launch of the RGL between Singapore and Brunei on 1 September 2020. Singapore has also unilaterally opened our borders to travellers from Brunei.
Singapore and Brunei will continue to explore cooperation in new areas, including agri-food, agro-technology, and climate change.
These are just some ways for us to tap on the strength of our relationship with Brunei and build new avenues of cooperation in the years to come.
We will strongly support Brunei in its role as ASEAN Chairman this year.
(In English): We have received several questions on ASEAN. Ms Sylvia Lim has asked about enhancing relations among ASEAN countries, the reputation of ASEAN in the international community, and ASEAN’s efforts on the situation in the South China Sea (SCS). Mr Murali Pillai has asked how MFA can enhance cooperation with other countries, including ASEAN members, and about the integration of ASEAN markets, and how such efforts will improve the lives of Singaporeans.
Sir, ASEAN remains a cornerstone of Singapore’s foreign policy. A stable ASEAN is important for our development. ASEAN member states have drawn closer through COVID-19 initiatives and regional economic recovery efforts. Brunei’s Chairmanship of ASEAN this year aims to ramp up relations among ASEAN member states, at the NGO and the people sector. For instance, Brunei is leading efforts to establish a platform for the people of ASEAN to contribute to disaster relief efforts. Singapore will work closely with Brunei on these initiatives.
Since its establishment, ASEAN has steadily built up a reputation as a regional architecture for external powers to dialogue with member states and one another to help foster regional peace and security. We have had many video conference meetings with external partners in 2020 at the ministerial level and at the leaders’ level, which will continue this year.
The historic signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, in November 2020 is a positive development amidst difficult times. It will boost confidence in regional trade and investment, with the elimination of tariffs for about 92% of goods on average traded among members. This will encourage greater trade flows and open new opportunities for our businesses and our people. This is timely as we move ahead to secure our recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19.
ASEAN has a role in preserving peace and stability in our region, including the South China Sea. A key ASEAN-led process to manage the SCS disputes is the Code of Conduct, or COC, in the SCS negotiations. We have made good progress and commenced the second reading of the Single Draft Negotiating Text in 2019. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, dialogue between ASEAN and China is on-going.
We will continue to defend our right to freedom of navigation and overflight and work through ASEAN towards an effective and substantive COC that is in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Let me now give an update on ASEAN's efforts to tackle COVID-19 pandemic and on community building.
While the pandemic has disrupted connectivity among ASEAN member states, we will encourage ASEAN member states to cooperate on post-pandemic recovery, regional supply chain connectivity, safely restoring cross-border travel and enhancing resilience against public health emergencies. Just as the Prime Minister encouraged countries to cooperate and develop a system to verify COVID-19 tests and vaccinations, I hope ASEAN will cooperate on measures to safely restore regional connectivity when conditions permit.
ASEAN has made steady progress combating the pandemic. It promptly set up the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies. This led to several initiatives including the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund. Singapore contributed US$100,000 to the Fund which will be used to purchase medical equipment and other items to help fellow ASEAN member states combat the pandemic. Singapore recognises the importance of these mechanisms, which have enhanced our ability collectively to deal with COVID-19.
Mr Derrick Goh has asked how Singapore can support this year’s ASEAN Chair, Brunei, to forge a closer ASEAN. Singapore supports Brunei’s Chairmanship agenda and will work with Brunei to advance ASEAN community building, economic integration and regional stability, and to develop cooperation in new areas of importance such as digitalisation, cybersecurity, smart cities and climate change.
As ASEAN-EU Country Coordinator, we have also strengthened cooperation between ASEAN and the European Union or EU following the recent elevation of dialogue relations to a Strategic Partnership. An ASEAN-EU FTA would present new opportunities for inter-regional collaboration on issues such as supply chain and digital connectivity. We look forward to the finalisation of the ASEAN-EU FTA.
Mr Abdul Samad has asked how we are deepening our engagement with other key partners beyond ASEAN. India is one such partner. India and Singapore must continue to collaborate on new frontiers such as innovation, the digital economy and FinTech.
Singapore was among the largest foreign investors in India for the past several years. Likewise, Indian investments in Singapore have increased from S$21.9 billion in 2009 to S$28.8 billion in 2019 in sectors such as finance, insurance and information communications technology or ICT.
Our companies see great opportunity in India. For example, Novade is a start-up providing smart field management solutions for CapitaLand and local developers in India’s construction industry. And this industry contributed over US$188 billion to India’s GDP in FY2019 and is expected to be the world’s third largest construction market by 2024. Our Singapore companies are in that market.
We look forward to collaborating with India in other areas of mutual interest, including digital connectivity and artificial intelligence, as well as facilitate our companies’ effort at harnessing the huge Indian market.
As Singapore assumes the Coordinatorship of ASEAN-India Dialogue relations in August 2021, we will seek to promote win-win cooperation between ASEAN and India.
Next, to the Middle East. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked when our citizens will be able to travel to perform the Haj and Umrah. We understand that our Muslim community longs to perform the Haj and Umrah. MFA will work closely with MOH and MUIS to monitor the COVID-19 situation and assess when it would be safe for such travel to resume, in line with the overall national advisory for overseas travel. We seek the community’s continued understanding and patience.
At the G-to-G level, we seek to enhance economic and political collaboration with key partners where opportune. We are in the midst of establishing the Singapore-Saudi Joint Committee on economic cooperation, mooted during President Halimah Yacob’s State Visit to Saudi Arabia in November 2019. We will support our companies as they explore opportunities in the Middle East’s largest economy.
We also welcome recent positive developments in the region.
Mr Alex Yam has noted Israel and a number of Arab countries have normalised relations following the signing of the Abraham Accords in August 2020. In January, Qatar and its neighbours agreed to restore ties. We hope that these developments lead to new opportunities for cooperation and growth, and sustainable peace and stability in the region.
We continue to encourage Israel and the Palestinians to resolve their long-standing conflict. Singapore has taken a consistent and principled position, supporting a negotiated two-state solution consistent with the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
Now to Sub-Saharan Africa. The continent is the fastest urbanising region in the world. Its young population has the potential to unlock significant economic growth. The launch of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in January 2021 may well create opportunities for our businesses to tap into a market of over 1.2 billion people, with a combined GDP of US$3.4 trillion.
Ms Joan Pereira has asked how Singaporean companies are tapping the continent’s market. There are currently about 60 Singapore companies operating across Sub-Saharan Africa in a wide range of sectors such as agri-business, oil and gas, and FinTech. One such company is Ascent Solutions, which specialises in the Internet of Things or \"IoT\" and GPS Security Tracking Solutions for the logistics industry. Its iSPOT Electronic Cargo Tracking System, for example, is deployed in several countries including Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania. In Kenya, it has helped customs agencies reduce the time taken to clear bonded cargo travelling from Mombasa to Malaba from 20 days to under three days. In Ghana, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has implemented iSPOT to track the delivery of petroleum products to 4,000 petrol retail outlets nationwide. Africa now contributes more than 20% of Ascent’s revenue.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh has asked about our efforts to deepen our engagement in emerging markets including through measures such as the FTAs. We have continued to pursue opportunities with emerging markets, including in Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America, in areas including innovation, digitalisation and agri-food. For instance, we welcomed the first shipment of eggs from Poland in June 2020 as part of a larger food diversification initiative.
Singapore also signed the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement with Chile and New Zealand in June 2020, a first of its kind agreement that establishes new approaches and collaborations in digital trade, promotes interoperability and addresses new issues brought about by digitalisation.
We look forward to the successful completion of the Eurasian Economic Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EAEUSFTA), which will facilitate increased economic exchanges with the EAEU Member States Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as the region as a whole. This will create diverse economic opportunities for Singaporean businesses in the combined Eurasian market of more than 180 million people.
We are also deepening our engagement with Latin America. We are currently negotiating the Pacific Alliance-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (PASFTA) and the MERCOSUR-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (MSFTA).
Last year, we made good progress with the substantial conclusion of the FTA negotiations with the Pacific Alliance, which comprises Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru in December. We are keeping up with the momentum so that we can conclude the negotiations and sign the PASFTA this year. Once concluded, the PASFTA will establish the Pacific Alliance’s first FTA with Singapore, and our first bilateral FTA with Colombia. Singapore will become the first Associate State of the Pacific Alliance. This will provide Singapore a platform to pursue more economic collaboration with the Pacific Alliance, in areas such as the digital economy, trade facilitation, energy sector and infrastructure.
Likewise, we hope to expeditiously conclude our FTA negotiations with MERCOSUR, which is made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. MERCOSUR represents a market of 266 million people and a combined GDP of US$4.44 trillion.
Once concluded, these trade agreements will deepen our economic links with Latin America and strengthen Singapore’s value as a commercial bridge between Latin America and Southeast Asia.
Mr Chairman, I conclude by reiterating that despite the constraints imposed by COVID-19, we must continue cooperating with our partners for the security, peace, and prosperity of Singapore and the region. As our external environment remains in flux, our tenacity and resilience as a people have enabled us to strengthen these relationships and advance forward. In so doing, we strengthen Singapore’s resilience and relevance. As long as we remain relevant to the world, we secure the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans.
I will turn the floor to my colleague, Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat.
The Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr Chee Hong Tat): Mr Chairman, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The US is a major economic and defence partner for Singapore. It is also our largest source of FDI. US investments and US companies create many jobs in finance, insurance, manufacturing, technology and other sectors. Cooperation with the US is critical to maintaining our defence capabilities. President Biden is familiar with Singapore, and keen to work with us.
Mr Zhulkarnain asked about the state of our relations with China. Singapore-China relations are developing well. Bilateral relations are longstanding, substantive, and multi-faceted. In 2020, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Despite the pandemic, we have kept up our exchanges and cooperation.
Over the past decades, our cooperation with China has continued to progress, and developed in a way that meets China’s developmental priorities. In the process, Singapore has contributed to and benefitted from China’s growth. We learnt from each other.
Looking ahead, we will continue to strengthen our cooperation with China and create development opportunities for Singaporean enterprises and our workers.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked what are the opportunities for Singaporean businesses in China at the provincial level, and how RCEP could further boost bilateral trade. Our eight provincial business councils allow us to support Singapore companies to participate in China’s economic transformation; promote the internationalisation of Chinese enterprises through Singapore as a regional hub; and deepen collaboration in new areas such as connectivity, sustainability, and modern services. The signing of the RCEP is a strong testament of the region’s commitment to deepening economic integration despite challenging times. It will boost confidence in trade and investment and open up new business opportunities with RCEP economies, including China.
With our strong historical and people-to-people links with China, Singapore is in a good position to build bridges with China. However, our value proposition must go beyond our ability to speak Mandarin or understand Chinese culture. These are useful to build connections with our Chinese counterparts, but there are already more than a billion people who speak Mandarin and understand Chinese culture in China. This is therefore not an area where Singapore can add value to China.
Our value proposition lies in our ability to continuously improve, innovate, manage our economy and society well, and to be an exceptional country. In fact, it is precisely because Singapore and China are similar in some aspects, but different in others, that there are more opportunities for both sides to learn from each other, and there is greater room for us to exchange views and cooperate. What is important is that we can seek common ground despite differences in some areas, and work together in areas of shared interests.
For instance, Lianhe Zaobao has a strong following in China. The Chinese readers find Zaobao accessible and familiar, but its value comes from the fact that it is a Singapore newspaper and not a Chinese publication. So it analyses global and regional developments from a Singaporean perspective.
It is also important that we do not take our excellent bilateral relations for granted. We should regularly renew and deepen our friendship to build on the strong foundations that our forefathers have put in place. Every generation will need to invest in strengthening our relationship, strengthen mutual trust, and continually identify areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Mr Chairman, Singapore’s foreign policy has always been guided by our national interests. We work hard to be friends and maintain good ties with all countries, in order to preserve and enhance our security, economic and international space. However, it is inevitable that our positions on various issues may differ from those of our partners. This includes our neighbouring countries, as well as the US, the EU, China, Japan, India, etc. Our relations with other countries will therefore have their ups and downs.
When our relations with other countries are good, we will build on the momentum and strengthen our collaborations and friendship. However, we must be prepared that countries will disagree with each other on certain issues based on different national interests. The key is to find suitable platforms to resolve these disagreements in an amicable manner, by engaging with each other constructively and where possible, coming to mutually acceptable compromises. Sometimes, we may have to agree to disagree, but we can still maintain friendly relations.
Former Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr George Yeo had used the Taiji analogy of “zhan” to characterise Singapore-China relations; I think this is a good metaphor. There will be some back and forth in the interactions, and some ups and downs along the way, but the two parties should remain in contact and stay engaged with each other.
(In English): Mr Chairman, please allow me to continue in English. Mr Desmond Choo asked how Singaporeans can play their part on foreign policy. Mr Don Wee asked about maintaining Singapore's relevance in the international community, while Mr Gerald Giam raised our technical assistance to developing countries.
Singapore's survival is intrinsically linked to regional and international peace and stability. It is therefore in our interest for our region to grow and prosper. We have been proactively sharing our development experiences and know-how in areas where we can contribute, for example, though the Singapore Cooperation Programme. Through these initiatives, we had been able to grow our international network of friends whilst reinforcing Singapore's relevance as a constructive and responsible member of the international community.
These friendships, built over many years, have been especially important during times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sir, as Mr Desmond Choo noted, an important area where MFA helps Singaporeans abroad is through our consular work.
During the pandemic, our officers went beyond the call of duty to assist fellow Singaporeans in distress. Just across the Causeway, some Singaporeans were unable to make it back home following the Malaysian Movement Control Order (MCO) in March 2020. Some of our children were in the care of their grandparents, their guardians in Malaysia at that time. To facilitate their return, MFA officers, together with ICA, MOH, MOT and LTA, worked tirelessly and they launched several repatriation operations to reunite over 350 children with their parents in Singapore.
Our overseas Missions also worked around the clock with airlines and foreign authorities to facilitate safe passage home for overseas Singaporeans.
We have also worked with our network of Honorary Consuls around the world to extend our consular presence. Our Honorary Consul-General (HCG) in Lima Mr Winston Merchor helped with the repatriation of 14 Singaporeans and their families who were stranded in Peru last year. Unfortunately, Mr Merchor passed away last month. I would like to express my deepest condolences to his family and our appreciation for his 16 years of sterling service as our HCG in Lima. Mr Merchor was a wonderful friend to Singapore.
I also thank all our HCGs around the world for their devoted service to Singapore and Singaporeans, especially over the past year during the pandemic.
I share these examples to illustrate how our MFA officers, including those serving at our overseas Missions, are frontline workers, are frontline warriors in the fight against COVID-19. They have worked under challenging conditions to bring our citizens home and ensure that no Singaporean is left behind.
MFA will also protect our officers on the frontlines, and I thank Mr Raj Joshua Thomas for raising this. Even as the global health situation deteriorated, not a single MFA officer, not one, not a single one, has asked to leave his or her post to come home. They bravely continue to perform their duties to serve Singapore and Singaporeans out at post.
On behalf of all Singaporeans, I want to thank our MFA officers for their service during this especially difficult year and also my sincere thanks to their families for their unwavering support. Your tenacity and dedication in performing your duty to the nation despite the risk to your own lives, showcase the very best of the Singapore spirit. It shows the world why we are called Singapura – a city of lion-hearted people.
Mr Chairman, in the face of global uncertainty and upheaval, domestic resilience and national unity are crucial.
Foreign policy indeed begins at home. The support of our people gives us strength. The pursuit of our national interests guides our direction and the well-being of Singapore and Singaporeans is why MFA and our officers continue to brave the odds and go the extra mile to get our job done. [Applause.]
The Chairman: Mr Alex Yam.
Mr Alex Yam: Thank you, Chairman, for your indulgence. One clarification for the Minister.
The Minister earlier described with great depth how we are coping with great power contestation at the Government and diplomatic levels. However, could I seek the Minister's view on how we can do more at the people level to strengthen our local resilience and further the understanding of our foreign policy positions as various other countries seek to steer local sentiment through either soft power projection or influence and disinformation campaigns.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Alex Yam for that very salient question. The first point I would make is I hope they all listened to Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat's speech just now. I hope it will be translated into English as well and that The Straits Times will carry it.
The fundamental fact is this: we will be pushed and pulled. And I remind my staff that right now, actually, we are in a sweet spot, in terms of our relationship with both superpowers. But whenever you are in a sweet spot, always anticipate that things can only go downhill from there. So, I am sure, sooner rather than later, an issue will arise and we will have to stand our ground. We will have to say no and it will be a test of our unity and our cohesion; and as the Member has quite rightly identified, our understanding and support of our own people because foreign policy begins at home.
I would remind Members to recall the advice that whenever we receive a message or a video, or a social media posting, always ask who does it ultimately originate from; first question. Second question, what are the facts? Third question, who benefits or loses from the perspective that is being advocated from that posting? Fourth, what are the long-term national interests of Singapore?
And I am always reminded of some very good pithy and sometimes, the prickly advice that Dr Goh Keng Swee gave us. In 1970, when he was describing the difference between conducting business and conducting foreign policy. Allow me to quote just a couple of sentences from him. He said, \"In the nature of things, relations between independent sovereign states cannot be conducted on the basis of supplicant and overlord. The methods that are found so successful in business [to obtain licences, concessions, contracts and so on] these methods are not available to us as a Government.\"
And I think that reminder is still salient after 50 years. So, I hope that the people of Singapore will understand and take it in our stride. When relations become a bit prickly, a bit uncomfortable and we go through the inevitable episodes from time to time. And it can come from either or from both sides.
But rest assured that MFA, indeed the Prime Minister and the entire Cabinet, will always make decisions on the basis of the long-term interests of Singapore.
And Senior Minister of State Chee's reminder that our value, our unique selling point, is not to be a vassal state or to be bought or intimidated or to be a pale imitation of a larger power, but to be ourselves – authentic, reliable, trustworthy, relevant and useful – and the Member's point therefore that we need to continue to conduct foreign policy at home and to make these points to our own people and to convince them accordingly. Thank you for that question.
The Chairman: Ms Sylvia Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim: Thank you, Chairman. I have two clarifications to the Minister for Foreign Affairs about COVAX.
The first question is, he earlier said that Singapore is a net donor to the COVAX programme and I wonder whether he could tell us whether we have actually made a request to the WHO to earmark our net donation to ASEAN countries, or have we made a decision to leave it open for general distribution by WHO? That is the first clarification.
The second clarification is, earlier during the MINDEF Committee of Supply, we were actually distributed a map showing vaccines approved around the world for use. And I think the Minister for Defence's point was that these distribution relationships do reflect a certain power play in some traditional alliances. So, I would like to ask the Minister to confirm that countries joining COVAX actually, they do not have any prohibition on continuing to reach such bilateral arrangements for COVID-19 vaccine purchases, and whether he sees that these bilateral arrangements outside of COVAX will be one of the biggest challenges for the COVAX programme to succeed?
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Mr Chairman, I thank the Member for these two salient questions. And allow me to take a step back and explain first the rationale behind COVAX. Because, in fact, this is a unique moment in public health. Never before in history have so many vaccine candidates been developed, tested approved and deployed within one year. Let me tell you as a healthcare professional – this is unprecedented. It was essential, however, to have this because of the speed in which the global pandemic was galloping through the entire world.
The scientific and business challenge was this. At the beginning, in fact, even, I would say right up to about September or October last year, it was not possible to be scientifically sure which one would work and the first vaccine candidate that work would not necessarily be the best. And in any case, it would take a long time, by definition, to ascertain the long-term efficacy and safety of vaccines. Therefore, the concept behind COVAX is risk pooling. What do I mean by that? It means when you are not certain which horse is going to reach the finish line, never mind which one is going to win, which horse is going to meet the finish line, you need to put some advance bets. This is not really about horse racing bets. But you are putting money on the line so that multiple pharmaceutical companies would be incentivised to develop vaccines at a pace and with significant business risk.
And if there was not such a facility to pool risk, and therefore incentivise this simultaneous rapid development of vaccines, we would not be in this happy situation. So, that is the first dimension. Risk pooling because you do not know which vaccine will work.
The second dimension of risk pooling is that some countries, have the wherewithal, and many countries do not.
In the case of a pandemic, if you just split the world on the basis of \"can afford\" and \"cannot afford\", you will actually end up with more dangerous world because the virus does not respect race, language, religion, socio-economic status, wealth or lack thereof of your country. So, the second dimension of COVAX risk pooling is to make sure that at least for essential personnel and the people at greatest risk across the world, there would be some vaccines available to them.
The way it was structured was that countries with more resources, and that included Singapore, would make advance market commitments. We would put money into the pot and say, \"Well, there is money available, please commercial companies go and develop vaccines.\" And then, when we put money into the pot, although we would be entitled to our fair share on the basis of full market price, a significant amount actually would be committed to help support the less well-off countries.
So, I have taken some pains to explain COVAX, so that you understand it is all about risk pooling across different vaccine candidates and across different countries.
Specifically for us, apart from being one of the early birds who actually put real resources down, and I am glad that in this case, I assume that this entire House, including the Opposition, supports the Government's decisions on making advance commitments for the purchase of vaccines. But apart from doing that, to also express our willingness to help other parts of the world whom if we did not help, would become endemic reservoirs for further mutations and for this never-ending curse of COVID-19.
That is why we put US$5 million into this. I have not specifically asked for it to be earmarked for ASEAN. For ASEAN, we separately have an COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund. We have also put money into it and that we will use on a needs basis within the ASEAN family.
I hope you agree with me. I agree with your sentiment that we do need to look after our region and I hope you agree with the way which we are doing it. Over and above our contribution to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, you will also recall earlier in my speech, I mentioned that we had separately been giving test kids, PCR machines, PPE and other donations centrally, regional governments, NGOs throughout our region. To be honest, we have not beat our drums about it, it has been that good work has been done and it has been appreciated by our neighbours.
As to vaccine power play, I do not want to get into the details of that. But I do want to make one point which I think is salient for our local population and it is this: Singapore will make decisions on vaccines on the basis of science and healthcare needs. Rest assured, this is just another example of the way we conduct foreign policy. We cannot be bought, we cannot be bullied, we cannot be intimidated into either approving or disapproving any vaccine. We will make decisions on the basis of health and science.
But precisely because people know that is the way we decide, you will realise we become a rather important reference customer.
So, there will be pressure on us, there will be push and pulls, but we must conduct this just like another example of foreign policy in a principled manner. I hope that addresses your point.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: Chairman, I have a clarification for the Minister. I appreciate the Minister's remarks in response to the violence in Myanmar yesterday, including stating that Singapore is appalled at the use of lethal force against unarmed civilians.
Can I ask the Minister if he will be communicating these sentiments directly to the military leaders in Myanmar to emphasise our concern about the escalation of violence and to urge them to return to the negotiating table with the democratically elected civilian authorities?
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Yes.
The Chairman: Mr Alex Yam, would you like to withdraw your amendment?
Mr Alex Yam: Chairman, Mr Lee Kuan Yew in 1973 said that when \"the elephants fight or flirt, the grass suffers and when they make love, it is disastrous\". This was in reference to our place in the world when he made these remarks at the Commonwealth Conference.
Our MFA plays crucial role in ensuring that we are not crushed as elephants roam about us. Thank you to 26 Members for filing cuts. Gratitude to Minister, Second Minister and Senior Minister of State Chee, as well as all our Foreign Service Officers for flying our flag high. Chairman, I therefore beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $427,837,900 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $12,500,000 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head P (Ministry of Home Affairs)","subTitle":"Securing our place in the world","sectionType":"OS","content":"Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
The Home Team has developed a hard-earned reputation of maintaining a high standard of law and order in Singapore despite running a lean workforce. In the Gallup Global Law and Order Report 2020, Singapore was ranked first for the seventh year running. In the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index 2020, Singapore was ranked first in the area of \"order and security\".
These are highly commendable outcomes that did not come easy. They arose through the blood, sweat and tears of our Home Team and MHA officers. They deserve the appreciation of all Singaporeans. Yet, circumstances are such that the Home Team cannot afford to sit on its laurels. I note that it has, some time ago, in anticipation of a manpower crunch, expended efforts to set up the HTX and tap on technology, robotics and automation as force multipliers.
The demands on Home Team, however, are ever rising. How is the Home Team striking the right balance between the competing demands whilst it endeavours to keep Singapore safe and secure?
The ambition of security and safety appears to be simple, but it is anything but. When the transformation in 2025 was announced in 2015, there were four planks which were discussed – manpower constraints, higher expectations of the public, increased load and emerging threats.
The demographic decline of Singaporeans has meant that there were fewer each year to take up the role of Police Officers. The ever-rising expectations of public; this is true, not just of policemen but of all public officers. But, given the nature of the work that the police do – where the darkest, most secret part of human interactions come to light – the expectations of members of the public are escalated many folds.
Our officers must be a mix of psychologist, social worker, community partner, law enforcer and a friendly but authoritative face. Added to all that – the policeman must be the hero next door. Because there is more work and more intense work, you cannot be an ordinary man or woman to be a Police Officer. The nature of crime the police now face, is not just the \"traditional dangers\" of crime such as violence or drug taking, but the new and rising threats such as cybercrime.
Technology gives a new twist to old threats too – for example, the terrorist threat Singapore faces today remains as high as it was about 20 years ago when ISD thwarted Jemaah Islamiah's plans to attack an MRT station and several foreign embassies in Singapore. Just a few weeks ago, ISD once again thwarted the plans of a youth who became self-radicalised through online sources and intended to attack two mosques on the anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks. Today, attacks are more difficult to pre-empt or prevent.
There are also exogenous and external challenges too, because Singapore is a porous country, and a global, transport, transshipment and financial hub.
What additional efforts will be taken to invest in and upgrade the skills of our Home Team officers? How is it equipped to handle the ever more challenging cases for investigation, especially white-collar crime and scams? Huge effort has to be expended in investigations before such perpetrators can be brought to book. I do recall that the hon Minister highlighting in this House the heavy workload of our Police Investigators and that he asked for review to get a better sense of the pressure faced by Police Officers, particularly due to lack of manpower resources. How are we proposing to support our officers to ensure that not only their input will be of the highest quality in keeping with public expectation, but that their wellbeing is protected?
As I mentioned earlier, the Police has already started leveraging on technology and make significant progress. The challenge now, given the drivers for change, is to make an even more transformational change, so that these officers undertake their duties not as mere mortals, but what I term as hyper-humans – with eyes and ears of sensor systems, closed circuit television, live feeds and police cameras. They should have arms and legs of new pistols, new fighting skills, new sub-machine guns and carbines. New brains of analytics, data, increasing automation. Almost like Robocop, but perhaps a more friendly version of it.
All these require new skills and training, and people will be the key to the successful transformation. Police Officers already have hearts of steel – and we need to support, train and encourage these officers because they are few in number, even as the load becomes more heavy, the criminals more nefarious and public expectation ever higher.
At the same time, we need to ensure that there continues to be a high level of trust amongst Singaporeans on our Home Team's integrity and professionalism. Otherwise, whatever transformation that will be undertaken will not work. I look forward to hearing the hon Minister's plans on supporting the Home Team Transformation. Sir, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza.
Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairman, the Singapore Police Force should be commended for its professionalism and hard won trust among Singaporeans. Especially in a COVID-19 environment, there will be greater stress and strain on operations. However, with less public gatherings and less large MICE events, the police force now have an opportunity to evaluate how technology can be better utilised in the day-to-day ops of the force.
These can include the usage of robots, drones, biometrics and artificial intelligence to assist in investigations and also daily patrolling. More such steps are needed to make our law enforcement system efficient and Singapore even safer. So, my question is, what steps have been taken in that vein?
My second cut, Sir, with COVID-19 disrupting many traditional methods of police work, there must have been strain on the effectiveness of certain ops. Especially those that require physical contact and apprehension. Furthermore, the pandemic might have exposed key obstacles in relation to alternative methods of communication, resource management and crime, and service patterns. Particularly, the safety and security of police officers and the communities they serve would be affected by the heightened risk of its exposure.
How has the police force tapped on technology to overcome any operational constraints presented by the pandemic, and how can this be continued to be developed and improved on as we move into a post-pandemic world?
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the closure of borders and limited travel between countries.
This situation has disrupted the usual movement of foreigners into and out of Singapore. As far as entry is concerned, new requirements for quarantine, purpose of entry and staggering the daily numbers allowed in have been imposed. As for exit, limited modes of travel mean that short term visits may need to be extended repeatedly. Even for those who have violated the law, or completed serving prison sentences, repatriation will be delayed.
We see our residents facing such issues which require interfacing with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) more intensively than before. For Singaporeans with foreign family members already in Singapore, repeated applications to ICA may have to be made for extension of visit passes due to lack of flights out. Others who want their family members to come in, face additional paperwork with the safe travel office. In the case of foreigners who are suspected to have broken the law or who have been convicted and sentenced, their continued presence in Singapore is not ideal and may pose additional risk.
To this end, I would like to find out how the Ministry and in particular, the ICA, has managed the unusual manpower requirements in the current COVID-19 situation. On the one hand, borders are mostly closed. But on the other hand, additional controls and paperwork mean officers may need to be redeployed or additional manpower may be engaged.
For foreigners who are awaiting repatriation, have additional holding areas been needed to detain ex-prisoners who are awaiting return to their home countries? Finally, given the stresses caused by such work disruptions and upheavals, how are the officers coping?
Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): Mr Chairman, one of my Clementi residents came to me for help. Middle-aged uncle, breadwinner, looking for a Security Officer Licence because he was retrenched from his previous job. Agencies told him to submit the application online. The “GoBusiness Licensing Portal”. He was told he has to use SingPass, submit it through a website. He was told to use a desktop PC to login, because the website operates a bit differently on a smartphone.
But my Clementi resident is not IT literate. He does not have a desktop PC. There are residents looking for work, looking for a security licence, who do not have a smartphone. What happens to fellow Singaporeans like him, looking for a security officer job, but facing difficulty getting into the website?
Another Clementi resident told me his story, also a breadwinner. His wife hopes to get Singapore PR. They have been married for many years. She’s a pillar of strength, caregiver, supporting at home. They’re not English educated. They are not IT savvy. So they cannot access ICA’s Electronic Permanent Residence website – the e-PR website.
When he appealed for help, the agencies told him, and I quote, “You can refer to the 'Step-by-Step Guide' on the e-PR system for more information on how to complete and submit your wife’s PR application online.”
Sir, I believe the agencies meant well. But they did ask my resident to go online to access a guide on how to submit the application online. He does not know how to go online.
Mr Chairman, even with the best of policy intentions, it can be regressive, when digitalisation of services makes it harder for the less well off, less literate, less IT savvy to go online. So, even as we move towards a smart nation and more technology, let us continue trying better to do better to improve.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Sir, I have a number of elderly and also non-English speaking residents who approached me for assistance to do online application for Singapore Citizenship or Singapore Permanent Residence for their foreign spouse. When asked for a reason why they are not able to do so, among the responses are, they either do not have a computer, scanner and so on, and for those who have, they shared that they are not savvy enough to perform an online application.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority's statistical data shows in 2019, 11% of individuals are non-Internet users and there are still 11% of resident households that are without computers, including desktop, laptops, notebooks and tablets. Apart from not having computer facilities and online unfamiliarity, some mentioned language barrier as an issue, as the online application is only in English. Some residents shared that they had approached ICA officers to seek assistance, but was advised to turn to relatives, friends, or alternatively, to approach immigration agents. I understand that Malaysian agents charge a fee of between $300 and $400, which is indeed a huge sum, especially for low-income groups.
I do hope the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) could provide better support in this area. One suggestion is for ICA to work with People's Association in having a number of designated community centres, maybe one in each region, to provide the required facilities and other forms of support to Singaporeans who need such.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Around one in three marriages in Singapore is between a Singaporean and a non-Singaporean. Currently, foreigners married to Singaporeans can apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP), or an LTVP+. LTVP+ provides access to additional benefits like subsidised healthcare and permission to work. However, LTVP+ is not the same as Permanent Residency, or PR, in terms of benefits. PR is much more difficult to obtain. Of the many Singaporeans I meet at my Meet-the-People sessions, who are appealing for their foreign spouse's PR applications, the overwhelming majority of them are from the lower income groups, with spouses from countries like China, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Are economic considerations and educational qualifications given more weight than family ties in determining PR application outcomes? If so, this would disadvantage the lower income.
May I suggest that for PR applicants who have a Singaporean spouse, child, or parent, family ties should be the primary consideration for approval of their PR. Their close kinship with Singaporeans makes them part of the Singapore Core. And we as a society, should try to integrate them into our fold.
Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, during the debate on the Parti Liyani’s case, the Minister for Home Affairs has promised some improvements to the police investigation process.
We would like to know: what is being done to speed up the implementation of the video recording system for police interviews of accused persons? And are there plans to increasing the pool of interpreters, specifically those who speak Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog, and Bengali, engaged by the police to ensure that as far as possible, when an accused person asks for a translator, one is available for the interview?
Also, in view of the recent Myanmarese Piang Ngaih Don's case, how is the police doing more to protect the vulnerable before the worst happens?
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Chairman, following the announcement this year of the arrest of the 16-year-old radicalised Christian youth who plotted terror attacks at two mosques, it was important to hear the reassurances from the Minister of State for Home Affairs – that the authorities have taken increased steps to reach out to youth through social media and other means to counter radical threats.
The case was a good reminder that religious extremism can come from anywhere, because any religion can be misused. None is exempt.
At a time like this, the population may need to be reassured that the Government is on top of things not only from an operational standpoint, but that Government policy is strictly secular and neither favours nor is influenced by religious beliefs from any quarter. Religious extremism when exposed, is obvious and rejected by all, including ordinary adherents of that religion. There is no danger that Government policy will be anything other than strongly against extremism. But is there a risk of the subtle influencing of policy by religious persons who are not necessarily radical? Is there a danger in Singapore that laws and policies could be tilted towards particular religious beliefs, for example, because of the dominant religious beliefs of senior civil servants, or people of influence, if not now, maybe sometime in future.
I would like to ask the Government if it has considered such matters, and if so, whether it intends to roll out strategies to counter such a possible risk to Singapore's secular principles.
This may be a good time to revisit the 1989 White Paper on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony, which was a very different time in terms of interpersonal communication. For example, one issue the White Paper sought to deal with was insensitive proselytisation. Radicalism and extremism, not necessarily religion versus religion, but religion versus other communities, are subjects that deserve closer attention today.
Yet, the principles stated in the 1989 White Paper and the worrying examples of that era, bear restating and updating because they are even more important now in our age of information silos. The White Paper stated that paragraph 27, what I believe to be the critical point, and I quote, \"The purpose of attempting to separate religion from politics is therefore not to determine the validity of various religious or ethical beliefs which have political or social implications. It is to establish working rules by which many faiths can accept fundamental differences between them and co-exist peacefully in Singapore.\"
Sir, far-right extremism has at its core, the rejection of the other. Earlier this year, the owner of an eatery uploaded a video of a well-dressed man in office attire, throwing the rainbow LGBT pride flag at staff members. The flag was placed at the shop front. The man allegedly told staff members, one of whom was hearing impaired, to I quote, \"Go to hell\", and accused them of being the kind of people who I quote again, \"destroy Singapore\".
Beyond this incident, it was concerning to read that one of the reasons the eatery owner uploaded the video was, and I quote, \"to highlight the everyday reality that the LGBTQ community experience when most incidents are not even caught on camera.\"
I am aware Minister for Home Affairs, in particular, has spoken up about the state's intolerance of acts perpetrated against the LGBTQ community. Minister has stressed that the Government's job is to protect everybody and warned race, religion or sexual orientation was irrelevant. Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong also made similar remarks.
Beyond a new White Paper or Maintenance of Harmony White Paper updated to identify the key dangers to communal harmony in Singapore for this generation, will the Government consider a restatement or an update of its working rules and laws to ensure that there is preservation of strict secularism, so that all communities recognise that no one is placed above the other in matters of law, policy and governance in our multi-racial and multi-religious society which also increasingly holds other communities.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Mr Chairman, across the world, we have seen attempts by hostile foreign actors trying to interfere with trying to interfere with other countries' domestic affairs. We have seen efforts to meddle with US elections, possibly even in the UK referendum leading to Brexit, and in many other aspects of domestic affairs.
Around the globe, many countries are stepping up their response to growing hybrid threats and disinformation. Because of the great security threat, such interference can pose. Singapore is especially vulnerable because of our openness, our multi-racial society and global interconnectivity. What will MHA do to ensure that our domestic politics continues to remain free from such iniquitous influence?
Domestic politics and issues sensitive to Singaporeans should always be for Singaporeans alone to decide. There have been reports that foreign interference can sway political and social outcomes in other jurisdictions. How is MHA equipping itself to stave off and deter such foreign interference and influence in our domestic affairs? Singapore politics should always be the domain for Singaporeans alone.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Chairman, we live in an era where access to Internet is readily available anytime, anywhere. Disinformation is easily sourced and used to influence others. The risk of influence is higher upon youths. An Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) paper in 2019 found that almost half of youths aged 18 to 25 are open to religious extremists publishing their views on the Internet or social media. This is compared to just more than a quarter across all age groups.
Fresh on everyone's mind was the timely discovery and detention of a Singaporean youth who was influenced by the 2019 Christchurch attack. The online content he had accumulated, was sufficient for him to embark on an extensive plan, to target and harm Muslims.
On the other hand, a self-radicalised Muslim youth went from being an ISIS supporter in 2017, to becoming a star student for his GCE \"N\" levels in 2021 following successful rehabilitation. He was given various support, psychological and religious counselling by trained experts from the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG).
What is in common is, that both of these youths were assessed to have a weak understanding of Islam. Misperceptions and misunderstandings of religion can thus lead to radicalisation among our youths.
With increasing exposure among our youths to radicalised views and deliberate efforts of disinformation around the world, what are the steps and countermeasures taken by MHA to engage all our communities, better prepare our society and safeguard Singapore from such threats?
Mr Christopher de Souza: Sir, may I take all my three anti-terror cuts together?
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Thank you. In light of recent high-profile detentions in Singapore, our ability to recognise and apprehend threats at an early stage is extremely crucial. With potential threats coming from self-radicalised individuals who can hide their motives even from friends and family, the nature of the fight against terrorism is evolving.
Furthermore, with the advancement of technology and artificial intelligence, cyber terrorism is very real and multiplies the threat because potential threats are no longer local. We must then operate within the international realm to combat alongside other jurisdictions. How are we improving our ability to detect threats both domestically and in the international theatre?
ISD and the related agencies should be commended for their swift and prompt action in apprehending terror suspects and their effective tracking down of valuable leads.
The recent attention of a young 16-year-old boy who intended to attack two mosques is an example. Having said that, after suspects are detained, the best course of action to take for the detainee and Singapore is to deploy resources to try to rehabilitate them. While such detainees might have been radicalised through what they have watched and heard via the Internet, the process of rehabilitation can correct these views and allow them to become part of society again. What are the rehabilitation efforts that ISD and other related agencies have taken to bridge such a gap to detainees to help them reintegrate into society and reunite with their families?
My third cut on terrorism, Sir. Terrorism is a global threat with links throughout the world, with many terrorist networks and infrastructures stretching beyond a single continent and its ability to influence individuals and affiliated groups to stage attacks. Our response must be a global one and in partnership with other jurisdictions. Notwithstanding the strains, COVID-19 has placed on operational capability, how are our agencies keeping up with ties, with like-minded agencies from other jurisdictions to fight the global threat of terrorism? Fighting terrorism is not a singular effort, but one that requires a similar network to create the capability to make Singapore safer and less penetrable, especially in the age of cyber terrorism.
The Chairman: Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap
Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: At last year's Committee of Supply debate, my colleague, Mr Pritam Singh had proposed to consider the option of offering an automatic instalment plan for minor traffic offences, especially for those low-income who may not have the ability to pay up their fines in the single payment. In response, the Minister for Home Affairs mentioned, he is of the view that the fine framework should be kept intact.
I am calling upon Minister to reconsider in allowing instalment payments for traffic fines specifically for first-time offenders that belongs to the low-income group and our beneficiaries of Government's financial assistance scheme such as ComCare.
Understandably, the intended effect of penalties is for offenders to be remorseful and regret their irresponsible acts and as a deterrence to ensure our roads are safe for all users. Having said that, we should consider looking from the compassionate perspective, to minimise unintended effect of pushing this already struggling individual deeper into financial predicament.
I believe we are aware of the circumstances where low-income Singaporeans had resorted to borrowing in order to pay for the traffic fines, when their appeal for instalment payment was unsuccessful. I feel it does not lessen the intended effect of fines by allowing instalment payment for this group as eventually, they still have to bear the full amount. On the other hand, such compassionate consideration will be much appreciated as this will avoid further aggravation of their financial struggles.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): The recent Tanjong Pagar incident is a stark reminder of how a person who drives, is in charge of something very heavy and powerful, and one which, when dangerously or carelessly handled puts the driver's own life at risk, his fellow passengers at risk, pedestrians all around at risk, from those crossing the road or walking on the pavement or even waiting at the traffic light or sitting at a sidewalk cafe. Their actions leave a lasting impact on the victims' lives, their families and even sometimes, their own lives.
By the same token, these pedestrians extend to the elderly and children. We have read reports and on social media of fatal accidents involving elderly and children including near misses; and these are one too many.
Can MHA take a serious look at the various ways from a systemic approach and working closely with MOT and LTA including other Ministries such as MND and so on, on how we can further improve the current systems and prevent such mishaps from ever happening as they are not just happening at highways and major roads but also at various fringes of Singapore?
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member): Sir, if I may take my two cuts together?
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas: Thank you, Sir. I declare my interest as President of the Security Association Singapore, and director of a security company.
My first cut. The Security Industry Digital Plan launched in 2018 outlined a digital roadmap that identified three stages of technology that security agencies can adopt. There has been enthusiastic adoption of stage one technologies, that is technologies that assist security officers in carrying out their roles better. Stage two and three technologies are focused more on reducing the reliance of the industry on manpower, and these have generally seen slower adoption.
As we promote outcome-based contracting in the facilities management and security sectors, security agencies must adopt technology by either building their own in-house capabilities or, for smaller companies that find it difficult to build their own capabilities, to work with partners and to hunt in packs for contracts, comprising security consultants, manpower providers and technology companies.
I am heartened that MHA and the Police Licensing Regulatory Department (PLRD) that regulates the security industry have taken a serious and consultative approach in converting the existing grading exercise for security agencies into a new competency assessment. I thank MHA and PLRD for their effort and their close collaboration with industry on this.
The previous grading exercise played an important role in kickstarting security agencies towards having better operational capabilities, proper manpower management processes and adopting technology. The industry is far more responsible and mature now as compared to when the grading exercise first started.
Sir, I have been involved as part of the task force to review the grading and the new requirements, is in my view, is the correct step forward. It will further hone the capabilities of an industry that performs functions and ancillary to the Home Team and a close partner of the Home Team.
Sir, in regard of the new competency assessment, I would like to ask the Minister for Home Affairs, how does MHA intend to use the new Security Agencies Competency Evaluation to encourage transformation and the adoption of technology for the private security industry?
My second cut, Sir. A survey conducted last year by the Union of Security Employees and the Singapore University of Social Sciences found that one in three security officers had experienced physical or verbal abuse or both in their course of work. This is a disturbingly high frequency and it is clearly an unacceptable situation.
The security industry therefore welcomed MHA's commitment, announced last year, to amend the Private Security Industry Act to include safeguards for our security officers against abuse, as announced last year. I would like to ask the Minister for Home Affairs what supplementary strategies MHA intends to implement to further protect security officers from verbal and physical abuse, other than through the impending amendments to the Private Security Industry Act?
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Mr Chairman, the issue of drug abuse among our youths is an issue close to my heart. I have seen the severe damage and detrimental effects that young drug abusers can cause, not only to themselves but, more significantly, to their families and friends.
As a community, I believe that we have collectively supported the Government's tough stance against drug abuse over the years. The recent statistics for 2020 released by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), however, remains deeply worrying.
Despite the CNB's herculean efforts in preventive drug education and many outreach activities and community engagement events, the proportion of new abusers below the age of 30 years remain at 62% in 2020. This statistic has been remained stubbornly consistent in the past five years: 2019 – 62%; 2018 – 64%; 2017 – 64% and 2016 – 66%. The statistics suggests a need to make even greater efforts to address the issue.
The worrying trend in the shift of mindsets towards growing narratives supporting liberal drug approaches further accentuates the problem. For example, will developments such as the recent reclassification of cannabis and cannabis resin under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs potentially change the attitudes of our Singaporean youths, towards the use of cannabis?
Careful consideration and firm steps must be taken to ensure that such mindsets do not take root in Singapore.
I have also read the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) which develops new chemicals that replace those that are banned, apparently in efforts to mimic the effects of established drugs. This development will surely add another complex layer to the rapidly evolving landscape of drug abuse, which the Home Team will need address.
I therefore invite the Minister to share with this House further details of the Ministry's plans on: (a) countering growing narratives supporting liberal drug approaches; (b) how to ensure that the NPS threat is kept under control; and (c) how to more effectively engage youths on the dangers of drug abuse.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Sir, may I take all my cuts together?
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr Christopher de Souza: First, let me state that I completely agree with the hon Member, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin. I have seen this shift in culture of more tolerance towards drugs, especially in the last 15 years. I used to volunteer with SANA, the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association, and there was not such a high degree of tolerance towards drugs 16 years ago as we are seeing here today. So, I want to first and foremost second what Mr Sitoh Yih Pin has just said.
We are seeing the shift in culture among youths to a more relaxed attitude towards recreational drug use. Among youths between 13 and 21 years old, there has been an upward trend in a more liberal approach towards drugs as an experience. Furthermore, due to online sources and social media being the primary medium and source for information, a significant proportion of the youth perceive wrongly that cannabis is less harmful or non-addictive because of its medicinal uses.
With more youth acknowledging that legal consequences are a strong deterrent, we need to assist the CNB in the fight against the growing tolerance for recreational drug abuse and to raise awareness about the legal and health consequences.
With new psychoactive substances constantly emerging, we must be proactive in recognising and banning such substances within Singapore. This assortment of drugs, such as synthetic cannabinoids, stimulants and opioids can be introduced to individuals willing to experience in order to discover possible new effects.
With such a wide range of possible new psychoactive substances that could potentially appear on the Singapore market, our existing drug laws such as the Misuse of Drugs Act must be flexible enough to incorporate the new psychoactive substances and make them illegal to consume or traffic before or very soon after they appear within Singapore. This means actually having to make very quick amendments to the Schedule in the Misuse of Drugs Act to catch out drugs that were not previously on the market.
Next, Sir, Singapore has had a long battle against drugs and drug traffickers. We have had to battle international criticism in continuing this policy. Yet, because of the heinous consequences to society and families, and our success – or relative success – in dealing effectively with the drug problem, our firm and relentless stance on traffickers must remain because we need to deter the international flow of drugs into Singapore. Continuing to keep Singapore drug-free is a growing challenge and to that end, we must continue to be vigilant in apprehending and anticipating drug traffickers and their movements even outside Singapore and, obviously, within Singapore.
My fourth and last cut, Sir, on drugs. Despite our hard stance against drugs, we want to rehabilitate and assimilate drug users back into our society and allow them reconnect and reunite with family. I would like to seek an update on the Prison Service's policy of segregating the users who are less likely to reoffend from those who are multiple repeat offenders.
Furthermore, I would like to ask if such a system has been beneficial in reducing the incarceration rate. Seeing as there are many drug abusers who are youths and that number seems to be growing, from the statistics, how are we rehabilitating them and how successful has the rehabilitation initiatives such as peer support been?
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Chairman, adult male offenders make up the majority of inmates and many have spouses and children. The point when an accused is incarcerated can be very destabilising on families and there are cases where both parents are incarcerated. My volunteers and I have met spouses so reliant on their husbands that they continue to seek instructions while they are in prison. Some divorcees despair as getting maintenance from the incarcerated exes can be difficult.
While we appreciate the work done by the Yellow Ribbon Community Project, this is a touchpoint that is volunteer-driven and not a consistent or comprehensive solution – and some offenders opt out of the scheme. While I am grateful for the establishment of FITRAH, will the Government consider training staff and volunteers to be equipped for different demographics of offenders, for example, addicts or youths, and more targeted interventions to monitor and break inter-generational offenders? Can measures be in place to support families better?
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Every year, about 10,000 inmates complete their sentence and are released. Up to 2019, Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG), formerly known as SCORE, has helped 96% of offenders in securing jobs with competitive salaries even before their release. However, only around 81% of them have retained their jobs within the first three months of release and another 64% within the first six months.
The first few months after release are critical for an ex-offender, during which the risk of becoming homeless and/or recidivism is high. Hence, YRSG's strategy of securing employment and job retention is extremely crucial to re-integration efforts of ex-offenders into society.
Beyond employment, a key part is also rehabilitation of ex-offenders with support of their families. Many studies have proven that family relationships play a pivotal role to prevent recidivism. The situation is more pressing when dealing with ex-drug offenders who may face not only social stigma but other psychological issues. When I was volunteering with AMP Singapore, with the support of MHA, we launched the Development and Re-integration Programme, which provides individualised intervention plans and financial and socio-educational assistance for both the ex-offenders and their families.
It is important that services provided to the ex-offenders and their families are tailored to their individual needs. With economic disruptions due to the pandemic and as strategic partners come under financial pressure to reduce their workforce, what are the steps taken by and future plans of MHA to rehabilitate ex-offenders, especially those with drug offences and to enhance their employability in this global pandemic and economic situation?
Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): Mr Chairman, I propose that MHA work with MOM to help recognise firms which practise inclusive hiring, including the hiring of ex-offenders. A Yellow Ribbon Inclusive Hiring mark can be a way for fellow Singaporeans to recognise such firms and to show support. People can make the extra effort to support such firms, do business with such firms, contribute attention and profile to such firms.
MHA can also work with MOF so that good inclusive HR practices are supported during the evaluation of Government tenders. For example, if two bids are of equal quality, inclusive HR practices should be considered as a tie breaker.
Mr Murali Pillai: Mr Chairman, between 2018 and 2020, the offender population in prison on the average is 10,207 per year. Adding penal and Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) releases together, on the average, 9,862 inmates were released each year for this corresponding period.
What is noteworthy is the overall recidivism rate has remained low and stable. About eight out of 10 inmates released in 2018 did not return to prison within a two-year release period. This is a good indication of the progress made in rehabilitating and re-integrating ex-inmates. By no means, however, we should think we have arrived.
One of the best ways to encourage ex-inmates to turn over a new leaf is to get them decent jobs. I am heartened to note that 93% of inmates referred to Yellow Ribbon Singapore in 2020 secured a job prior to release. This is not an easy target to achieve. Ex-inmates are debarred from certain sectors such as security and Government jobs. They face motivational issues. Lack of qualifications can be an inhibiting factor. Twenty-two percent of the convicted penal population only has primary school education or lower.
With the Government's decision to extend the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) to ex-offenders, I believe we have a unique opportunity to match ex-offenders to get and stay in better paying jobs with better prospects.
I note the tendency amongst some inmates to take on jobs in the gig economy. I am concerned that they may, in due course, face difficulty with their housing and retirement needs if they do not accumulate sufficient savings in their CPF accounts.
I also understand that Yellow Ribbon Singapore focusses more on long-term sentence ex-inmates and not short-term sentence ex-inmates. Perhaps, this could be re-looked.
I would be grateful if the Minister could please inform this House what is the average number of inmates referred to Yellow Ribbon Singapore per year between 2018 and 2020? What is the breakdown between long-term and short-term sentence inmates? Finally, what steps have been identified to take advantage of JGI?
As we gain more success in getting our inmates better paying jobs with better prospects, we also would have made significant progress in our efforts to help fellow Singaporeans in the lower economic strata to move up the social mobility escalator.
Mr Derrick Goh (Nee Soon): May I take the two cuts together – (p) and (ae)?
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr Derrick Goh: Sir, as the digital space grows and more and more Singaporeans, young and old, are going online, as we should expect, many are vulnerable and may not be equipped with sufficient digital literacy and participation in the digital space may expose them to tortious harms.
This group of vulnerable citizens could be exposed to bad actors online who may spread falsehoods about them, harass them or worse, damage their reputation online. These tortious harms affect people from young to old. In simple language, many of us term this as cyberbullying or simply, cyber harassment. In specific cases like doxing, personal information is shared online to stir and facilitate harassment. Although the Government has moved quickly and substantially in this area by instituting the Protection from Harassment Act and other related measures, these harms are still experienced by many.
What other measures would the Minister be planning to help those affected by such harmful speech online to achieve quick and effective justice?
On item (ae), Mr Chairman, I raised the point in my speech on the Budget Statement that the problem of scams is but a consequence of pursuing a digital economy. It is expected. However, the steep growth rate of 65% in scam cases where the majority of the top 10 scam types relates to online scams is deeply concerning.
Given this rising trend where over $200 million has been siphoned across top 10 categories, it is reasonable for our Government to spend proportionately to mitigate this crime: one, to protect our residents who are digitally vulnerable; and two, to maintain the high trust levels in our Government.
Can MHA share plans and clarify if more expenditure has been factored for the Ministry to acquire more digitally equipped investigators and capabilities to ensure our law enforcement and connected agencies are sufficiently resourced and fit for purpose?
My second point is about strengthening safeguards where at heart of the issue is about the need to approach this holistically, across the digital eco-system. Given the many digital hand-offs, we need a multi-layered, whole-of-nation approach where all commercial participants in the digital economy supported by sharper laws and regulations are needed to protect our Smart Nation.
As the Government and the Police cannot tackle this alone, what are the plans to work more with the relevant agencies and private sector participants apart from banks, such as telcos and e-commerce platforms to deal with this holistically?
Given the understanding of online fraud crime typologies and root causes, would the Ministry consider roping in relevant private sector platforms who have higher scam incidents and profit from the online eco-system to also step up and play their part in terms of fraud prevention and detection measures in the same way MAS is has engaged the banking sector?
Lastly, there is a need to address the trend in the movement of funds derived from scams to outside Singapore. As such, will MHA increase cross jurisdictional cooperation with other neighbouring countries' law enforcement agencies to come up with a more comprehensive plan to combat this problem and to help the victims recover their monies?
The Chairman: Minister Shanmugam.
The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Chairman, I thank the hon Members for their comments. We continue to be one of the safest places in the world. People are confident that Home Team will carry out its mission fairly and effectively. My colleagues from my Ministry and I will try and deal with the points raised by the Members of Parliament.
[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]
Let me turn to the points that I will deal with.
I will first speak about our approach to religious harmony before setting out our transformation approach.
Mr Pritam Singh, in his speech, quite an important speech, raised four points: one, possible religious bias of top civil servants now and in the future; two, our LGBTQ community; three, a possible Government statement on strict secularism; and fourth, updating the 1989 White Paper on Maintenance of Religious Harmony.
Let me start with the point about religious bias of top civil servants.
He raises the possibility of bias – now as well as in the future – and he asked, and I quote, \"Is there a danger that laws and policies could be tilted towards particular religious beliefs by top civil servants? If not now, maybe sometime in the future?\"
Mr Pritam Singh will accept, when his words are transmitted to the public, many will interpret him, in essence as saying that top civil servants could be biased and they could act in favour of religious communities because of their own religious beliefs, both now and in the future.
I would say leaving the public with that impression about our current top civil servants will be seriously wrong. They are persons who have dedicated their entire lives to Public Service loyally and faithfully. If there is evidence of such lack of integrity amongst current senior civil servants, then I agree, it should be raised and we must deal with it.
If the statement was meant only to cover a future possibility without any hint or suggestion of a lack of integrity amongst current top civil servants, then that should have been made crystal clear. Since Mr Pritam Singh has raised an issue relating to the key foundations of Singapore and one of the key foundations of success, that is – the integrity of our senior civil servants. Let me state the position categorically and quite starkly.
The basic principle we follow and apply is that which Mr Lee Kuan Yew had set out in August 1965, and I quote, \"We are going to have a multiracial nation in Singapore. We will set the example. This is not a Malay nation. This is not a Chinese nation. This is not an Indian nation. Everyone will have his place, equal language, culture, religion\".
Freedom of religion is guaranteed but in the public sphere, in public policy-making, we do not make decisions which favour anyone or other religious groups. Neutrality and fairness are essential. Otherwise, in this small place, we will lose the trust of the people quickly. That goes for Cabinet Ministers, senior civil servants and the Public Service as a whole. And when these principles are not observed, they must be dealt with.
The situation today, for the past 62 years, these principles – secularity, neutrality between religions, have been one of the golden threads in our public policy-making. That is one of the key reasons Singapore is where it is now. My Ministry, in particular, has a direct role in dealing with the issues relating to race and religion. We formulate and implement policies which deal with these issues. I have, over the years, worked with many senior civil servants – Permanent Secretaries and Directors of the Internal Security Department (ISD). The current Head of Civil Service was my Permanent Secretary in Home Affairs – outstanding officer, unimpeachable integrity. He has given more than 35 years, his entire adult working life in the service of this country for the betterment of Singaporeans. It would be most unfair if he and his colleagues are tainted with the suspicion of religious bias without proof.
I emphasise, I am referring to the impressions that Mr Pritam Singh's words will leave with many and not what he may have actually meant. How the words could be understood, does matter.
My current Permanent Secretary was Director ISD, Permanent Secretary of Law, then Permanent Secretary at MOT – 28 years in Public Service. Again, an outstanding officer who is driven by only one aim, which is to make the lives of Singaporeans better. Since last year, he has been working his guts out, leading the Homefront Crisis Executive Group (HCEG), coordinating and managing our pandemic response so that Singaporeans can be safe. We look for officers of this character and calibre and they should not in any way be tainted with suggestions of religious bias in their approach.
I have highlighted officers from my Ministry in particular because we are at the forefront of dealing with religious issues. We meet different religious leaders, we work hard to preserve religious harmony amongst their different faiths. Our integrity, honesty, reliability and neutrality are key to us and those are the currency we deal in. Whether the people we work with accept us depends on these factors.
And this is important in another central way: we promote officers on merit. You do not want other questions to be asked – what is his religion? What is his race? Once we ask those questions for promotion, I think we will be in trouble. I do not forget what I said in 2003 about leavening the effects of meritocracy by taking into account the position of minorities. What I say now can stand together with, and be qualified by, what I said in 2003. Though the latter point, I emphasise, is a purely personal view.
Or take another officer beyond the two I have mentioned: Esa Masood, He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was formerly Deputy Director in MOE, Director at ECDA, now CE of MUIS. One day, he will go back to the Civil Service. He should be assessed on the basis of the quality of his work and not on the basis of the quality or nature of his religious beliefs. And that goes across the Public Service.
For me, when a Police officer attends to a call at a house, you do not want people to think, \"This is a Muslim officer\" or \"Christian officer\" or \"a Hindu officer\". You want people to think, \"This is an Singapore Police Force officer\". I personally keep close track of trust levels in our Police Force. They are now extremely high and we do not want to get to the levels of some First World countries where people march in the streets to abolish the Police Force because of racial issues.
It is not accidental that we have one of the highest levels of racial harmony in the world. That is the present. The quality of our Civil Service, their integrity, is a key reason why Singapore has succeeded.
But I also want to acknowledge, many of us have our own religious beliefs. Not everyone is, or can be expected to be, a saint. Sometimes, there can be a tendency to see things through a religious lens or a personal perspective and that can apply to all – Ministers, civil servants, ground officers. We have to guard against that. We have to avoid it, leave personal viewpoints and look at it when we are making public policy through a secular perspective, on what is the public interest. You will be informed by your religious beliefs, but you have to look at the broad majority and see what is in their interest. We have to jealously guard against any such tendency to look through a particular lens, whether it is Ministers or anyone else and we have to set the tone from the very top. Insist on the secular approach and be strict about that.
Mr Pritam Singh is reflecting, I think, what some people might feel but I will say to him today that it is not a systemic issue and we have to guard against it. And what is the safeguard? It starts with politics, how we conduct it. And religion – how important do we make it in politics? In debates do we dog whistle? Let us be honest and ask how often have speeches done that in this House? It is the responsibility on both sides of the House. You want an example of where it can lead to? Look at the United States – how votes are sought along religious lines. If we go down that road, we will be in trouble.
Mr Pritam Singh also asked, \"What of the future?\" I will make two points.
One, we have, over the years, developed institutions, a system – the Public Service Commission (PSC), Public Service Divison (PSD), rules that seek to promote the best officers and weed out those whose integrity is not clear. The assessments are multi-faceted and we have safeguarded the independence of the PSC, because the degradation of the Civil Service will seriously damage Singapore.
Second, having said that, my second point is, to be blunt whether the senior Civil Service remains world-class and has integrity depends ultimately on who the Ministers are too. The timbre of our Ministers will ultimately decide everything else. If the Ministers are biased, they lack integrity, then that will spread, maybe slowly but surely. The institutions that we have set up can delay the spread. It may depend on how long the top remains bad, but it would not be a happy situation.
We have avoided these outcomes so far and you only have to look at some countries outside of Singapore, many countries, including First World countries to see what can go wrong and how quickly.
Second, Mr Singh spoke about our LGBTQ community. I have made the Government's position clear. The amendments to the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA) make it an offence to urge violence on the grounds of religion or religious belief, against any person or group. Action can be taken under the MRHA where religious group, using religion, attacks a non-religious group, such as LGBT groups or individuals. Equally, where a religious group or its members is attacked by non-religious persons or groups, say LGBT, action can also be taken. The law is even-handed in this context. This was emphasised by me during the MRHA's Second Reading, and also during my speech at last year's Committee of Supply.
Regardless of which community, what your social, religious or sexual beliefs are, everyone will be protected here, and I have said so categorically. LGBTQ persons, non-LGBTQ persons – we are all equal. We are not any lesser by reason of our sexual preferences. And if anyone stirs hate speech either for or against any sexual or religious community, we will take action; does not mean action will be taken on every occasion. The Police will use their discretion and assess the context.
We have set out our position. If Mr Singh thinks that there should be any change or variation to this position, I will be happy to hear from him. In particular, if he wishes to clarify what exactly is his position on our LGBTQ policies. I will be happy to hear from him.
Third point that Mr Singh made, was on secularism and he asked for a statement. Our secular stand has been made clear when the Government looks at policies. We do so in a secular way. We guarantee freedom of all religions. We do not favour any particular religion.
Last year, in November, at the Religious Rehabilitation Group seminar, I set out how our secular approach works. I also explained how our approach, for example, differs from the French approach. They are also secular. I have spoken about our approach at least nine times over the last five years. And I do not think Mr Pritam Singh wants a tenth speech. I can give Mr Pritam Singh the references. The Government's position is quite clear. Most people know what it is.
The fourth point he makes is updating the MRHA White Paper. I can assure Mr Singh – religious issues, interaction of religious communities, is a top of mind issue for us.
Let me set out some things that have been done in the last few years. In April 2019, I delivered a very substantive Ministerial Statement, titled \"Restricting Hate Speech to Maintain Racial and Religious Harmony in Singapore\". I explained the Government's position and approach in dealing with hate and offensive speech.
Then, we went further than a White Paper. In June 2019, the same year, with the support of the Government, our religious leaders worked together on a \"Commitment to Safeguard Religious Harmony\". They affirmed the shared values and the way of life of Singaporeans. This approach has underpinned the religious harmony we have. To date, nearly 700 religious organisations, 680 to be exact, and 73 community groups have affirmed this Commitment.
I would invite a careful study of this very important document. It is a commitment by the major religious groups and organisations on the principles of religious harmony that should govern us. It goes beyond past declarations of religious harmony. It details the many positive ways in which Singaporeans have been interacting across religions and it encourages Singaporeans of all faiths to practise tolerance and acceptance. For example, allowing each other to profess our faiths and to do so in a respectful manner; eating together with others, even if we have different religious dietary requirements and practices; and attending the life events of others, such as weddings and funerals, even if those are held in the place of worship of that faith.
That more than 680 religious organisations have committed to this specific call to action, is to be celebrated. It would not happen in many countries.
We followed that up in October 2019. We amended the MRHA in several major aspects to strengthen our ability to safeguard against and respond more effectively to threats to our religious harmony. So, it can be seen: we have reviewed the 1989 White Paper we have taken concrete steps after that Review. We have considered the evolving context, brought religious groups and leaders together, affirmed a new document of principles and have amended the MRHA.
The amendments also introduced a higher standard of behaviour for religious leaders, for example, because of the influence they can wield. For example, if you are a non-religious leader and you said something in a private context, that may not be an offence, but if the same thing were to be said by a religious leader, the defence is much narrower. He has got to show that it was only a domestic communication between the leader and his relatives or member of his household.
Given the many steps that have been taken, there is no immediate need for another White Paper. But it is an issue which we will keep reviewing. I thank Mr Singh for raising these issues. They are important. They allow us to examine again some key and important points.
Let me move on to some of the other efforts. Mr Pillai asked, how will the Home Team balance increasing demands on it given the manpower issues. I have said before – there is a limit to increasing our resources and manpower. It is in short supply all across Singapore. To deal with this, we have been focusing on transformation and increased the use of technology.
Chairman, with your permission, may I display a set of slides on the LCD screen as I make my points.
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr K Shanmugam: To start with we set up the Home Team Science and Technology agency HTX, in December 2019, to develop customised tech solutions for our needs, better use tech, reduce some types of work, multiply our capabilities. It has built up talent and capabilities. HTX has 14 centres of expertise in a number of areas: biometric, sense-making and robotics. It is also developing expertise in managing data centres and cloud-based technologies and a Security Operations Centre, with 24/7 monitoring will be set up. HTX will continue to upgrade its capabilities.
Let me now move on to how we will use tech to transform Home Team operations. Sensor networks. Cameras. We are enhancing our frontline response through greater use of cameras. The Police have installed almost 90,000 cameras in major public locations – HDB estates, neighbourhood centres and carparks. That has been a game-changer to deter, investigate and solve crimes. As of December 2020, police cameras have assisted in solving nearly 5,000 cases; 4,900 to be precise. Surveys have shown that people feel safer with a prominent placement of police cameras in their neighbourhoods. In the next several years, I promise that many more cameras will be installed across the island subject to the budgetary situation.
Next, Police have redesigned our Neighbourhood Police Centres and Police Post to include automated self-help kiosks, so people can access police services around the clock.
Three, Police will roll out 300 next-generation Fast Response Cars (FRCs) by 2023; within the next two years. They will have cameras which will provide a 360-degree view of its surroundings to the Police Command Centre, and it will allow commanders at the Command Centre to assess the situation and deploy back-ups. The cars will also have video analytics tech to read number plates and automatically flag vehicles of interest. So, we will be surrounded by sensors which make people feel safer and more confident.
Fourth, Police have deployed two Police Beacon prototypes at Sengkang and Punggol for a year. Police Beacons will allow members of the public to contact the Police directly during emergencies and they will come equipped with a range of tools to create deterrence and project presence. They will also have CCTV cameras. So, the situation can be assessed immediately, quickly, and they are particularly useful in more secluded locations.
Beyond sensors, in terms of investigations, Police and CNB are working to sharpen the investigation capabilities with tech. One, their investigation and case management systems are being digitised, automated and streamlined, so that officers can access information and update cases on the move instead of having to go back to the office to do it, and save time on handling paperwork and admin tasks because the tool will be an integrated search tool, searching multiple databases at one go.
Two, Mr Pillai asked how are the Police adapting to tackling some of the most challenging cases of scams and commercial crimes. Police are seeking to use tech again, for example, automated screening of financial transactions when investigating scams. They also have tools to quickly extract and analyse digital evidence from mobile devices, thumb drives. But I think Members will understand – in the end there is a limit to how much can be done when the scammers are overseas.
Three, I will deal with the tech and our emergency responses. SCDF, for example, is building the next generation Smart Fire Stations, starting with the new Punggol Fire Station. They will make greater use of sensors and automation to help with manpower management, operational response and decision-making. Manual processes, like tracking the readiness of emergency supplies vehicles, rostering of duty personnel, will all be automated.
During an emergency, an Artificial Intelligence system will send critical information – floor plans of buildings, live video feed of the site to our officers, where available – even before they arrive at the site. That will help officers assess the situation, develop a plan faster and enhance their response.
Our SCDF officers will also be having smart wearables that will be integrated with the Smart Fire Station's systems, and it will allow commanders to monitor officers' physical condition during operations and training to reduce risk of injury.
Fourth, our paramedics will be able to access patient data from MOH databases when responding to a 995 call. It will allow for more effective medical intervention.
Moving on to ICA. Our aim is to have travellers move through automated lanes when they enter and leave Singapore. We are aiming for contactless. Some of the necessary tech has already been put in place. First, today, eligible travellers can already use what we call the Multimodal Biometric System to clear immigration by scanning their face and iris. It is more secure than fingerprint clearance and also contactless. The traditional paper-based card system has been replaced by the SG Arrival Card e-service and mobile app. That facilitates smoother immigration clearance and enhances the advanced screening of passenger info.
As regard to the iris and facial images we intend to upgrade this. We will verify travellers' identities through iris and facial images at the automated lanes instead of passports and thumbprints. ICA has conducted trials with promising results.
Ms Sylvia Lim asked how is ICA managing new demands arising from COVID-19 and how foreigners are held following their release from prison if they cannot be repatriated immediately, and whether additional manpower was required.
ICA has been putting in place plans and systems to cope with the new demands. The digitisation efforts began some years ago. It enabled them to cope with the new demands brought about by COVID-19. The digital services can adapt to changes to our border control rules. They are designed to enable ICA to administer relevant measures for different groups of travellers and also enables integration.
For example, ICA integrated Electronic Health Declaration Cards into the SG Arrival Card platform.
Second, ICA has enhanced its e-services, which will allow it to automatically process many of the applications and significantly reduce the volume of applications which have to be dealt with by ICA officers manually.
As regard to the question on repatriation of foreigners, ICA will seek to repatriate them as soon as possible. But, of course, this is subject to the availability of flights and COVID-19 border control measures both here and elsewhere. Where necessary, ICA will house them temporarily in existing prisons or other ICA facilities.
Some additional manpower was needed to resource new functions, but ICA has largely coped by redeploying officers to meet the new demands, like the Safe Travel Office and enforcing the Stay-Home Notice regime. When the surge of travellers comes back, there is obviously going to be substantial demand on ICA and we will have to deal with it. This is something we are focused on.
Ms Sylvia Lim has asked about morale of ICA officers. ICA has implemented additional measures to support the ground officers. Senior commanders engage officers regularly, to gather feedback and try to address their concerns. Of course, not every single concern can be addressed but the serious engagement and attempt to solve the issues properly are important. Morale is generally okay.
Let me now move to Prisons. Prisons has also made good progress with tech, in particular, what they call the “Prisons Without Guards” strategy. The vision is to have a smart prison that leverages technology to automate routine work, so that prison officers can be more focused on inmates' rehab.
For that, one, they go to smart cameras and video analytics, which will assist officers in monitoring inmates' activities, movements, detect irregular behaviour such as fights and medical emergencies.
Two, technology is also helping substantially with rehabilitation of inmates. They are given mobile tablets, with e-books and guiding resources to supplement their regular lessons and programmes. It allows the inmates to learn at their own pace and take greater ownership of their rehab. We are developing a mobile app for supervisees in the community, to reinforce their learning and rehab. The supervisees can use the app to access customised e-resources, keep track of their progress and look for job opportunities and community support.
We also expanding community corrections. We want to allow more inmates to serve a larger part of their sentences in the community, as long as it is safe to do so, so that they are out for longer period. And that can be done, we think, through greater use of technology to monitor the inmates in the community and help compliance with supervision conditions.
Prisons is developing a tracking device that looks like a digital watch. It is more discreet than the ankle tag that many Members might be aware of. It reduces the stigma, it boosts the supervisee's self-confidence and helps re-integration back into society.
Prisons has also enhanced its digital case management system, making it easier for community partners to access case files and share updates with Prisons staff.
Let me now talk a little bit about how we have been using robotics and unmanned aerial systems, or drones, in the Home Team.
Mr de Souza asked how the Police seek to overcome operational constraints posed by COVID-19. The answer is greater use of technology.
Drones and robots were deployed for security operations at COVID-19 isolation facilities, which reduced the risk of exposure for our frontline officers.
SCDF has been using robots to fight fire. At an industrial fire in Tuas in March last year, these robots tackled the most dangerous parts of the fire, with immense heat and poor visibility. The Home Team will continue to build on these capabilities. Police have, likewise, deployed drones and robots at major public events for crowd management and public safety. They will also support officers in their daily patrols.
In future, you may see three SCDF officers and a robot responding to a fire on board the \"Red Rhino\", instead of the current four-man section. These robots are capable of pushing deeper into the seat of the fire, and can help to carry equipment and casualties.
We are also enhancing our ability to deal with the threat of drones. Police and HTX are developing the XENTINEL, which is a mobile vehicle platform that can be quickly deployed to detect, track and safely take down rogue drones from a long distance. Police are also exploring how to equip the next-generation FRCs with counter-drone capabilities.
Let me now move from the hardware to focus on how we are transforming service delivery. ICA, for example, is bringing more of its services online. Today, residents can register or re-register for their Identification Card online. They can also update their address online, instead of visiting the ICA Building or a Police Post. ICA will be issuing more types of documents in digital form, such as birth and death certificates, and long-term passes. ICA will also introduce push notifications for all Singapore residents with registered SingPass accounts, to remind them to follow up on transactions with ICA. For example, you may receive a reminder to re-register your Identity Card on your 30th or 55th birthday.
Dr Tan Wu Meng and Mr Faisal Manap spoke about not excluding those who lack IT access or are less IT-savvy from Home Team services.
I entirely agree. We try to design our e-services to be simple, seamless and convenient for everyone and we will also try and assist those who need help. If they need physical channels, we will provide helpdesks, self-help kiosks, and service centres.
Specifically, Dr Tan raised about Security Officer Licence. Those who want assistance can call the Police Licensing and Regulatory Department to make an appointment, or visit their service counter during office hours.
For Citizenship and PR applications, those without Internet access can visit the Citizen Connect Centres (CCCs) for free access to Internet-enabled computing devices. Those who require more assistance can approach ICA officers at the ICA Building.
ICA is Building a new Integrated Services Centre next to the existing ICA Building to provide counter services. Members of the public will be served at a single counter for all services. We will also try and make it a more seamless customer experience. Construction works for the Integrated Services Centre has commenced and is targeted for completion by 2023.
Mr Murali Pillai asked about our plans to upgrade the skills of our officers. I will give some examples.
The Home Team Academy has been using the Home Team Simulation System to train our officers in managing large-scale security incidents and joint operations. It requires fewer resources to carry out than a physical training exercise. The Home Team Academy will enhance the system with new technologies like artificial intelligence and expand the usage by officers.
SCDF’s re-development of the Civil Defence Academy will include a Digital Learning Lab and it will provide Virtual Reality training for SCDF officers, such as extricating people from a car wreckage. The approach is always to try and upgrade the skills and make the training more realistic.
What about our manpower needs?
HTX will need to hire a few hundred scientists and engineers over the next few years to build a critical mass of experts in areas like digital and crime scene forensics, robotics and automation. There are also other new developments that continue to drive up demand for the Home Team’s manpower. For example, while ICA uses technology, it still needs manpower to run operations at future checkpoints – Tuas Mega Port and the RTS Link.
SCDF, too, will need more ambulances and more officers to attend to the growing number of medical emergencies, due to our ageing population.
Police will need to expand the deployment of In-Situ Reaction Teams (IRTs) to patrol high footfall locations in Singapore to swiftly respond to armed terrorist attacks. We also need to increase the number of Police investigators. I have mentioned that previously. The number of investigation files handled by Land Divisions increased by 36% between 2015 and 2019. Cases have also become more complex. Crimes are increasingly tech-enabled. Perpetrators, often anonymous, may often be based overseas. It requires much more effort to track and identify them.
Mr Murali Pillai asked how we are supporting the well-being of our Investigation Officers. Apart from increasing the number of investigators to manage the workload, Police are currently undertaking an internal review of their systems, processes and structures to see how better we can support our investigators.
Mdm Chairman, Mr de Souza asked: if COVID-19 has presented Police the time and opportunity to evaluate how technology can be better utilised.
Members will see from what I have said that Police, the Home Team as a whole, have been exploring and investing in technology for some time, even before COVID-19, and that has stood us in good stead during COVID-19 and we will continue on that path.
The Chairman: Thank you, Minister. Mrs Josephine Teo.
The Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mdm Chairman, Singapore remains one of the safest places in the world. The 2020 Gallup Global Law and Order Report ranked Singapore first, for the seventh year running. Singapore was also ranked first in the 2020 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index in the area of “Order and Security”.
Police have kept traditional crimes, that is, all crimes except scams, well in check and on the decline over the years. The drug situation in Singapore remains under control, and our fire fatality rate remains one of the lowest in the world. Public confidence in the Home Team remains high. In the most recent survey, nine in 10 Singapore residents agreed that the Home Team has done well and trust our officers to serve them with integrity.
Notwithstanding these successes, there are a few key challenges we are paying particular attention to. I will speak about three of them. They are terrorism, foreign interference and harmful online content.
Terrorism remains a serious threat. The Home Team has been vigilant, but the terrorists only need to get through once to cause us serious damage. Mr Christopher De Souza asked about our detection abilities and rehabilitation of terrorist detainees.
Our threat is transnational in nature. We have strong working relationships with foreign security agencies to share intelligence and disrupt plots. For example, ISD worked closely with the Indonesian authorities to disrupt the plot by a Batam-based pro-ISIS cell targeting Marina Bay Sands. Local threats are more difficult to detect as individuals may be self-radicalised. Under the SGSecure movement, the Home Team and our partners make efforts to educate the community on preventing and responding to terror attacks, including spotting the signs of radicalisation.
On terrorist detainees, the best way to neutralise their threat is to rehabilitate and reintegrate them into society. We have refined our approach based on our own experiences, learning from international best practices and in response to the changing profile of detainees.
Mr Christopher de Souza also asked what MHA would do to deter foreign interference in our domestic affairs. He believes we should ensure that Singapore politics remain the domain of Singaporeans only. We cannot agree more. We have previously articulated the need to safeguard Singapore against foreign interference in our domestic politics. The threat has always been present. But in recent times, it has risen in potential and severity because of the increasing ease to carry out such operations.
Since time immemorial, states have sought to subvert others to achieve their own objectives and agenda. This can take various forms, such as hostile information campaigns and subversion operations to manipulate domestic political discourse, and to influence politically significant organisations and persons. There is also value to polarising views and turning people against each other. Doing so can weaken a country’s resolve and strengthen the attacker’s bargaining position.
Singapore needs to be open to the world to make a living. But our diversity and openness also present opportunities for foreign actors. In the 1970s, we were the target of two interference operations involving our newspapers – The Eastern Sun and the Singapore Herald. The newspapers received funding from foreign sources and ran articles to undermine our nation-building efforts. In 2018 and 2019, when we were facing bilateral issues with our immediate neighbour, there was a curious spike in online comments critical of Singapore. Many of these comments came from anonymous accounts, which sought to give an artificial impression that there were significant and fundamental objections to Singapore's position.
In recent years, we have seen concerning developments overseas. Globally, cases of cyber-enabled foreign interference in elections increased from seven between 2011 and 2015, to 41 between 2016 and 2020. So, if you compare the two time periods, a six-fold increase.
We have also seen reports from Australia and other countries that foreign powers and their agents attempted to influence their politics by buying off political parties and politicians. At the same time, social media platforms have not dealt, and have little interest to deal with these threats. For instance, political observers have attributed the storming of the US Capitol to the failure of social media platforms to take timely and firm action against election misinformation and calls for violent resistance.
Fortunately for us, 2020’s Parliamentary Elections went peacefully. However, looking at other countries, there is reason for more robust preventive measures. Many countries have taken steps to mitigate this risk. Some have introduced legislation to address the threat of foreign interference. For instance, Australia has made it compulsory for those who undertake activities on behalf of foreign principals to make public disclosures to deter covert attempts to influence.
To address the threat of foreign interference in our domestic politics, we must, in the first place, build up Singaporeans’ ability to discern legitimate and artificial online discourse, and respond appropriately. However, as interference operations are increasingly sophisticated and well-disguised, it is not enough to have a discerning public.
We are, therefore, studying other countries' approaches. Legislative levers may be needed. For example, to obtain necessary information to investigate hostile information campaigns to determine if they are of foreign provenance or artificial; to break the virality of such campaigns if they are, indeed, conducted by foreign actors to subvert our domestic politics; and to carry counter-messaging to alert Singaporeans to these on-going hostile information campaigns.
Given the recent experiences of other countries, we need to consider further measures to guard against foreign subversion of politically significant individuals and entities. For example, what levels of transparency in funding, support and leadership are appropriate? For whom? The public has a big part in this to shape proposals and to give the eventual safeguards their strongest support. It is the only way we can effectively deter bad foreign actors from exploiting our vulnerabilities.
Mr Derrick Goh asked about achieving effective justice for those affected by online harassment and doxing. This will be addressed by MinLaw.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked about the steps to protect our society from harmful online content. Indeed, the Internet has made dissemination of harmful content quick and easy, in ways previously not possible. Such harmful content includes violent extremist propaganda, such as the livestreaming of the 2019 shootings in Christchurch and the shooter's manifesto, which radicalised the 16-year-old detained last year. Another example would be the dissemination of voyeuristic material and intimate images without consent through platforms, such as Telegram. Some platforms do put in effort to deal with harmful content. But not every platform puts society's interests first. This is to be expected – platforms are driven by their own values and commercial interests.
Many countries, therefore, see the need for regulation. For example, Germany has passed legislation requiring platforms to respond to user complaints about unlawful content. Many tech companies acknowledged the need for regulation even if they disagree with governments on the \"how\".
MHA has been working with MCI to review our options. This may include new regulatory levers. To effectively carry out the many streams of work, public trust in the Home Team is critical. We do not take this trust for granted. The Home Team will continue to uphold the highest level of integrity and conduct. Where there are allegations of improper discharge of duties by Home Team officers, we will investigate thoroughly. If the allegations are substantiated, firm action is taken against the officers. Where we have slipped up as an organisation, we have acknowledged unreservedly and tightened up.
Sadly, there have been efforts by some people to de-legitimise our Police and other law enforcement agencies by circulating false allegations through social media. These irresponsible social media posts seek to weaken public trust in the Home Team and weaken our ability to maintain law and order. We need the public's help to be responsible and refrain from spreading false allegations. We will continue to improve our processes to better serve the public.
Mr Leong Mun Wai asked about the implementation of Video Recording of interviews (VRI) and increasing the pool of foreign language interpreters for police interviews. We have gradually expanded VRI since introducing it in 2018. Where it was initially only used for investigation of rape offences, it now covers other offences, such as child abuse. VRI requires substantial investment in technology, infrastructure and, most important of all, training. We will gradually expand the types of offences to be covered by VRI. There are budgetary constraints as we move on this. The Police currently engage the services of interpreters for foreign languages. If a person requires interpretation, the Police will engage an interpreter and record the statement only when the interpreter is available.
Madam, let me sum up. Our safety and security landscape is getting more challenging. We have been doing quite well and will invest more resources to tackle emerging threats.
We will continue to do what it takes to uphold the trust of Singaporeans through our capabilities, integrity and impartiality. We will need the strong support of fellow Singaporeans and must be able to count on this.
The Chairman: Minister of State Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim): Madam Chairperson, I will speak on combating drug abuse, rehabilitation and re-integration, and immigration for foreign dependants. Some Members today are wearing the anti-drug collar pin here and the Yellow Ribbon collar pin to demonstrate their support of our national efforts in these areas. I thank Members for doing so.
The global drug situation continues to be worrying. Last December, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs narrowly voted to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which lists the most dangerous drugs. This may lead some to believe that cannabis is harmless, despite strong evidence to the contrary. More needs to be done to safeguard our zero-tolerance policy towards drugs.
Preventive drug education is our first line of defence. The Central Narcotics Bureau, or CNB, educates Primary and Secondary school students about the dangers of drugs through activities like talks and competitions. CNB continues to partner students from Institutes of Higher Learning to co-create projects to encourage older youths to become anti-drug advocates. For instance, CNB worked with Ngee Ann Polytechnic students on a social media marketing campaign, YouUseYouLose, which reached almost 300,000 people.
CNB strengthened its anti-cannabis narrative in 2020. For example, information on the harms of cannabis was pushed out as advertisements, and a short film on cannabis was produced and screened in cinemas. We will continue our efforts to counter narratives that downplay the harms of drugs.
Mr Christopher de Souza spoke about halting the international flow of drugs. CNB works with regional counterparts to share intelligence and conducts joint operations to deal with transnational drug activities. The Home Team has strong enforcement measures at our borders to detect traffickers and drugs. In 2020, CNB seized about $11.6 million worth of drugs. The Home Team intercepted 568 parcels containing suspected drugs and related paraphernalia, many of which were online purchases.
Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Sitoh Yih Pin mentioned new psychoactive substances, or NPS. Currently, because of how NPS are listed in the Misuse of Drugs Act, there may be a time lag from detecting to listing a novel NPS. This year, we will amend the Act to regulate NPS based on their potential to produce a psychoactive effect to allow CNB to take swifter enforcement action.
Mr Christopher de Souza asked about rehabilitating youth drug abusers. Youths are placed on the Youth Enhanced Supervision Scheme or channelled to the Community Rehabilitation Centre or Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC), depending on various factors, such as their assessed risk level. Each youth is matched to the most appropriate intervention programme to best support their rehabiliation.
Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked about the rehabilitation and re-integration of ex-offenders. In 2014, the Enhanced Drug Rehabilitation Regime, or EDRR, was introduced for first- and second-time drug abusers. This aligned rehabilitative interventions to the abusers' risk of re-offending and level of dependency on drugs. In 2019, the drug rehabilitation regime was further enhanced to commit third-time and subsequent drug abusers who are not charged with any other criminal offences to the DRC, instead of being charged in Court and made liable for long-term imprisonment.
Mr Christopher de Souza asked for the effectiveness of this calibrated approach. A Prisons study revealed that the two-year recidivism rate for drug abusers who went through the EDRR was eight percentage points lower than those who did not. We will assess the effectiveness of the 2019 enhancements when we have sufficient data.
Effective rehabilitation and re-integration requires strong community, family and vocational support. I will speak in Malay about community support.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Malay/Muslim community has made progress in the fight against drugs. The relapse rate of Malay drug abusers within two years after release has decreased from 42% for the 2011 release cohort, to about 30% for the 2018 release cohort.
\tHowever, we cannot be complacent. We will continue our work to bring the numbers down even further. Under the “Dadah Itu Haram” campaign, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) collaborated with mosques and community partners to conduct outreach activities.
\tMHA works with agencies under the M3. MUIS set up the Family and Inmates Through-care Assistance Haven office, or FITRAH, to provide comprehensive support for inmates and their families.
\tCurrently, volunteers from FITRAH undergo training to equip them with a broad range of skills, such as counselling, so that they can support their beneficiaries. We will consider Ms Nadia’s suggestion to prepare FITRAH volunteers so that they can befriend inmates of different backgrounds and needs.
\tMr de Souza mentioned peer support initiatives. Under Prisons’ Throughcare Volunteer Framework, volunteers who have built rapport with the inmates through regular incare programmes can continue to provide pro-social support for them after their release.
\tThere are groups of ex-offenders who have banded together to support one another. This year, the CARE Network will establish a framework to support such groups, which can serve as pro-social networks for ex-offenders.
\tWe will continue to work closely with community groups to strengthen our outreach and reintegration efforts.
(In English) Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked what more can be done to support families of inmates and ex-offenders. For families of inmates who need support, Prisons will make referrals to Family Service Centres (FSCs) or other social service agencies. This year, Prisons and MSF will strengthen coordination and information exchange with FSCs on inmates with family members in need of support. This will ensure timely access to FSC resources. Besides training volunteers who work with inmates, Prisons will extend training opportunities to those who assist inmates' families. Together, our efforts to better support families will also help to reduce inter-generational offending.
Mr Zhulkarnain asked about enhancing the employability of ex-offenders. Yellow Ribbon Singapore or YRSG, previously known as SCORE, has charted a career masterplan to train inmates for careers in key and growth sectors. YRSG has also mapped a skills masterplan, under which it has developed pathways for inmates to continue to acquire skills after release. Under a new Train and Place (TAP) and Grow initiative, partner industries and training providers will offer employment and continuous upgrading through a work-study arrangement after inmates' release. In 2020, YRSG partnered organisations to offer training in media and precision engineering. This year, TAP and Grow will be expanded to the logistics and infocomm sectors. Training facilities for these sectors will be set up in prison.
Under the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) that was launched in September, ex-offenders are eligible for the higher tier of wage support. This has expanded the employment opportunities available to ex-offenders.
Mr Murali Pillai asked about encouraging short sentence inmates to take advantage of the increased job opportunities. YRSG offers career guidance and job matching to all inmates, regardless of the length of their sentence. From 2018 to 2020, an average of 2,560 inmates received employment assistance prior to release each year. Of these, about 5.5% served short sentences, with the rest comprising long-term or DRC inmates. In all, about 95% of all who received assistance between 2018 and 2020 secured a job. YRSG and Prisons will intensify outreach to create greater awareness of the opportunities available and we will take Mr Murali Pillai's suggestion.
Dr Tan Wu Meng suggested introducing a Yellow Ribbon mark to recognise firms that practise inclusive hiring of ex-offenders. We have been recognising such employers through the previous SCORE Appreciation Awards. Nonetheless, a Yellow Ribbon mark could encourage more employers to partner with YRSG and offer more employment opportunities to ex-offenders. YRSG will explore this further. And I thank Dr Tan Wu Meng for his suggestion.
On immigration, Mr Gerald Giam asked about permanent residence for foreigners with family ties to Singaporeans. Each PR application is evaluated holistically on a range of criteria, including but not limited to economic contributions, educational qualifications and applicant's ability to integrate into society. In general, PR applicants with family ties to Singaporeans are already considered more favourably to those without. Foreigners with family ties to Singaporeans who are not able to obtain PR but wish to continue residing in Singapore may apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass, work pass or Student Pass.
Parliamentary colleagues, thank you for your strong support. With your continued support and that of all Singaporeans, the Home Team will continue to keep Singapore safe and secure.
The Chairman: Minister of State Mr Desmond Tan.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Desmond Tan): Mdm Chairman, community partnership is crucial to achieving the Home Team's mission. This coming year, MHA will tap on our partnership with the community in two areas. First, combatting scams. Second, in the design of our policies and legislation related to the private security industry.
I will cover the first one. We are concerned with the scam situation in Singapore. In 2020, more than 15,000 cases of scams were reported, a 65% increase from 2019.
We agree with Mr Derrick Goh that the Police should be sufficiently resourced to combat scams. The Police have since re-organised existing resources and set up the Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) in 2019. Through the Transnational Commercial Crime Task Force, or TCTF, the Police have also partnered foreign law enforcement agencies in Malaysia, Macau and Hong Kong to tackle cross-border scam syndicates targeting victims in Singapore. The Police will continue to conduct joint operations with like-minded jurisdictions. And MHA will continue to monitor and review the resources allocation to ensure that the Police continue to remain effective.
I chair the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams, or IMCS in short, which draws on the expertise and the resources from different Ministries. In the coming year, the IMCS will deepen our partnership with the community and private sector stakeholders to combat scams. Allow me to elaborate on a few notable initiatives.
Mr Derrick Goh asked for an update on the IMCS' plans to deepen its partnership with the banks, telcos and digital platforms to combat scams.
First, banks. The Association of Banks in Singapore, or ABS, and its members have worked with the Police and MAS to detect and to weed out scammers and money mules. We also took measures to help victims recover losses through Project FRONTIER, which stands for Funds Recovery Operations and Networks Team, Inspiring Effective Resolutions. This is a collaboration between Police and more than 20 financial institutions. Once the Police are notified, most bank accounts suspected to be involved in scammers' operations can be swiftly frozen within a day. This is a big step forward from the 14 to 60 working days that these tasks used to take. I have asked banks if we can work together to further compress the turnaround time for freezing of bank accounts used by scammers so that even less is lost to scams.
Besides banks, we also work closely with telcos and IMDA to block spoof calls and scam websites used by overseas scammers. MCI will elaborate on efforts to tackle scam calls during its Committee of Supply debate.
Finally, we are working with digital platforms to do more to combat e-commerce scams, which remain the top scam type in 2020. We are working with e-commerce platforms, such as Carousell, Lazada, Shopee, Qoo10 and Amazon to prevent scams. Areas being explored are improving the seller verification and increasing the use of more secured payment methods, such as escrow accounts.
A few overseas jurisdictions have begun exploring the use of legislative levers to place clear obligations on the industry to secure e-commerce transactions. For example, in December 2020, the EU Commission proposed the Digital Services Act to better regulate the digital space, including online platforms and intermediaries.
The Government is considering all options to address the scourge of e-commerce scams. While efforts to disrupt scammers' operations and money transfers are key to combating scams, the best defence against scams is a discerning and vigilant public.
Everyone can potentially be a victim, not just the elderly. MHA's survey found that in 2020, close to 50% of scam victims were between 20 and 39 years old. It is important for everyone to exercise vigilance, to be sceptical of incredulous promises and unverifiable requests and check with authorities whenever in doubt.
I also encourage everyone to download ScamShield to filter out scam calls and messages. To date, ScamShield is actively blocking over 2,500 scam numbers and has filtered more than 280,000 scam messages. ScamShield is an application developed by GovTech, MHA as well as NCPC. But right now, it is only available in iOS version but agencies are working towards developing an Android version.
Madam, I would now like to make a few remarks in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Chairperson, the number of scams in Singapore is on the rise. Thus, the Home Team will step up efforts to work closely with our community partners to strengthen the public’s awareness of scams and scam prevention. There are three “Don’t”s in scam prevention: first, don’t trust strangers; second, don’t reveal your passwords; third, don’t transfer funds carelessly.
Lately, loan scams have been on the rise. However, according to our laws, a licensed moneylender cannot approve or grant a loan to a borrower remotely. In other words, those who claim to be licensed moneylenders offering loans to you via the phone or through Whatsapp messages must be scammers. Everyone must remain vigilant. When faced with a situation that raises suspicion, members of public can view the list of legitimate financial institutes published on the Registry of Moneylenders’ website. Members of public can also visit the App Store to download Scamshield to screen and block calls and messages suspected to be from scammers.
(In English): I will now talk about engaging community on policies and legislation related to the private security industry.
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas asked how the new Security Agencies Competency Evaluation or SACE framework will encourage transformation and adoption of technology by the private security industry. A key assessment area under the SACE will be on how much security agencies harness technology to augment critical areas, such as training, operations, and command, control and communications (C3). This will set new benchmarks for the industry. These competencies will be reviewed periodically to keep up with technological developments and complement efforts under the Security Industry Transformation Map (SITM).
MHA takes a very serious view on the abuse of security officers and we will amend the Private Security Industry Act, or PSIA, to include new offences to address the common types of verbal and physical abuse which security officers face when carrying out their duties. These offences will also carry harsher penalties, compared to similar offences against the general public.
In addition, we will continue supporting public education efforts, such as the industry-led anti-abuse campaign. MHA will also work with the industry to equip security officers with better public management skills and encourage the use of body-worn cameras to further deter abuse.
I will also address two questions on road safety.
Mr Faisal Manap asked whether drivers in financial difficulty can be allowed to pay their road traffic fines in instalments. MHA has been studying this since last year as we have also received feedback from several Members of this House. Regardless, already today, for genuine cases of financial difficulty, if the individual appeals to Traffic Police (TP) and the appeal is assessed to be meritorious, TP will extend their deadline to pay the traffic fine.
Mr Patrick Tay spoke about the need for greater traffic safeguards. In general, road safety has improved. Road traffic fatalities have decreased in the past decade, from 195 in 2011 to 118 in 2019, and 85 last year in 2020. That said, we agree with Mr Patrick Tay that every accident is one too many. We will continue to do more to enhance road safety. For example, to better protect elderly pedestrians, we will increase the penalties for motorists who commit offences at pedestrian crossings or offences that endanger pedestrian safety in Silver Zones. We will also put in place similar measures for School Zones to protect students. We are completing our review and will announce details later in the year.
In conclusion, the Home Team will continue to work in close partnership with our community to build a safer and a more secure Singapore.
The Chairman: Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh: Thank you, Madam. I have three points to make in response to Minister's speech.
The first pertains to the point that my cut could have been interpreted to mean that some civil servants are biased. I think it is important that I make it clear that I am not suggesting that they are, nor do I mean to undermine their work and their morale.
My motivation was to really seek a restatement of the Government's commitment towards secularism. And I thank the Minister for dealing with the speech and the Government's approach to what I said in a very detailed way. I did not realise the Minister had made these remarks nine times since 2015. Suffice to say, I appreciate his tenth restatement more than anything.
The second point, I think it was an important remark that Minister made, which was with regard to the point on LGBT and non-LGBT persons and that they are all equal and no one is any lesser compared to the other. I completely agree with this. I support this. I think it is a very powerful statement – a fair and egalitarian approach to dealing with the matter. And I hope all Singaporeans, regardless of race or religion, actually coalesce around this and have reasoned and respectful conversations on LGBTQ issues, and I think we will be stronger as a nation for it.
The third point I wish to make concerns the Minister's latter comments about up to 90,000 more cameras coming on stream, provided the Budget allows for it. I think it will be foolhardy to try and stop and prevent the usefulness of technology in the support of the work of the Home Team to resolve crimes and matters of that regard. So, in that sense, I can support it because it will help the Police's work. What I would caution, as I have done before in other speeches, is to restate how the algorithms behind some of these cameras are managed and guarded, because if that information leaks, if it goes out, I think it can damage public confidence in some of this technology that the Home Team seeks to introduce. Thank you, Chairman.
The Chairman: Minister.
Mr K Shanmugam: Thank you, Mdm Chairman. On the first two points, I am glad that Mr Singh and we see eye-to-eye and he agrees with us. On the third point, I did not say 90,000 more. I said 90,000 cameras are already installed and there are going to be many more, and how many more depends on the kindness of MOF. The faster the better.
The reason is this – and I take entirely the point about making sure that the information that is obtained, is used properly. For example, ICA has a lot of information – identity card, registration, travel – and we need to make sure that that information is used properly and not given to unauthorised persons.
Cameras. I think this issue of privacy, sometimes the way one has got to analyse is – if individual A says something to individual B in his home, that is private. It is no one's business to know what you have said to your wife to, or to your son, or to your friend at your home. But sometimes, there is a confusion.
If supposing the Police are investigating a crime, they are entitled to come to your house and ask what you have said, if it is relevant for the investigations. And you are duty-bound to say it and you cannot say \"my right of privacy\". And whoever you spoke with also will have to disclose, subject to, you know, arguments about privilege against self-incrimination and so on.
So, if you did something in a public place, the Police are entitled to go in and investigate you and ask you what you did. If there is reason to believe a crime was committed, they are entitled to investigate and ask everybody else what they saw and then bring that evidence to Court, if necessary.
The cameras, to some extent, either short circuits or supplements that approach, and that is the way to approach these sensors. That is why the vast majority of our public actually welcome these cameras. Thank you, Mdm Chairman.
The Chairman: Mr Zhulkarnain.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Thank you, Mdm Chairman, for the indulgence. I have two clarifications, if I may. The first is in regard to radicalised youths. I think this question would be for Second Minister Josephine Teo. Perhaps, can we get some clarity as to what would be MHA's rehabilitation approach for radicalised youths?
My second clarification is in respect of the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders. If I may ask Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim, he covered it in his speech. How has COVID-19 affected the number of ex-offenders and inmates securing jobs right before release or after release? Has there been a drop because of COVID-19?
The Chairman: Second Minister, Mrs Josephine Teo.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Mdm Chairman, I appreciate the question from Mr Zhulkarnain on how MHA approaches the rehabilitation of youths who have been self-radicalised. It is of great concern to us because, if you look at the pattern, what has changed over the last decade or so is that, amongst those that we have found to be radicalised, the ages of those who have been identified have gone down quite a lot.
I hope it is okay for me to just take a step back and explain our approach to rehabilitation in general and then to focus on the approach for youths. Our goal must be that these individuals are rehabilitated for the long-term. In other words, we want this process to have long-term benefits and, therefore, the approach must not only be intensive, it has to be holistic. And by that, I mean that we would have to cover several key aspects: religious, psychological and social rehabilitation. These are the three core aspects of the rehabilitative approach. The approach will then have to be customised to the individual's own context. So, that is the broad frame.
On religious rehabilitation, there needs to be counselling sessions, but it has to be religious counselling with persons who are able to provide these self-radicalised youths proper religious teachings and interpretations that can effectively counter the radical ideology that they had somehow imbibed from online and other sources. For that, we are fortunate in Singapore, we have the Religious Rehabilitative Group to draw our counsellors from.
Second, in terms of psychological rehabilitation, quite often, among these self-radicalised youths, there is propensity for hatred and violence and also a certain vulnerability to radical influence. To deal with it, the psychologists need to help them to reframe their faulty reasoning, and this effort, is actually quite an involved one.
Third, we also need to pay attention to social rehabilitation. In this regard, family support is critical. So, the self-radicalised youths are granted weekly family visits. Why that is important is because they need to preserve a connection as much as possible. If they have no connection to family, you can well imagine why it will raise their risk of falling down the same path again.
Here, we also assign an after-care officer to each detainee's or supervisee's family to provide social and other support because there may be some other factors that are contributing to this person's propensity to be radicalised.
So, that is the general approach. Specifically, for youths, we pay additional attention to the fact that, at that stage of their lives, there is also the questions of identity and how one develops a sense of belonging. To whom does one identify with, and with whom does one belong? In this regard, helping them to acquire critical thinking skills to discern radical rhetoric online and also to cultivate a certain mental resilience to cope with life stressors – these are the areas that we pay particular attention to.
For youths, another key motivation is to complete their education and we find that, if this is a practicable thing to do, helping them to continue their studies keeps them focused, and this is something that we always try to do. Among the seven self-radicalised youths aged between 16 and 19 that were dealt with under the ISA since 2015, most have made good progress in their rehabilitation. But I will not want to downplay the challenges. Some of the youth detainees take much longer than others to come around and this is why ISD also works with our educators to try and equip them to identify potentially self-radicalised youths early so that we can help them avoid going down this path. Thank you.
The Chairman: Minister of State Assoc Prof Faishal.
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Mdm Chairman, the number of inmates who secured jobs in 2020 was similar to that in 2019. So about 2,000 ---
The Chairman: Minister of State, would you like to remove your mask?
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Oh yes, sorry. Mdm Chairman, the number of inmates who secured jobs in 2020 was similar to that in 2019. So, about 2,520 inmates secured jobs each year after receiving the employment assistance.
We were also fortunate that shortly after the introduction of COVID-19 Safe Management Measures, YRSG went into virtual job interviews. We were able to successfully assist about 690 inmates to secure jobs via virtual job interviews. And when we saw more and more restrictions, and the situation got deeper into COVID-19, YRSG made an intensified effort to engage potential employers knowing that it may be challenging.
Fortunately, with their hard work, we were able to not only get the existing employers to continue to work with us, 292 new employers came on board in 2020. So, we would like to sincerely thank all the supporters, employers and those who really give the fullest support to our ex-offenders and YRSG. We are confident that with their continuous support, we will be able to help more and more ex-offenders and their families.
The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Thank you, Mdm Chair. I was very interested in the development that Minister of State Faishal stated about how to determine the danger of new psychoactive substances through the avenue of their outcome or their effect. I think this will be a major advantage because, up to this stage, it has been decided via what is under the Schedule of drugs as being illicit and the weight of the drugs. If we are now looking at new psychoactive substances ill effects, and then calibrating punishments according to that, I think is a major development.
So, I am actually quite interested to learning a little bit more about how this is going to translate into the punishment regime for those who traffic in new psychoactive substances, and also in the regime for those who abuse new psychoactive substances. And in effect, it is a tool that I am quite excited about, because it is a new tool in the arsenal of the MDA.
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I thank the Member for the questions. Essentially, we know some of the limitations or constraints of the current approach and we are looking at how we can empower CNB to take enforcement action against illicit activities involving NPS that are not yet listed as controlled drugs, by criminalising all such activities involving substances capable of producing a psychoactive effect, unless they are exempted.
So, essentially, the exemption clause will cover substances that are already regulated under the existing regulation or those with legitimate uses. So, legitimate business, commercial and scientific interest will not be affected by the NPS legislation.
And in doing so, we have also looked at other legislation. How they have done so in terms of striking a balance between legitimate business and also commercial and scientific interest and target NPS that have been developed to exhibit properties similar to controlled drugs – and are meant for abuse.
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
So, our legislation that we will be sharing and placing in the next few months, we will share some elements found in this law. So, we will share more details in the Second Reading for the Misuse of Drugs Bill soon.
Mr Christopher de Souza: I thank the Minister of State for that. In fact, it is a very interesting development because if I may suggest, it need not just be restricted to new psychoactive substances.
If there is going to be a policy shift to look at the effect or the outcome of a drug on an abuser, there is no reason why to restrict it only to new psychoactive substances. That philosophy or that policy could also extend to more traditional drugs such as heroin, opium, cocaine, ketamine, ice and so on.
Because if we are looking at outcomes, then I think it makes a little bit easier to deter the supply you can get purer and purer forms of traditional drugs which then render the weight, the previous formula of deciding the danger of the drug, renders it outdated.
So, would you consider this new approach to even traditional drugs, is my question to the Minister of State.
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: If you look at the current situation as in what is happening around the world, for the more traditional drugs, it is very clear. It is easy for us to determine the outcome. The challenge has always been NPS. You get the list being updated and if you try to use different combinations, chemical structures, you realise that it is a chasing game. So, we feel that while we will study all the other developments, including the traditional drugs, but one thing that we want to really catch on is how we can address the issue NPS effectively and better, in the name of protecting our people, especially our young people. Nevertheless, I will take on board the suggestion that the Member has made.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: Thank you, Chairman, and I would also like to thank the Minister of State for hearing out my suggestions earlier. I very much appreciate the work of our Singapore Prison Service as Captains of Lives and I just have two follow ups. As some of the family situations are very complex, how can prisons better work with FSCs or enhance aftercare or introduce more family counselling and parenting skills programmes to inmates and their families?
My second point is, I would very much like to ask what steps the Ministry is willing to consider, to monitor and break intergenerational offending, and also in cases where both parents are incarcerated when there are children involved.
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I thank the Member for the very important question because essentially when I engage Singaporeans, and I visit the community partners, the issue or concern has always been how are we taking care of the families, how we are making sure that the reintegration process is seamless, better and, at the same time, they are worried about inter-generational cycle, passing down to the next generation.
So, as I mentioned earlier in my speech, this year, Prisons will work with MSF to share some of these data. We work with the ex-offenders to see how we can better understand and get to know more information – what is needed on the ground. And we are going to roll this out to the rest of Singapore. Essentially, we had a pilot, and we are going to roll this out to the FSCs across Singapore and to see how we can have more of such interventions to help the families. And also, in relation to the training of our volunteers, our staff who are involved in such work, we want them to better understand the landscape that they are facing.
So, today, we are looking at how we provide more of the very broad perspective of how they can support in terms of counselling and so forth. As we move forward, we will take on Ms Nadia's idea of how we can also provide training that will touch on the different profiles of families who may be affected by such incarceration.
So, I thank Ms Nadia for her suggestion and ideas. And with this, Prisons and MSF are going to work together closely with the FSCs. I am confident we are able to not only reach out to more people, but we are able to have more targeted help and assistance to those who are affected by incarceration.
The Chairman: Mr Murali Pillai, would you like to withdraw your amendment?
Mr Murali Pillai: Mr Chairman, Sir, my thanks to all the hon Members of Parliament for speaking on the MHA COS debate, the four political office holders for their responses and detailing the plans and emphasis points for MHA and Home Team.
And also, most importantly, my thanks to the officers of MHA and Home Team for performing their duties 24 hours a day, every day of the year, without fear or favour, in keeping Singapore safe and secure. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $6,555,769,700 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $1,332,058,600 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extension of a Sitting","subTitle":"Business motion","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Chairman: Order. Pursuant to Standing Order No 91(3)(d), I propose to extend the time of this day's Committee sitting for a period of up to 30 minutes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head R (Ministry of Law)","subTitle":"Securing our place in the world","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Chairman: Head R, Ministry of Law. Mr Murali Pillai.
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head R of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
Since the pandemic hit us, the Ministry of Law spearheaded the implementation of a slew of legislative measures aimed at helping small and micro-businesses. Through the measures, many of which were introduced as Bills on Certificates of Urgency, these businesses were able to obtain relief that allowed them to conserve on cashflow and be protected from legal action.
Measures included the Temporary Relief for Inability to Perform Contracts, Rental Relief Framework, Simplified Insolvency Programme and the Re-align Framework. Like with most pieces of legislation, these are dry names but for matters vital to our economic and personal lives.
They mean the difference between a state of uncertainty and precariousness, and one of dignity and purpose. They have made a difference for large groups of people – not just owners of small businesses, but the many workers employed in these businesses and companies.
For parents, they mean the difference between paying attention to their children's education and future, instead of worrying about food on the table; for tenants, rental relief meant they could focus on rethinking their business and relying on their landlords as trusted partners. For those who need to wind up their business, through the heartache and emotional difficulty of letting go a dream, there is the assurance of simplicity and speed.
These are not the subjects of headlines, but they are common sense writ hard into law – due to the pandemic, circumstances have changed, and not due to the fault of any party. While contracts are ordinarily written as a means to hold people fast to their promises, these COVID-19 legislative measures allow a common understanding and the general principles for re-negotiation. These require parties to work a basis of mutual trust in mutual gains, rather than a position that one party is trying to gain advantage over the other.
The COVID-19 legislation is an extraordinary effort to make law bend to the realities, and to compensate for exogenous factors such as misfortune, bad luck and in this case, a global pandemic.
The hon Minister for Law, in a memorable speech made last year in this House, informed how within just nine days, his Ministry, with the help of Government agencies, the hon Attorney-General and his officers from the Attorney-General's Chambers and private sector professionals and lawyers, came together, conceptualised the support framework and drafted the legislation.
People in the know will acknowledge the superb quality of the legislation which had to be drafted from scratch. The team members behind the legislation, no doubt, made personal sacrifices so that Singaporeans facing an almost certain financial ruin and uncertainty will get a reprieve instead. We should not forget their contributions.
With almost a year has past, since the implementation of the first COVID-19 legislation, this may be an opportune time to recount the efficacy of and the feedback received on these measures. Have they worked as the Minister had anticipated? As we are not out of the woods yet from the economic effects of the pandemic, what further legislative measures can we anticipate in the future?
Also, is it time that we think of having a framework legislation that can be employed swiftly when the next crisis hits us? In this regard, please allow me to share a situation that happened recently in Texas, US as reported in a New York Times article dated 20 February 2021.
As Members may know, a winter storm knocked off Texas power grid and froze natural gas production. This affected millions of Texans. As a result, electricity prices, which was tied to wholesale prices and market-driven, spiked astronomically. Some Texans had to pay up to 70 times what they usually pay for the utilities.
We must ensure that we have legislative levers to be able to move swiftly to prevent such instances from happening in Singapore. I look forward to the hon Ministers' responses to my queries. I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
The Chairman: Mr Murali Pillai.
Mr Murali Pillai: I am obliged, Mr Chairman. Sir, I have been pushing for the modernisation of probate and administration processes since the COS debate in 2017. The hon Minister responded then stating that the matter is under review by the relevant agencies. In the Straits Times article published in July 2017, it was reported that only 10%-15% of Singaporeans have made wills. Even for allowing for an increase in the percentage in the three years plus that has passed, by international standards, this is rather low. In contrast, it was reported that in 2017, the corresponding figure in UK is more than 40%.
The trouble, anxiety and financial difficulties caused by the lack of a will, especially when the breadwinner dies, is real.
The low numbers present an opportunity for us though to modernise the processes spelt out in the Wills Act enacted 183 years ago.
With the technological advancement we have made since, we should be able to provide options for Singaporeans to execute digital wills, ensuring that the wills are kept securely and acted upon upon the death of the testator in accordance with his or her wishes. At the same time, the probate and administration processes can be updated to make it fuss-free for applicants by leveraging on the Government's archive of key documents, maybe even in lieu of court applications.
I will be grateful if the hon Minister please provide an update on the efforts to modernise and simplify the probate and administration processes by leveraging on IT.
Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Sir, the response by MinLaw to the pandemic through the series of Bills and legislation displayed how MinLaw, along with the relevant agencies, are in tune with the ground. The response was timely, effective and I commend it. In short, they were excellent legislative moves. This included legislation to assist tenants in the payment of rental.
Having said that, small landlords need to be helped too because the rental relief given to tenants can be overly onerous on them. While many landlords have diversified income, many rely heavily on the rental yield as retirement income. To be subject to the rental relief, an additional rental relief scheme places a heavy burden on landlords running SMEs who do not have the same capacity as larger companies.
My second cut, Sir. The pandemic has shown us our common humanity and has not differentiated between the affluent and the vulnerable. Having said that, it has certainly placed vulnerable people in an even more precarious situation, and often they do not have the same means to let their voice be heard in Court.
How does MinLaw intend to provide more support and create more channels for the vulnerable to have access to justice?
We should not have too high a barrier to entry to allow anyone equal access to the Courts. Nevertheless, neither must we become overzealous about providing funding for the defendant to criminal cases such that the process would be abused. Everyone should have access to the courts to bring rightful claims and to properly defend themselves.
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member): Chairman, criminal legal aid is available through the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS) administered by the Law Society Pro Bono Services (LSPBS), which is co-funded by MinLaw. The legal fraternity has been supportive of this scheme, with many volunteer lawyers participating actively.
Notwithstanding, there is still a need to enhance access to justice and to improve the provision of criminal legal aid for deserving accused persons who do not have the means to afford their own lawyers. I note that the Minister for Law said in Parliament last year that MinLaw was conducting a review of criminal legal aid, including the possibility of setting up a Public Defender's Office.
Various measures had been rolled out in the past year to assist businesses with their legal troubles amidst the pandemic. However, individuals who may have lost their jobs or had their livelihoods affected by the pandemic will also need help with legal representation if they inadvertently fall afoul of the law.
In this regard, I would like to ask the Minister for Law how does MinLaw intend to provide more support for enhancing access to justice for vulnerable groups, especially given the impact of COVID-19, and if there is an update on MinLaw’s review of criminal legal aid, including when MinLaw expects the review to be completed?
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, the crises brought on by COVID-19 has contributed to significant worldwide increases in domestic violence cases. Many studies have highlighted the acute vulnerabilities particularly faced by single mothers, foreign domestic workers and foreign spouses. The most vulnerable are children, who do not have the knowledge and means to escape from the clutches of their abusers. The situation is much more complex when the perpetrators are the care-givers and the cases go unreported.
Domestic violence goes beyond the family but also include intimate partner violence and violence against other vulnerable groups like foreign domestic workers and the elderly. A research study on intimate partner violence and the Global Financial Crisis in the United States found that unemployment and economic hardship were related to abusive behaviour.
How does MinLaw intend to provide more support for enhancing access to justice for vulnerable groups? In particular, are there any plans to enhance current protection for elderly persons, persons with mental or physical disabilities, or young children, especially in situations where the perpetrator was the primary care-giver? Would the Ministry consider the replacement of the definition of \"family violence\" in the Women’s Charter with \"domestic violence\" to include intimate partner violence and violence against others in a household notwithstanding the lack of any familial relationship? After all, violence is violence, whether inflicted on a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend or a partner.
Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, during the debate on the Parti Liyani’s case, the Minister for Law has mentioned the possibility to increase legal aid for the economically vulnerable. We would like to know what is the progress in setting up the Public Defender’s Office? In the interim, what is being done to beef up the Enhanced Criminal Legal Aid Scheme to increase the availability of criminal legal aid to the economically vulnerable applicants.
Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): Mr Chairman, I have met Clementi residents who have serious medical conditions. Sometimes, this means having to move in with family members. But this has implications for means testing. One of my residents is ill – visually impaired, on dialysis. Because of his condition, he moved in with a family member, for care-giving support. The family member is still working. But because of this, he does not qualify for legal aid. The means test looks at household income. My resident told me he faces an invidious choice – stay with a family member who can provide care-giving support or choose to stay separately without the family member as care-giver in order to maintain his means test access to legal aid.
Sir, each case turns on its merits, on its details. But I am sure there are other families in Singapore facing the same dilemma. They should not have to choose between having a family member as care-giver staying together and falling on the wrong side of the means test assessment. Our agencies mean well and I hope we can continue finding ways to support families in such challenging unfortunate situations.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, often, access to justice is not something people think about until they are in need of a just and timely legal outcome. Often, when the need strikes, they are at a loss and this could be during a time where there is family violence, death or trauma. I am glad that the Ministry is evaluating the considerations for a potential Public Defender's Office and support the efforts to make legal information more accessible. For example, the iLab Chatbot or the My Legacy website in beta testing phase.
However, digital solutions may not be useful for elderly or less tech-savvy Singaporeans. Planning for end-of-life issues can be very sensitive.
I would like to ask for MinLaw's plans to make legal aid more accessible to persons from all walks of life, and if it can consider simplifying the process for family members to deal with the estate of a deceased Singaporean, as many may not appreciate the difference between a grant of probate and a letter of administration, or understand when they can apply to the Public Trustee for assistance.
Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Chairman, I would first like to declare that I am the Co-Chairperson of the Law Society Pro Bono Services’ Community Legal Clinics Committee.
Former Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong in his foreword for the fourth publication of the Singapore Association of Women Lawyer (SAWL)’s \"You & the Law\" said: \"It is said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. But, in the case of the law, a little knowledge of one’s rights, duties and responsibilities goes some way to empower him or her a more confident person in his or her daily life.\"
I fully agree with his honour. The increase in scam cases and the helplessness faced by individuals when he or she losses their loved ones unexpectedly, made me realise that upstream education is always important. Prevention is always better than cure.
Over the years, organisations such as SAWL and the Law Society of Singapore have respectively published books, written in plain language, for members of the public on various topics of Singapore law relevant to everyday life, imparting easy-to-understand legal knowledge and information into the hands of every man in the street.
Separately, we have also seen agencies such as the Office of the Public Guardian providing step-by-step guide on their website to enable Singaporeans have a better understanding on the importance of doing Lasting Power of Attorney.
And since the circuit breaker, the Law Society Pro Bono Services have been sharing a series of \"Know the Law\" webinars on YouTube and its Community Legal Clinics have also begun providing legal advice to residents in need via virtual platforms.
It would therefore be helpful if the Ministry can consider working with these agencies and stakeholders to build up the digital infrastructure, with the goal of enabling more people to have better basic knowledge on common legal issues, such as consumer rights and estate planning; and seek for legal advice when necessary via virtual platforms.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Sir, in my work as a Member of Parliament, I regularly come across cases involving disputes between neighbours. Frequently, this involves either a neighbour who makes too much noise in the middle of the night or a neighbour who places his personal plants, bicycles, beyond the common shared space in the corridor. Sometimes, the quarrel arose over minute matters, which then escalate into vulgar language being used or thrown at each other.
I have also come across cases involving hoarders who accumulate junk in the flat and, in the process, block the common area causing fire hazard to the neighbours. It is also a hygiene issue as there may be cockroaches and rats that would come through the house.
Frequently, we ask HDB staff, we ask Town Council staff and sometimes even Grassroots leaders to help by mediating between the involved parties. But the dispute between neighbours are very difficult to resolve. Many of them refuse to attend mediation at the Community Mediation Centre.
The final option is to refer parties to the Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal or CDRT. But from feedback, many residents are reluctant to go that step. Many do not think that mediation would solve their dispute. They also think that going to the Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal would not solve their dispute. They continue to suffer in silence and the resentment festers.
And sometimes, even after resolving the matter at the Tribunal, the problem does not go away. The hurt and resentment remains as egos are hurt.
The Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal has been in place since 2015. May I ask whether Ministry of Law has done any assessment of its effectiveness to help resolve the disputes? This is especially for cases where the neighbour can be very unreasonable, or what sometimes, the newspaper refers to as \"neighbours from hell\".
After a case is resolved, is there any tracking of the case? I am concerned that sometimes, the CDRT may consider a case as closed when the Tribunal makes an Order. But the dispute remains in the community. Parties remain at loggerheads with each other. And when I visit them as Minister of Parliament, they would each bring their source of complaints to me. So would an order, would a mandatory order for counselling help mitigate the tension between the parties? This may be similar to a family court order for parties to go for counselling before a Police Protection Order (PPO) application.
May I also seek an update about cases under the Prevention of Harassment Act (POHA)? Has the specialist court been set up for the protection from harassment? Has there been many cases against doxing filed in the courts since POHA was amended? Has Ministry of Law made any assessment about the effectiveness of POHA since the Act was amended in 2019?
The Chairman: Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Neighbour disputes are some of the most thorny issues in public housing estates. Residents often contact the police, HDB, town councils or the Ministers of Parliament to seek assistance. Avenues like the Community Mediation Centre (CMC), or Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal (CDRT), are available, but many residents seem less keen on using them, because of perceived administrative hurdles or perceived ineffectiveness. Can there be a more streamlined, efficient and effective process available to residents at the first instance?
The CMC could be that avenue, but it first needs to be given more resources and more teeth.
First, when a resident chooses to lodge an application for mediation, the CMC should mandate that both parties be present at the mediation. It should not be voluntary. Second, the CMC should be staffed with full time, professional mediators to mediate cases. This can also help boost their authority in the eyes of the disputing parties. Third, agreements must be binding on all parties. If violated, the complainant should be able to use it to file a case with the CDRT for a fast track application for an injunction. And fourth, the Government should publicise the CMC more, so residents know that they can contact the CMC before they call the police or HDB to settle their disputes.
I believe that if these proposals can be implemented, the CMC will provide a more streamlined avenue for residents to seek a resolution to their disputes and relieve the burden of mediating these neighbour disputes on agencies like the Police.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): May I have permission to take all my three cuts?
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: First cut is on the updates on the CDRT. Since the set up of the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal, I wish to ask the Ministry of Law how many cases have been filed, how many heard, how many cases mediated and how many resolved annually.
Also, what actions, if any, has the courts or complainants taken when offending parties after the tribunal order still continue to perpetrate and breach the order.
I also ask the Ministry of Law to elucidate on how the CDRT can better ensure the efficient and effective resolution of CDRT complaints as there are more situations of work from home and resulting in more neighbourly disputes and some of these disputes cannot be resolved via the voluntary mediation via Community Mediation and so on, and whether such mediation can be made compulsory.
Second cut on updates on the POHA. Since coming into force in November 2014, can Ministry of Law provide an update on the number of cases filed and mediated? Among all the POHA cases filed, what is the breakdown on the types of those involving community or neighbours, how many are online harassment, how many are sexual harassment and how many are workplace harassment.
If not already monitored, can I request that the figures be closely monitored and published regularly so that we know the exact magnitude of the various forms of harassment including the extent of workplace harassment and bullying as well as the prevalence of sexual harassment in workplaces.
I also ask the Ministry of Law to elucidate on the POHA Court and how this court can better ensure the efficient and effective resolution of harassment complaints.
My third and final cut, enforcement and publication of Employment Claims Tribunal Judgment and Orders. The Employment Claims Tribunal now has jurisdiction to adjudicate both salary-related disputes as well as wrongful dismissal claims, making it more convenient for parties to resolve employment disputes via a single forum.
However, an Employment Claims Tribunal judgment that is not satisfied would still need to be enforced in the same manner as an Order made by a District Court. This would involve detailed processes set out in the Rules of Court pertaining to the filing of relevant forms, documents as well as the payment of court fees. A worker who has successfully obtained a judgment may thus still be subject to a protracted enforcement process. Workers’ lack of knowledge of the workings of our courts system exacerbates this problem.
There is thus a need to simplify and expedite the enforcement mechanism to facilitate workers’ recovery of monies. One suggestion in the context of an insolvent company, is that the Ministry of Manpower can advance money to pay part of the worker’s unpaid wages and then stand in place of the worker as a preferred creditor to recover the advanced monies upon distribution of the insolvent company’s assets.
With the Employment Claims Tribunal having jurisdiction to adjudicate both salary-related disputes as well as wrongful dismissal claims, it now hears more cases.
Having a deeper understanding of the rulings of the Employment Claims Tribunal would benefit not just practitioners and lawyers, but claimants and respondents too, when they have to present their respective cases. Past decisions of the Employment Claims Tribunal would be extremely useful as a source of reference and precedence and should thus be made available. For a start, I would like to suggest that the more landmark and instructive judgments can be selectively published for the benefit of all.
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas: Sir, I declare my interest as a practicing lawyer. Sir, when law firms adopt technology, they will increase their efficiency of processes and cut costs, improve accessibility and transparency for users of legal services and strengthen the resilience of legal service providers.
The Ministry of Law had set overall vision and blueprint for technology and innovation for law firms with the launch of the Technology and Innovation Roadmap in October 2020. The Ministry of Law has also introduced technology adoption initiatives such as Tech Start for Law and Tech-celerate for Law.
However, law firms have generally been quite slow to adopt technology, preferring to rely on traditional means of work and a manpower heavy modus operandi.
I would like to ask what is the progress made so far by law firms in adopting technology, pursuant to the Ministry of Law's initiatives like Tech Start for Law and Tech-celerate for Law, and what more is the Ministry of Law planning in 2021 to further encourage adoption of technology by law firms?
Separately, Sir, with Singapore's stellar reputation as a legal hub, it would be prudent for us to encourage our law firms to expand overseas. Our larger local firms like Allen & Gledhill and Rajah & Tann, already have a well-established presence overseas. Our SME law firms should also be looking at expanding especially because they are located in an international arbitration and mediation hub. In particular, our law firm SMEs should look at least in the first instance, at doing work in our region.
The Ministry of Law has been proactive with programmes like Lawyers Go Global, and the China Ready Programme for lawyers. However, given that travel restrictions due to COVID-19 are likely to affect these programmes, which typically saw Singapore lawyers making overseas trips, we may have to find new ways to support our firms' internationalisation aspirations and activities.
In this regard, I would like to ask the Minister for Law, how does the Ministry of Law intend to support law firms to internationalise and capture more work from the region?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong): Twenty-twenty was a challenging year for many and the legal sector was not spared the effects of the pandemic. In particular, when the circuit breaker was implemented, lawyers had to quickly adjust and adapt to work from home, make alternative arrangements to meet and communicate with clients, and then to have court sessions online. The sector had to quickly adapt and accelerate the adoption of technology.
The development of technology in legal practice has been in the horizons for some time now, but the pandemic obviously gave a hard nudge to the sector and hastened the progress. This did not just mean that lawyers had to learn new skills to manage their practice with new technology. It also meant that they had to contend with potential competition, with the advent of artificial intelligence and the development of online platforms for lay persons, which inevitably meant less dependence on lawyers.
To be clear, I am not suggesting that we should not allow for these developments just so as to preserve the lawyers' relevance in society. I believe these advancements are important and necessary and we should always look at platforms and opportunities to make the law accessible to the public.
However, lawyers from small- and medium-sized firms may face more challenges than others in pivoting and developing their practice into one that is relevant to the times and to seize opportunities in areas of growth.
My question is therefore, how can the Ministry help lawyers from small- and medium-sized firms stay relevant and continue to thrive in the changing legal landscape?
I believe there are two areas which the Ministry could look into.
One, the support for adoption of technology and two, training and development programmes that could empower lawyers from these films by building substantive knowledge on different fields where there is potential growth.
At the opening of legal year 2021, the president of the Law Society of Singapore, Senior Counsel Mr Gregory Vijayendran, made reference to the dialogue with the Ministry of Law on a technology platform in a pipeline and a promising initiative of effectively Plug and Play Technology Solutions. May I ask for an update of this discussion?
Could we enhance our support for technology adoption? Some of the adoption may require customization to suit the needs of the firm. It may take the lawyers some time to learn the platforms or standard solutions and some more time to build a customised solution for their set-up. Lawyers from small- and medium-sized firms may not have IT staff or teams to support them with this. Would it be possible to create an entity with such firms could avail themselves to technology consultancy services to help develop the IT infrastructure? In addition, would there be sustainable funding or grants to support these firms with the developments?
On the second area, could we enhance the platforms available to the lawyers from the small- and medium-sized firms to give them more exposure to new and developing fields of work? Aside from exposure, could there also be opportunities for lawyers from these firms to develop specialisation and deep knowledge for a particular field so that they could potentially develop a boutique practice in a specific area of growth?
Currently, lawyers are required to accumulate continuing professional development points and attend various training sessions. However, these sessions may not be sufficient to develop specialised skills. It may be helpful if the lawyers could be supported with a training and development programme that could help them pivot and succeed in a new and growing field.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): COVID-19 may just be the catalyst of change for our legal profession. Due to COVID-19, legal courts have undergone speedy digitisation. Virtual hearings are now being undertaken. Last week, I just finished an international court trial with a presiding judge in London. With the new changes and challenges faced by the legal profession today, how is the Ministry of Law equipping practitioners, firms and law students for the future?
Separately, Singapore Academy of Law’s Future Law Innovation Programme called FLIP, had aimed to drive innovation and adoption of new technology amongst law firms in Singapore. I would like to ask the Minister, are there any updates on FLIP or similar programmes to spur innovation and technology among law firms and practitioners in Singapore?
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Mr Chairman, I have shared my view with this House on promoting Singapore on an international disputes resolution hub, particularly, in the areas of mediation and arbitration.
I also filed a Parliamentary Question recently and am pleased to note that the Singapore Convention on Mediation, also known as the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, which entered into force on 12 September 2020, now has 53 signatories, including the world's two largest economies, the United States and China, and other large Asian economies such as India and South Korea. This is a significant milestone.
Sir, the Singapore Mediation Centre, SMC, has also performed extremely well over the years. Based on information from its website, the SMC is said to have mediated more than 4,800 matters worth over $10 billion since its launch in 1997. About 70% of SMC mediated cases are settled, with 90% of those cases settled within one day.
This shows that mediation is an effective dispute resolution mechanism and, it is with little wonder, that it has grown more popular over time, especially in commercial disputes. It is less contentious and, with an effective and experienced mediator, could even help previously warring parties find a way to collaborate commercially again, post-settlement. This, from a business perspective, is a very attractive proposition.
Sir, on the arbitration front, it is extremely heartening to see that the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, SIAC, has expanded its footprint overseas by setting up representative offices in key markets. In 2020, the SIAC opened its first representative office outside of Asia, in New York.
There are also many reputable international organisations and institutions such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), World Intellectual Property Organization Arbitration and Mediation Center (WIPO AMC) and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution-American Arbitration Association (ICDR-AAA), which have set up offices in Singapore. These organisations and institutions will go a long way to complement our position as a dispute resolution hub.
Through this journey, sir, we have also developed world-class infrastructure to facilitate conducting dispute resolution in Singapore. Maxwell Chambers, launched in 2010, expanded to the adjacent Maxwell Chambers Suites in 2019, has tripled in size and now houses international dispute resolution institutions and practices with state-of-the-art hearing facilities.
It therefore appears that Singapore is well placed to capitalise on these developments and resources.
However, as this House is aware, the current COVID-19 pandemic has forced many countries around the world to impose strict travel restrictions. This could potentially derail Singapore's efforts in positioning itself as a leading international dispute resolution hub.
In the premises, I invite the Minister to share with this House the Ministry's larger strategic plans, especially in light of international COVID-19 travel restrictions, so as to continue to promote Singapore as a leading global dispute resolution hub to resolve international cross-border commercial disputes.
Mr Murali Pillai: Mr Chairman, Singapore has forged a hard-earned reputation of being one of the most preferred dispute resolution centres in the world. Over the years, the Ministry of Law has introduced a slew of measures to improve her dispute resolution framework.
To further improve the framework, I suggest the Government consider acceding to the Hague Service Convention, which is the short form for the Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters. It is an old treaty that came into being in 1965. Its purpose is simple: to offer a reliable and efficient means of serving court documents from parties living, operating or based in another country.
The convention applies to service of process in civil and commercial matters but not criminal matters. Signing up for the Hague Service Convention will allow for service of judicial documents in civil matters abroad without the need to invoke time consuming and uncertain consular processes.
I would be grateful for the hon Minister's response to my suggestion.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Sir, Singapore has a reputation for being a global city that attracts both individuals and corporations. In tandem with that reputation, we strive to provide a strong regime of intellectual property (IP) protection within our jurisdiction and have consistently ranked among the top in the world.
At this stage, I should declare that I am a lawyer who practises intellectual property law.
A strong IP regime provides an incentive framework in which innovation can be encouraged. However, IP protection can be a barrier in extreme circumstances such as what we currently face in the race for vaccines against COVID-19. Hence, we must find the right approach, calibrated to Singapore's context, to affirm companies and inventors that their IP is safe here and can be defended in the event a dispute arises out of IP rights such as patents.
When the pandemic was at its worst in Singapore and we needed temporary buildings to house our essential foreign workers, I must state on record that SLA did excellent in converting under-utilised buildings into temporary dormitories. I had the pleasure of working together with SLA officers and officers from related agencies on the conversion of the old Nexus International School in Ulu Pandan into a temporary dormitory.
This is the type of innovation that we should continue to promote and prompt agencies to maximise their venues of under-utilised plots land in land-scarce Singapore. We need to consistently review our usage of land and see how we can renew and optimise our land resources, whether it is for housing, sports and recreational activities or commercial and industrial purposes.
Mr Derrick Goh (Nee Soon): Mr Chairman, the Ministry of Law has already taken many steps in its digitisation journey. With the digital efforts undertaken across Government agencies, what plans does the SLA have in making available data platforms for businesses and individuals to make better decisions?
For documentation intensive processes, will SLA consider digitising more in these areas, such as conveyancing-related processes using smart contracts and distributed ledger technology?
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply Reporting Progress","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?
The Chairman: I give my consent.
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow.\" – [Ms Indranee Rajah]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2021/2022, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.
Mr Speaker: So be it.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adjournment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn to 10.30 am tomorrow.\" – [Ms Indranee Rajah]. (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 7.55 pm.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Appeals for Jobs Support Scheme Payout to Cover Fees of Non-executive Directors","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"9 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how many appeals have been made to have the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) payout cover the fees of non-executive directors; (b) how many of the appeals have been successful; and (c) of the successful cases, how many involved payouts made to each of the companies that the non-executive director held a position in.
Mr Heng Swee Keat: The Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) is intended to provide wage support to help employers retain their local employees.
Arising from feedback received, the JSS was extended in May 2020 to shareholder-directors who draw a salary from their companies, with corresponding CPF contributions. This is in recognition of their dual capacities as both a shareholder-director and an employee of the company.
Non-executive directors, on the other hand, generally do not engage in the day-to-day running of the company and are not regarded as employees. They are usually paid director’s fees for their directorial services, and do not draw a salary from the company. CPF contributions, both employer's and employee’s shares, are not payable on the director’s fees. Since these are not employee wages, the director’s fees received do not attract JSS support.
As of 31 January 2021, we have received 1,634 JSS appeals relating to shareholder-directors. These include appeals from those who exceeded the assessable income threshold, companies that were late in making CPF contributions, as well as appeals for director’s fees to be included for JSS support. About 22% of these appeals were approved. None of the approved appeals are for directors who were paid director’s fees. This is in line with the policy intent of the JSS.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rejection of Driving Licence Applications due to Applicants' Mental Illness","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"10 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in the past five years, how many persons have been rejected in driving licence applications because of their mental illness; and (b) how does the Ministry determine the types of mental disorders that bar a person from applying for a driving licence as defined under Rule 8 of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Driving Licenses) Rules.
Mr K Shanmugam: Between 2018 and 2020, 31 persons were prohibited from taking the driving tests to obtain a driving licence as they were suffering from a mental disorder. This constituted 0.014% of all the applicants in that period. TP does not have data prior to 2018, before the implementation of online application for the Provisional Driving Licence.
When applying for a driving licence, should an individual indicate that he is suffering from a mental disorder, or if there is reason to believe that the person may have mental disorder, then there will be a requirement to undergo a medical assessment. A doctor will assess if he is fit to drive based on guidelines stipulated by the Singapore Medical Association. He will be allowed to take the driving tests only if the doctor certifies that he is fit to drive.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal to Impose a Ban on Smoking While Walking","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"11 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider imposing a ban on smoking while walking.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Smoking is prohibited in many public places to protect the public from harmful second-hand tobacco smoke. Covering more than 32,000 places, these include public places with high footfall such as pedestrian overhead bridges, covered or underground pedestrian walkways, and the common areas of residential buildings. For clarity of the rules to both the smokers and the non-smokers, so that there is a clear understanding of where smoking is disallowed, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has prohibited smoking by types of places, regardless of the activity that the smoker is engaged in. NEA has expanded the list of smoking-prohibited places over the years. It will continue to monitor and enforce against smoking violations at smoking-prohibited places. It does not intend to include walking as an activity where smoking is prohibited.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Guidelines for Singaporeans when Consuming Online Religious Content","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"12 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth as more globally produced religious content are made available online during this COVID-19 period, whether religious bodies in Singapore will consider providing guidelines for Singaporeans to navigate and consume online religious content that are in line with Singapore's secular and multi-religious-racial landscape.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Many of our religious organisations provide their followers guidance when seeking out religious content online. They emphasise the need for viewers of such content to be discerning and sensitive, and to unequivocally reject content laced with hate and that causes enmity with others. In addition, ROs also put out original, online content that promotes inter-faith understanding and is contextualised to our multi-religious society in Singapore. This is important to counter extremist and exclusivist views that can sometimes be found online.
(a) For example, MUIS strongly encourages the Muslim community to seek religious guidance only from religious teachers accredited under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme. MUIS also launched SalamSG TV last year as an online platform for Islamic content and religious guidance for Muslims in Singapore.
(b) The Catholic Archdiocese consistently emphasize the need to maintain religious harmony and respect towards other religion and races, and highlight to their young the potential pitfalls of consuming unverified online sources of information related to the faith.
(c) The Inter-Religious Organisation regularly works directly with faith groups to strengthen their digital presence and promote inter-religious knowledge. It also launched a digital initiative in 2019 called We The People of Singapore that provides a platform for Singaporeans to talk about each other’s religion to gain a deeper understanding.
Government will continue to ensure that extremist content which is inimical to our common space and social harmony does not proliferate online. But, with the internet being what it is, it would not be possible to eradicate all such content, we will have to adopt a whole-of-society approach to helping Singaporeans navigate a vast body of online religious content, while working with the ROs, so that we can safeguard and promote religious harmony in Singapore, and ensure that hate speech and misinformation does not take root here.
We will also continue to work with our religious organisations, schools and community groups to proactively build trust and mutual understanding among Singaporeans, across religions and races. For instance, our Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCC) work closely with religious and grassroots organisations to foster interaction across different religious and ethnic communities, and promote inter-faith dialogue and collaboration. We can and will work together to build a more cohesive society.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"MUIS' Stance on Individuals Providing Spiritual Healing Services beyond Religious Teachings","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"13 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge for Muslim Affairs (a) what is the approach taken by MUIS towards individuals providing spiritual healing services beyond religious teachings that may contradict conventional Islamic beliefs; and (b) whether there are plans to include these services under the current Islamic Education Centres and Providers (IECP) framework.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: \tMUIS takes a very serious view on matters where individuals purport to offer spiritual healing services in the name of Islam, but in fact contradict Islamic principles. Such individuals mislead and confuse the community. Where MUIS is alerted to such individuals and their practices, MUIS will launch a thorough investigation. In previous cases, MUIS counselled these individuals and directed them to stop their practices where they were contrary to religious principles.
The community should seek religious guidance only from credible sources and asatizah accredited under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS).
The Islamic Education Centres and Providers (IECP) framework governs Muslim religious schools in Singapore. MUIS currently has no plans to extend the IECP framework to spiritual healing services.
14 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Health which body or institution has jurisdiction over the various organisations or individuals that purport to be providing psychological and mental health services.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Mental health services are provided by a multidisciplinary team (which includes psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, counsellors, psychologists and occupational therapists etc), to cater to individuals with varying needs and conditions.
The professional practice of psychiatrists, nurses and occupational therapists are regulated by the Singapore Medical Council, the Singapore Nursing Board, and the Allied Health Professions Council respectively. Counsellors and psychologists are not regulated, but professional bodies such as the Singapore Association for Counselling and Singapore Psychological Society provide guidance on the professional and ethical conduct for its members.
In addition, under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act (PHMCA) at present, and the Healthcare Services Act in future, MOH regulates the provision and advertisements of licensable healthcare services to safeguard patient safety and welfare. This ensures that the conduct of mental health services within the auspices of a licensed healthcare service is subject to appropriate regulatory standards.
Organisations and individuals who claim to be offering licensable healthcare services such as medical clinic and hospital services, which may include mental health and psychological treatment, without an appropriate licence will be liable to the penalties under the various relevant legislations for service licensing and professional registration.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Moving Work Site A1W1 for Cross Island Line Further into Singapore Island Country Club","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"15 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Transport whether, for the Cross Island MRT Line, the Ministry will consider moving work site A1W1 further into the Singapore Island Country Club to reduce the impact on a group of langurs which rely on the forest where the current work site A1W1 is located.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Since 2013, LTA has been working closely with the nature groups to address their concerns on the impact of the Cross Island Line (CRL) on the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR). LTA has also engaged an advance engineering consultant in early 2020 to look into the optimisation of the worksite at A1W1, to reduce the potential impact to the Raffles Banded Langurs.
The study and engagement have led to two significant changes. First, LTA has further optimised the worksite and reduced the footprint by over 50%. Second, LTA secured the agreement of the management of the Singapore Island Country Club to move part of the A1W1 worksite into the premise of the club. With these measures, the worksite will be significantly further away, at approximately 150 metres instead of 30 metres, from the area where the Raffles Banded Langurs are known to roam.
The key representatives of the nature groups have reviewed the optimised A1W1 worksite and they are supportive of the changes. LTA will continue to work with them on further measures to mitigate any potential environmental impact at the A1W1 worksite when construction of the CRL begins, so as to strike a balance between preserving the environment and wildlife, and improving transport infrastructure for the benefit of Singaporeans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Average Number of Occupants in 1- and 2-room Rental Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"
16 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many children currently stay in (i) 1-room rental flats and (ii) 2-room rental flats respectively; and (b) for such cases, what is the average number of occupants per unit, in (i) 1-room rental flats and (ii) 2-room rental flats respectively.
Mr Desmond Lee: There are about 4,000 and 18,000 children aged 18 and below currently living in 1- and 2-room rental flats respectively.
The average number of occupants per unit in 1- and 2-room rental flats with children is three and four persons respectively.
Most public rental households who have three or more members live in 2-room flats. Households with three or more persons living in a 1-room flat can request to move to a 2-room flat. Families that form two nuclei, such as grandparents living with parents and children, can apply for two rental flats and request for the flats to be in the same block, subject to vacancies. On a case-by-case basis, we will also be prepared to offer larger families a 3-room rental flat.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Fare Revenues and Profitability of Thomson-East Coast Line Rail Operator","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"17 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are (i) the amount of fare revenues that have been generated by the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) since the opening of phase 1 of the MRT line and (ii) the amount of service fees paid to the rail operator in the same period; and (b) whether the rail operator is profitable in relation to the TEL.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) operates on a gross cost model during the initial years. This means Government takes the fare revenue risk, as it collects the fare revenue and pays the TEL operator a service fee for operating and maintaining the line.
TEL opened on 31 January 2020. For the financial year ending on 31 March 2020, the TEL fare revenue collected by LTA was about $0.2 million while the service fee paid to the operator was about $23 million. During this same period, the operator, SMRT TEL, incurred an operating loss of about $0.13 million, based on its first two months of operations.
This is expected, as TEL is opening in phases and ridership will take time to build up. By doing so, we are better able to iron out teething issues and ensure that the system is more stable and reliable.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of New Rail Financing Framework to Ensure Financial Sustainability of Rail Network","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"18 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether a review of the New Rail Financing Framework is being undertaken; (b) what are the considerations behind the review to ensure a financially sustainable rail network; and (c) when is such a review expected to be completed given continued losses for the two rail operators.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: I would like to thank the Member for the question. We will be addressing the question together with other related questions on public transport financials at the MOT Committee of Supply debate in early March.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Roll-out of Home Fire Alarm Device Assistance Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"19 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether he can provide a progress update on the rollout of the Home Fire Alarm Device Assistance Scheme and what have been the issues faced during the rollout.
Mr K Shanmugam: SCDF, HDB and PA have been working together under the scheme to offer free installation of home fire alarm devices, or HFADs, for about 60,000 public rental flats.
Since the launch of the programme in June 2018, SCDF and HDB have installed HFADs in around 43,000 flats. HDB targets to complete the installation works by this year.
The agencies have not encountered any major issues, except that some residents declined the free installation, citing concerns with allowing contractors into their homes, and the possibility of false alarms.
1 Mr Don Wee asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Ministry will consider granting tax relief on cash top-ups made to the MediSave accounts of family members and dependants.
Mr Heng Swee Keat: We provide tax relief to those who make voluntary cash top-ups to their own MediSave Account (MA), up to the annual CPF contribution cap (which takes into account mandatory CPF contributions) and the overall personal income tax relief cap. Taxpayers can also top up the MA of their family members on their behalf, with the tax relief accorded to the recipients.
The tax relief is subject to caps so that the most well-off do not disproportionately benefit from it.
Besides cash top-ups, members can also use their own MediSave monies to support their family members' medical expenses, subject to the applicable MediSave withdrawal limits.
The Government will continue to review our policies to ensure they remain relevant and to encourage family support.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Capping Engine Capacity or Engine Power for Vehicles Driven by New Drivers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry will consider capping the engine capacity or engine power for vehicles allowed to be driven by new drivers.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Rules provide for different levels of experience requirements, for some categories of vehicles. For example, new motorcyclists are only qualified to drive a Class 2B motorcycle with an engine capacity or power of up to 200 cubic centimetres (cc) or 15 kilowatts (kW). Individuals who wish to ride a Class 2A motorcycle, which has an engine capacity or power that exceeds 200 cc or 15 kW, but does not exceed 400 cc or 25 kW, can only apply for a Class 2A driving licence after they have held a Class 2B driving licence for at least one year. Similarly, individuals who wish to ride a Class 2 motorcycle, which has an engine capacity or power exceeding 400 cc or 25 kW, can only apply for a Class 2 driving licence after they have held a Class 2A driving licence for at least one year.
Individuals can only apply for a Class 4 or 4A driving licence, which allows them to drive heavy vehicles such as big lorries and omnibuses, if they possess a valid Class 3 or 3C driving licence, which allows them to drive vehicles such as cars. Similarly, individuals can only apply for a Class 5 driving licence which allows them to drive heavy vehicles such as cranes, if they possess a valid Class 4 driving licence.
The question is whether we need to put in similar rules within Class 3 licences. Class 3 licence holders are allowed to drive vehicles categorised as Class 3 vehicles, regardless of engine capacity or power.
Our assessment has been that there is no need to differentiate, within Class 3. There is no evidence that new drivers will not be able to handle vehicles classified as Class 3 or that engine capacity has been a key reason for accidents. The evidence is that primary reasons for accidents have been other factors, including negligence, recklessness, and driving while under the influence of intoxicants.
In general, our roads have become safer over the last 10 years, with road traffic fatalities decreasing from 195 in 2011, to 118 in 2019, and 85 in 2020. MHA will continue to study how we can make our roads even safer.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Persons Prosecuted and Convicted for HIV Non-disclosure under Section 23(1) of Infectious Diseases Act in Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health (a) in the past five years, many persons living with HIV have been (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted for failing to disclose their HIV-positive status to their sexual partners under Section 23(1) of the Infectious Diseases Act (IDA); and (b) whether the Ministry has conducted any studies to confirm the effectiveness of criminalising HIV non-disclosure to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in Singapore.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Since 2016 to present, five persons have been prosecuted for offences under section 23(1) of the Infectious Diseases Act (IDA), among whom three have been convicted of the charges. The two other cases are ongoing in Court.
Section 23(1) of the IDA requires persons living with HIV to inform their sexual partners of the risk of HIV transmission, so that their sexual partners can make an informed decision whether to proceed with the sexual encounter, and to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves, which will in turn reduce the risk of HIV transmission.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review Policies and Health Data on Children Injured in Motor Accidents and Child Car Seats in Taxis","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health (a) whether public hospitals are now collecting public health data on the number of children injured in motor accidents as a result of not being secured in child car seats; (b) if not, why not; and (c) if so, whether the Government will use the data in the review of its policies on child car seats in taxis.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Under the Road Traffic Act (RTA), a person below 1.35 metres in height should be properly secured by an approved child restraint appropriate to their height and weight, or a body restraining seat belt when seated on a booster seat cushion or when using a seat with an approved adjustable seat belt when travelling in a motor vehicle.
Over the past five years, data from the public acute hospitals showed that of the children aged 10 and below1 who were treated at public acute hospitals for injuries due to motor vehicular accidents, about 35% reported (by patient or parents) that child car seats and/or seatbelts2 were used. There is no data on whether or not child car seats and/or seatbelts were used for the remaining 65% of cases. The data does not show whether the injury sustained from motor vehicle accidents was a direct result of not using child car seats and/or seatbelts.
Nonetheless, it is well established in international literature that the use of appropriate protective gear and child restraints such as car safety seats, booster seats and seat belts when travelling in motorised vehicles is potentially life-saving and reduces the risk of sustaining severe injuries. Therefore, the Government consistently recommends motorists and their passengers to use appropriate restraints at all times while riding in motor vehicles.
Taxis are exempted from the child seat rule under the RTA because they can be street-hailed, and it is not practical to expect taxis to be sufficiently equipped with child seats at all times to cater to families of different sizes and children of different ages, while providing sufficient boot space for passengers' needs. On the other hand, private hire cars, which must be pre-booked, allow passengers to indicate if they require child seats at the point of booking. The current approach for taxis and private hire cars strikes a balance between safety and practicality.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Source: Health Booklet (2002), Health Promotion Board. Based on height-for-age charts for boys and girls aged 4 to 18 years old, the median height-for-age is 1.35m for age 9 to 10 years old. ","2 : Source: National Trauma Registry. Data period: 2015-2019. Data from 2020 was not considered in view that the Circuit Breaker would have impacted the number of cars on the road. "],"footNoteQuestions":["4"],"questionNo":"4"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Option of Applying for Chronic Disease Management Programme for Eligible Chronic Disease Patients","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health what are the standard operating protocols in place to ensure that all patients suffering from eligible chronic diseases are informed about the option of applying for the Chronic Disease Management Programme.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Medical institutions accredited for the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP), including all public specialist outpatient clinics and polyclinics as well as participating private clinics, are required as part of their accreditation to inform eligible patients that they are able to tap on CHAS chronic subsidies and/or MediSave for treatment of their CDMP conditions. This will help patients to offset out-of-pocket payments. There is no need for patients to apply for the CDMP.
The Silver Generation Office (SGO) also conducts outreach to share with seniors about the CDMP and CHAS subsidies, and encourage eligible seniors to seek treatment at accredited clinics. As of 31 December 2020, there are more than 1,150 GP clinics that are both CHAS and CDMP-accredited. This forms a good network of accredited clinics island-wide, which enables seniors to better access the healthcare services needed for the management of their chronic conditions.
We will continue to improve our outreach programmes to improve public awareness of the CDMP and its benefits.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Enrolment, Class Size and Results of Cohort Taking GCE \"A\" Levels in Integrated Programme in 2019","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Education (a) in 2020, what is the number of Integrated Programme students; (b) what is the average class size; (c) how many of them took the GCE \"A\" levels in 2019; and (d) how many of them could not meet the entry requirements for local universities.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Around 4,000 Secondary 1 students enter the Integrated Programme (IP) each year, which is roughly 10% of the PSLE cohort. The average class size in IP schools is similar to that of other secondary schools (for IP Years 1 to 4) and JCs (for IP Years 5 and 6).
IP students may obtain the GCE A-Level certificate, International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, or NUS High School Diploma at the end of the six-year programme. About 3,300 IP students sat for the 2019 GCE A-Level examination, with similar numbers doing so in 2020. Of the IP students who sat for the GCE A-Level in 2019, more than 95% qualified for our local Autonomous Universities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Representation of Persons with Disabilities on Boards and Management of Social Service Organisations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Ms Raeesah Khan asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what percentage of the management and board of social service organisations serving persons with disabilities (PWDs) are made up by PWDs; (b) how many social service organisations qualify as representative organisations or organisations of persons with disabilities as defined in the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities' General Comment No 7 (2018); (c) whether the present and previous Enabling Masterplan Steering Committees qualify as representative organisations; and (d) what steps does the Ministry intend to take to ensure the effective and meaningful participation of PWDs through their representative organisations in the implementation and monitoring of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Disability social service agencies (SSAs) are independent, non-profit organisations, each with its own mission and Constitution. They determine the composition of their leadership teams based on their organisational objectives. We do not track the proportion of persons with disabilities on the Boards or management of these SSAs. SSAs are encouraged to diversify their boards to strengthen decision-making, governance and accountability. Disability SSAs interested in diversifying their Boards, including with candidates with disabilities, can tap on the Board Match Programme by the Centre for Non-Profit Leadership (a part of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre), which identifies and matches best-fit candidates to serve on their Boards and committees.
SSAs in Singapore's disability sector work closely with various stakeholders to support persons with disabilities and be a voice for their needs. They draw attention to gaps, and partner with agencies to propose, test-bed and implement solutions. They provide a range of support for persons with disabilities and their families – early intervention, education and care services, employment support, recommendations for and training on use of assistive technology, and raising awareness on disability – all of which enable persons with disabilities to achieve their potential, and live a life of dignity and meaning.
The cross-sectoral Committees that developed the Enabling Masterplans have included persons with disabilities, care-givers, and stakeholders from disability SSAs in the formulation, review and implementation of the Masterplans.
Under the Third Enabling Masterplan, we launched three thematic cross-sectoral Workgroups in 2019 on the topics of employment, independent living, and inclusive preschools, which are key areas relevant to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Workgroups consulted extensively with persons with disabilities, care-givers and staff from disability social service agencies to develop and review their recommendations. Close to 300 participants took part in 15 engagement sessions over 2019 and 2020. The Workgroups will be issuing their recommendations by April 2021.
To monitor Singapore's progress on the UN Convention, MSF leads an Inter-Ministry Committee that focuses on the implementation of the Convention. The respective agencies, overseeing policy areas under the Convention, engage persons with disabilities and disability SSAs when developing policies in specific domains. For example, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) oversees the accessibility of the built environment (under the Convention's Article 9 on Accessibility). BCA's Code on Accessibility (\"Code\"), which sets out mandatory requirements and design guidelines for making the built environment accessible, is periodically reviewed by a tripartite Code Review Committee. The Committee includes representatives from several disability SSAs, who work together with other Committee members from public agencies and trade associations and chambers to review and draft the Code. This collaborative process resulted in the latest Code on Accessibility, launched in July 2019.
SG Enable, the single touchpoint for disability services, is governed by a Board of Directors that includes persons with disabilities. Employees with disabilities within SG Enable and MSF also provide first-hand perspectives and insights on how we can improve support for persons with disabilities.
We will continue our partnership approach, by seeking the disability community's views on challenges and opportunities, and inviting the community to co-create and co-design solutions, to build a more inclusive Singapore, together.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rules Governing Use of Recumbent Bikes and Trikes on Roads, Park Connectors and Footpaths","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the current rules that apply to recumbent bikes and trikes for usage on roads, park connectors and footpaths; and (b) whether LTA will consider having separate and specific regulations applicable to such recumbent bikes and trikes given their lower profile in comparison with conventional upright bicycles.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has recently received requests from owners of recumbent bikes and trikes to use their devices on public paths and roads. They are currently allowed on footpaths and cycling paths/park connectors only if they meet safety requirements. LTA is currently reviewing the requests, bearing in mind that the safety of riders and other road users is its over-riding consideration.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prioritisation Criteria for Planned Lift Installation for Pedestrian Overhead Bridges Across Different Towns in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"9 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the distribution of planned lift installations for pedestrian overhead bridges (POBs) across different towns in Singapore; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider, in its prioritisation criteria for installations, not only the absolute number of seniors in nearby blocks but also the relative number of seniors in a given town so as to ensure that the elderly living in demographically-younger towns are not disadvantaged in their access to lift-retrofitted POBs.
10 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether consideration can be given to retrofit the overhead bridge near Block 327A Anchorvale Road with an elevator so as to benefit seniors accessing the nearby crossing; and (b) if not, whether this particular bridge will be prioritised in any impending retrofitting of POBs within Anchorvale.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Prioritisation of fitting of lifts to pedestrian overhead bridges are broadly guided by two considerations. First, the number of seniors and commuters with mobility challenges that will benefit from the lift, and second, whether the overhead bridge will help better connect them to public transport nodes and healthcare institutions.
These considerations are needed to ensure public funds are put to the best use to benefit the most number of people, in the most meaningful way. As such, it is not appropriate for LTA to base its considerations on the proportion of seniors, instead of the absolute number of seniors living in the vicinity.
In the case of Anchorvale, lifts have been provided at the pedestrian overhead bridge outside Sengkang General and Community Hospital for the benefit of the many senior citizens and patients visiting the hospital. The bridge at Blk 333D next to the hospital is also currently being fitted with lifts.
LTA will continue to periodically review its programme for lifts at POBs and explore other ways to provide barrier-free crossing for those who need it.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Conservation and Redevelopment Plans for Jalan Kubor Cemetery Area","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"11 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the redevelopment plans for Jalan Kubor Cemetery Area; and (b) whether the area can be conserved as part of the Kampong Glam conservation area.
Mr Desmond Lee: Jalan Kubor cemetery area has been zoned \"Residential\" since the 1998 Master Plan to meet our housing needs in the longer term. The detailed development plans as well as the implementation timeline for these plans have yet to be drawn up and will be subject to future detailed studies.
The National Heritage Board (NHB) had commissioned and completed a study in 2014 to document the cemetery's history and the personalities buried there. URA will work closely with NHB and expert panels to consider the heritage aspects of the site when reviewing future plans for the area.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null}],"writtenAnswersVOList":[],"writtenAnsNAVOList":[],"annexureList":[{"annexureID":1796,"sittingDate":null,"annexureTitle":"Annex 1","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210301/annex-Annex 1.pdf","fileName":"Annex 1.pdf","sectionType":"OS","file":null}],"vernacularList":[{"vernacularID":4336,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210301/vernacular-1 Mar 2021 - Min Maliki Osman - Reply to MFA Cuts.pdf","fileName":"1 Mar 2021 - Min Maliki Osman - Reply to MFA Cuts.pdf"},{"vernacularID":4337,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Chee Hong Tat","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210301/vernacular-Chee Hong Tat MFA 1 Mar2021-Chinese (MFA Edited).pdf","fileName":"Chee Hong Tat MFA 1 Mar2021-Chinese (MFA Edited).pdf"},{"vernacularID":4338,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210301/vernacular-1 Mar 2021 - MOS Faishal Ibrahim - Reply to MHA Cuts.pdf","fileName":"1 Mar 2021 - MOS Faishal Ibrahim - Reply to MHA Cuts.pdf"},{"vernacularID":4339,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Desmond Tan","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210301/vernacular-Desmond Tan MHA 1 Mar2021-Chinese(MHA edit).pdf","fileName":"Desmond Tan MHA 1 Mar2021-Chinese(MHA edit).pdf"}],"onlinePDFFileName":""}