27 Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked the Minister for Law (a) what percentage of cases filed at the Small Claims Tribunal in the past three years are claims arising from tenancy-related disputes; (b) what proportion of such tenancy-related cases are filed by Singaporeans; and (c) whether there are plans to review existing laws to assist landlords and tenants in preventing or resolving tenancy disputes.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Small Claims Tribunal has jurisdiction to hear a wide variety of disputes. This includes claims relating to tenancy disputes arising from any contract for the rental of residential premises that does not exceed two years.
Based on statistics provided by the State Courts, an average of 10,414 cases were filed at the Small Claims Tribunals each year, from 2016 to 2018. Out of these cases, about nine percent on average were tenancy-related claims. The State Courts does not track the number of such cases which are filed by Singaporeans.
We recently amended the Small Claims Tribunals Act to allow the Tribunals to hear more claims in a quicker and more cost-effective manner, as well as to strengthen the Tribunal's case-management powers. One of the enhancements is to allow a Tribunal to order the remedy of delivery of vacant possession. This will allow a landlord to apply to seek that a tenant deliver vacant possession of rented premises in cases of unpaid rent. This will give the Tribunals a greater suite of options to assist landlord and tenants in resolving tenancy disputes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Interest Earned Under CPF LIFE Cannot Be Bequeathed","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"28 Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for Manpower since the inception of CPF LIFE (a) how many CPF members have foregone their earned interest upon their demise; (b) what is the total amount of forgone interest deposited into the Lifelong Income Fund to date; and (c) whether members are made aware that the interest earned under CPF LIFE does not come under their estate and cannot be bequeathed should there be any unused annuity premium to be refunded.
Mrs Josephine Teo: CPF LIFE has become a key pillar of our retirement system since it was introduced a decade ago in 2009. CPF LIFE protects Singaporeans against longevity risk, by providing them with a monthly retirement payout for life. This ensures that CPF members will not outlive their savings, even as life expectancy increases. Let me explain how it works.
Members join CPF LIFE today when they are ready to start their monthly payouts. They do so by committing a sum of CPF savings to a CPF LIFE plan. This sum is known as a 'premium', similar to how one would purchase an insurance cover. The interest that is earned on CPF LIFE premiums is pooled into the Lifelong Income Fund. This interest is up to 6% per year, comprising the base interest of 4% and 1% each from Extra Interest and Additional Extra Interest.
Each member's premium is used to provide him with monthly CPF LIFE payouts. However, when the premium is exhausted, the member will continue to receive monthly payouts by drawing on the pooled interest. For example, if a member commits $60,000 to CPF LIFE under the Standard plan and starts payouts at 65, his premium will be exhausted at the age of 79 and he will then continue to receive payouts from the pooled interest for as long as he lives.
In other words, through the pooling of interest, the member is effectively shielded from the risk that he will outlive his savings. In fact, Mr Png recognised this when he told this House in 2014 that CPF LIFE was a better scheme as it guaranteed payouts for life. But Mr Png is incorrect to describe the pooled interest as \"forgone\" because as I explained, every CPF LIFE member has a chance to draw on it once his own premiums have been fully paid out. He could even draw more from the interest pool than he put into it.
The pooled interest ultimately benefits the members of CPF LIFE. Moreover, because the interest earned is risk-free and the membership pool is very large, CPF LIFE members receive one of the highest payout per dollar of premium, compared to similar annuity products in the market.
A member and his loved ones will also always get back his CPF LIFE premium in full, in the form of monthly payouts and/or bequest, no matter what age he lives to. When a CPF LIFE member passes on, any unused premium will be distributed to the deceased member’s nominees. This is clearly communicated to members in the CPF LIFE application form and the yearly CPF LIFE payout statement.
CPF LIFE is a relatively young scheme. Members who currently receive CPF LIFE payouts have voluntarily opted into CPF LIFE at various ages. The first mandatory cohort of CPF LIFE members will only reach their payout eligibility age in 2023. However, in the long run, we expect a large majority of CPF LIFE members to draw payouts from the pooled interest. In any case, all members can be assured that their premiums are fully safeguarded for them and their loved ones. And what interest remains in the pool ultimately benefits members through lifelong payouts.
CPF Board has stepped up its efforts to help members make informed choices on their CPF LIFE plans. For example, the CPF LIFE estimator on the CPF website allows members to estimate their payouts and bequest amounts at different ages. The Board also offers a CPF Retirement Planning Service to all members reaching 55 years old, and their Payout Eligibility Age. This is a one-to-one session whereby a CPFB officer provides personalised guidance to the member, such as the various CPF LIFE plans they can choose from and the estimated payouts depending on the amount set aside. I hope that Members can encourage their residents to make full use of this Service and to approach CPF Board if they have queries about CPF LIFE.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Mandatory Cybersecurity Courses for Government and Private Sector Employees","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"30 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether the Ministry will make it mandatory for all employees in the Government and private sectors to attend courses relating to cybersecurity; and (b) beyond Internet separation policies, what else is being done to equip employees with the correct mindset towards cybersecurity.
Mr S Iswaran: The Government is committed to build a strong cybersecurity culture in Singapore, both in the public service and the private sector. Training our people to be aware of cyber threats, and effectively detect and respond to malicious cyber activities, is key.
Within the public sector, the Government had introduced an IT security awareness programme in July 2018. It is mandatory for all public officers to complete the course by end of the year to educate all public officers of emerging cyber threats and the cybersecurity measures to take. There is also an annual Cyber Safe Cyber Ready Conference to enhance cyber awareness within the public service, and regular cyber exercises to sharpen the IT security incident response of our public sector agencies. These measures build up our public officers' understanding of cybersecurity.
Within the private sector, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) enhances cybersecurity awareness and practices through a variety of channels, such as talks, conferences and CSA's GoSafeOnline portal. CSA has also developed resources such as the Be Safe Online Handbook, launched in 2018, which explains what organisations should do to enhance their cyber defence capabilities such as using only authorised software, and updating systems regularly. CSA's \"Cyber Tips 4 You\" programme also educates the public on four essential cyber hygiene practices to adopt – to use a strong password and two-factor authentication, use anti-virus software, update software as soon as possible and to watch out for signs of phishing.
Additional requirements are placed on enterprises that own Critical Information Infrastructure (CII), which are computers or computer systems supporting the provision of our essential services. All CII owners must fulfil their legal obligations under the Cybersecurity Act, including establishing cybersecurity awareness programmes for their employees, contractors and vendors, and participating in cybersecurity exercises to validate their responses to cyber incidents.
Our cyber defences are only as strong as our weakest link. Every individual plays a critical role in safeguarding our cyberspace. The Government will continue to work with the private sector, individuals and the community to instil a strong cybersecurity culture, and strengthen Singapore's Digital Defence.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Causes of Death of Two SAF Personnel Found Dead in SAF Camps in July and September 2018","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"33 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Defence in respect of the two SAF personnel who were found dead in SAF camps in July and September 2018 respectively (a) what were the causes of the deaths; (b) whether the deaths were related to issues experienced in the course of service; and (c) prior to their deaths, whether their commanders or colleagues were aware of any problem or difficulty which had a bearing on their deaths.
Dr Ng Eng Hen: The deaths of two Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) servicemen – one a Regular serviceman and the other a full-time national serviceman – in July and September 2018 respectively on SAF premises were due to unnatural causes not related to service.
Police investigations to ascertain the causes and circumstances connected with these two deaths have been completed and submitted to the State Coroner. The State Coroner found that there was no evidence of foul play and that the deaths were deliberate acts of suicide. The State Coroner did not identify any contributory factors related to their commanders or colleagues, NS or work that could have led to the incident.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Demand for and Supply of MOE Kindergarten Places","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"35 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the number of MOE Kindergarten (MK) places that are presently available in primary schools; (b) how has been the take-up rate and whether there are enough places to meet current demand; (c) whether the current expansion plans are sufficient to meet future demand; and (d) whether there is a need to expedite plans to build more MK centres.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Today, Ministry of Education (MOE) runs 24 MKs. The capacity for K1 intake for 2019 is around 2,700. Demand for MKs has been healthy, with about 85% of places taken up across all centres. The number of MKs will increase to around 50 by 2023.
MOE will continue to work closely with the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to monitor demand patterns across geographical regions, and ensure that there is an adequate supply of quality and affordable preschool services, through MKs, Anchor Operators and Partner Operators.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review Ban against E-cigarettes as Alternative for Long-term Smokers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"36 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will review the ban against e-cigarettes as an alternative for long-term smokers to help them reduce the number of cigarettes smoked.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has banned Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, including e-cigarettes for several reasons.
First, e-cigarettes are harmful to health. Their vapour contains toxic cancer-causing substances, as well as nicotine, which is highly addictive and has harmful effects on foetuses and brain development in adolescents.
Second, experience in other countries shows that there is a danger of e-cigarettes becoming entrenched in Singapore if we lift the ban. For example, an estimated 2.8 million adults in Great Britain used e-cigarettes in 2016, representing a four-fold increase from 700,000 users in 2012. In England, among 11 to 15 year-olds, one in 16 were current e-cigarette users in 2016, a 50% increase from 2014.
Third, e-cigarettes can be a gateway or 'starter product' which hooks youth on nicotine and leads them to cigarette use later. A systematic review of nine studies involving more than 17,000 youths in the United States found that e-cigarette users were three times more likely to become cigarette smokers compared to non-users. Another study among more than 19,000 Canadian youth, showed that e-cigarette users were twice as likely to go on to smoke cigarettes regularly. Other studies in England, Scotland and Poland similarly support this 'gateway effect'.
Nevertheless, we are open to companies registering a specific e-cigarette product under the Health Products Act as a therapeutic product for smoking cessation, if they are able to provide sufficient evidence that the product they are registering is safe and effective.
The current evidence on the role of e-cigarettes in aiding smoking cessation remains limited and mixed. Earlier this year, results from the first randomised controlled trial comparing e-cigarettes and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) was published. The study involved about 900 smokers with good motivation to quit. When combined with counselling, 18% of the smokers in the e-cigarette group quit smoking at twelve months post-intervention, compared to 10% of smokers from the NRT group. However, in the e-cigarette group, 80% of those who quit smoking continued to use e-cigarettes twelve months later. This means that overall, less than 4% of those in the e-cigarette group quit tobacco product use and their nicotine addiction totally. As there are concerns about the potential harmful effects of long-term use of e-cigarettes, this raises the question of whether they would have been better off quitting using other methods. In addition, more than 30% of those in the e-cigarette group who failed to quit ended up using both cigarettes and e-cigarettes. This leaves them worse off than before, as a recent large study has shown that dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes are exposed to more toxins than persons who only smoke cigarettes.
For smokers who wish to quit, there are already approved smoking cessation aids in Singapore which are safe and effective. Smoking cessation counselling, NRT and medications to treat nicotine dependence have all been shown to be effective in helping smokers to quit. There is also the HPB's Quitline for smokers to get more information and support for their quit journey. We will continue to monitor the evidence pertaining to the safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation product. Like all therapeutic products for smoking cessation, the onus is on the e-cigarette manufacturer to provide evidence of safety and efficacy. Thus far, none have done so.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Sale of Government Freehold Land to Private Developers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"37 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Law (a) how much freehold land is currently possessed by the Government; (b) what is the policy governing the sale of this freehold landbank to private property developers; and (c) how much freehold land has been sold to private developers in the past 10 years.
Mr K Shanmugam: Land held by the Government is released for sale to the private sector for development mainly via open tender through the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme. The lease tenure for land sold under the GLS programme does not exceed 99 years and is determined prior to launch.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Seniors Aged 65 and Above who Received Payouts from Silver Support Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"38 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many seniors aged 65 and above currently receive payouts from Silver Support Scheme in addition to CPF monthly payouts; and (b) what is the average quantum of the combined monthly payouts.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The objective of Silver Support is to provide retirement support to Singaporeans who had low incomes throughout life. About 20% of elderly Singaporeans aged 65 and above receive quarterly Silver Support payouts of $300 to $750, with those living in smaller flat types receiving higher payouts.
In 2018, about 51,000 elderly Singaporeans aged 65 and above received Silver Support payouts in addition to their CPF monthly payouts. Because it is targeted at those with low incomes throughout life, one of the eligibility criteria for Silver Support is low total CPF contributions; understandably, all Silver Support recipients would therefore have low monthly CPF payouts. Many of these members could also have made lump sum withdrawals which now supplement their current payouts. The combined monthly payouts may therefore not be the only sources of retirement income for these members. Nevertheless, for those living in 1- and 2-room HDB flats, the median combined payout is $500 per month, whereas for those in 5-room flats, the median combined payout is $350 per month. For reference, a 65-year-old member who had set aside the Basic Retirement Sum and started his CPF payouts this year would receive $520 per month.
On top of their Silver Support and CPF payouts, seniors may receive benefits from the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation Packages, annual GST Vouchers, concessions on Public Transport and caregiver support schemes. Those living in public housing may also receive subsidised rental or utility rebates. Elderly Singaporeans who need additional financial support can apply for ComCare and other assistance schemes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Flexibility in Imposing Household Income Ceiling on Singaporeans who Need to Care for Mentally Disabled Persons","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"40 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for National Development whether the current policy of imposing a household income ceiling on Singapore citizens intending to purchase BTO flats may be reviewed to provide some flexibility to households who have unique family circumstances such as the need to take care of mentally disabled family members that require these families to incur higher expenditures or put aside money to deal with the future needs of the disabled family members.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The Housing & Development Board (HDB) is committed to helping Singaporeans, particularly first-timers and lower to middle-income families, to own a home. The income ceiling helps to ensure that housing subsidies are prioritised for those who need them most.
The current income ceiling of $12,000 covers the majority of Singaporeans. Nonetheless, for families who exceed the income ceiling but face difficulties such as heavy financial commitments to support family members' medical and living expenses, HDB will review these cases to see how best we can assist them.
In addition, households earning more than $12,000 a month can purchase a flat from the HDB resale market, where there is no income ceiling restriction.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Causes of Cracks on Walls of HDB Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"41 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the usual causes of cracks on the inside and outside of the walls of HDB flats; (b) what measures does the Ministry take to mitigate these causes; and (c) how often are inspections and maintenance works conducted.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Cracks observed on internal and external walls are usually plaster or skim coat cracks. They are primarily caused by the natural expansion and contraction of building materials, vibration from nearby construction works or renovation activities when residents first move in to their flat. They are non-structural and will not affect the structural integrity of the building.
Over the years, HDB has undertaken several steps to reduce the incidence of wall cracks. First, all HDB flats are inspected at the end of construction to ensure that there are no visible cracks on their internal and external walls before they are handed over to residents and Town Councils. Second, HDB's adoption of precast technology in the mid-1980s has reduced the need for plastering. Instead, skim coats are used, which are less susceptible to cracks. Third, to reduce the occurrence of cracks at joints between pre-cast panels, HDB has also improved the design and detailing of the joints over the years. Finally, new methods of construction such as large panel precast elements and prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction have reduced the number of joints where cracks can occur.
The Member has also asked about the inspection and maintenance of wall cracks.
(a) For cracks on internal walls, during the 1-year Defects Liability Period (DLP) for new flats, flat owners can feedback on cracks observed to their precinct’s Building Service Centre and they will be rectified accordingly. After the 1-year DLP, flat owners are responsible for the inspection and maintenance of the interior of their flats.
(b) For cracks on the external walls of HDB blocks, Town Councils are responsible. They conduct regular inspections on the external façade wall and, where necessary, they will engage a Professional Engineer to follow up on any repairs that are required. Nonetheless, to supplement this, HDB conducts annual audit inspections of selected blocks, with a focus on buildings with more facade elements.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Application, Issuance and Rejection of Personal Protection Orders","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"43 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how many applications for personal protection orders (PPOs) have been made in the last three years; (b) how many orders have been (i) issued and (ii) withdrawn or dismissed; (c) what are the main reasons for the withdrawal or dismissal; and (d) whether there is a plan to streamline the process for the application of PPOs.
Mr Desmond Lee: From 2016 to 2018, the Family Justice Courts (FJC) have received a yearly average of about 2,700 applications under the Women's Charter for Personal Protection Orders (PPO) against a family member. In the same period, a yearly average of 1,200 PPOs was issued. The rest of the applications were withdrawn, dismissed, or struck out.
A PPO may not be granted for various reasons. For example, the Court may dismiss the application if it is not satisfied on a balance of probabilities that family violence has been committed and that a PPO is necessary. An applicant may also withdraw the application, but only with the permission of the Court. This ensures that the applicant is not coerced into doing so.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development and FJC work closely to ensure that the PPO application process is simple and accessible. Over the years, we have increased the number of ways to submit an application. An application can be initiated online for greater convenience. An applicant may also walk into the FJC or any of the three Family Violence Specialist Centres, where staff are available to guide the applicant.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal for National Water Rationing Day","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"44 Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Ministry will consider instituting a national water rationing day as part of our overall national efforts to get the population to use water prudently.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: I thank the Member for his call for all Singaporeans to use water prudently. While we continue to plan ahead and invest in infrastructure and R&D to ensure our water security, we must sustain our push for water conservation. The costly but necessary investments in our water infrastructure will be for naught if we do not manage our water demand. We need to continue to work hard to encourage all Singaporeans to use water prudently.
We believe that such good habits are best cultivated from young. Since 2016, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) has worked with schools to organise Water Rationing Exercises in the month of March, as part of Singapore World Water Day. This year, approximately 47,000 students from 116 schools, ranging from pre-schools to tertiary institutions, participated in these exercises. This is the largest number of participating schools to date. In addition, PUB worked with the Ministry of Education to incorporate water conservation topics in the curriculum. These help to reinforce the value of water amongst the students and the need to \"Make Every Drop Count\".
For our larger community, PUB takes a multi-pronged approach to encourage water conservation and empower individuals to better manage their water usage. PUB has been carrying out Automated Meter Reading trials, most recently in Punggol and Yuhua. As part of the trials, residents were able to access their water consumption data in near real-time through a mobile app, as well as participate in various water conservation themed games. These have helped to encourage the residents to change their water usage behaviour and adopt good water-saving habits. As the trials have shown encouraging results so far, PUB is exploring how this system can be progressively implemented nation-wide.
PUB has also put in place a mandatory water efficiency labelling scheme, or MWELS, to help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions. We have set minimum water efficiency standards for water fittings and appliances. To further drive the use of more efficient water fittings under the MWELS, the minimum efficiency standards for all fittings will be further raised to 2-ticks from today, 1 April 2019.
The responsibility of water conservation does not fall on households alone. Businesses must also play a part. For the non-domestic sector, large water users are required to prepare and submit Water Efficiency Management Plans, which help them to better understand their water usage and identify ways to enhance their water efficiency. PUB supports businesses implementing water-efficient projects through the Water Efficiency Fund. PUB is currently working with the Singapore Environment Council to develop a Green Labelling Scheme for commercial dishwashers, commercial washer extractors and high pressure jet machines in Singapore, to encourage businesses such as hotels, F&B outlets and town councils to purchase water efficient equipment for their business operations.
Water is a scarce resource that should not be taken for granted. I urge everyone to do our part to use water wisely, so that we can continue to enjoy it for years to come.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Serious Accidents Involving Personal Mobility Devices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"45 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Transport (a) over the last two years, how many serious accidents have there been involving personal mobility devices; and (b) whether there are cases where the victims have been unable to claim for their treatment and left in debt.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: In 2017 and 2018, there were 228 reported accidents involving personal mobility devices (PMDs) on public paths. Of these accidents, there were 196 cases with reported injuries, out of which one was a fatal accident involving a PMD rider who self-skidded and subsequently succumbed to his injuries. 32 other reported cases involved major injuries such as concussions or fractures.
We do not have information on the cases where victims are unable to claim their treatment costs from the responsible party and are left in debt.
To prevent accidents, deter reckless behaviour and improve active mobility safety, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has implemented a registration regime for motorised PMDs and lowered the speed limits on footpaths.
LTA complements these regulations with strict enforcement to ensure compliance. Individuals caught riding recklessly can be liable upon conviction to a fine up to $5,000 and/or jail up to six months. Those involved in accidents can also be charged for causing hurt or grievous hurt through a rash or negligent act and be liable for fines up to $10,000 and jail terms of up to four years. Several PMD riders have been charged in court with custodial sentences meted out.
LTA also conducts extensive publicity and educational efforts to improve awareness and understanding of the regulations and to develop a safe riding culture.
Victims injured in active mobility accidents may obtain compensation from the responsible party through private settlement, undertaking mediation with the Singapore Mediation Centre or Law Society of Singapore, or filing a civil suit in the State Courts. If the responsible party is convicted for causing hurt by a rash or negligent act under the Penal Code, the Court may order compensation to be paid to the victim.
The Active Mobility Advisory Panel and LTA strongly encourage all active mobility device users to purchase third-party liability insurance to protect themselves against third-party claims in the event of an accident. This will also facilitate claims for treatment costs by victims. LTA has announced that motorised PMD-sharing licensees would be required to procure and maintain third-party liability insurance. LTA is also working with companies such as food delivery companies on the purchase of third-party insurance for their delivery riders.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Current Bus Stop Bench Replacement Exercise","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"46 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) when was the previous bus stop bench replacement exercise done and how much was spent; (b) when is the current bench replacement exercise expected to end; and (c) how long are these new benches expected to last.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The replacement of bus shelter benches is an ongoing effort. Bus shelter benches are generally replaced when bus shelters are upgraded to better serve commuter needs, when bus shelters need to be relocated or when the benches are no longer in working condition.
Over the past five years, around 500 benches were replaced at a cost of around $500 to $1,500 per bench, excluding installation costs. The benches at about 2,300 bus shelters which are at least 15 years old are progressively being replaced by 2020. The new benches come with wider seats and arm rests and are expected to last at least 20 years.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extension of HPV Vaccination Programme and One-off Catch-up Programme to Male Students","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"48 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health whether consideration can be made to extend the HPV vaccination programme and the one-off catch-up programme to male students as well.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Ministry of Health (MOH), consults the Expert Committee on Immunisation and takes into account criteria such as the disease burden in Singapore, the need for herd immunity as protection against outbreaks of potentially serious diseases, and the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the vaccine, when including vaccines in the national schedules and school-based vaccination programmes. The aim is to prevent diseases with significant public health burden, by encouraging high vaccination take-up rates.
The school-based HPV vaccination programme for female students aims to prevent cervical cancer, which is caused by HPV. Cervical cancer is the tenth most common cancer and eighth most common cause of cancer death among females in Singapore. We have assessed that HPV vaccination for females is a cost-effective strategy for preventing cervical cancer.
While HPV vaccination also confers protection against genital warts as well as other cancers, such as anal cancer, which are applicable to males, males are not at risk for cervical cancer. Genital warts are a much less serious problem compared to cervical cancer, and the incidence of anal cancer is much lower than cervical cancer in Singapore. HPV vaccination for males is therefore not part of the Committee’s current recommendations.
MOH will continue to monitor the situation, and will review our policy on HPV vaccination for males as and when new developments and evidence emerge on its clinical and cost effectiveness.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Effectiveness of Online Appointment System in Reducing Waiting Time at Polyclinics","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"49 Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the current average waiting time at the polyclinics; (b) how has the online appointment system helped to reduce the waiting time; and (c) how can the elderly or those who are less IT-savvy be assisted to use the online system especially if the visit is unplanned and necessitated by sudden ailment.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: In 2018, the median waiting time for consultation across all polyclinics was 11 minutes, an improvement from 14 minutes in 2017.
Patients with chronic conditions who require regular follow-ups with the polyclinics can schedule their next appointments at the appointment counters after their clinic visits. Individuals requiring unplanned visits necessitated by sudden ailments, can also book an appointment on the same day through online platforms such as HealthHub and the polyclinics' online appointment systems. Alternatively, patients can also call the polyclinics' contact centres to schedule an appointment. With an appointment, individuals would only have to arrive at the polyclinic 15 minutes before their appointment time.
As we move towards digital platforms, we are mindful that there may be individuals who are unable to use the online systems, including some seniors. For those who walk in without an appointment, there will continue to be healthcare assistants on-site to assist individuals with the registration process as well as help teach them to use online platforms.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review Eligibility Criteria of Dependant's Passes for Children by Considering Combined Household Income","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"50 Mr Ong Teng Koon asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will review the eligibility criteria of Dependant's Passes for children by considering the combined household income if both parents are working on employment or S-passes.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Singapore is not in a position to support all employment pass or S-pass holders who wish to have their dependants with them here. Another important consideration is the sponsor's ability to afford the family's cost of living in Singapore. As there is no assurance that both parents will have continued employment in Singapore, the fixed monthly salary of the main pass holder is a more stable indicator for assessing the eligibility of the child to be granted a dependant's pass. We have no plans to review this approach.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Genuine HDB Upgraders Looking to Buy Private Property but Hampered by Transitional Taxes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"51 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for National Development how can support be given to genuine HDB upgraders who wish to purchase a private property for owner occupation but find themselves caught in transitional issues such as the hefty Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty, or ABSD, is intended to moderate demand for private residential properties. Any changes to the ABSD regime will have an impact on the property market. So we cannot look at this matter in isolation. The government continues to monitor the property market closely, and will take the necessary measures to ensure a stable property market, with prices moving in line with economic fundamentals. This will ultimately benefit more Singaporeans, including HDB upgraders.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Increase in Number of Eligible Voters for Each GRC and SMC","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Prime Minister based on the latest update to the Registers of Electors (a) which GRC has the highest increase in the number of eligible voters; and (b) what is the increase in the number of eligible voters for each GRC and SMC.
Mr Lee Hsien Loong: Based on the Registers of Electors as at 1 February 2019, the GRC with the largest increase in number of electors is Pasir Ris-Punggol.
The increase in the number of eligible voters for each GRC and SMC is shown in the table below:
2 Ms Anthea Ong asked the Prime Minister for each year in 2017 and 2018 (a) how many Singapore residents are listed under \"Others\" in the ethnic category of official documents such as birth certificates and NRICs; (b) what are all the ethnicities and their numbers that make up \"Others\"; and (c) what is the percentage for each of the categories in the Chinese-Malay-Indian-Others (CMIO) model.
Mr Teo Chee Hean (for the Prime Minister): Table 1 below shows the ethnic composition of the Singapore citizen population in 2017 and 2018.
Table 2 below shows the number of Singapore citizens listed under the \"Others\" ethnic category in 2017 and 2018.
Table 3 below shows the breakdown of the six prevalent ethnicities in the citizen population under \"Others\", based on the latest available data from the General Household Survey of 2015.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Source: Department of Statistics. Data do not add up to total due to rounding.","2 : Source: Department of Statistics. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest ’00. Data are based on the de jure concept (i.e. the person’s place of usual residence), which includes Singapore residents with local addresses and who were not away from Singapore for a continuous period of 12 months or longer as at the reference period (i.e end June).","3 : Source: General Household Survey 2015, Department of Statistics. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest ’00, and do not add up to total due to rounding."],"footNoteQuestions":["2"],"questionNo":"2"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Evaluation Framework for Grounding and Review of Aircraft Operating in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"
3 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the Ministry's evaluation framework and process in deciding whether to ground a particular model of aircraft; and (b) how are aircraft types regularly reviewed before they are allowed to operate in Singapore.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) evaluates an aircraft type for operation to Singapore based on an established framework that is in accordance with international regulations and processes. It includes assessments of the aircraft design, the maturity of the technologies used, and the resolution of all known safety issues with the aircraft. The evaluation is carried out by a multi-disciplinary team of CAAS officers, including engineers and officers with pilot qualifications.
After an aircraft is approved for operation to Singapore, CAAS continues to review the reliability and airworthiness of in-service aircraft through regular inspections, monitoring of technical defects and incidents, and review of safety information provided by aircraft manufacturers, airline operators and counterpart regulatory authorities.
CAAS will ground an aircraft type if it determines that the continued operation of the aircraft presents a safety risk.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Productivity Extraction Factor for Fare Revision Framework to Consider Operating Profits from Retail Operations of Public Transport Operators","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport whether the current Productivity Extraction Factor for the Fare Revision Framework takes into consideration operating profits from retail operations of the public transport operators.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The Productivity Extraction factor in the fare formula is designed to allow the productivity gains of the public transport operators (PTOs) to be shared with commuters through lower fare adjustments. Productivity gains are measured in terms of the change in value-add per employee, and takes into consideration the PTOs' operating profits, including the profits from their retail operations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress on Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Points Across Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Transport whether he can update the House on the progress and timeline for installing 2,000 electric vehicle charging points across Singapore.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The BlueSG electric car-sharing programme is jointly supported by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Economic Development Board (EDB). Under this programme, BlueSG has committed to roll out a total of 500 charging stations equipped with 2,000 charging points nationwide by end-2020. To date, BlueSG has installed 178 charging stations and 703 charging points.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Business E-mail Compromise Scams and Measures to Educate Potential Victims","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the number of business e-mail compromise scams in the last five years; (b) what have been the financial losses in total and how much has been recovered; and (c) whether there are plans to better educate potential victims of such business e-mail compromise scams.
Mr K Shanmugam: The number of business e-mail impersonation scams has increased over the past five years, from 98 cases in 2014 to 378 cases in 2018.
The amount cheated has increased in tandem, from about $11 million in 2014 to about $57 million in 2018. The Police do not track the amount of money recovered from scams. Whenever monies are recovered, Police will apply to the Courts to have them returned to the rightful owners. These scams are usually conducted by overseas criminal syndicates, and thus it is not easy to recover the monies.
The Police have been working with stakeholders, such as the Singapore Business Federation, Singapore International Chamber of Commerce, Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants, and the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority to step up public education on business e-mail impersonation scams. These efforts include sending out advisories in email broadcasts to members, disseminating pamphlets during outreach events, and posting of advisories on their web portals and social media platforms. The Police have also sent out advisory messages to about 80,000 individual businesses.
The Police have also set up an Anti-Scam Helpline (1800-722-6688) and the www.scamalert.sg website. Businesses and members of the public are encouraged to visit the website to learn about the various types of scam and the steps to take to avoid becoming a victim.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulations in Place Governing Release and Publication of Prejudicial Information on Ongoing Criminal Investigations and Proceedings","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what regulations or guidelines are in place to ensure that law enforcement agencies and the media do not release or publish prejudicial information about suspects that can undermine due process in ongoing criminal investigations and proceedings; and (b) whether the prior criminal history and out-of-court records of the suspect who allegedly uploaded videos of the Prime Minister's son in March 2019 have been divulged to the media by the police or other public agency or official and, if so, why.
Mr K Shanmugam: Ms Lim's questions refer to the incident where Mr Li Yipeng was taken for a ride on 15 March 2019.
The man was driving a private, rented car. The car was not licensed for ride-sharing. Five months earlier, in November 2018, Grab had terminated the man's contract for driving a private hire car without proper decals and also for suspected touting.
Since the man did not have a car licensed to pick up passengers, he could not, (amongst other things), pick up passengers from the roadside.
The man recognised Mr Li as the Prime Minister's son. He picked up Mr Li who was waiting for a hail taxi. Mr Li is a vulnerable person. It is public knowledge that Mr Li has Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characterised by significant difficulties in social interaction and in non-verbal communication. This is compounded by Mr Li's albinism, which results in his having very poor eyesight.
The driver then filmed his interactions with Mr Li using his handphone, apparently while driving, and subsequently circulated the videos. In the confined setting of his car, the man can be heard (in a video), repeatedly asking Mr Li to confirm his identity, residential address and security arrangements. Leaving aside Mr Li's background, it is very troubling when an individual picks up any vulnerable person, whether adult or child, and puts that person in such a situation. I am sure the Member, like most people, will be deeply concerned by what happened. The man put Mr Li in an uncomfortable situation, apparently exploited the situation, filmed it, and then circulated it.
The videos came to the Police's attention. The man’s conduct in the videos showed, prima facie, infractions of the law.
Police began investigations immediately. In addition to the infractions, the Police were concerned from the security perspective as well, for a number of reasons. The man made repeated references to Rochalie Drive, and pressed Mr Li on the security arrangements at PM's home. The questions he asked showed that he already knew Mr Li's identity.
The man had picked up Mr Li without possessing a street hailing licence, and he had criminal antecedents:
(a) A conviction in 2014 for taking a vehicle without owner’s consent under the Road Traffic Act;
(b) With the offence of Driving a Motor Vehicle without Insurance in respect to Third-Party Risks under the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act taken into consideration;
(c) A warning for theft in dwelling in 2002; and,
(d) A report made against him for criminal intimidation in 2014.
When asked by the media, the Police confirmed these investigations. The Minister for Home Affairs directed the Police to state the man's antecedents, without disclosing his name.
It was in the public interest for the Police to give a fuller explanation and background why they were investigating the matter. If the Police did not set out their security concerns, the public may not grasp why the Police were investigating the matter, and may even misunderstand the Police's actions. It was important to provide the public relevant and specific facts, in order to maintain public confidence in the Police Force.
The Member has also asked about Rules and Guidelines on what information can be published. Police decisions on what information to disclose are guided by existing legal requirements.
With the proliferation of social media, public agencies will from time to time need to release information faster than used to be the case. It may not always be possible in all cases to wait for a trial to commence or be concluded, a process which may take weeks or months, before releasing relevant facts to the public. When the Police assess that it is necessary to release information earlier, they will do so, while being careful not to prejudice any investigations or legal proceedings that may follow.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore Medical Council's Appeal against its Disciplinary Tribunal's Sentence on Dr Soo Shuenn Chiang","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Law in the recent case of the Singapore Medical Council appealing against its disciplinary tribunal's sentence, how did the memo containing confidential health information written by Dr Soo Shuenn Chiang for a patient, falsely obtained by the patient's brother posing as the patient's husband, come to be accepted by the court for the patient's brother to obtain a personal protection order against the patient.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Member asks about why the Court accepted a document in evidence.
The Courts make their decisions independently. We will know the reasons for a decision, if they give the reasons in a judgment.
There was also no conclusion or finding made by the Singapore Medical Council Disciplinary Tribunal (DT) as to whether the memorandum was admitted into evidence or relied on by the court in granting the Personal Protection Order (PPO). The DT observed that there was \"no clear evidence\" that the PPO had been granted because of the disclosure of the memorandum. At the very most, the facts showed that the memorandum had been produced in the application for a PPO (see Singapore Medical Council v Dr Soo Shuen Chiang [2018] SMCDT 11 at [25]).
PPO proceedings are held in the Family Justice Courts (FJC). Proceedings in FJC are conducted in camera. Likewise in this case. In addition, FJC had not issued its grounds of decision. There is thus no appeal filed by either party to the PPO proceedings. Therefore, there are no publicly-known facts as to whether the memorandum was indeed admitted into evidence or relied on by FJC.
The Singapore Medical Council has taken steps to pursue an appeal against the DT's decision. On appeal, the Court could possibly look into the surrounding facts, including the circumstances in which the memorandum was procured. Further, whether the memorandum was accepted by FJC, and the weight FJC placed on it in granting the PPO are issues that may also potentially arise on appeal.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Usage of CHAS Card at GP Clinics","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"9 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Health since the CHAS card was first introduced, how many residents have visited GP clinics, by number and percentage of increase, using the CHAS card for subsidised medical treatment instead of visiting the polyclinics.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) was introduced in 2012. It provides subsidies for Singapore Citizens who are CHAS and/or Pioneer Generation (PG) cardholders and, in future, Merdeka Generation (MG) cardholders, for medical and dental care at participating private General Practitioner (GP) and dental clinics.
Since the scheme's introduction, the number of cardholders who benefitted from CHAS medical subsidies in a given year increased by nine times, from about 60,000 in 2012 to about 550,000 in 2018.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Prevent Healthcare Insurance Fraud","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"10 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health how is the Ministry working with doctors and healthcare staff to prevent healthcare insurance fraud.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: MOH takes a serious view of any attempts to defraud the healthcare system at the expense of Singaporeans. Fraudulent behaviour, such as inappropriate patient referrals for financial gains and making false claims for services, is wrong and unethical. It also raises the overall costs of healthcare in Singapore, leading to Singaporeans paying more for their healthcare services and insurance plans.
Various stakeholders have a part to play in combating healthcare insurance fraud. MOH monitors the landscape of MediShield Life and Integrated Shield Plan (IP) claims, and works with IP insurers to identify anomalous trends. For cases where criminal offences are suspected, MOH and insurers will refer them to the police for further investigation.
The Singapore Medical Council (SMC) provides guidance to doctors through the Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines (ECEG) on ethical practice and professional standards to ensure the wellbeing of patients. In particular, the ECEG prohibits doctors from letting business or financial considerations influence the objectivity of their clinical judgement in their management of patients. Doctors who contravene the ECEG can be subject to disciplinary action by SMC.
Doctors, healthcare staff, patients, insurance providers, financial advisors and members of the public should lodge a complaint to MOH, SMC or the police if they suspect any fraudulent behaviour, or receive any suspicious propositions in relation to their healthcare services or health insurance claims.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Attracting Local Workers in Senior Care Industry","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"11 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health for the senior care industry (a) what is the percentage of local workers; and (b) what are the plans to attract more locals.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Based on data reported by MOH-subvented service providers in 2018, there were 12,000 workers working in the Long Term Care (LTC) sector1, of which about 40% are locals.
We have been enhancing the attractiveness of LTC jobs to locals by (a) raising awareness and interest in job opportunities within the sector, (b) providing training and development opportunities, and (c) increasing salary competitiveness.
For example, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) works with LTC providers and recruitment partners like Workforce Singapore (WSG) and Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to facilitate local employment and raise awareness of job opportunities in the LTC sector. In 2018, more than 1,000 locals have joined the LTC sector through various recruitment efforts.
MOH and AIC also support LTC providers in staff training and development. For example, training for newly hired local support care staff2 can be funded under the Community Care Traineeship Programme (CCTP) so they can be equipped with requisite skills to perform in their new roles. Providers are also eligible for on-the-job training support of up to $10,000 per local support staff recruited to facilitate mentoring, supervision and development of new hires. Local staff may apply for sponsorship through the Community Care Manpower Development Award (CCMDA) to pursue advance training in skills relevant to their work.
Lastly, to increase local salary competitiveness, MOH works with employers to review salaries of workers regularly to ensure that they are adequately recognised for their efforts. Between 2012 and 2017, MOH had provided funding support to raise wages of workers across participating providers which saw a 30% increase in aggregate over this period.
Going forward, we will continue to step up our efforts to attract locals to this sector.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : This comprises LTC providers providing residential, centre-based and home-based care services.","2 : Support care staff refers to staff with job scope requiring the provision of direct care services to clients/ residents in LTC care services through nursing or therapy support."],"footNoteQuestions":["11"],"questionNo":"11"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Average Cash Top-up by Patients after MediShield Life and Medisave Deductions for Subsidised Hospitalisations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"12 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Health for each year from 2015 to 2018 (a) how many Singaporeans and PRs paid more than $100 in cash after taking into account subsidies, MediShield Life and MediSave deductions arising from all subsidised hospitalisations; and (b) out of all these aforesaid subsidised hospitalisations, what was the average amount paid by each patient in cash.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Between 2015 to 2017, the latest year with available data, about eight in 10 subsidised hospitalisation bills were paid with $100 or less in cash.
As bill sizes vary depending significantly on the complexity of the treatment and length of stay, a median rather than an average is a more meaningful reflection of the cash payments for the remaining bills. As shown at Table 1, the median cash payment for these bills is about $500. There has been a reduction in the figure from 2015 to 2017 with the introduction of MediShield Life.
We will continue to review our healthcare financing framework regularly. No Singaporean will be denied appropriate healthcare because of affordability reasons. Singaporeans who have difficulty coping with their medical bills can apply through medical social workers in public healthcare institutions for additional MediFund support.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Complaints Received by Personal Data Protection Commission and Referred for Alternative Dispute Resolution","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"13 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) since the Personal Data Protection Commission started receiving complaints in 2014, how many complaints has it referred for alternative dispute resolution under section 27(1) and (2) of the Personal Data Protection Act; and (b) of the complaints sent for such alternative dispute resolution, how many resulted in complainants receiving settlement payments or other redress.
Mr S Iswaran: Since 2014, PDPC successfully facilitated a resolution between the complainant and the relevant organisation in 866 instances. In addition, one case was sent to mediation with the mutual consent of both parties. The settlement terms are confidential.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Time Limit for Telecommunications Companies to Complete Porting of Telephone Numbers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"14 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Communications and Information with regard to the porting of telephone numbers (a) what is the time limit for telecommunications companies to complete the process; and (b) how should the costs of delays be distributed.
Mr S Iswaran: The timeframe for telephone number porting depends on the telephony service and type of customer involved.
Operators are required to complete the porting of mobile telephone numbers within one working day. Operators are also required to complete fixed-line number porting for consumers within five working days.
A longer timeframe may apply in some instances. For example, where consumers are porting their fixed-line telephone number while also switching their fibre broadband provider, it would take at least an additional three working days for the incoming provider to activate fibre services before the number porting process can begin.
If the number porting process takes longer than expected, the subscriber still receives services from the outgoing operator before the number is ported, and hence is charged fees under his or her contract. Subscribers who are aggrieved can nevertheless approach the relevant operator for recourse, including for an adjustment or waiver of the bill. The Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) will also step in to safeguard the consumer interest where necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulation on Access to CCTVs Installed in Public and Private Premises","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"15 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether the Ministry has plans to better regulate the installation and access to CCTVs installed in public and private premises in the wake of the recent outcry of CCTVs in a private gym.
Mr S Iswaran: The Police Licensing and Regulatory Department requires any person who provides CCTV installation or maintenance as a service to have a Security Service Provider licence under the Private Security Industry Act. These licensees must undergo security screening to ensure they are fit and proper persons to provide security services.
In addition, under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), organisations are required to notify individuals of the purpose and obtain their consent to collect, use or disclose their personal data, including those captured by CCTV recordings. Also, organisations are required to protect personal data in their possession or control by making reasonable security arrangements.
The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) has issued advisory guidelines to help organisations deploying CCTVs comply with the PDPA. The advisory guidelines provide examples of good practices, such as placing notices at points of entry to a building or prominent locations in a venue, where individuals are able to read the notices prior to the collection of their personal data by CCTVs.
Organisations that install CCTVs but fail to notify or obtain consent from an individual for the collection of his/her personal data, or fail to protect such personal data, are liable for breaching the PDPA. The PDPC will investigate and take enforcement action for breaches, which include issuing directions and imposing financial penalties.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics and Review on Application of Number of Busking Sites and Audition Cycles for Buskers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"16 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) why is there an allocation of only five busking sites to each successful applicant of a Busking Card; and (b) whether the Ministry plans to review and expand the number of (i) designated busking sites (ii) audition cycles per year and (iii) audition slots available under each audition cycle.
17 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth for each year in the past five years (a) how many applications for a Busking Card has the Ministry received; (b) how many applications have been rejected; (c) what are the top three reasons for rejecting an application; and (d) in how many audition cycles are the audition slots fully taken up.
18 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the factors considered when deciding which five busking locations are to be allocated to a busker apart from the buskers' provided list of eight interested locations; and (b) for each designated busking location, what are the numbers of applicants and successful applicants in the past year.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The Busking Scheme was introduced in 1997 to support the Government's efforts to enhance Singapore's vibrancy, and provide opportunities for Singaporeans to enjoy the arts in everyday spaces from our city centre to our neighbourhoods.
Over the past five years, NAC has received an average of around 300 busking applications each year for a Letter of Endorsement. To accommodate greater interest in the Busking Scheme, the capacity of the quarterly auditions has been gradually increased. About 80% of the 600 slots available were utilised last year, and around one in two applicants were successful in obtaining a Letter of Endorsement.
In their audition, buskers are assessed by a panel of three arts professionals on their: (i) competency and skill in performance; (ii) engagement with the audience; (iii) expressiveness and confidence; and (iv) innovation and originality.
If they are successful, they will be allocated a number of busking sites so that there is a good spread of buskers across different locations in Singapore, and prevents overcrowding in certain spots which may cause dis-amenities such as loud noise and threat to safety. Over 90% of buskers are allocated at least one of their preferred locations. Currently, there are a total of around 300 buskers who have been given approval to busk at over 80 locations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Medical Tourism Receipts for 2015 to 2018","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"19 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what has been the amount of medical tourism receipts for each year from 2015 to 2018.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: My Ministry and agencies do not have comprehensive data on the amount of medical expenditure incurred by overseas visitors in Singapore. Medical tourism is not part of our tourism strategy.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Priority for Senior Citizens Applying for Two-room Flexi Flats with Peers as Group Application","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"20 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development whether priority can be given to senior citizens who wish to apply for 2-room Flexi flats together with their peers as a group application as they wish to be neighbours with each other.
Mr Lawrence Wong: HDB sets aside a high proportion of the public flat supply of 2-room Flexi flats for elderly applicants aged 55 and above. The Build-To-Order application rates for elderly applicants have been stable at below two times the flat supply set aside for them, with almost all elderly applicants invited to book a flat.
Elderly applicants can also make use of the Senior Priority Scheme (SPS) to improve their chances when they apply for a two-room Flexi flat near their current home or their married child. So eligible seniors can apply under the SPS to be neighbours with one another in a new project.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Criteria for Tender Evaluation under Price Quality Method Framework to Tap on Construction Productivity and Capability Fund for Public Sector Construction Projects","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"21 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for National Development whether BCA, in determining the productivity scoring for public sector construction project tenders under the Price Quality Method framework of tender evaluation, can revise the Technology Adoption Index and Workforce Development Index which are now predicated solely on how much the tenderers tap on the Construction Productivity and Capability Fund so as to ensure tenderers only tap on the Fund when they have a need to do so.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Under the Price Quality Method framework, the assessed productivity of the contractor accounts for 10% of the overall evaluation score. A major part of this assessment is based on the contractor's track record in employing productive construction methods in past projects. In addition, a small weightage is assigned to the contractors' take-up of the relevant schemes under the Construction Productivity and Capability Fund (CPCF), which serves as a proxy for their investments in productivity improvements. BCA will continue to review and update the evaluation criteria, including the use of other suitable indicators.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extension of Fresh Start Housing Scheme to Bigger Flats for Big Families","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"22 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for National Development whether the Fresh Start Housing Scheme, which currently covers the purchase of short-lease 2-room flexi flats, may be extended to allow persons with bigger families such as those with three or more children to purchase bigger flats on short-term leases.
Mr Lawrence Wong: HDB offers 2-room Flexi flats on shorter leases under the Fresh Start Housing Scheme to make home ownership more affordable for second-timer families with young children who are living in public rental flats. Many of these families already face challenges in affording the 2-room Flexi flats, even with the shorter leases and the Fresh Start Housing Grant. Hence, it would be even more difficult for them to purchase a bigger flat. We want to encourage home ownership for these families, but this has to be done in a sustainable way without overstretching their finances.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Redevelopment Plan for HDB Flats at Dakota Crescent","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"23 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the redevelopment plan for the HDB flats at Dakota Crescent has been finalised; and (b) whether HDB can share its plans for the six HDB blocks within Dakota Crescent that are being retained.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Dakota Crescent estate will be redeveloped for public housing. The plans and design are being worked out, and more details will be shared when ready.
Agencies are also in active discussion with potential community users on the usage of the six former Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) blocks that will be retained. The ground level could be activated for community uses, while the upper storeys could be used for accommodation, for example as a students' hostel. Interested parties are conducting feasibility studies on the suitability of these blocks. We will share more information with stakeholders after these studies are completed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Waiting List for Season Parking at Heavy Vehicle Parking Lots at Bukit Batok East Avenue 2 and Bukit Batok Road (Jurong Road)","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"24 Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the current number of applicants in the waiting list for season parking at the heavy vehicle parking lots at Bukit Batok East Avenue 2 and Bukit Batok Road (Jurong Road); (b) what is the average waiting period for applicants applying for lots at the abovementioned spaces before they successfully obtain season parking; and (c) what are the closest alternative parking areas to the abovementioned parking lots and how far away are those spaces.
Mr Lawrence Wong: As of March 2019, there were 268 and 116 applicants on the wait lists for the heavy vehicle parks at Batok East Avenue 2 and Bukit Batok (Jurong Road) respectively. The waiting time will vary depending on how many drivers give up their parking spaces, the length of waitlist, and the number of spaces for each parking place.
However, there are vacant heavy vehicle parking spaces in the area. Based on the information on the Land Transport Authority (LTA)’s one-motoring website, as of February 2019, there were 353 available lots in Bukit Batok, Clementi, Jurong East and Jurong West. The nearest available lots are about 2 km away.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Total Area in Singapore Used for Housing, Industries, Parks, Nature Reserves and Water Catchment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"25 Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for National Development as a percentage of the land area of Singapore, what is the total area used respectively for (i) public housing (ii) private housing (iii) industrial land and (iv) parks, nature reserves and water catchment.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Of the total land area of Singapore, approximately (i) 8% is used for public housing; (ii) 7% is used for private housing, largely in areas zoned for low-rise and low-density land use; (iii) 13% is used for industry; and (iv) 14% is used for parks, nature reserves, nature areas and waterbodies.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Environmental Impact on Singapore of Methane Fumes Incident at Pasir Gudang","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"26 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources with regard to the methane fumes incident at Pasir Gudang (a) what is the environmental impact on Singapore; (b) whether there is an adverse impact on our fisheries; and (c) what are the early detection systems put in place to alert Singaporeans.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: According to media reports, since 7 March 2019, more than 3,000 Johoreans fell ill as a result of illegal dumping of chemical waste into Sungai Kim Kim, a river in Pasir Gudang. Hazardous fumes caused severe symptoms including nausea, shortness of breath and vomiting. Thousands needed immediate medical attention and many, including children, were admitted to hospitals for treatment. All 111 schools in the Pasir Gudang district were closed on 13 March 2019 for more than two weeks.
Throughout this period, our agencies have been closely monitoring the situation and putting in place precautionary measures to guard against any potential pollution impacts arising from the illegal dumping of chemical waste at Sungai Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang. We have not detected any pollution impacts on Singapore's air and water quality or water supply.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) continuously monitors the ambient concentration of a variety of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) at our air monitoring stations, including at four stations located in the north-eastern region of Singapore. These include benzene, toluene, and xylene, as well as other common VOCs from industrial emissions which are also closely monitored by other environmental agencies such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
NEA has not detected any elevated levels of VOCs. The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) has also been in the Good to Low-Moderate range, while the one-hour PM2.5 readings remained in the Normal range. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has also deployed its portable stand-off chemical gas detectors at the northeast region of Singapore to detect toxic chemicals, and has not detected any toxic chemicals in the air.
For water quality, NEA's continuous buoy-based coastal water quality monitoring sensors deployed along the Straits of Johor have not detected any unusual variation in the key physical, chemical, and microbiological water quality parameters. NEA has also taken the additional step of collecting water samples at Pulau Ubin and its vicinity to test additional parameters, including compounds Malaysia has identified due to the chemical waste dumped in Sungai Kim Kim. These compounds have not been detected in our water samples. NEA has also not detected any anomalies in the quality of the waters at our recreational coastal beaches.
The Public Utilities Board (PUB)'s online sensors have shown that the water quality of Johor River, our waterways and reservoirs in the north and north-eastern part of Singapore, as well as the water supply is within normal variations. On-site inspections and water quality checks have also shown no abnormalities. As a precautionary measure, PUB has installed oil booms at the outlet drains and estuaries along the north and north-eastern coast of Singapore. This incident has no impact on our water supply as the chemical dumping location is outside of our Johor River catchment area, where part of our water supply comes from.
There have been no reports of unusual fish mortality at our local fish farms in the Straits of Johor. Singapore Food Agency (SFA)'s tests of seafood samples from these fish farms for compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), VOCs, and heavy metals have not detected any anomalies.
We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates if there are any significant developments. We will also continue to step up our checks and enforcement, to protect our environment and safeguard the health and safety of Singaporeans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Women Not in Labour Force Due to Care-giving Duties to Family or Relatives","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"27 Assoc Prof Walter Theseira asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the current number of women who are out of the labour force because of their care-giving duties to family or relatives; (b) what is the average period they remained out of the labour force; (c) when such women re-enter the labour force, what are their labour market outcomes, disaggregated by employment type, age, and industry; and (d) to what extent do such women experience changes in income relative to their pre-caregiving income or to their non-caregiving peers.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Based on the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)'s 2018 Comprehensive Labour Force Survey (CLFS), of the 543,500 female residents aged 25 and above who are not in the labour force, about two in three cited non-care-giving reasons, such as retirement, poor health/disability/old age and housework. About one in four cited care-giving to families (including childcare) or relatives as the main reasons they are out of the labour force.
Those providing care-giving to families (excluding childcare) or relatives are generally older – 75% are aged 50 and above. Majority had work experience; the median length of time since they left their jobs was nine years. Vast majority of those who are providing childcare are aged between 30 and 49. Most had prior work experience; the median length of time they have not been working was five years.
As survey respondents are different each year, the CLFS does not track the subsequent labour market outcomes of those who re-enter the labour force. To support the return of females back into the labour force, the Adapt and Grow initiative by MOM and Workforce Singapore (WSG) offers a suite of job matching services and programmes to help jobseekers overcome mismatches in skills, wages or job expectations. One of the programmes is Career Trial, which provides opportunities for jobseekers to try out jobs and assess new careers. This year, we are enhancing Career Trial to include part-time jobs. This will benefit women who are considering part-time jobs, in particular those with care-giving responsibilities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"CPF Members with and without Basic Retirement Sum in their Retirement Accounts on Reaching 55 in Last Three Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"28 Assoc Prof Walter Theseira asked the Minister for Manpower what is the number and proportion of CPF members turning 55 years of age in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively who have set aside the Basic Retirement Sum, disaggregated by gender and household income or by housing type as a proxy for household income.
32 Ms Anthea Ong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the number and percentage of current CPF members who are inactive, broken down by gender; (b) of the inactive members, in the last three years, what percentage does not have at least the CPF Basic Retirement Sum in their Retirement Accounts when they turned 55 years old, broken down by gender; and (c) what is the difference in CPF balances of inactive male and female members.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The cohort Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) is adjusted every year to take into consideration inflation and rising standards of living for successive cohorts of seniors in retirement. Even so, the proportion of active CPF members turning age 55 who had set aside their cohort BRS has increased steadily as shown in Table 1. This reflects higher labour force participation rates and rising incomes of successive cohorts of members.
The BRS attainment for both male and female CPF members have improved over the years and the difference in their savings have also narrowed. A study published by the CPF Board1 showed that the male-to-female average CPF balance ratio has reduced from 1.20 in 2006 to 1.13 in 2016. We expect this trend to continue.
BRS attainment tends to mirror property wealth. It is highest among active CPF members who own a private property, and lowest for active CPF members who own 3-room or smaller HDB flats.
It is difficult to draw meaningful conclusions by looking at CPF balances of members who are economically inactive and thus not required to make CPF contributions. They are likely to have other means of provision which CPF Board has no sight of. Nevertheless, inactive CPF members who wish to save through the CPF system can do so through voluntary top-ups to their CPF accounts either through cash or CPF transfers from other members. These members can also benefit from several recent enhancements that make it easier for members to receive CPF transfers from their spouse, children and grandchildren.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : CPF Trends Analysis of CPF Members’ Balances by Gender; published in May 2017."],"footNoteQuestions":["28","32"],"questionNo":"28-32"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Households with at Least One Member over Age 65 Employing Foreign Domestic Workers from 2015 to 2018","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"
29 Assoc Prof Walter Theseira asked the Minister for Manpower for each year from 2015 to 2018 and by disaggregated housing type (a) what is the number and proportion of households with at least one member over the age of 65 employing foreign domestic workers; and (b) how many of such households have received the Foreign Domestic Worker Grant.
Mrs Josephine Teo: From 2015 to 2018, the number and proportion of resident households with at least one member aged 65 and above, employing foreign domestic workers (FDW) are shown in Table 1.
Households with members aged 65 and above who are Singapore Citizens (SCs) pay the concessionary levy rate of $60 per month1 for the FDW they hire. In addition to this, the FDW Grant2 provides support for eligible families to hire an FDW to care for loved ones who require permanent assistance with at least three activities of daily living. As at December 2018, about 9,500 households caring for seniors, aged 65 and above, were receiving the FDW Grant.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : As opposed to the normal rate of $265 per month (to be raised to $300 per month from 1 April 2019). FDW employers can qualify for FDW levy concession under the aged person scheme if they or their spouse/parent/grandparent living with them are SCs aged 65 and above. The qualifying age will be raised to 67 from 1 April 2019. Households with persons aged 65 and 66 which are paying the levy concession under the aged person scheme before 1 April 2019 will continue to pay the concessionary rate. ","2 : The FDW Grant is administered by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). "],"footNoteQuestions":["29"],"questionNo":"29"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Workers Misclassified as Self-Employed Persons in Last Three Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"30 Assoc Prof Walter Theseira asked the Minister for Manpower (a) for each of the last three years, how many workers have been misclassified as self-employed persons when they should be classified as employees; (b) what are the major sectors or jobs where such misclassification has occurred; (c) whether there are links between emerging technologies or business models and self-employment misclassification; and (d) what are the actions taken to resolve misclassification including any penalties meted out to employers.
Mrs Josephine Teo: In the last three years, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board received a total of 308 cases of suspected misclassification. In 160 cases, workers were assessed to be misclassified as self-employed persons (SEPs)1. Each case that MOM and CPF Board investigate into could involve more than one worker. On average, about 100 workers per year were found to be misclassified.
In all but two of these misclassification cases, employers made good their obligations when informed of the misclassification, and paid back the affected employees what they were due, including overtime pay and CPF contributions. Penalties including warning and late payment interest charges were meted out to the companies. The two companies which refused to make the necessary payments to the affected employees were prosecuted. One subsequently fully settled the arrears out of Court while the other is currently appealing against its conviction.
The majority of these cases occurred in the contract labour suppliers, transport and logistics, construction and education sectors. The common occupations where such misclassification occurred include promoters, drivers, crane operators, service agents and carpenters.
The proportion of SEPs has remained stable at 8-10% of the resident workforce over the last decade. We have not observed a link between emerging technologies or business models and self-employment misclassification.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Self-employed persons (SEPs) here refer to own account workers who operate their own business without hiring any paid employees. It does not include other self-employed categories such as ‘employers’ and ‘contributing family workers’."],"footNoteQuestions":["30"],"questionNo":"30"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Complaints of Gender-related Discrimination Reported in Last Three Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"31 Assoc Prof Walter Theseira asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in each of the last three years, how many complaints of gender-related discrimination have been reported; (b) what is the breakdown of complaints by major reasons such as pregnancy, sexual harassment, unequal pay or work opportunities, or other gender-related reasons; and (c) what actions have been taken in category of complaints including any penalties meted out to employers.
Mrs Josephine Teo: In the past three years, there were on average about 50 gender-related discrimination complaints reported to the Tripartite Alliance on Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and Ministry of Manpower (MOM) annually, constituting 12% of the total number of complaints each year. The vast majority of these 50 complaints related to employers specifying their preference for a particular gender in their recruitment advertisements. About half of these were substantiated following investigations; as a result, MOM imposed sanctions on the employers, such as curtailing their work pass privileges. For the rest, investigations did not substantiate the complaints.
In the last three years, TAFEP received an average of about 10 workplace harassment complaints each year. For workplace harassment complaints which do not disclose a criminal offence, TAFEP notifies the employers and advises them to handle the complaint as an internal workplace matter by conducting an investigation, taking corrective actions and setting up mechanisms to handle future complaints appropriately, as outlined in the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP). All the employers so notified had conducted the necessary enquiries and instituted the appropriate corrective measures. Hence, TAFEP has not needed to impose any sanctions on employers for refusing to take action.
MOM also received about 70 pregnancy-related dismissal appeals annually in the past three years. This includes appellants who felt that they were wrongfully dismissed or forced to resign, or denied of maternity benefits. The number of cases that were substantiated and resulted in compensation to the employees remained relatively stable at about 50 per year. The other 20 cases were either dismissed as they were not substantiated or withdrawn by the employees.
MOM takes a serious view of workplace discrimination, including discrimination on the grounds of gender. We expect all employers to comply with our legislation, and abide by the principles of fair and merit-based employment practices outlined in the TGFEP. We urge all individuals who feel that they have been discriminated against to approach TAFEP and MOM for advice and assistance. MOM will not hesitate to take strong actions against errant employers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null}],"writtenAnswersVOList":[],"writtenAnsNAVOList":[],"annexureList":[],"vernacularList":[{"vernacularID":2851,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Prof Lim Sun Sun","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-Lim Sun Sun Hate Speech 1 April 2019-Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Lim Sun Sun Hate Speech 1 April 2019-Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":2852,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Murali Pillai","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-(Tamil) Transcript of the Tamil speech made by Mr Murali Pillai.pdf","fileName":"(Tamil) Transcript of the Tamil speech made by Mr Murali Pillai.pdf"},{"vernacularID":2853,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Murali Pillai","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-1 April 2019 -Mr Murali Pillai - Ministerial Statement.pdf","fileName":"1 April 2019 -Mr Murali Pillai - Ministerial Statement.pdf"},{"vernacularID":5118,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-Grace Fu MCCY Hate Speech 1 April 2019-Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Grace Fu MCCY Hate Speech 1 April 2019-Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":5119,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Sun Xueling","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-Sun Xueling Hate Speech 1 April 2019 -Chinese (without track changes).pdf","fileName":"Sun Xueling Hate Speech 1 April 2019 -Chinese (without track changes).pdf"},{"vernacularID":5120,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Terence Ho Wee San","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-Terence Ho hate speech 1 April 2019 -Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Terence Ho hate speech 1 April 2019 -Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":5121,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Saktiandi Supaat","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-1 April 2019 -Mr Saktiandi - Ministerial Statement.pdf","fileName":"1 April 2019 -Mr Saktiandi - Ministerial Statement.pdf"},{"vernacularID":5122,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Joan Pereira","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-Joan Pereira hate speech 1 April 2019-Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Joan Pereira hate speech 1 April 2019-Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":5123,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Mohamed Irshad","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-1 April 2019 -Mr Mohd Irshad- Ministerial Statement.pdf","fileName":"1 April 2019 -Mr Mohd Irshad- Ministerial Statement.pdf"},{"vernacularID":5124,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Mohamed Irshad","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-(Tamil) Mr Mohamed Irshad (Take 26 @ 6.45pm) - 1 Apr 2019VM.pdf","fileName":"(Tamil) Mr Mohamed Irshad (Take 26 @ 6.45pm) - 1 Apr 2019VM.pdf"},{"vernacularID":5125,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Rahayu Mahzam","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-1 April 2019 -Ms Rahayu Mahzam - Ministerial Statement.pdf","fileName":"1 April 2019 -Ms Rahayu Mahzam - Ministerial Statement.pdf"},{"vernacularID":5126,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Er Dr Lee Bee Wah","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-Lee Bee Wah Hate Speech 1 April 2019-Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Lee Bee Wah Hate Speech 1 April 2019-Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":5127,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20190401/vernacular-1 April 2019 -SPS AP Dr Muhd Faishal - Ministerial Statement.pdf","fileName":"1 April 2019 -SPS AP Dr Muhd Faishal - Ministerial Statement.pdf"}],"onlinePDFFileName":""}